Let's post our Made in USA tool finds (yard sales, old store stock, auctions etc)

[DFB]

Hmm now wondering if could put a date to a couple of my USA made adjustable wrenches...one is 12 inch UTICA "Selecto Lock" and the other a J.H. Williams 10 inch "Superjustable"

I have had both of these for close to 40 years and they were already used tools when I got them.

 

[downsizingnow48]

There is a website - alloy-artifacts.org - has lots of info on old hand tools.

 

[Mysfyt]

I went to an auction yesterday and finally found an older drill press that's made in the USA. I had been looking for a while and I'm pleased with what I found, a Rockwell 15-017, which judging by the ser.# should be manufactured in 1969.



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Which is before the bean counters got to the company. Enjoy!

 

[PILOON]

I hate to disappoint you guys, but to qualify as 'made in' is not all you think it is.
Broadly speaking, only 50% of the retail needs to be US.
If shipping (from offshore) is FOB destination then that is US content, as is manuals, packaging etc etc.

Otherwise said, an offshore item totally made for $2.00 and retailed for $100.00 can by definition be marketed as 'made in'.
I'd venture to state that about 98% of all tools today originate off shore with very slim specialty actually fabricated in US or Can.
And price is not really your guide.
Between Stanley and Black&Decker (deWalt) they now own just about all the consumer tool market with Makita and Hitachi being the exemption.

 

[MossRoad]

This is a before and after picture of my Lehmann lathe, made in St Louis MS sometime in the 1960's is my guess. It was headed for the scrapyard when I spotted it at a local machine shop. Spent a couple of years rebuilding it and it is just a beautiful piece of equipment. Just couldn't bear the thought of seeing this in a scrapyard!

Very nice!

 

[DFB]

There is a website - alloy-artifacts.org - has lots of info on old hand tools.

Thanks Pat

Well perusing that info on J.H.Williams there wasn't an exact match in any of photos but there are several good clues to narrow it down...

In the 1950s Williams brought back the carbon steel adjustable wrench models, using a slightly different design with a raised ring around the hanging hole. These revised carbon-steel models were available only briefly though, as by 1960 they had been superseded by an industrial finish version of the standard "Superjustable" line. Apparently by this point in time the cost difference between carbon and alloy steel was not enough to justify two separate product lines, making it more attractive to offer two finish options.

By 1968 Williams had assigned model numbers to the Superjustable wrench series. The standard chrome-plated wrenches were given an "AP" prefix followed by the nominal size, for example AP-8 for an 8 inch wrench. The industrial (black) finish models were given an "AB" prefix. It appears that by this time the markings were stamped rather than forged-in, so that the chrome and black models could be forged with the same dies.


Raised ring, industrial finish alloy, no lettered prefix AB, but has stamped markings.

I have to assume it was produced sometime after 1960 but before 1968

A little more research is needed on the UTICA, seems there were only 2 known patents issued for locking mechanisms on their adjustable wrenches, the first one issued in 1956 but doesn't mention the date of the later design.

 

[downsizingnow48]

I went to an auction yesterday and finally found an older drill press that's made in the USA. I had been looking for a while and I'm pleased with what I found, a Rockwell 15-017, which judging by the ser.# should be manufactured in 1969. <img src="http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=428402"/>

Been looking for one of those to upgrade my 65 year old Craftsman but hard to find here.

 

[4570Man]

I'm not sure if you can classify them as finds because a paid a price penny, but here are my USA made tools. That are a Powermatic model 60 jointer, and a Powermatic 3520 lathe. Sadly Powermatic moved to Taiwan a few years ago. I'll never buy a new tool for Powermatic. As long as it has a made in Taiwan stamp it better have a low price to match the low quality.

 

[Happy Gilmore]

Been looking for one of those to upgrade my 65 year old Craftsman but hard to find here.

It took me a while, not too many around here either.

 

[stan33]

I knew I had something American somewhere but I couldn't think what. When I checked on the Wilton drill press vise I recently imported from the US, it turned out, now made in China, but made well nevertheless.

Then I remembered my little hard translucent Arkansas sharpening stone collection.

The one at the top right is the 'oldest' probably dug out about 100 years ago...Pike brand taken over by Norton/Bear. Its the best of the lot but they either mined all of that stuff out years ago or the mines with that grade of stone are now in parks so they can't get to them, I think I read somewhere.
The yellow one below it is dated 1963 on the box. Not too bad but not as closely grained as the one above it. The grey one at the bottom is probably a Norton anywhere from 25-35 yrs 'old'. Norton still sell those stones...just, but they are quite a lot chalkier and less transluscent, from what I can make out.
The darker grey one on the left is a large Norton slip stone and that is quite old, possibly late 40's or pre-war.
The little white slipstones to the top middle are new. Not too bad...quite translucent and glassy ie not too chalky.

There used to be loads of mines, now only a handful. Good pre-war mined hard Arkansas stone is very hard to find now and going up in value. Personally I love the stuff....I don't think anything on earth has been found to equal a good Arkansas for putting a razor sharp polished edge on a tool.
And a good hard Arkansas will never stain, wear down or need to be dressed.

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