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Toolkit Tools - King Dick adjustable wrench

Series3Scott

Series3Scott

Co-Founder/Past President
Platinum Level Sponsor
Please see "Lucas Distributor Key" thread to get the background.

Here we have the ubiquitous 4" King Dick adjustable wrench. These were found in all Alpine toolkits. In the picture you'll see two. Both are identical except for one obvious thing - one points left, the other points right.

Why? Which one is "correct" for an Alpine toolkit?
Referring to the article on this website you'll see one pointing "left". This came out of a toolkit from an original 14,000 mile Series II.

Just curious what you might have out there, or if you can confirm which one came with the Alpine.

Fun stuff!
Thanks.
 

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Series3Scott

Series3Scott

Co-Founder/Past President
Platinum Level Sponsor
Tiger Mk I toolkit

Here's a picture of an original Mk I Tiger toolkit, so most of these tools would also pertain to Series IV Alpine toolkits. Notice the King Dick points to the right.

Also notice the shaft of the screwdriver has that black oxide finish, something you don't often see anymore with everyone restoring (and painting) their tools.
 

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T

Tom H

Platinum Level Sponsor
Scott, Are you yanking our chain and having fun about the King Dick wrench? I assume if you turned the one on the right over, it would point to the same direction as the other.

Am I missing something or just missing the joke?

Tom
 
M

mikephillips

Donation Time
I'd have to go home and pull one out but as I recall the tall U shaped slot is only on one side of the wrench.

Scott, While your analysis may be correct, personally I don't think you have a large enough sample size across series/marks and years. Depending on what the supplier sent the factory I could see it switching back and forth over time as I don't see them seeing that as important as long as a wrench was supplied.
 
Series3Scott

Series3Scott

Co-Founder/Past President
Platinum Level Sponsor
Mike is correct, the U shaped channel is only on one side of the wrench. The back side does not have the U channel. Sorry Tom, it's not April 1st yet. :)

Mike, I agree I don't have enough of a sample which is why I'm throwing this out to the forum. I only have 3 of these wrenches. Two point left and one right.

I also agree it may not matter in the end as the factory workers just used what was available, but I thought others might find this interesting.
 
65beam

65beam

Donation Time
wrench

scott,
I have at least a dozen of them and I would guess it's probably a 50/50 mix of right versus left. i'll check sometime today to be sure.

tom,
these wrenches have an oval depression on one side and in the depression it says "KING DICK" . there had to be two different dies to forge them since dependent on the way they lay with the name up determines which way the jaws point.
 
65beam

65beam

Donation Time
tools

scott,
I checked my wrenches. with the lettering up I have 6 that point to the right and 7 point to the left.
 
T

Tom H

Platinum Level Sponsor
Based on this 50 / 50 mix, my guess is that these were all made in the same die, with a dual cavity, and the dual cavity was made in a "paired" config with the heads pointing the same way but the oval depressions with King Dick facing each other.

Tom
 
Series3Scott

Series3Scott

Co-Founder/Past President
Platinum Level Sponsor
The King Dick stamp is on the removeable / adjustable head and only appears on one side.

Interesting findings. As I suspected, they used what was available, and I like Tom H's theory because it makes sense for the most efficient way to produce mass quantities of these.
 
P. Scofield

P. Scofield

Bronze Level Sponsor
I'll have to check my kit, but I would have to say, whatever I have in my kit is the correct one. :) And super rare. And valuable. And the only one.
 
Limey

Limey

Donation Time
Tools and Jack decals

Thanks Scott for the hard research. I'm a week away from delivery of a short run of Shelley decals for the the wheel jack as per Ian's tool kit guide. Let me know if I can post some to you FOC

I also have the Tecalemit transfer for the old style oil filter if you have that type.

Just let me know.

Best regards

Oliver

Shelley.png
 
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