Tool Talk
Wrench Forum => Wrench Forum => Topic started by: mrchuck on November 18, 2012, 12:21:38 PM
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I have bought an old Bell System "slack puller" at a flea market yesterday.
The "Bell System" is stamped on it.
Does this mean I have a tool that I cannot sell, due to this owner's mark.
Need this answered.
There is no other marking on it, but they sell new ones today, and they are really expensive.
The ratchet drive on it is an old (1966) Snap-On 1/2" drive S-71.
I only want the ratchet, to clean it up, and put it in my collection, as it is in fine condition.
The yoke has a roller on each side of the yoke.
Weight is approx 25 lbs.
www.gmptools.com ,,,p/n 08245 has a current model, but couldn't find a price. A thousand dollars would not surprise me for a new one.
The ratchet on top is connected with a riveted bolt thru the druve lug of the ratchet.
I plan to just remove the lug, keep the ratchet, and put the metal in my scrap pile.
The puller is placed on that huge telephone line that goes from pole to pole, and the puller hook is placed under the tight steel cable that holds up the black plastic trunk line.
You crank the ratchet handle, and it "pulls up the steel cable in an inverted "V", and now you have enough slack to open up the trunk line and make repairs, or connections,etc,,,,.
OR,,,,,someone could make a hell of a "CROSS BOW" with it!!!!
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The "Bell System" is no more, since 1984, when it (essentially AT&T) was broken up by federal mandate. The name and logo were held in shared trust, but none of the companies that resulted from the split up really bothered to use the name.
(Theoreticlly, it *is* owned by someone, vaguely tracable back to the monopoly assets)
Chances your tool was lost off a truck, but it was long ago, and I doubt anyone is coming looking for it 30 years after the fact ;P
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And who knows whether any of the Bell System spinoffs would want it? There may be some newer, cooler technology in use now, what with fiber optic cable and all.
My uncle worked most of his career for the Southern Pacific railroad, which dumpstered an incredible number of tools. He, and a lot of his fellow mechanic/machinists would thoughtfully reduce the trash-hauling charges the SP faced by reducing the amount of stuff in the dumpsters. As a result, he owned a lot of tools that, as he put it, once belonged to Sacramento Plumbing. I own at least one, a breast drill made by North Bros. (which dates it to older than 1946, when Stanley bought out North Bros.); I think I have others, but can't know remember which ones. Even if I could track down the tool manager at the Union Pacific (the company that absorbed the SP at some point), s/he would tell me it's an obsolete tool, what with cordless drills and all.
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The nice thing about Bell System tools is that generally they were the best money could buy. You will find no "junk" with Bell System on it. If I remember correctly, their profit was a percentage of their expenses, therefore they had no incentive to save money, in fact just the opposite. Thus the excellent tools you find.
Mike
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Scrolling through GMP Tools site, I found this. I did not know that old fashioned auto wrenches were still available from Crescent.
http://gmptools.com/nf/70100.htm (http://gmptools.com/nf/70100.htm)
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A tad bit spendy at $50. If I were an apprentice lineman, I think I'd be inclined to hit a couple of estate sales and pay 1% of retail.
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I went ahead and removed the Snap-On SR-71 1/2 inch drive ratchet, cleaned and lubed, and put it in my collection.
Pristine, perfect.
The yoke is stored with all the other scrap that gets collected.
Thanks all for the excellent advisory's.