Repaired A Vintage 18” Crescent Wrench

[jackieschmidt]

This big Crescent Wrench has been in our family since I was a kid. My Dad had it at the Mobile Dry Docks before he was drafted in WW-2.

We used it at our Shop for years. Some years back, someone put too big of a cheater pipe on it and cracked the adjusting scroll.

It hung in the wall in our tool room for years, so last week I decided to fix it by machining a new scroll and pin.

I used piece of 4340 at 38 RC. The thread is 3 3/4 tpi Buttress cut deep.

Anyway, I’m taking it home and hanging it on my shop wall. It deserves a good retirement.

 

[jasophil1]

Hey got one in 15 or 16 my dad had there about twice as thick thru the jaws as later ones.

 

[hpshooter]

This big Cresent Wrench has been in our family since I was a kid. My Dad had it at the Mobile Dry Docks before he was drafted in WW-2.

We used it at our Shop for years. Some years back, someone put too big of a cheater pipe on it and cracked the adjusting scroll.

It hung in the wall in our tool room for years, so last week I decided to fix it by machining a new scroll and pin.

I used piece of 4340 at 38 RC. The thread is 3 3/4 tpi Buttress cut deep.

Anyway, I’m taking it home and hanging it on my shop wall. It deserves a good retirement.View attachment 1264554

That is the type re-cycling that is meaningful. I have the same vintage one that was my Grandfathers. Still gets used on occasion.

 

[swd]

I have quite a few old tools that have been in my family a long time. I brings me great satisfaction knowing that 3-5 generations of my family have handled them.

 

[Hunting 2019]

Jackie that was a nice write up.Now it can stay in your family for generations to come.

 

[caihlen]

Brilliant. Nicely done.

 

[Uthink Uknow]

Ohh, that’s a wrench? I thought that was a crescent hammer.

 

[wedgy]

I always wondered why they called it a crescent wrench......
Thanks for sharing.

 

[Triple BB]

My dad is 83. One of his summer time hobbies is hitting garage sales. He always stops by and sez I picked up some tools for you. I have at least a dozen Crescent wrenches. Surprisingly, they're almost all quality wrenches; Proto, Rigid, Crescent, etc.

 

[jackieschmidt]

I always wondered why they called it a crescent wrench......
Thanks for sharing.

That is all we ever called an “adjustable wrench”.

It’s the same with a “pipe wrench“. All we ever called that was a Stilson Wrench.

 

[Kittitas George]

Oklahoma socket set or thumb wrench.

 

[timeout]

Knuckle buster.

 

[caihlen]

Honyaker socket set.

 

[timeout]

"Bring me the metric Crescent wrench son."

 

[ebb]

When my dad got up into his 90s he took me out to the tool shed and told me "When I die I want you to makes sure you take care of this hatchet. It belonged to my grandmother, and she had all the aunts, uncles and all cousins over for Sunday dinner, every Sunday. Sundays were the most fun I had when i was a kid." "Did she cook on a wood stove and used this to split the firewood?" I asked. "No that hatchet has probably killed 10 thousand chickens, and she KNEW how to fry a chicken."

 

[John11-87]

Awesome story! I machined a bunch of 4340 at the shop this week running 39-44 Rockwell, that is some tough stuff! Keeps the cutting tool salesman smiling.

John

 

[Bill K]

I have one also, like that and maybe slightly larger that my Dad used when in the garage business back in the late 30's, also have a partial set of old sockets and rachet and bar he had. Still use some in my home garage for repairs. Those oldies just keep going and going better than the rabbit (Smile)

 

[hpshooter]

Knuckle buster.

Chinese Nut Rounder

 

[butchlambert]

Being in the business I have a treasure trove of old tools. Great Neck, Snap On, Craftsman, Thorson, Giller, P&C, Crescent, Mac, Plvmb, and many more.
IMG_0232 .JPG
I do have a 9/32 socket set that was military WW11 only. Just a little bigger than a 1/4" drive set.

 

[PhilC]

Have several of my dad's tools and feel connected to him every time I use one.