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We have a full set of Whitworth sockets and spanners left behind by my Father.Us brothers share them between each other,and one does more work on the Series1,so he has them most of the time.
I have a 1/4 Whitworth spanner in my tool box in the van,still gets used quite often,but the other sizes are rarely used.
They are often able to be picked up at the markets,usually very cheap.I get shifters from the markets as well for the boys.Often they are the good brands.
I have sockets as well as the old mans bunch from the days of Apprenticeship. Just as well all these things are dull Chrome plated or they would have all rusted away due to lack of use.[bigrolf] Mind you the Tin Boxes they are in are looking a bit worse for wear. A ****ty rag over them when I think of it does help.
It is simply amazing the uses one can find for a 1/4" Whit open ender Even when it is not the correct spanner for the job in hand. it always seems to fit. Somewhere between 1/2" x 9/16" usually. Either that or we seemed to work on old crap.[bigrolf]
Well my late father was about 4th generation Australian and that's what he called both of them. So it followed that I did the same!Quote:
Stillson and Crescent (both American), seem to have taken the credit for the pipe wrench and adjustable spanner (typical American thing to do)
I worked for years with Americans and they have some weird names for all sorts of things. But the one that used to annoy me the most was "channel locks". They are what we call water pump pliers, but it refers to the type of locking groves between the jaws.
The oilfield is a place with many strange names. Drill pipe has one female end and one male end, but the yanks call them a "pin end" for the male, and a "box end" for the female end. (also has a tapered buttress thread) Anything that sticks out from something else is called a "stinger".
Not many of them had any idea what a megger was, or how to use it. I recall one graduate electrical engineer that argued point blank that it was impossible for insulation to measure infinity!
Yep, I've seen multi grips called Channel Locks by Americans too.
And Channel Lock is a brand, I've used their side cutters, they are nicely made.
Ring spanners are called 'box wrenches' in US speak, an open ender is a 'flat wrench' etc.
A big one for me that has changed in usage is a tension wrench.
Everyone calls them the US 'Torque Wrench' these days which is sad. [emoji53]
Cubits, Des and you'd have to have a mate the same size as you. A cubit was the distance of the forearm, between the wrist and elbow. If your mate was shorter or taller than you, your ark would've been banana shaped and floated 'round in circles. [bighmmm]Quote:
Originally Posted by 4bee
I always assumed that a box wrench was a tube/box spanner.Quote:
Originally Posted by rick130
I just gave away 35 different odd sized and manufactured spanners to a guy whose face lit up like xmas tree when he saw them.
They were advertised here as a give away for ages.
I still have a huge collection of fitters/engineering tools that most of you here are still too young to have used .
Apprenticed to Noah ? [biggrin]Quote:
Originally Posted by 4bee
Bought an adze with your first month's pay? [bigrolf]
I've got my grandfather's SnapOn socket set that has done a **** load of work and is an absolute delight to use. From memory the hallmarks say 1947.
cheers, DL
1947, Des was the foreman by then. [tonguewink]
Quote:
Originally Posted by V8Ian
Really? Oh **** that explains a few teething problems we had. We thought it was the curvature of the earth based on the pad where we laid out the keel & Gar-board Strakes. As I recall it was a wide circle & we finished up near, of all places, China.
I hope they don't come back for a warranty claim.