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Vintage wrenches with no size designation???

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Exceller8

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Jul 19, 2012
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Banning, CA
I've been buying a ton of vintage tools lately and I've came across some wrenches with no size designation or markings at all. I had a couple that had "29" or "30" but the were too small to be metric.

Any idea why they aren't marked with the proper sizing? :dunno: Most of them so far have been open end wrenches.
 
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PCO6

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Dec 25, 2008
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Newmarket, Ontario
I think this Mastercraft wrench (top one) is from the early 70's. I'm pretty sure it's a Gray wrench made for Canadian Tire. I got it from my Dad who solved the missing size marking with a hammer and a punch.



 
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Outlawmws

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The Badlands
Exceller8 said:
True, but it might be hard to get any work done! :lol:
Click to expand...

Actually, it's not that hard and if you think about it, most of the time you eyeball the fastener, then go get the tool; with an open end it's not difficult to get the right size, at least in the older SAE sizes.

Metric can be a bit tougher, and when you mix then together... :eyecrazy: :willy_nil
 
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Gmonkee

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Up to 1929 there was no accepted national standard for sizing wrenches or fasteners. In fact well over 10 systems were in place depending on what machine and who made it.

In 1929 SAE became the suggested national standard and most wrench makers started dual marking their tools to not alienate old clients but try to comply with the new standards. WWII made the standard critical because the machines made for the war efforts had to use common tools and fasteners.

In 1946 the US gov ordered the tool makers to stop using now antiquated systems in sizing and concentrate on the SAE, of course the older machines still existed and used their old standards but new manufacure was all in SAE. By the mid 50's most all the older mechanics versed in the old systems had retired and SAE was finally accepted as the only standard.

Look at a site called 'Alloy Artifacts' and read. There is a lot of good info there.
 
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Adam McLaughlin

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Oct 13, 2008
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Santa Rosa, CA
Gmonkee said:
Up to 1929 there was no accepted national standard for sizing wrenches or fasteners. In fact well over 10 systems were in place depending on what machine and who made it.

In 1929 SAE became the suggested national standard and most wrench makers started dual marking their tools to not alienate old clients but try to comply with the new standards. WWII made the standard critical because the machines made for the war efforts had to use common tools and fasteners.

In 1946 the US gov ordered the tool makers to stop using now antiquated systems in sizing and concentrate on the SAE, of course the older machines still existed and used their old standards but new manufacure was all in SAE. By the mid 50's most all the older mechanics versed in the old systems had retired and SAE was finally accepted as the only standard.

Look at a site called 'Alloy Artifacts' and read. There is a lot of good info there.
Click to expand...

Very informative, Thank You GMonkee

Adam
 
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Gmonkee

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A few of mine, the better ones. There is about ten lbs of lessor brand/low end stuff too.
About half are pre-'29, a few Whitworth and a few ancient metrics. The 2nd tray is car kit stuff, mostly Ford. The 3rd is machine specific stuff including a Maytag washer multi wrench.

These are generally not hard to find, sets of any one type are difficult to build however.
I've been collecting 3 years now.
 

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