Old Tap and Die set from Grandpa

[Jeff_from_Tacoma]

Good Morning.  I'm new to this site and hope you may be able to help me out.  I was a mechanic in the US Air Force for 20 years, and as a belated retirement present, I recently received an old Tap and Die set from my dad who said it belonged to my grandpa.  Its a Wiley and Russell Mfg Co, Green River Tap and Die Set in an original wooden box with 22 pieces.  It's got some minor corrosion (can be cleaned pretty easily), and it appears that some of the original stickers from inside the box may be missing.  I've discovered from

http://vintagemachinery.org/mfgindex/detail.aspx?id=1376

that

"This firm was established in 1872 to manufacture thread cutting tools, i.e., taps and dies. The founders were Solon Wiley and Charles P. Russell, nephew of the founder of the J. Russell Cutlery Co. They acquired the shops on the Green River vacated when the Russell cutlery moved to Turners Falls.  In 1912 Wiley & Russell Mfg. Co. was acquired by Greenfield Tap & Die Corp. The Wiley & Russell name, along with all tools and machinery not related to thread cutting, were discontinued after 1916."

This tells me that the set is at least 100 years old.  I've seen other tap and die sets mentioned online, but haven't found one this big.  Do any of you know where I may be able to get more information about this one?

Thanks

Jeff

[leg17]

I see old Wiley & Russell magazine ads on eBay.  You might discover this very set in one of those.
Somebody here might have a catalog from them.

There were a number of emerging patents during the early days of the screw-cutting tap and die industry.
Most of the major companies, Greenfield, Card, Morse, Wiley & Russell, Butterfield, etc.,. offered various configurations in those days.
You will probably find that in that 40 year period, W&R offered a number of different styles of dies, and many different set configurations.

[turnnut]

 Jeff, what are the die sizes ???

 there is a museum called; " museum of our industrial heritage"

 it has items from Wiley & Russell, Greenfield Tap 7 Die,  Goodell Pratt, plus others.

 it's about a hour from me, but I have not been there yet, they are open only a few hours on Saturdays, it's in
 an old mill building in the area of those companies.  they might have catalogs ???

 I have a small Wiley & Russell catalog,  but my mental locating system has not ID'd the location yet, but will keep trying.

 Frank

[Jeff_from_Tacoma]

I'm at work right now, so I don't have the die sizes currently.  I could get them tonight and post on here once I do.