Tool Nerd Pr0n thread
 

I know that we've got a bunch of tool nerds out there.

And some of you guys have been around since we knocked 2 rocks together to make fire or hit a critter with a rock to catch dinner. :D

What awesome, weird, cool tools do you have?

I picked up a few tools in the last couple of weeks just because...

I bought a "Ford" T-1917 wrench which was for Model Ts and/or possibly Ford tractors. Wow, this thing is crazy. It's got 2 different sized ends, sort of. The flats aren't remotely parallel, and the "meat" on the 2 prongs varies a lot. The back has each end labeled, and the labels are "1" and "2". I think the wrench would roughly fit a ⅝" (or maybe 11/16") and ¾". But the larger sized end measurements at the base of the flats is 0.71" and at the top of the flats is 0.776". The smaller end is 0.67" at the base and 0.753". It was made by Moore Drop Forging Co out of Springfield, MA.

The Rolls Royce is stamped "BSF" which stands for "British Standard Fine" which means it was a fine threaded bolt (really, the thread pitch needs to be part of the size?). It's similar/related to Whitworth in that the sizes are for the bolt sizes, not the head sizes. I don't know if the normal/coarse threaded Whitworth stuff had different sized heads that the fine threaded stuff or not. The edges and corners where it's machined are nice and sharp. It's got the feel of a quality tool.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1755637632.jpg

Then, because I'm an OLD tool nerd and a math nerd, I bought a boxwood and brass rule that has an integrated Coggeshall slide rule which was designed to calculate the volume of timber.
This rule was made by John Rabone & Sons. This model (2423) of rule is in their 1878 catalog that is available online which lists the cost as $30/dozen. I'm sure they made this model for many years, but they'd stopped by the 1930s because there's another catalog available that doesn't include any with the fancy joints. By then they'd switched to just "round", "square", and "arched" like Stanley, etc.... I suspect they didn't continue making the "vulcan joint" (curvy brass hinge) for long due to cost and ease of manufacture. The slide is stamped on both sides. The back is stamped so it could be extended and used to measure something longer than a foot, but that you couldn't fit the rule into unfolded. I think the "J19J" stamp on the back of the slide and inside the slide groove on the body is either to tie this particular slide to this particular body back when they were hand made and fitted or if they were made by machine, maybe just to make sure that the correct model of slide was put into the correct model of body if they were machine made.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1755639363.JPG
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1755639363.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1755639363.JPG
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1755639363.jpg

And then another couple of items that I bought are some 9/32" drive tools. Yes, 9/32" drive, not just loose 1/4" drive. A bunch of tool manufacturers made 9/32" square drive tools. I found the following on a website about the Snap-On version.

"The Midget drive is a mystery to most people. This size of the square is 9/32 and looks like looks like the modern day ¼ inch drive but is not interchangeable. Plomb also made a 9/32 inch drive set as others did.
Snap on started the 9/32 in the early 1920, and was dropped from the mechanics catalogs by 1945. The industrial catalogs continued the “P series” through the 1960s. These are the same tools relabeled with a P, so an M-5 is pre 1945 and a PM-5 is post 1945."

I got a PL∇MB ratchet for $5. So then I had to pick up a cheap, partial Snap-On kit to have some stuff to go with the ratchet. There are some pretty complete kits available in the $130-250 range. I don't want or need these that badly, LOL. I may pick up a couple more 9/32" items so these are more functional. I've seen a 9/32" to 1/4" adapter and a short extension, and several more sockets available.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1755641173.JPG
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1755641173.JPG
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1755641173.JPG
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1755641173.JPG

smattering of USA and Japanese stuff, bought at the local NAPA. New Britian made some good tools back in the 70's..

That sucks, and is, unfortunately, an all too common story.

I'm a sucker for old tools. I'm convinced a lot of the old tools are better than most of what you can buy new today.

I have some of my grandfather's and father's tools. Lots of old Proto, S&K, Craftsman, Snap-On, and some ratchets that I can't identify because the handles are so worn. I'll see about getting pics up eventually.

I’ll play tomorrow.:)

My garage looks like the tool section of an antique store. Nothing cool like Steve's stuff. Just lots of old, quality, American tools. I use them. They work. Also have a bit of a Stanley plane problem...

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1755693414.JPG

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1755693414.JPG

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1755693473.JPG

I have this old Ford logo wrench. I found it in the bottom of grandpa's tool chest. I have long wondered what it's origin story was. I just guessed it was something that came with a new Ford. However, there was a Model T assembly plant here in Oklahoma City. Maybe it came from there. I just don't know.

I'll have to remember, the next time I'm at my BIL's house to take a picture of his tool rooms. Yeah I said rooms. His garage, the second floor in his house and his basement. If ya wanna see Ford logo wrenches, yeah he has a bunch.

Mines not vintage or granddaddy-ish. No heirloom history.

Just mine. A hammer. I bought it the week I started my career. We did a bridge next to a hardware store, and I needed gloves. Guy gave me a deep discount. I bought 3 of them. Gave two of them to new coworkers I befriended on day one. Dumb money, but these two guys noticed right away I wasn’t local, and took me around San Francisco showing me hole in the wall Chinese food places. They never teased me when I butchered my parent language. Corrected me.

We are still lifelong friends. We all still have our hammers. I used mine at work for years until the third time I had to get it back from a carpenter that really didn’t want to relinquish it back to me. I needed it to hammer in survey markers on bridges. Now? It’s discontinued so I don’t get it out. A handyman tried to steal it.


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1755698319.jpg

What is the brand?

