d42jeep
Well-known member
Keep ‘em coming! I’m a big fan of your sets.
-Don
-Don
My Small But Growing 1/4" drive Socket Set Collection
- Thread starter four.cycle
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Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
I'll take that answer as triple digits!
Heck no. The whole point is to show n' tell, and there's no hiding the fact you have put together a large number of midget sets. It's a neat area to excel in!CRTDI said:
OP
four.cycle
Well-known member
CRTDI said:
Not at all. My intention in starting this thread was not to showcase my own tiny collection, but to create a visual record of all the different variants of 1/4" drive (and 9/32" drive) sets members have acquired.
There are already all kinds of sets in this thread I've never seen (or heard of) before.
The more the merrier.
I'm hoping to be able to get more of mine posted when I get some other things taken care of here. Right now most of them are still buried out in the garage.
3baygarage
Well-known member
It’s showing, not showing off CRTDI. Think of all the collectors lurking in the shadows who never share or display any of their stuff. I like to share my interesting finds here on GJ too. I think you have one set I’m quite envious of because I hesitated on buying it myself!
Thanks guys!
Took me a while to complete this Stevens Walden set.
The ridiculously large SW ratchet adapter isn't a part of the set. Even by itself, it's so big, there's no way it could ever fit inside the box.
Nice balancing act...lol. Obviously, way too much time on my hands.
Side by side comparison with a 1/4" Snappy adapter.
Took me a while to complete this Stevens Walden set.
The ridiculously large SW ratchet adapter isn't a part of the set. Even by itself, it's so big, there's no way it could ever fit inside the box.
Nice balancing act...lol. Obviously, way too much time on my hands.
Side by side comparison with a 1/4" Snappy adapter.
Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
What era do you reckon that is, CRTDI? I have a 1/2-inch nut spinner set in the same color box, with a similar label and the exact same logo. But it's not in my collecting niche and I never did track the production down. 60's?
RubiconJK
Well-known member
Here is a (mostly) complete Plomb WF set of 9/32 drive. Includes both the 9/32(8) and 1/4(8S) ratchets, nut driver(6), a few 2" ext's(4), a NOS 6" ext(5) with the packing paper, a couple breaker bars (7), the sliding t bar (9), and sockets (15, 14, 13, 12, 11 & 10) with a couple dups. This is all of the "known" components according to most lists, but I do know someone who has a WF3 (9/32 X 3/8 adapter) which I don't have.
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Oldtuleguy
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Nice wf set. Is there a pat number on wf6?
Crtdi that walden ratchet adapter is a clunker!
Crtdi that walden ratchet adapter is a clunker!
RubiconJK
Well-known member
Staying with Plomb, here is my 1/4" standard 47XX set. I won't bother listing it all out, but it does include most of the published pieces that were available. There are some pieces missing including the 14" ext (4763) and some of the screwdriver bits and a couple special sockets. Included are a couple 9/32 (48xx) driver bits. I've also included both round handle and pebble breaker bars and still need a round handle ratchet to add.
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Catfishdan
Well-known member
Damn! The elusive 1/4" pebble breaker bar. Very nice.
OP
four.cycle
Well-known member
Private Lugnutz said:
That's a good question, as none of us seem to have stumbled across any catalogs from that era.
Here are a couple images that might provide some clue:
Note the woman's Capri pants and hair style in the detail image.
Note the front grill and headlights on the detail image of the car.
When were men wearing cuffed pants?
My best guess is late 1950s or early 1960s - I tend to lean toward the latter.
(* and yes, I own that PM32 set. not sure whether or not I own the 3100S17 1/4" drive set *)
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Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
Um, last week!
Kidding. I agree with your assessment. BTW, I have the 1954 Walden catalog from TA and neither the tools or the marketing are even remotely close to this relatively modern and swanky SW logo.
OP
four.cycle
Well-known member
If it is the same 1954 Stevens-Walden catalog in *.pdf format that I have here, you'll note they were using an entirely different logo and font style (with serifs) then.
