On Wed, 29 Jun 2011 00:01:55 -0700, Gunner Asch wrote:
On Wed, 29 Jun 2011 13:34:50 +0700, john B. johnbslocomb... wrote:
On Tue, 28 Jun 2011 16:10:19 -0700, Gunner Asch wrote:
On Tue, 28 Jun 2011 22:43:40 +0100, David Billington wrote:
Gunner Asch wrote:
Ive been browsing Ebay.UK and noticed a fair amount of Whitworth
tooling.
....
Im going to be needing an 8 or 9 piece "combination" wrench set and
am trying to find the best bang for the buck.
....
As no one else has responded from the UK yet so I'll chip in, I have a
few Silverline tools and they seem to be standard commodity tools, not
total crap, but not the high end stuff like Snap-on, Proto, etc
either. Regarding shipping you'll have to take that up with the UK
supplier as we don't have that flat rate USPS international deals you
guys have, that can work quite well.

I have to ask with the equipment and contacts you have why not just
adjust some US spanners that are readily available to the task. There
will be ones that are close and need to be opened out slightly. For
sockets I've not met one yet that can't be machined so for the few
you're likely to require why not adapt and make do.

Because not a nut has been turned on this bike since before I got it,
in 1971. And having box end wrenches would appear to me..to be rather
important while taking the old bitch apart ..at least..the first time.
No? Or should I take the chance of rounding everything stubborn..off?

You machine sockets? Really? How do you do this? Shaper? Hours with a
file?

http://www.samstagsales.com/whitworth_table.htm has been mentioned
already. What sizes of sockets do you actually need for the Royal
Enfield? Pick out some size frequently used on the bike, eg 5/16 W
for 3/8" bolt, with heads 0.600" (15.24mm) flat-to-flat. An SAE 5/8"
will be too loose by some amount, let's say 0.025" (.635mm). Put a
5/8" socket into an index on a mill, and make 3 cuts with a thin
slitting blade so that the socket size can be squeezed down .025"
with a ring clamp (hose clamp). Check fit on some bolts, if ok tig
tack, take off clamp, recheck fit, if ok weld up the three cuts.
Then turn smooth in lathe, polish, chrome plate, etc.

I can understand that given enough time..and enough files..I could
probably open up box end wrenches...

In fact..I do have (1) Whitworth open end wrench. its a SK..and its
marked 1/4..and fits a larger bolt head on the RE. Which I proceeded
to start rounding off. I did bust it loose with the box end.

Hence my concern about the fasteners on the bike and open end wrenches.

Whitworth sizes are the size bolt that the nut that the wrench fits is.
(Welcome to the world of English Engineering :-)

Indeed it is.

Gunner, still scratching his noggin about hammering out his own box end
spanners from scrap steel and hex stock........

--
jiw