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D/|\D marked tools
I went to a local garage sale today and bought a box full of tools for 5 bucks . In the mix of sockets and old spanners was a D/I\D marked open spanner branded ZIRCALLOY . This is my second ZIRCALLOY spanner with the DD markings .
Were these spanners issued with vehicles as sets in a canvas roll ? The spanners are SAE sizes . Mike BTW I found in a box at the sale, a Morris Commercial radiator cap :thup2: in as new condition . |
Zircalloy was a post-WW2 brand name of the Lithgow Small Arms factory, according to their website:
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Mike |
ok
Ok interesting Mike
So you are responsible for some of the DD markings - with a hand operated screw press, you must have developed a larger bicep on one arm :smoker: . What became of the DD die / stamp that you used ? Did you have to return it to the Govt. ? I would imagine that copying such a stamp would be an illegal thing to do . I had a feeling that the spanners I have are post WW2 . Now I know for sure . |
Apologies for the delay in responding .... the screw press had a counterweight ball so 'throwing' the arm into reverse took little effort, then hold the arm while positioning the next piece for stamping, and then let the weight of the ball screw the die down to stamp the oil pourer body. I suppose the die stamp is still on a shelf at CESCO: it was not the D^D but just the broad arrow mark that was specified. I've no idea of the legalities of it all. There was a specification as part of the contract and I think my father had a die maker make the stamp once the contract was won the first time (back in the 60s). It was applicable to several of the contract items the company made for Defence over the years: oil pourers, meat safes, square 'outboard motor' funnels (this last one having a set of drawings dating from the 1930s!) and so on.
Mike |
Some NSW Govt departments used to brand items with the broad arrow device. I can think of tyres on NSW Govt Buses and tools belonging to NSW Govt Railways although the NSWGR was the most common mark.
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And people
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Not forgetting the poor souls transported out to various colonies with the broad arrow on their clothing . |
While trying to sort out some radio markings recently, I did run across a very informative website related to the British Broad Arrow history of usage. Seems it may have got it's start a few centuries back when it was first used on stone mile posts set up across England. At least as far as the British Broad Arrow is concerned, unauthorized copy of it on any goods is extremely illegal. Not sure about the markings used in other Commonwealth countries, however.
David |
WD mark
I was up in Dunbar,Scotland last week I noticed a well cut block of sandstone cut into the harbnour wall..it had the WD and the large arrow Mark with PS 1 underneath cheers malcolm :thup2:
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It may be the case that the broad arrow tools in the railways etc were war surplus too. Interesting, in a Land Rover workshop trailer I purchased some time ago there were a pile of pick heads that were left there when the trailer went to auction. Only about 1/3 were marked with the broad arrow and few if any of them had the "D^D". Many were very old and well used including ones with Metters written in script stamped into the casting. I would hazard a guess some were likely WWII or earlier. |
Metters
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Metters - That brings back childhood memories of early TV personality Evie Hayes advertising their products with the slogan 'If it's Metters, it's modern'.
Sadly both Evie and Metters were consigned to history many years ago. David |
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