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2 Antique Keystone Buffalo Boiler Tools: Ratchet Drill & Square Wrench - $50 (Wilmington - River Lights)
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Item Specifics:
- Brand: Keystone Mfg. Co.
- Original/Reproduction: Antique Original
- Featured Refinements: Vintage Hand Drill / Reversible Boiler Ratchet / Structural Wrench
- Country/Region of Manufacture: United States (Buffalo, NY)
Tool 1: Reversible Feed-Screw Ratchet Drill (15 inches)
- Design: Long, heavy tubular steel body with a drop-forged head. Features a specialized knurled chuck adapter at the base.
- Functionality: The tapered, knurled tip features a dedicated pass-through Tommy-bar/pin hole. This was utilized to lock or release square-shank drill bits or taps. The octagonal housing shields the internal single-acting ratchet gear.
Tool 2: Female Square-Drive "Boiler" Ratchet Wrench (11 inches)
- Design: Shorter, high-leverage solid handle paired with a distinct, thick-walled bell-shaped socket housing.
- Functionality: Unlike modern socket ratchets that use a male anvil, this tool features a fixed female square drive opening. It was designed to slide directly over heavy industrial square lag bolts, nuts, pipe taps, or high-pressure steam valves.
Advanced Rear Direction Selectors:
- Both tools feature Keystone’s iconic rear-end knurled selector caps. Pulling or turning these knurled end knobs compresses the internal spring-loaded steel pawl mechanism, allowing the user to seamlessly toggle the tool between Forward, Reverse, or fully Locked configurations. The lower handle retains its original machined alignment slot and indexing pin securely.
Condition Report:
- Cosmetic: Gorgeous authentic time-earned patina with uniform surface oxidization/rust pitting. No cracks, welds, or structural damage to the forged steel housings.
- Mechanical: The internal ratcheting mechanisms are intact. Due to their age, they are currently tight/frozen from decades of storage and will require a deep penetrating oil soak (such as Kroil or WD-40) and flushing to restore smooth, click-through operation.
- Markings: Surfaces have general age wear. Faint remnants of original stamped brand impressions may be present but are currently obscured under the surface patina.
We're running a 3000 square foot multi-generation estate sale. You can click the "more ads by this user" link to see the items we've listed so far. You're also welcome to make an appointment to come look at the entire estate. We're located on Independence between Carolina Beach and River Rd. in Wilmington. We take virtually every form of payment, including credit cards with a 3% fee, and we'd be happy to hold items with a deposit. Hope to see you soon!