Tools at the Indy 500, Part 2

Flatintoone · May 29, 2013

Last year, I posted photos of tools and tool-related sponsors on cars at the Indy 500. After another weekend with some great racing and some great friends, I have some more. Unfortunately, the museum hadn't changed much over the past year, so I didn't get as many photos as I'd hoped. A parade of Offy-powered roadsters made that ok, though...
Anyway, to begin:

This is a photo of a photo collage in the entrance to the museum. The vise in the background is an Athol, I assume the nearer one is similar. I looked at some similar photos last year, and thought I saw "Herbrand" logos. The wrench on the workbench looks like it could be a Herbrand???

Proto sticker on a roadster.

Black and Decker sticker on a roadster.

Spotted this "Indianapolis 500" hammer amongst some equipment used by one of the privately-owned roadsters.

Up next: Tools of today

Flatintoone · May 29, 2013

On the Saturday before the race ("Legends Day"), we were able to wander through gasoline alley and poke our noses into the team garages.

The most common setup can be seen on the bench in the background; a Snap-On box with drive tools clipped to the lid. The car is the AJ Foyt entry driven by Conor Daly.

Here's a similar setup. Note the Craftsman box in the background. This was Pippa Mann's team.

CTech cabinets were one of Dragon Racing's sponsors. The car here is Sebastian Saavedra's.

One of the Roger Penske garages, this one for Helio Castroneves. Visible: Snap-On chest and wall cabinet. $50,000 check for winning the pit stop contest. Not visible: Snap-On banner. Details of the car.

zcbauer89 · May 29, 2013

Great pics. That first picture reminds me of my grandfathers old shop, that brought back a lot of warm memories. Its interesting how they clip their drive tools to the lids of their tool boxes, it gives me an idea...... Thanks again for the pics

zkling · May 29, 2013

Flatintoone said:
Here's a similar setup. Note the Craftsman box in the background. This was Pippa Mann's team.

Again beautiful cars. :drool:

Once again I have that same 3 drawer craftsman box in the background. I now have even more respect for it.

I like the way they utilized the space in the lid. Has anyone else done something like that? Mind sharing how to do it and where to get those clips?

SC-AW11 · May 29, 2013

wheres part 1??

Frosthy · May 29, 2013

SC-AW11 said:
wheres part 1??

Click the username > View Public Profile > Statistics > "Find all threads started by ______"

http://garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=152165

richfinn · May 29, 2013

Flatintoone said:
On the Saturday before the race ("Legends Day"), we were able to wander through gasoline alley and poke our noses into the team garages.

The most common setup can be seen on the bench in the background; a Snap-On box with drive tools clipped to the lid. The car is the AJ Foyt entry driven by Conor Daly.

Here's a similar setup. Note the Craftsman box in the background. This was Pippa Mann's team.

CTech cabinets were one of Dragon Racing's sponsors. The car here is Sebastian Saavedra's.

One of the Roger Penske garages, this one for Helio Castroneves. Visible: Snap-On chest and wall cabinet. $50,000 check for winning the pit stop contest. Not visible: Snap-On banner. Details of the car.

Does anyone know the KRA. Number of that little snap on chest??

I have the larger KRA63 with 9 drawers and I would like that little version too.

Midman914 · May 29, 2013

Yeah, that little white box is super cool. I would love to see how they attached the tool fasteners on the lid. Did you get close enough to it to see how they attached them. What a cool way of making use of otherwise wasted space.

BMW Rider · May 29, 2013

Also note the Harbor Freight magnetic LED light in that craftsman box. :lol:

yjWrangler · May 29, 2013

I want a small top box to do that to now

BigDaddyUSMC · Sep 20, 2013

These were given to all race teams at the 1961 Indy 500 by the HERBRAND tool company to use on the Knock Off Wheel Nuts. This one was given to my Uncle Chuck Chenowth to use on the San Diego Steel Products CHENOWTH Indy Roadster. Brass head with original aluminum handle

James_B · Sep 20, 2013

Midman914 said:
Yeah, that little white box is super cool. I would love to see how they attached the tool fasteners on the lid. Did you get close enough to it to see how they attached them. What a cool way of making use of otherwise wasted space.

In the white box, it looks like they've done nothing more than mount a flat piece of sheet metal to which they've attached Terry Clips.
.

Flatintoone · Sep 20, 2013

BigDaddyUSMC,
Wow! That is cool! Thanks for sharing!

Do you know if Herbrand was a sponsor in the '50s or early '60s?

bluebolt · Sep 20, 2013

BigdaddyUSMC that is a super cool hammer and story!

Midman914 · Sep 20, 2013

James_B said:
In the white box, it looks like they've done nothing more than mount a flat piece of sheet metal to which they've attached Terry Clips.
.

Thanks James. You solved the mystery for me. Somebody mentioned that SO sold them, but are expensive. I still didn't have a name to search them out. Thanks to you I have found several suppliers including Sears. Now I can begin my race team box build. :3gears:

BigDaddyUSMC · Sep 22, 2013

Flatintoone said:
BigDaddyUSMC,
Wow! That is cool! Thanks for sharing!

Do you know if Herbrand was a sponsor in the '50s or early '60s?

