Hydrant wrench

stanley62 · November 10, 2012, 03:42:01 PM

Anyone know what they made hydrant wrenches out of? I was going to clean this one up, but wasn't sure if it was beryllium. It wouldn't really make sense to make it non-sparking since the guy using it was probable a fireman, but I just wanted to make sure before i start rubbing on it.

Jim

gibsontool · November 10, 2012, 04:11:15 PM

I think all of the ones I've seen have been made of aluminum, but I've never seen one like that.

stanley62 · November 10, 2012, 04:19:10 PM

Its way too heavy to be Aluminum. I may have once been painted gold or something. It has a copper color tint to it, but inside the sockets, there is a little gold paint residue. I also noticed that it is stamped 153C in the end with the square boss.

Jim

oldtools · November 10, 2012, 04:22:00 PM

Is it magnetic?

stanley62 · November 10, 2012, 04:32:24 PM

Slightly. I have a very powerful magnet the other wrenches jump to so fast that if you get caught in between, you will get a blood blister. It barely sticks. I think that rules out Beryllium. I am pretty sure it is non-ferrous. Just to check, I put the magnet up to my Ampco BE-CU pliers and there is no attraction.

Jim

johnsironsanctuary · November 10, 2012, 04:51:15 PM

A little bit magnetic? Could it be an older, low grade stainless?

scottg · November 10, 2012, 06:17:26 PM

Never saw one before but it sure looks likes a fire wrench to me.
The hook on the end is for lugged brass fire hose connections.

Most fire stuff was brass to take a shine and not rust. No telling about this one. I can't get any clue as to age. Besides beryllium there is an alloy of al/bronze they make tools from.
I would find out for sure before I polished it though
yours Scott

stanley62 · November 10, 2012, 06:33:19 PM

A couple pictures of the hook end Scott refered to.

Jim

rusty · November 10, 2012, 08:23:11 PM

Brass containing high percentages of tin, and particularly if there happens to be some manganese in them, will be ever so slightly magnetic....

So will brass that has been 'filled' with iron power to make it cheaper...(Yes, you can adulterate metals too ;P)

I would guess it is only brass, there aren't really any reasons to make a fire plug wrench explosion proof, but I can think of one, so ...I'd err on caution :)

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Hydrant wrench