British metal working tools

[Alpini]

Hello,

some days ago a friend found the following tools on a german scrap yard and sent it as a present to me because he knows that I always could need it in my small workshop. All things were in very dirty and rusty condition. During cleaning I noticed that all tools have imperial meassurements and I wondered if I still can need it. When I started to clean the micrometer I noticed that it is from the year 1944 and it has a broad arrow stamped. After that I also noticed the broad arrows on most of the reamers and some drills and even on the small metal box. Does this indicate military use?

Anyone knows what "Wire Morse No. 33" means?

Interestingly all tools are made in Sheffield by different factorys - Sheffield the british tool makers city?

I hope this stuff is of interest for someone here even if the relation to ordnance is very small

Some pictures: (there were also a lot of small drills which I didn't take pictures from)

 

[Dronic69]

Hi Stefan,

I believe the "Wire Morse No. 33" may refer to a type of drill bit made by the Morse Twist Drill and Machine Co:

https://archive.org/details/catalogofmorsetw00mors

Your photo looks like a brand new unopened drill bit package!

Cheers
Drew

 

[Snufkin]

Morse taper is one type of taper shaft standard, used in lathes and milling machines. The usual drills used in homes and sheds are straight shaft, but taper shanks are more heavy duty, generally professional workshop standard.

Nice finds.




Tom.

 

[Alpini]

The small drill package held one small drill of around 1/8" or 3 mm - in this small size of course with straight shaft. I wondered what the word "wire" has to do with drills. The Morse taper shafts are also standard in Germany here the different sizes are called MK1 - MKx (MK for Morse-Konus).

 

[Snufkin]

What is the small drill diameter measured with the micrometer? According to tables Wire Size No.33 = 0.1130".

 

[hicky1300]

Nice little collection
given the prcision of these items they may have come from a British Army REME or RAF workshop/depot/Base?
Drill diameters as well as being measured in Inch fractions are also done by Numbers & Letters - idf the markings on the drill bit are illegible due to corrosion or use then a 'wire' guage (flat steel plate of different sized holes) is used to check the drill bit diameter
https://www.google.be/search?q=dril...eB8aM0AWasYG4Dw&ved=0CEAQsAQ&biw=1280&bih=940

As Snufkin rightly states More tapers or Machine Tapers are precision turned tapers on rotating tooling for the insertion into the female equivalent on Milling &/or Drilling machines & Lathe tailstocks etc These come in differnt sizes http://www.woodturners.org/tech_tips/morse_taper_sizes.htm

 

[hangarman]

You have a fine set of drills and Reamers. As you say Sheffield is where some of the finest tools used to be manufactured. Thanks for sharing them with us.
Cheers
Gary

 

[Alpini]

What is the small drill diameter measured with the micrometer? According to tables Wire Size No.33 = 0.1130".

It could well be 0.1130", I don't have this drill here and don't know if it was originally in this package as it was already opened. But from memory this size is absolutely possible.

Nice little collection
given the precision of these items they may have come from a British Army REME or RAF workshop/depot/Base?

Because they were found in big heap of iron on a large scrap yard we can't find out. But I thought the same especially as more and more british troops are leaving Germany.

@All: I am happy that you found the tools interesting. The same as I like interesting stamps on ammunition I like the well made factory stamps on these tools. It's like if these tools were manufactured with some love in the past. Todays quality tools are still expensive but production must be cheap so such nice stamps are something from the past.

 

[dano1917]

Very nice tools, no matter what you collect I think every male on earth appreciates really fine tools like that...Dano

 

[ydnum303]

Alpini,

Sheffield was the centre of the British steel-making industry, and as a result, it was also home to a lot of tool makers. The steel made there was used for everything from domestic appliances to armour-plate for battleships! Firths (a name I see on one of your items), was a well known steel maker there.

The "Broad Arrow" is the property mark of the British government, and up until the 1960s almost everything owned by or made for them, had this symbol stamped on, whether it was for civilian or military use.

Regards,
Roger.