Flatintoone
I don't know if HERBRAND was an official sponsor the 50's or 60's at Indy
What I was told .... at Indy in 1961 a group from HERBRAND Tool company walked through gasoline alley & gave these to all the race teams.
That way that could say their tools were used on a car that won the Indy 500. It's like going to the horse track & betting on every horse to win. At the end of the day you can say you picked the winner in every race..LOL

My uncles car unfortunately didn't qualify for the 1961 race ,But they got a cool hammer that now hangs on the wall in my office....Between 1961 & 2005 this hammer was used in my uncle Texaco station & later in his auto repair business. That's where most of the little dings in the hammer came from...

James_B · Sep 22, 2013

Midman914 said:
Thanks James. You solved the mystery for me. Somebody mentioned that SO sold them, but are expensive. I still didn't have a name to search them out. Thanks to you I have found several suppliers including Sears. Now I can begin my race team box build.

No problems. Terry Clips are a particularly British item that I first discovered in British Electronics Magazines in the mid 60s. Once you have a name for something, it's much easier to google.

Outlawmws · Sep 22, 2013

I'm noticing on the tops and mids, they are all 3 drawers. I used to have a 70's 10 drawer craftsman top when I first started racing, and once it was full of tools, (and nothing like I have now...) two strong men could not pick it up. I went to a 26 X 12 six drawer top and a two drawer mid (Both Kennedy) for taking to the track for just that reason. I wish the 3 drawer mid had been available, but that was what my local hardware store had at the time.

I like the tops loaded with the drive tools; that would have been another way for me to make the ****** thing overweight!

I rarely use tops for automotive tools any more. roller only for me for that. Only my vintage 50's craftsman ten drawer top has any and that is where I keep the vintage/antique tools, not my daily drivers.

humber2 · Sep 22, 2013

richfinn said:
Does anyone know the KRA. Number of that little snap on chest??

I have the larger KRA63 with 9 drawers and I would like that little version too.

KRA66 is the 3 drawer. Depth is less at 12 3/32"

The pop-up pallet is a great idea.

Clips are A275, A278, A279, A280 in ascending size

zkling · Sep 22, 2013

BigDaddyUSMC said:
This one was given to my Uncle Chuck Chenowth to use on the San Diego Steel Products CHENOWTH Indy Roadster.

Sweet hammer. :drool:

Chenowth? Any relation to Chenowth off road racing? :dunno:

humber2 said:
KRA66 is the 3 drawer. Depth is less at 12 3/32"

Do you have any other specs on that box? I couldn't find much via google. It looks like a modern version of a KRA-53 :dunno:

Is it 26/27" wide or shorter than that?

humber2 · Sep 22, 2013

zkling said:
Do you have any other specs on that box? I couldn't find much via google. It looks like a modern version of a KRA-53 Is it 26/27" wide or shorter than that?

KRA66 26" wide, 12 3/32 deep, 16 3/4 high, 64#

KRA63A 26" wide, 14 3/4 deep, 20 3/4 high, 106#

Refer page 27 of Cat 200, 1993, sorry no images to-day.

zkling · Sep 22, 2013

humber2 said:
KRA66 26" wide, 12 3/32 deep, 16 3/4 high, 64#

KRA63A 26" wide, 14 3/4 deep, 20 3/4 high, 106#

Refer page 27 of Cat200 early 1990's, sorry no images to-day.

Thanks for the info. For some reason I was thinking that box was smaller like a KRA-53 (24x11x12). Guess not.

If you get some time to scan a few pages of that catalog I would really appreciate it. I usually go from the ones on collectingsnapon.com, but they stop at ~1983. :sad:

I would really like to find some specs for late 80's, early 90's models. Specifically the KR637/657 combo. Just interested in the boxes not the tools. :beer:

neonnblack · Sep 22, 2013

ZK, i did something similar in my little box. The clips are nice because it keeps everything in place, solid. But mine has the ability to be customized, but i give up the ability for it to all stay completely put. It is ok for the most part, since the box doesnt move much, you just have to be kind of careful when you close it and set it down. Mine are HF mag strips epoxied to the top, next time around, ill grind the krinkle paint off as the magnets are starting to break off. or ill drill a hole and countersink bolts into it.

humber2 · Sep 22, 2013

zkling said:
I would really like to find some specs for late 80's, early 90's models. Specifically the KR637/657 combo. Just interested in the boxes not the tools.

Same cat, pages 22,23

zkling · Sep 22, 2013

humber2 said:
Same cat, pages 22,23

Would you mind taking a few scans (or pics with a digital camera even works well and is faster) of a few of those pages? I just like looking at the catalog pages of the old boxes. Plus it helps to provide info when people come on here looking for info on boxes. I know I and I'm sure others would really appreciate it. :beer:

humber2 · Sep 22, 2013

zkling said:
Would you mind taking a few scans (or pics with a digital camera even works well and is faster) of a few of those pages? I just like looking at the catalog pages of the old boxes. Plus it helps to provide info when people come on here looking for info on boxes. I know I and I'm sure others would really appreciate it.

Normally no problem from here, but not at the moment sorry. But there's no reason someone else can't pick up from the pages I've identified.

Tools at the Indy 500, Part 2

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