Those images I just posted above are using a sans-serif font style - another reason why I'd say early 1960s.
(Still trying to figure out what kind of vehicle that "artists rendition" is supposed to be.... 1961 or 1962 Ford Station Wagon, maybe? But then, those headlights are somewhat evocative of the same era full-size Chevrolet.)
Those images I just posted above are using a sans-serif font style - another reason why I'd say early 1960s.
(Still trying to figure out what kind of vehicle that "artists rendition" is supposed to be.... 1961 or 1962 Ford Station Wagon, maybe? But then, those headlights are somewhat evocative of the same era full-size Chevrolet.)
Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
Agreed. The sticker on the upper left of Shanny's box is from the 1954 catalog.
Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
This is the second time in a few weeks I have seen someone suggest that an OEM would intentionally do this. The first time was the hole in the **** end of the Plomb hinge handles, which turns out to be for inserting the detent ball that sits just under the cross-drilled hole, for holding the cross-bar in place. Can you or anyone else point to any example of a vintage hinge handle where the Mfgr intentionally put a hole in the end for inserting a cheater bar? I can't think of one, and it doesn't sound likely to me. As I said the first time, I think the steel would be compromised with thin walls there and I doubt it would withstand much leverage without deforming. But I am willing to be proven wrong.
Lugz, heres a Walden 4032 3/8 breaker with no cross hole, thus no detent ball, and a huge deep hole for a cheater rod.....imo.
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Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
Thanks. Very interesting. I would have to agree with you, as I can't see any other apparent reason. With no cross bar hole, I would say the steel is far less compromised, and, while you describe the hole as huge, note that the walls are still fairly thick. What era is that hinge handle? I am not familiar with the name wrapped around in the knurling like that. EDIT: Is the hole as deep as the handle? Ending where the sold shank begins? EDIT 2: If we knew what era, I would like to check catalogs to see if Walden designed and sold a bar specifically for that purpose with the sets and what they called it, formally.
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OP
four.cycle
Well-known member
I'd say later production, and the 4032 breakers I have in 3/8" drive sets are solid at the handle end.
That's pretty odd when you consider that unless the user inserts a rod exactly the same size as the hole, if enough force is applied it's going to cause the walls to stretch into an ovoid shape, and if the rod isn't inserted far enough into the hole, it would distort (mushroom) the end of the handle.
There's something about that unit that is just weird, for lack of a better term.
That's pretty odd when you consider that unless the user inserts a rod exactly the same size as the hole, if enough force is applied it's going to cause the walls to stretch into an ovoid shape, and if the rod isn't inserted far enough into the hole, it would distort (mushroom) the end of the handle.
There's something about that unit that is just weird, for lack of a better term.
Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
That's what I would think, 4.c, and that's essentially what I said in post #418, and also why I would like to see if Walden sold a bar specifically to go with it.
Shanny - does it look factory to you?
Shanny - does it look factory to you?
d42jeep
Well-known member
Even though AA agrees with your assessment, I’m afraid I must respectfully disagree. The last thing any manufacturer who has to stand behind their tools would want is for their customer to use any sort of cheater bar. My earlier Walden 1/2” drive flex handle has a 1/2” drive hole in the end to let the bar function as an extension.
-Don
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d42jeep
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Oldtuleguy
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Well the hole is there for something! Just from my own experience if I need to use a cheater bar and there is a hole for one in my ratchet, then I will use it
d42jeep
Well-known member
I think most mechanics, myself included, have been known to use the occasional cheater bar. It just seems unlikely that a manufacturer would encourage that practice.
-Don
-Don
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Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
That's the best way of putting it. It seems like an instant warranty issue. Again, unless it was designed specifically for a specific bar for that purpose, and they advertised and sold that particular bar together with the handle. And I have never seen that kind of tandem in any vintage catalogs. Specifically, pre-1950.
d42jeep
Well-known member
AA has the same bar with the hole in it.
