Tool Talk
What's-It Forum => What's-It Forum => Topic started by: Dabears on January 08, 2013, 08:22:27 AM
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Hello! Does anyone have any ideas about this tool? It reads "Whitman & Barnes mfg. co." with the mark above the handle on one side, and "CONSTRUCTION - WRENCH" on the other side..... I've done lots of looking and can't find any information on it!?
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Looks like a spud wrench with a bent tail. And a modified end.
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That is an early style of what is commonly called a "spud" wrench these days. Used by ironworkers and such to align bolt holes in plant and refinery construction.
Mentioned in Iron Age- http://tinyurl.com/ab3za7o (http://tinyurl.com/ab3za7o)
Google "spud wrench".
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ok- so i have a spud wrench! lol! any ideas on the date of the wrench? Thanks for the quick reply!
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Anywhere from 1910 into the 20's to 40's. W&B was a major maker of wrenches. Some of their wrenches were produced by J H Williams after 1920 or so.
Look here- http://books.google.com/books/about/The_first_100_years_of_Whitman_Barnes_18.html?id=MrIdAQAAMAAJ (http://books.google.com/books/about/The_first_100_years_of_Whitman_Barnes_18.html?id=MrIdAQAAMAAJ)
The company acquired the Acme line of monkey wrenches from the Capital Manufacturing Company in 1893. In subsequent years the company expanded its wrench business with various models of bicycle wrenches, pipe wrenches, fixed and adjustable alligator wrenches, auto wrenches, and other tools. One of their best known products was the line of "Bull Dog" alligator wrenches, produced in a range of sizes.
Twist drills were another important product of W&B. The illustration at the left shows an advertisement for twist drills published in the December 2, 1909 issue of The Iron Age.
In 1920 the drop-forge and wrench operations of Whitman & Barnes were acquired by the J.H. Williams company, and the W&B president A.D. Armitage became a vice-president of J.H. Williams. Some of the W&B product lines (e.g. monkey wrenches and alligator wrenches) continued in production by Williams.
Source- Alloy Artifacts- http://home.comcast.net/~alloy-artifacts/other-makers-p3.html
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Have used them many times pipe fitting, they're a must with thick steel pipe.
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thank you! any idea on the value? looking to sell it- have some more tools i need identified too I'll be posting....
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hit it on the head. I have two of them I picked up years ago. Have no idea of value. Just a good example to have for me.
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The best way that I know of to establish a value is Ebay. Go to the category (collectibles, hardware tools and locks, tools). Click 'advanced search'. Enter key search word 'Spud Wrench' and then scroll down to click on 'completed auctions'. Scroll down to the 'Search' button. This will get you a list of recent sold and unsold items. Look the whole list over and ignore occasional high sell prices. Take an average. Look at the prices that didn't sell and that tells you what is too high. There are other categories to look in, especially for user tools, but the search is the same. Good Luck!
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Some iron workers collect spud wrenches, but what they will pay depends on which brand is involved. Williams made a good tool, but they made so many that their value isn't as great as some, less productive company tools command.
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spuds with steel company names are more valuable than tool brand wrenches in general.
BS Bethlehem Steel, etc.
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called a podger spanner in the UK - same use as in the USA (another query elsewhere on the site defines this word)
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The old tool catalogs call those construction wrenches. The similar ones with the heads rotated 90 degrees were called structural wrenches.
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thank you all! this is knowledge you just cant find anywhere!!!
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this is knowledge you just cant find anywhere!!!
Stick around- you will learn a lot here on Tool Talk!!