Gotta love old tools

[Kinman]

I inherited a full set of those "Stilson" wrenches along with a full set of plumbers wrenches the largest is close to three feet long, its fun to haul one of them off the wall in my shop where I have them displayed. There was also a full set of pipe dies and wrench, the smallest is 1/4"P. I needed one while doing a repair job on a friends older Ford tractor. The largest wrench has jaws that open a full four inches. My favorite among the set is a "pump wrench" it has a curved handle that allows it to fit into a relatively close area...namely where the pump was located. I don't think my grandfather had any power tools, there were none left behind. Hand cranked drill set, brace and bit with all the auger bits, a bevy of hand saws. He had a drill press and grinder in his old blacksmith shop but that was all long gone. Like his generation all they understood was hard work.

 

[4K2022]

Tractor wrench that has some "honest wear." They came with the tractor or implement and rattled around in tool box bolted to the frame. Easy to slide a pipe on the handle for leverage, and BEND the handle.

 

[4K2022]

Electrolite became SK Wayne, they had a factory in my hometown and I knew many workers. I believe it was common to drop an mis-stamped wrench in your pocket and bring it home!

I call it a 19/16

 

[Rustyt1953]

An old simple tool.

Mom has one that belonged to her grandmother.

 

[soFlaNative]

An old simple tool.

I think I found a new sig line.

 

[smoothshooter]

Around here that wrench is called a "Ford Wrench "

 

[pmanton]

I'm 85 and I still use tools that belonged to my Father.

 

[glenwolde]

Knipex makes a smooth jaw wrench that looks like Channel Locks. It even is marked on the slots for the size.

Knipex...

 

[wood714]

Probably my oldest store made tool. Made by Dunlap.

 

[oldbrownhat]

An old simple tool.

Mom has one that belonged to her grandmother.

Interesting... I've heard that some people still actually read books in the old format, made from, like, paper. How quaint!

To my surprise, back in April my gf and I were having breakfast at our regular eatery and I saw A YOUNG PERSON READING A REAL BOOK I had to snap a surreptitious pic to prove it actually happened. Probably a student at the local univ.

(In keeping with modern sensibilities, I have obscured her face.)

Ironically, probably a dozen or more years ago we were at the same place, and we saw "an older couple" (ie probably my current age!), both reading tablets. I have a pic somewhere in an archive but can't find it.

 

[jtcarm]

There are days which I have no desire to hear and use electric tools.
The old Genko hand grinding wheel machine, sharpens quite well.
Bought it after coming off active duty with the Air Force in '70 to build everything from knife scales, gun stocks, stringed instruments and begin the study of Naval Architecture for boat work, to add to my skills/degrees with electronics and music.
Started collecting tone woods, draw knifes, planes, spokeshaves, bits/braces, an egg beater hand drill and other quiet tools.

Will adapt the Genko to spin a sanding disc when as necessary so I don't have to run the two electric belt sanders, for small work.
A sad day was when I was home on leave in the late '60s to find that both my Grandmother's pedal operated sewing machines disappered.

Pic of Genko for a cleaning and fresh grease.
Have my Great Granddad's Penn fishing reel as well.
Our family always hunted with rods and reels since the
1860s on Long Island. Ocean tools they be.

Besides being quieter, it's hard to ruin your steel in that.

 

[Marshwheeling]

Years(!) ago I went to school with a buddy from England.
He called such a wrench a "Spanner". Stuck in my brain.
Now whenever I see one I always think "Spanner".

A spanner is a wrench. Any kind of wrench. A ring spanner is a box end wrench. A pin spanner is a wrench that engages its fastener with pins. A Crescent wrench is an adjustable spanner. An adjustable wrench is an adjustable spanner.

You find a lot of pin spanners in motorcycle tool kits, for fork caps, wheel parts, shock absorbers. Some people like to call them spanner wrenches, but to my mind, that is redundant, like "roast beef with au jus gravy" or "today's soup du jour".

 

[oldbrownhat]

..Some people like to call them spanner wrenches, but to my mind, that is redundant, like "roast beef with au jus gravy" or "today's soup du jour".

Terminology courtesy of The Dept. of Redundancy Dept.

 

[smoothshooter]

Knipex makes a smooth jaw wrench that looks like Channel Locks. It even is marked on the slots for the size.

Knipex...

I have a 3 piece set of Knipex smooth-jawed channel lock pliers and they are among some of my favorite tools.

 

[Rustyt1953]

It's got some miles on it. Ya just never know when you'll need to do some impromptu soldering.

 

[mckenney99]

I have a large metal toolbox that belonged to my dad. I'm guessing the tools all date to the late 1940's. Included is a set of sockets that go up to very large sizes, maybe 1.5" and besides a ratchet, a breaker bar that's about 2 feet long. Not sure what he used them for. A few of the tools in the box still get some use but the sockets don't since everything I own is metric. But all the tools are USA made for sure and if I could sell them by the pound I'd have a good amount of money.

Walter, In my experience, that 2 ft long breaker bar is used to twist the head off the last bolt or the last nut holding the object you are trying to disassemble together, so that the 1 hour repair job you were expecting has now turned into a college level course in vulgar curses of humanity that would leave a navy chief speechless.

 

[oldbrownhat]

Not everything... [was better made back when]

Very true. But despite its deficiencies, you could probably repair one with basic tools, baling wire and some fabric cement. No "(W)right to repair" legislation needed, either

Here's a barely-old tool (c.1975) that I picked up for $3.00 at the ReStore - a Portalign I remember these but don't think I ever had one. I happened to already have a 3/8" chuck and a 3/8-24 bolt, so just cleaned and lubed it. Similar ones are still made but I like the "less bent tin and plastic" feel of the original.

 

[chief38]

I've got many of both my Dad's and Grand Dad's tools. I use them fairly often too. No doubt about it..... the old tools are so much better made!

 

[chief38]

Some of the old tools I've got:

 

[ACORN]

I don't have a pic now but I have a Palmgren adjustable angle vise, which I guess was designed to be used on a drill press. I found it at my Mom's house in the garage with my Dad's stuff. I don't know where he got it. He's passed so no asking him. It needs some TLC but is in pretty good shape except for some dirt andlight surface rust. It should clean up well.