Assorted stamped steel wrenches

[lauver]

Tool Sleuths,

I recently picked up a batch of mostly stamped steel wrenches.  Some are more interesting than others, none have any stampings or other ID marks that I can find.

If you are familiar with any of these stamped wrenches or know what they were used for, I'd appreciate anything you can tell me about them:



Note there is one forged wrench in the center, I believe this is a "tool post wrench" used for a lathe or mill by the looks of it. But, one of the guys on the GG suggested this wrench is a Model T brake adjusting tool.  Also the stamped DOE wrench on the right with a small square hole in the middle of the beam appears to be an aftermarket auto kit wrench. The small square hole was used to turn on/off Presto-Lite gas headlights in the old days before electric lights became common. This would likely date this wrench from the late 1800s to the early 1900s.

[Bus]

I can ID a couple. Top second from right is a Maytag Engine wrench and bottom right is a Briggs & Stratton Engine wrench.

[Hm Wrench]

Top left is a bicycle wrench, I have a couple and I am trying to identify the manufacturer, Top right looks like part of an indestro set of flat wrenches.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Vintage-Indestro-wrenches-set-4-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem336785e8e5QQitemZ220780161253QQptZMotorsQ5fAutomotiveQ5fTools

Thanks,
Kirk

[lauver]

Bus & HM Wrench,

Thanks for your insights. That is a big help.

Bus-- The Maytag Engine wrench... are you talking about the washing machines that were powered by gasoline motors?  I've actually seen a few.  I guess these machines would predate rural electrification. That could provide a clue to a possible date range for this particular wrench.

[rusty]

[Another tidbit salvaged from the old board]

very nice page with photos of wrenches supplied with various gas/oil lamps and stoves

http://tgmarsh.faculty.noctrl.edu/lantern/


Many are unmarked stamped wrenches id'able from shape only...so the photo's are nice

[Bus]

Yes the Maytag engines were for washing machines and other applications. There are eight different variations of that wrench, some very common and some extremely rare. To get all eight is quite a task.

[lauver]

[Another tidbit salvaged from the old board]

very nice page with photos of wrenches supplied with various gas/oil lamps and stoves

http://tgmarsh.faculty.noctrl.edu/lantern/


Many are unmarked stamped wrenches id'able from shape only...so the photo's are nice

Rusty,

Thanks to the gas lantern link. I can see I'm going to have to put in some time on this website to see if they have anything on Presto-Lite or other automotive gas lights.

[lauver]

Gang,

Found some new information on the auto kit wrench (upper right in photo).  I did something today I don't like to do.  I took some sandpaper and a wire brush to this wrench.  It was completely covered in rust and thick black paint.  As it turns out there were some stampings hidden underneath all this crud.  This wrench was not made by Indestro, although it is a dead ringer for the Indestro auto kit wrenches.  I found a "None Better" logo (an early tool brand used by New Britain Manufacturing).  I also found some size markings for the two opend ends, 5/8" & 3/4".  There may be more markings, but it will have to wait until I can sand and wire brush the other side of the wrench.

I also did some research on the Alloy Artifacts Website.  It seems there were quite a few companies that manufactured the aftermarket automotive kit wrenches.  Most of them sold these wrenches between about 1915  and 1936. Some continued to sell the kits into the early 1940s. I also found some new information about the square hole in the middle of the wrench beam.  It seems there were three reasons for this hole; 1) a bolt and wing nut was run thru this whole which held all the wrenches in the kit together in a stack, 2) the square hole allowed the wrench to be used for a tap handle, and 3) the square hole allowed the wrench to be used to turn the Presto-Lite gas headlights on and off.  More later...stay tuned.

[lauver]

Gang,

Here's a follow up on two wrenches.  The first, the auto kit wrench from my post above, which turned out to have some markings under all the rust and crud.

None Better 5/8" x 3/4" Auto Kit Wrench (New Britain Machine Co, est. 1919-1940):








This second wrench was not part of the group of stamped wrenches I posted above.  In fact, I had tossed this wrench into my scrap bin as a lost cause.  But my curiosity got the best of me and I eventually got around to cleaning this wrench up. And, to my surprise found markings on it.

MP Co 11/16" x 13/16" Angle Wrench (OEM unknown, date range unknown):







If you know the OEM, approximate date range, or anything else about this wrench, please post.  BTW, this wrench is unlike all the other stamped wrenches I posted above; it's 0.250" thick and the angled wrench heads have a slight twist to them, maybe 5 - 10 degrees.

[Bus]

That M. P. Co. for Moline Plow Company.

[lauver]

Bus,

Thanks for the heads up on the OEM.  I had no idea who MP Co was;  I've never run across this logo before.  Im guessing this wrench is pretty old, maybe late 1800's or early 1900's from the looks of the wrench.  Your thoughts?

[Bus]

I think 1912 is the earliest Moline Parts Book I have seen with your wrench listed.

[lauver]

Thanks Bus.  I'm going to google Moline Plow Co. and see where that leads (other than ebay) and what it turn up.