Thread: Spanner query

Not sure what you're asking there? I can't see any ring spanners in the pics - they're all open enders. Are the ones in the LH pic Crescent branded?

The photo's are of Snail branded spanners, front and back.

I used the crescent spanner photo's as an example, but I have some of both with dual markings.

Some research showed me that one set of markings are BSW and the markings on the other side are BSF.

Some also have markings such as 62AF and 3/8 U, which is a bit more confusing.

Gomez

I am unable to answer your enquiry but the right hand end of the top spanner has been filed out to suit some bigger size.

Regards Mike

Hi Gomez,

I believe they were made by the Birmingham firm of Thomas Smith and Sons of Saltley


This is from Grace's Guide
Thomas Smith and Sons of Saltley - GracesGuide

I can't help with deciphering the sizes, they look like they have been modified and stamped for some special purpose, one of the marks looks a bit like the MOD arrow.

The most recent reference in Grace's Guide is an advert placed in 1954, so they were around at least that long.

Regards
Ray

Quite possible they were modifed. The tools came from a retired fitter-turner who was disposing of his tools.

Your remark about taper is confusing. Spanners typically do not taper - the sides should be parallel.

I'm not familiar with that brand, but I've seen some old tools marked with the bolt size instead of the head dimension. There's usually a standard relationship of bolt size to head dimension. In Imperial, typically 1.5 times the bolt size, plus 1/16" in the smaller sizes.

Cheers,
Joe

Hi Gomez, Joe,

I think we have a problem with terminology here...

What Gomez is calling a crescent spanner, I would call an open ender
What Americans call a crescent wrench, I would call a shifter.
What I call a crescent wrench, Americans would call a half moon ring spanner..

I guess it all depends on where you went to school...

Regards
Ray

A little of both I suppose, Ray.

I'd always considered "spanner" to be equivalent to our open-end wrench. But McMaster-Carr describes "spanners" with a pin and a bearing surface; use on a round part with a receiving hole for the pin. Some adjustable like a cant hook for logs.

Around here, Crescent is both a trade name for some other tools and (with hi-jacked trade mark) an adjustable pliers with a single arc in one leg and multiple arcs in the other to hold the gap setting. = shifter?

Our combination wrenches have one end open and the other end "box," with 6 or 12 facets, usually but not always the same size. In between, flare nut wrenches have one facet of a box open for convenient operation on small pipe fittings.

I've never called it a half moon, but McMaster Carr does: ordinary wrench with a bent stem.

According to George Bernard Shaw, England and America are two countries separated by a common language.

Cheers,
Joe

Originally Posted by joe greiner

According to George Bernard Shaw, England and America are two countries separated by a common language.

Cheers,
Joe

Hi Joe,

Here's an interesting experiment.. using google images..

Crescent wrench ( I would have called a shifter or shifting spanner, famously available in metric and imperial)
crescent wrench - Google Search

Open Ended Spanner ( same )
open ended spanner - Google Search

Ring Spanner ( same )
ring spanner - Google Search

Half Moon Spanner ( I would have called a crescent wrench )
Half Moon Spanner - Google Search

Multigrips ( Pliers, sometimes adjustable pliers )
Multigrips - Google Search

Locking Pliers ( I would have called these multigrips )
Locking Pliers - Google Search

George Bernard Shaw was correct, and I think Australia is somewhere in the mid Atlantic linguistically speaking... Divided by a common language.

Regards
Ray

Having been bought up in WA, the adjustable spanners were always shifters or shifting spanners.

The others were always ring spanners and crescent or open ended spanners.

BTW - Does anyone have an idea of what this tool is and what it's used for ?

It consists of a t-handle on a semi rigid woven steel rope shaft with a corkscrew on the end.

Hi,
It is used to remove the packing from a pump gland. The packing is tightened against the shaft by the gland to stop the pump leaking. When it wears down to far it has to be removed and replaced. Asbestos string used to be the favourite packing.
Regards

Thanks Hugh

Don't know what I'm going to do with them then, I ended up with several in assorted sizes.