Here’s a list of my sources for the Ridgid manual hydraulic crimp tool post. There are a lot of images on the product page, so rather than copy them here just go to the first link.
As Cody commented on your ToolGuyd post, I see that your typing and/or the spell checker may have had a problem with the RIDGID name. The Ridge Tool Company – originally from Ridgefield Ohio – hence the name RIDGID – not rigid – was initially a producer of pipe wrenches of similar design to the “Stillson Wrench”. In more modern times RIDGID has become almost synonymous with plumbing tools.
Some of my mother’s family was plumbers going back several generations so it was not totally out of the unexpected that I might end up running a business that involved plumbing and pipe fabrication. I’m sure that some of these ancestors saw what they thought to be remarkable changes – particularly the transition from gas light to electricity – and lead pipe to other more environmentally and human-body friendly materials. Growing up in the 1940’s and 50’s and living in the Northeast – I too saw transitions from use of manufactured gas (from coal) to natural gas. I can also recall the switchover from coal to oil and natural gas for residential heating. Old coal-fired natural convection central heating all but went away as I grew up. I recall terms like “now you’re cooking with gas” and “you’ve got steam heat” as phrases that were synonymous with progress. As a kid, plumbers – even those who were not altar boys and had no Latin – probably knew that the origins of their trade’s name came from the Latin for lead. Even many years’ later – while new lead pipes are not being installed – there are still some lead service lines in the ground – and levels of lead in drinking water is still an unfortunate news item. Furthermore, when I started working – every plumber’s kit probably contained a lead pot, ladle, yarning irons, caulking irons, a lead pick, and length of asbestos rope with clips (called a running or pouring rope) to hold it around a joint to be caulked. Lead bends for toilets and shower pans were the rule rather than the exception – and tools to work lead – like wooden chase wedges (looked like chisels) , hickory dressers, bossing sticks, wooden bending sticks, and wooden cones and “eggs” to flare out or remove dimples from pipe and bends. With the exception of plumber’s gasoline blow torches, which seem to be coveted for making into lamp bases - thank goodness that you would be hard pressed to find some of these tools on eBay let alone want to have to earn your living using them.
With this history, I was thinking that our Plumber (Steamfitter and Gassfitter too) ancestors might be amazed at the choices of fixtures that we can now use, that “steam heat” is no longer the new thing and that various plastics (once only that junky material that kids toys were made from) has replaced so much of what was once metallic pipe. I’ll bet that the proliferation of specialty plumbing tools would also amaze them.
While most people are familiar with plumbing tools they see at Home Depot and Lowes – from companies like Ridgid (Emerson Electric)
The tool is also called a faucet seat dresser or a Bibb dresser.
The best one used to be made by a company called Chicago Specialty (Twentieth Century Companies). It was their part # 3106.
I think that the company is no longer in business:
Since most newer faucets went over first to chrome plated/hardened seats - then to replaceable screw-in seats - and finally to ceramic cartridges - a tool that was once ubiquitous has now become a low-end specialty item.
Beyond that our throw-away society seems to be less inclined to repair - and more of a mind to replace old fixtures. Maybe we plumbers were in-part to blame because our labor costs sometimes make it cheaper (or as cheap) to replace than repair.
I guess from your question - you maybe have an older style 3-handle shower valve yoke that has integral (non replaceable) seats that are in need of dressing,
I’ve spied a few dressers online - but nothing that looks to be of very high quality. Nonetheless, they might do the job.
The issue with each of these - for use with a shower valve - is that often the valve seat is so far back in the wall that the tool can not reach - or the tile work is such that the opening providing access is too small to allow the dresser’s centering cone to pass.