Whoooops! Grabbed the wrong wrench...

[HappyMdRSailor]

HAHA!

I needed a 3/4 open end the other day, and stuck my paw in a pile I don't use often...

Came up with this... To my credit... 7/16's Whitworth ain't too far off 3/4" at 0.820"

Actual 7/16" - 1/4-28 nut tossed in there for comparison...

[a64pilot]

Whitworth?
An antique, I don't think many even know what it is, I wouldn't if it hadn't been for one or two Brit bikes I've worked on.

How about this? It's a gland nut wrench for an XP-59A. Two thing about it I have never seen before. First it is a manufactured tool, for an Experimental aircraft, and secondly I can't figure out what kind of metal its made from, it's steel like in weight etc., rusts, but is completely non magnetic?

[rwidman]

My boat is mostly metric with some standard sizes thrown in. I keep my wrenches in separate bags so it's easier to find the size I need.

[Sailmonkey]

I worked on a north sea drilling rig with whitworth everywhere.......only rig i've ever been on where tool theft was not a problem.

[Capt Phil]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Whitworth?
An antique, I don't think many even know what it is, I wouldn't if it hadn't been for one or two Brit bikes I've worked on.

How about this? It's a gland nut wrench for an XP-59A. Two thing about it I have never seen before. First it is a manufactured tool, for an Experimental aircraft, and secondly I can't figure out what kind of metal its made from, it's steel like in weight etc., rusts, but is completely non magnetic?

That looks decidedly like a fuel cap wrench and being non-magnetic, no chance of latent electrical charge when you touch a fuel cap. Not certain what an XP-59A is... I've forwarded the photo to my bros in law in Australia who has a fleet of helicopters and may shed more light on it. Phil

[a64pilot]

XP-59A was the very first US jet, first flown in 1942, the X of course meant pre-production, Experimental
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_P-59_Airacomet

Tool was my Wife's Grandfather's it is used to disassemble the OLEO struts lockrings, He was EF Ball scratched on the tool, he was long gone before we met unfortunately as I would have loved to have talked with him. I have his aircraft mechanics training books from the 20's I believe where a Curtis JN-4 Jenny was the example airplane, and the possibility of a helicopter was discussed.
He was too old I think to serve in WWII, but worked as a civilian apparently on the XP-59 and in developing in air refueling later on.

[Paul54]

I had a few mid 60's Triumph motorcycles. I remember the whitworth type nuts and bolts. Between metric and lots of odd SAE wrenches and sockets I could get most things fixed. I even got one to not leak oil!

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by Paul54

I even got one to not leak oil!

Umm, draining it all out doesn't count

It was the AMF Harley's that to me were the worst.

[senormechanico]

Originally Posted by Capt Phil

That looks decidedly like a fuel cap wrench and being non-magnetic, no chance of latent electrical charge when you touch a fuel cap. Not certain what an XP-59A is... I've forwarded the photo to my bros in law in Australia who has a fleet of helicopters and may shed more light on it. Phil

Possibly Beryllium?

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by senormechanico

Possibly Beryllium?

I don't have a clue what it is, and I've shown it to a couple of Aerospace Engineer types, and they can't come up with what it's made from either, but it is just a wrench, why some kind of unusual metal?
It looks to have been forged or cast, here is what the backside looks like, it's obviously a manufactured thing

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Paul54

I had a few mid 60's Triumph motorcycles. I remember the whitworth type nuts and bolts. Between metric and lots of odd SAE wrenches and sockets I could get most things fixed. I even got one to not leak oil!

Impressive. For how many minutes?

[Paul54]

Almost a year if I remember correctly. I had some large white o ring/gaskets for the push rod tubes. Not sure who made them but they sure worked. I do miss the old BSA's, Nortons, and Triumphs.

[Boatyarddog]

Originally Posted by Capt Phil

That looks decidedly like a fuel cap wrench and being non-magnetic, no chance of latent electrical charge when you touch a fuel cap. Not certain what an XP-59A is... I've forwarded the photo to my bros in law in Australia who has a fleet of helicopters and may shed more light on it. Phil

It's a spanner nut wrench, square dogs on one end and round on the other.


Sent from SV Cloud Duster

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by senormechanico

Possibly Beryllium?

Surely not pure Be, for that is quite toxic and its density is much less than that of steel. Possibly some Beryllium bronze alloy... IIRC such formulations were used to harden the bronze in applications like springs and tools, and also in usages around flammable fuels like av-gas (non-sparking).

Jim

[wsmurdoch]

Whitworth, imperial, SAE, metric... All you really need is an any-mm-wrench. You know, a shifting spanner or Crescent wrench or adjustable wrench or whatever else you want to call it. One or two uses, and after that a pair of Channel Locks,or a pipe wrench or a set of Vice Grips will work just fine, too.

Seriously, my two Be-Cu scrapers are almost copper colored; sort of reddish brown. They come with a real warning not to breath the dust when sharpening them. Is your tool plated or is the metal itself silver colored?