That would be a great gift for my son.

its a Douglas. my understanding is someone bought the rights and is making them again. the OG ones are rare now.

and you are an awesome parent!!

my mom: "what did you buy that dumb hammer for? and you barely know them"

hahhah...(i made that up, but yea)

For tool nerds the Henry Ford Museum is a must see.

The adjustable wrench exhibit is fascinating. To me anyhow, my wife was less impressed...

Yep, I've got my dad's old tools too. He was a gear head when he was younger. I've got some of my grandfather's old wood working stuff, but not much.

Very cool!

Very cool story, and cool hammer! I'll keep an eye out for one like that. Lots of old hammers get sold on the tool group that I'm on, but mostly the normal sort.

vaguely related subject
https://physics.mit.edu/news/the-man-who-reinvented-the-hammer/

Here. Maybe this helps w the search.http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1755711911.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1755711911.jpg

I found the hammer, new and used...amazing. What helped was FR20S.

We (by that I mean he) has a lot of wood in his future:cool:

His birthday is in a few weeks, so this was spot on. I'll get some pictures of my semi-cool tools later:D

I have a bunch of tools from my grandfathers… one was a millwright, the other was a German machinist, millwright, and mechanic that owned his own service station in the 50s and 60s.

When I reach into my grandpa’s toolbox looking for some oddball tool it’s amazing how my hand often graviton the exact tool I need.

On the tool pron side of things, this is something I got recently and it actually incredibly useful.

Cordless soldering iron.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1755713881.jpg

That's awesome, thanks for the extra pics!

In case anyone gets a kick out of perusing old catalogs (or other stuff), the "Internet Archive" has a ton of old tool catalogs from the 1900s and even into the 1800s scanned that you can look through and in most cases even download. I even stumbled across a 1910 Sears catalog.

https://archive.org/search?query=tools+catalog&page=2&and%5B%5D=year%3 A%5B0+TO+1927%5D

I'll be watching on the used market!
But these folks seem to be making them.
https://hammersource.com/framing-hammers/dalluge-hammers/

and these are on ebay

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1755717370.jpg

This was so incredibly cool. A valve grinding machine from probably 50/60s with all the tools and accessories. Could've bought it for $50 (1/2 off day) but I have nowhere to put it :rolleyes:



http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1755722635.jpg

That is very cool.

I'd love to have one of these old Art Deco inspired Craftsman drill presses.

https://forums.pelicanparts.com/uplo...1226964460.jpg

^^^On the valve grinding tool? I am pretty sure I bought one! My FIL has an antique car collection. One corner of the building is a Mechanic shop. I buy stuff for him every now and then. I think I bought a valve machine years back. It was $10-$20...

^^^ yeah, it was the estate of a guy who ran a Sinclair gas station. There were some Sinclair shop uniforms, lots of vintage oil cans (full, never opened cans) from the 60s and even oil in glass jars, etc. Had to look that up and they are from the WWII years when metal was in short supply so automotive oil was sold in glass jars. Cool spark plug cleaner too:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1755723245.jpg

Very cool stuff. I love the old stuff that feels like it's coming out of a time capsule!

Thread checker. Imperial and metric. Very handy.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1755733269.jpg

Home Depot wants their display back! :D

Nice looking tool, but I've never been able to get great edges with this. The fatal flaw is the tool rest. Someday I'll spend a rainy day redesigning said flaw, and hopefully achieve chisel nirvana.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1755734842.jpg

;)

I had to go take a picture for y'all. I have a strong suspicion that this was used by Native people a long while ago as a pounding tool. It was in my yard. There are at least two other rocks that are very similar that I find off and on in the yard.

I joke that when all fails, "Rock" is my tool of last resort. I have used it a few times.

PPOT. Meet my favorite tool:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1755745965.jpg

About 35 years ago my FIL asked me if I wanted the old toolbox in the upstairs of the shed he was tearing down. The chest had belonged to my MIL's grandfather. I of course dug it out and cleaned out the decades of mouse nest and dirt and was so pleased with what I found. Among other things, such as wooden planes, were a set of calipers, which have a home next to my lathe, and a set of dividers with his name stamped on them. Other tools which get frequent use are a mill file which is crazy sharp and a draw knife for which I made new handles.
Every time I use one of these tools, I am reminded of stories my MIL has told me about the old gentleman . Every now and then, when I am visiting her, I will tell her off how Ephram's tools still give good use.

Ford was famous for minimizing the number of different sizes of the bolts on his products. Ninety-nine percent of the bolts on the 9N tractor and plow were either 11/16" or 1 1/16" and the tractor came with a wrench with those two sizes on it.
There was a good chance that when you bought a Model T or a Fordson tractor, you got that pictured wrench with it.

THat's awesome!

I knew that you'd have good info on this subject! Thanks

And now for something completely different (modern). It's the Wera ratchet that's also a hammer, and also enables the handle to be extended to twice as long.

https://www-de.wera.de/en/great-tools/koloss/

https://cdn11.bigcommerce.com/s-9t4w...819121.jpg?c=4

<iframe width="720" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Kq9kzCol9FI?si=fKjqh9Tyy6K3ZHGl&amp;start=69" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

And now for something completely different (modern). It's the Wera ratchet that's also a hammer, and also enables the handle to be extended to twice as long.

https://www-de.wera.de/en/great-tools/koloss/

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/lHoAA...G6/s-l1200.jpg

<iframe width="720" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Kq9kzCol9FI?si=fKjqh9Tyy6K3ZHGl&amp;start=69" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I have a tool chest that my dad said he dug into when he was a kid. My grandfather's tool box, that is made with hand made nails. It belonged to my great grandfather. I really hope to give it to my nephew someday.