-Don
-Don
Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
Hmm. Unless that's where shanny bought his (from the guy dumping their collection on ePay), that speaks to production. Maybe special. I'd still like to see a catalog reference for it before I was totally convinced.
OP
four.cycle
Well-known member
Without going and digging them all out, I can confidently state that all of my Walden breakers are lacking any hole on the longitudinal axis (and I have several in 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 drive.) Many of them have a cross-drilled hole at the **** end of the handle for a cross-bar, but nothing like that 4032 breaker of shanny's.
It would require a machine-shop set-up to drill that hole - that's hardened tool steel, and if you've ever tried to drill a hole in that stuff you know it's not an easy task. Trying to get it dead center and square would be another matter altogether.
It would require a machine-shop set-up to drill that hole - that's hardened tool steel, and if you've ever tried to drill a hole in that stuff you know it's not an easy task. Trying to get it dead center and square would be another matter altogether.
Provincial
Well-known member
That's a good question, as none of us seem to have stumbled across any catalogs from that era.
Here are a couple images that might provide some clue:
Note the woman's Capri pants and hair style in the detail image.
Note the front grill and headlights on the detail image of the car.
When were men wearing cuffed pants?
My best guess is late 1950s or early 1960s - I tend to lean toward the latter.
(* and yes, I own that PM32 set. not sure whether or not I own the 3100S17 1/4" drive set *)
My dad bought a Jacobsen lawn mower like the one shown in the late 1950's. I had to mow a large lawn with it, and it helped to have the self-propelled feature. Unfortunately, he did not purchase the sulky, so I had to walk behind it!
Perhaps this will help establish the era.
P.S. Dual headlights were introduced on high-production models in the 1958 model year.
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Provincial
Well-known member
Over on the Blackhawk thead there are a bunch of ratchets pictured now that have handles that are bored in the end.
Oldtuleguy
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d42jeep
Well-known member
It’s hard to argue with that evidence. Do the handle extensions show up in the Blackhawk catalogs? 
-Don
-Don
Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
Very interesting, Otg.
Earliest Blackhawk catalog I have that features this design is 1953. Text for hinged handles and ratchets reads: "COUNTER BORED HANDLE is light in weight. A pin handle can be inserted for extra leverage in 1/2" and 3/4" drives."
The tools in the 1948 catalog do not have this feature.
While this is not proof for the Walden hinged handle, given all the other facts (more than one example, appears factory, same production era), it appears to be an industry-wide trend in the mid-50's, and I would say it almost has to include Walden.
That's what I get for talking outside of my time period of expertise!
I do wonder the following:
(1) Who started it first?
(2) Which mfgrs did it and which didn't?
(3) How long it lasted?
(4) What the mean-time-between-failure rates were?
(5) And whether excessive MTBF rates (and a lopsided warranty situation) is why it didn't persist?
I'm not enough of a 50's guy to follow through on those though...
Earliest Blackhawk catalog I have that features this design is 1953. Text for hinged handles and ratchets reads: "COUNTER BORED HANDLE is light in weight. A pin handle can be inserted for extra leverage in 1/2" and 3/4" drives."
The tools in the 1948 catalog do not have this feature.
While this is not proof for the Walden hinged handle, given all the other facts (more than one example, appears factory, same production era), it appears to be an industry-wide trend in the mid-50's, and I would say it almost has to include Walden.
That's what I get for talking outside of my time period of expertise!
I do wonder the following:
(1) Who started it first?
(2) Which mfgrs did it and which didn't?
(3) How long it lasted?
(4) What the mean-time-between-failure rates were?
(5) And whether excessive MTBF rates (and a lopsided warranty situation) is why it didn't persist?
I'm not enough of a 50's guy to follow through on those though...
3rd pic in post #1 shows a supposed factory handle extension, not sure of the model no. for this one.
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=86616
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=86616
RubiconJK
Well-known member
RubiconJK
Well-known member
Reposting simply to add my 4769 driver that I forgot to include earlier.
