Double-ended Spanners

[Rolf B.]

Who can help?

The Spare Parts Catalogue No. T.C.73 for the 1933 Daimler "15" describes on page 45 "Tool Kit" four Double-ended Spanners in different sizes.

1/2" and 9/16", 3/8" and 7/16", 1/4" and 5/16" and 1/8" and 3/16".

Who knows if these details in the Catalogue are for spanner sizes for the standards of BSW or of BSF screw threads? I want to complete the tool kit of my Fifteen as it should be. In the existing tool kit are a lot of double-ended spanners of different standards as Whitworth, BSF, BA, AF as well as double standard spanners (W/BSF) and even metric system spanners. I want to pack all these not genuine spanners together with all other not original tools in a separate tool bag, just for working duties.

Any comment welcome.
Rolf B.

[Simon Hyslop]

Whitworth and BSF thread nuts and bolts use (with very few exceptions) the same spanner size. They are usually marked with the two applicable uses which are one size out, so a 3/8" Whitworth end also fits a 7/16" BSF fitting. BSA made a wide range of spanners, usually numbered but with just the one size per end marked on them, the Whitworth size. They only supplied a few of these with the car. Although not one you list, I have found a Number 3 to be exceptionally handy, 3/16 and 1/4, and I carry one of them in most of the cars because they are very handy for getting into AC fuel pump nuts and things like manifolds as they are exceptionally short. The thing to watch with the smallest spanners is splay in the jaws. They are quite prone to this and finding ones that fit well can be the challenge. The smallest one of your 4 is a No.1 and the biggest is a number 10. They also made single ended spanners similarly numbered.

[Rolf B.]

Hello Simon,

thanks a lot for your quick and detailed reply. Interesting to read that the sizes of the spanners are for Whitworth standards. And another very interesting information is the BSA spanners are numbered.

In the "15" tool kit collection I found a spanner 1/8"W - 3/16"BSF and 3/16W - 1/4"BSF. Is that the one you told which is very handy for tricky jobs?

Best regards
Rolf B.

[Simon Hyslop]

That will be handy too but it was the next size up I was thinking of particularly. The problem with modern spanners is that they are far too long for easy access to various fixings, in my experience at least.

[Rolf B.]

Hello Simon,

O.K.! So I'll have a look for the spanner no. 3.

Best regards
Rolf B.

[Rolf B.]

Hello Simon.

my elderly sun just did some ebay shopping for me:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/B-S-A-SPANNE ... 3404890744

https://www.ebay.ie/itm/Four-vintage-Be ... Sw5Pld4TYL

Thanks a lot for all your helpful informations.

Kindest regards
Rolf B.