| The Davistown Museum |
| The Ancient Dominions of Maine: An Archaeology of Tools |
| | Tool Steel Alloy Types |
| The Industrial Revolution was characterized by the sudden proliferation of steel alloys of every kind and description. Once the chemistry of |
| steel production was understood, increasingly sophisticated production techniques and alloy combinations resulted in tools manufactured to |
| the specifications most suitable to the use of the tool. In many cases, the markings on the tool provide a description of the alloy and steel |
| types used in the manufacture of the tool. These tools in the Davistown Museum collection are listed by their steel or alloy types. |
| | Location |
| | Chrome Vanadium |
| Wrench | 42801T22 | MH |
| Drop-forged steel, 5 1/2" long, signed "1/4 Brake Eccentric Wrench 3/16 Herbrand Van Chrome No. 195 Made in USA". |
| This is an unusual wrench utilizing alloy steel characteristic of tools made beginning in the early 20th century with the advent of electric blast |
| furnaces. |
| The Industrial Revolution (1865f.): Other Factory Made Tools | Wrenches |
| Wrench | 33002T9 | photo | MH |
| Steel, 10 3/8" long, signed on handle "Heller Brothers Newark. NJ. USA 4-14-25. 11-12-29" and on verso "10 MASTERENCH CHROME |
| 7-11 VANADIUM 41". |
| Heller & Brothers was one of America's foremost manufacturers of blacksmith tools, 1866 - 1899. DATM (Nelson 1999, 374) indicates they |
| changed their name in 1899 to the Heller Brothers Company. In 1955 they bacame the Heller Tool Co. |
| The Industrial Revolution (1865f.): Other Factory Made Tools | Wrenches |
| Box wrench | 31908T41 | photo | photo | MH |
| Chromium vanadium steel, 9 3/4" long, signed "11/16 PERFECTION NoP-27 5/8" and on the other side "CHROMIUM VANADIUM". |
| The Industrial Revolution (1865f.): Other Factory Made Tools | Wrenches |
| | Hardened Tool Steel |
| Chisel | 33002T14 | TT |
| Hardened tool steel with wood handle, 7 3/4" long, 3 3/4" handle, 15/16" wide blade, signed "Hardened tool steel ______ MADE IN USA", c. |
| 1900 (?). |
| This is a generic early 20th century tool. |
| The Industrial Revolution (1865f.): Other Factory Made Tools | Woodworking: Edge Tools - American |
| | Made Cast Steel |
| | Malleable Iron |
| Feathers (2) and wedge | 81602T10 | MH |
| Forged malleable iron, 11 1/2" long, 1 5/16" wide wedge; 12" long, 1 1/4" wide feathers, unsigned. |
| These are the largest set of feathers and wedge ever noted by the curator. These are used for really heavy cutting and splitting, probably in |
| the coastal granite quarries. |
| Historic Maritime III (1800-1840): Boomtown Years & the Dawn of the Industrial Revolution | Quarrying Tools |
| C-clamp | 33002T10 | MH |
| Malleable iron, 3 3/8" long, 2 1/4" throat, signed "Malleable Iron Unbreakable Made in USA", c. 1950. |
| This is a generic 20th century tool common to every workshop. The malleable iron in this tool is also called low-carbon steel; the production |
| of malleable iron originates with the puddling process and became a common commodity with specific tool type applications once the |
| Bessemer steel production process allowed controlled mass production of large quantities of durable ductile malleable iron (low-carbon |
| steel). |
| The Industrial Revolution (1865f.): Other Factory Made Tools | Miscellaneous Tools |
| Screwdriver | 14302T20 | MH |
| Malleable steel, size unknown, unsigned. |
| This three pronged driver is nicely beveled. |
| Historic Maritime IV (1840-1865): The Early Industrial Revolution | Miscellaneous Tools |
| | Nickeled |
| | Page 1 of 3 |
