All purpose wrench

[Noah Zark]

Beemer: I bet that one of yours, being the size you indicated,was forged for the Louisville & Nashville Rail Road. My Great Grand Dad cut ties for them when they were running track in Arkansas before the Civil War.
oksmle

Don't you mean Loovull & Nashvull RR?

Noah

[Winger Ed.]

So where did the term "Monkey Wrench" come from????

I always heard that you only had to be as smart as a monkey to operate it.
Or, it was simple enough a monkey could use it.

[jaysouth]

Mine can be switched to turn either clockwise or counter-clockwise. Must be a newer model....

Ambidextrous and multi-lingual as well.

[Siskiwit]

Used one of those a few months ago to tighten a gas line. It was handy.

[JSnover]

I have one about that size, it's stamped L&NRR.

I got one too, N&W RR

[abunaitoo]

Many years ago, someone wrote a book titled "Did a monkey invent the monkey wrench???"
He got into some trouble for the title.
It was changed to something else.
What is wrong with people???
What happened to "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me" ????

I've had a few of those over the years
They come in different sizes.
Never had one stamped FORD.

[HWooldridge]

There are “monkey” tools in the blacksmith trade, with the implied meaning they are easy enough to use that even a monkey could work with them. The terminology may have crossed over to this wrench design.

[.45Cole]

I called them "ford" wrenches and they're really good for adjusting to large spans. I keep a couple around to hold the other end of a large nut or to use on a fastener larger than ~2" (largest my crescents will go)

[Winger Ed.]

I called them "ford" wrenches

The true Ford wrench is unique, with its worm adjuster like a Cresant wrench, and 'Ford' is cast into the handle.
Its adjuster is different from the other similar types the have an adjuster like a pipe wrench that looks like a big nut.
And, they were made specifically for Ford, and were in the tool kit that came with your new Model A.

[GregLaROCHE]

The other similar wrench is the pipe wrench with gripping jaws. For some reason my father always called them Stilson wrenches. Anyone know where that name came from ?

[Winger Ed.]

For some reason my father always called them Stilson wrenches. Anyone know where that name came from ?

He invented and patented it with the teeth version for pipes in 1869.
He licensed it out to several other manufacturers, and it was properly called the Stillson pattern wrench.

The 'Ford wrench' type has smooth jaws for gripping nuts & bolts and a worm gear type adjuster
like a Cresant wrench instead of the big round nut in the frame..

[Johnch]

I have 2 of those
One is bent slightly
As we used a 10' piece of pipe on it to loosen a few nuts
I guess the 10 foot cheater pipe and me bouncing on the pipe was a bit more than the wrench was designed for

John

[15meter]

I have 2 of those
One is bent slightly
As we used a 10' piece of pipe on it to loosen a few nuts
I guess the 10 foot cheater pipe and me bouncing on the pipe was a bit more than the wrench was designed for

John

If it was only bent slightly you weren't trying, we had one on the farm the handle was bent enough we had to keep getting bigger diameter pipes to fit over it. 36" pipe wrench takes a fair amount of oomph to bend the handle.


Although now that my dad has passed away I can confess that on an occasion or two I'd get the wrench and pipe on the nut with the other end on the ground and then let the hydraulics down.

Most generally came loose.

If not, then it was time for the wrench with hoses attached.

Can't be tight if it's a liquid.

[MT Gianni]

I have a 6" a 10" and a 12" given to me by my wife's grandfather. He started as a pipefitter after he completed 8th grade.That would have been about 1930.

[15meter]

For old time wrenches, this was always my favorite:



Don't know what the official name is, just like the looks of it and the feel in the hand.

[William Yanda]

Commonly found around Railroad towns.

[CastingFool]

My neighbor had one made of brass, destroyed it using it for a hammer.

When the furniture plant I worked at was shutting down the foreman in the finishing room gave me a new 12 in. adjustable wrench made of brass. It makes a wonderful tool for installing breach plugs.

That was the non-sparkingversion, to be used on gas lines

[WRideout]

My neighbor had one made of brass, destroyed it using it for a hammer.

When the furniture plant I worked at was shutting down the foreman in the finishing room gave me a new 12 in. adjustable wrench made of brass. It makes a wonderful tool for installing breach plugs.

Those were non-sparking for use in an explosive atmosphere.

Wayne

[MT Gianni]

Slight thread detour, I used to maintain a 150 miles of natural gas pipeline that served irrigation pumps in SE Idaho. We got 3-4 feet of snow in the winter and the meter sets would break if not taken apart and stored. Often there was no road to the engine and set or it was covered with irrigation pipes. Walking in 1/2- 1/4 mile was common. I carried 2 18" pipe wrenches and some plugs with me to stabilize things. I had the wrenches in my back pockets walking in and didn't quite bend over far enough to clear the electric fence. I will state here that a Rigid brand steel wrench is a good conductor.
I was a kid then in the mid 80's. When I retired I carried around 36" wrenches and a ball bat cheater for the pipes I needed to break apart.

[samari46]

I have one about 14" long and marked PRR still don't know where I got it. Probably one of the shops that sold used tools. Frank