The Wright Stuff

Manufacturers, configurations, Shovels, Axe, Wrenches, Oiler, F/E etc.
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mrbill
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Re: The Wright Stuff

Post by mrbill » Mon Feb 29, 2016 4:02 pm

Picked up a N-60 ratchet on eBay. I'll post pictures when I receive it. Started a spreadsheet of the pieces I've acquired and the Wright part numbers that I've observed or guessed. I'll update it as I learn more. Anybody have a Wright catalog from this period?
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Last edited by mrbill on Thu Dec 28, 2017 2:51 pm, edited 10 times in total.
1945 Ford GPW 268739 from the Dallas, TX plant.


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Re: The Wright Stuff

Post by mudbox » Tue Mar 01, 2016 5:23 am

You're moving right along, Bill!
I'm keeping an eye out, but I don't run across too much vintage Wright stuff. I'll keep looking though. Thanks for the list.
-Jason

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Re: The Wright Stuff

Post by mrbill » Wed Mar 02, 2016 3:22 pm

The N60 ratchet arrived today. It's in great shape and the mechanism is very smooth.

Bill
wright-n60-42-1.jpg
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1945 Ford GPW 268739 from the Dallas, TX plant.

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Re: The Wright Stuff

Post by mrbill » Sun Jun 26, 2016 7:25 am

I'm still looking for Wright 1/2" sockets for the GMTK... These 3/4" monsters are definitely NOT GMTK size but I couldn't pass them up - especially the 2" one. Now I just need to find an N-320 ratchet to go with them! :wink:

S-364 2" AC 43+
S-348 1-1/2" 45+
S-346 1-7/16" AC
S-344 1-3/8" -45
S-336 1-1/8" 45+
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1945 Ford GPW 268739 from the Dallas, TX plant.

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Re: The Wright Stuff

Post by mudbox » Mon Jun 27, 2016 5:41 am

Those sockets are HUGE! I hope they were cheap, cause that 3/4" drive ratchet is gonna cost you some cheddar. :mrgreen:
Thanks for adding the quarter for scale. Really shows how massive that 2" socket is!
-Jason

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Re: The Wright Stuff

Post by mrbill » Mon Jun 27, 2016 9:46 am

mudbox wrote:Those sockets are HUGE! I hope they were cheap, cause that 3/4" drive ratchet is gonna cost you some cheddar. :mrgreen:
Thanks for adding the quarter for scale. Really shows how massive that 2" socket is!
-Jason
Jason,

I'm going to put them in my truck next winter for weight. Cheap, no. Reasonable, yes. Certainly waaaaay less than a comparably sized Snap-on Loxocket. :wink: I'm using them as placeholders until I can find/afford the Snap-on equivalents for the 488 Super Service Set box. That, and I really want an N-320 3/4" ratchet. :D

Bill
1945 Ford GPW 268739 from the Dallas, TX plant.

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Re: The Wright Stuff

Post by mrbill » Sat Jul 02, 2016 8:53 am

Adding a 1945 N-62 ratchet to the collection... still looking for sockets!
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Bill
1945 Ford GPW 268739 from the Dallas, TX plant.

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Re: The Wright Stuff

Post by mrbill » Sun Jul 17, 2016 10:18 am

Inching forward. Came into possession of this 1942 dated S-161 15/16" 41-W-3025. Cleaned up pretty well.
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1945 Ford GPW 268739 from the Dallas, TX plant.

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Re: The Wright Stuff

Post by twertsy » Thu Jul 21, 2016 2:56 am

mrbill wrote:Wingnutt had a plausible theory regarding the "AC" markings on the Wright tools:
I believe it's a strong probability that the "AC" may be a reference to Air Corps. In the Civilian Production Administration (formerly War Production Board) War Supply Contracts books, "AC" is the code for "Air Corps" in the index up front. Wright Tool and Forge Company had three contracts with the Air Corps during the war:

$206,000 awarded November 1941
$1,044,000 awarded February 1942
$419,000 awarded October 1942

The last two contracts ran until late 1943 and early 1944 respectively. The date codes and the Air Corps contracts seem to align.
It makes sense to me. Now to find a good theory for the -/+ prefix/suffix!

Bill
I also have a bunch of Plomb tools, mostly sockets with an "unknown" AC code. Since I am out of my realm in the tool kit collector world, did Plomb supply to the Air Corps as well as their well known WF contracts?

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Re: The Wright Stuff

Post by Wingnutt » Thu Jul 21, 2016 3:44 am

Same thing. Wright Field was US Army Air Corps HQ. WF tools were exclusively Air Corps tools. Huge misperception about them being govt wide in general tool collecting world. I've commented on that from time to time on GJ, but it doesn't seem to stick.
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Re: The Wright Stuff

Post by twertsy » Thu Jul 21, 2016 3:53 am

Wingnutt wrote:Same thing. Wright Field was US Army Air Corps HQ. WF tools were exclusively Air Corps tools. Huge misperception about them being govt wide in general tool collecting world. I've commented on that from time to time on GJ, but it doesn't seem to stick.
Apparently not..........I just felt the hair fly up briefly as it went over..... :D

So, any idea why some Plomb tools would be marked AC whilst all the others are WF? Note that off the top of my head I seem to recall that most, if not all of my AC marked Plomb are the small sockets in the OD Green box. I don't recall having any other tools with that AC stamp but I may.

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Re: The Wright Stuff

Post by Wingnutt » Thu Jul 21, 2016 4:05 am

Haha. I didn't mean you in particular. I just didn't want you to think I would fail to point that out on GJ.

Good question on AC. One possibility is Air Corps vs. US Army Air Forces. The Air Corps belonged to the USAAF. There were other branches within USAAF, although the AC was the largest, most prominent branch. Maybe WF tools were USAAF wide, and AC only AC. Something to think further about.
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Re: The Wright Stuff

Post by twertsy » Thu Jul 21, 2016 4:34 am

Wingnutt wrote:Haha. I didn't mean you in particular. I just didn't want you to think I would fail to point that out on GJ.

Good question on AC. One possibility is Air Corps vs. US Army Air Forces. The Air Corps belonged to the USAAF. There were other branches within USAAF, although the AC was the largest, most prominent branch. Maybe WF tools were USAAF wide, and AC only AC. Something to think further about.
I have some Plomb with other codes too, which I'll gather up and run past you. I have a feeling some light could be shed on our quandary (as strictly tool collectors) about these codes.

Here are a couple of my oddballs on my site now:

NR code on a "War Finish" socket: http://toolarchives.com/node/1579
Odd "D" code on a WF-7 breaker: http://toolarchives.com/node/1566

And, you tookit guys might be able to help me with this oddball ratchet? http://toolarchives.com/node/602

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Re: The Wright Stuff

Post by d42jeep » Thu Jul 21, 2016 4:41 am

Bill,
Sorry for the temporary Plomb derail on your Wright thread, but I thought that the two letter codes on some wartime Plomb were simply date codes. Maybe I just haven't run across Plomb with the AC code.
-Don
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Re: The Wright Stuff

Post by d42jeep » Thu Jul 21, 2016 4:50 am

Todd,
I'm thinking that the NR on the war finish socket could mean something like non replaceable or no replacement since the metal restrictions meant that the tool may not have been up to prewar standards. I've seen that on wartime Snap-on sockets, too.
-Don
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