Thor air operated wrench

[Royce]

I have a Thor air operated wrench that all it says on it is size-8 and no-8. it has patent dates of 1910, 1913, & 1915. I decided to take it apart, clean it up and make it work. Does anyone have any information on this?

[johnsironsanctuary]

Wow!  I did not know that there were air tools in garages back that far. Welcome from Wisconsin.  I hope this thread grows into a thorough discussion with photos.

[turnnut]

do you have the complete patent dates ?  day-month-year ?

[Royce]

here is a picture, the patent dates are sept. 6, 2010 May 21, 1913 and March 9, 1915

[turnnut]

oops, Sept. 6, 1910

it looks like an air hammer drill ?

[Royce]

I've had it apart and there is no hammer parts in it. just 2 pistons, valves, crankshafts that turn the output shaft like a ratchet

[Royce]

and yes 1910. Sorry

[Twilight Fenrir]

Nice! I've picked up a couple of Thor drills this past year, and man are they built! Really hold up to their namesake :P I'm grabbing any Thor brand tool I find now... so...s till just the two drills at this point XP

[Nolatoolguy]

I don't think tooltalk has ever seen one disassembled or even much of anything about one. hopefully someone here has some info.

If I remeber right GJ had a thread on Thor tools, maybe search there.

[Royce]

I'm in the process of taking it apart and cleaning the old thick grease out of it. I will post the disassembled pictures when I have them. When I put air to it it tried to work, it just very gummed up.

[Aunt Phil]

Used to find quite a few of them in heavy truck spring shops for tightening down U bolts.
Smarter shops set them up on a pair of roller skate wheels so the mechainc didn't need to lift and hold the wrench.

That little darling will hurt you if the trigger sticks.
It doesn't hammer, because it doesn't need to hammer.

It will also hurt like hell if dropped on your toe.
3/4 air line minimum.

[Papaw]

Our late member Ron Darner would have been able to tell us, but sadly he passed away just this year.

[Twilight Fenrir]

Used to find quite a few of them in heavy truck spring shops for tightening down U bolts.
Smarter shops set them up on a pair of roller skate wheels so the mechainc didn't need to lift and hold the wrench.

That little darling will hurt you if the trigger sticks.
It doesn't hammer, because it doesn't need to hammer.

It will also hurt like hell if dropped on your toe.
3/4 air line minimum.

Doesn't hammer? Do you mean to say it's not an impact wrench? Or that it's not for chipping concrete?

[john k]

So its a bolt turner, rather than impact, maybe something from  a RR shop?   Never seen an air tool from that far back, but now I will be looking at the Ford Motor assembly line photos a lot closer.  Amazing it has stuck around this long. 

[Royce]

here are a couple pictures of it disassembled and somewhat cleaned up. pretty interesting that it is like a small 2 cylinder engine running the ratchet devise. Does any know what would be the best thing to do as far as painting, powder coating, or leaving it as is? all the internal parts are in excellent shape so now I'm ready to start the reassembly process.