Caterpillar Serviceman's Tool Kit (BlackHawk)

[Farmer J.]

There are some of the round Caterpillar emblems available on ebay in Wisconsin. These are in the form of a sticker, and new old stock. 2 different ones some of them have a number in the lower part of the badge. Just sharing info here in case anyone wants to grab one

NOS W H Brady Sticker Caterpillar Serviceman's Tool Kit 3" High | eBay

THESE STICKER(S) MAY NOT BE AS STICKY AS WHEN NEW DUE TO AGE.

www.ebay.co.uk

I can't get the image to copy, but the business name is:
riverstreetantiques(37622)

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Ordered one just to check it out. Thanks for the tip!

 

[twertsy]

REALLY cool box!!!!

 

[Dave455]

I thought I ought to resurrect this thread a little.

One of my fellow Brit’s, Farmer J, posted a little while back regarding a similar Caterpillar Service Set for sale in west London.

I was aware of that also, but being “between work” I couldn’t really pursue it. To cut a long story short, it remained unsold, and it’s owner and I recently agreed a deal.

I’m glad I did, as it had been in the family since the 1950’s. Some of the (smaller) tools are missing totally, and a few others have obviously been used. Many of the items however, including all the 3/4 drive, do not appear to have been used at all.

The owner was a very nice chap who appreciated Blackhawk tools. I was almost reluctant to take them away, but he wanted them gone, and they go to a good home where they will be suitably coveted, and see occasional use.

Here’s the box. The exterior has some rust, but the interior is very decent. Just deciding the strategy…!

 

[Dave455]

This was in the bottom of one of the drawers.

 

[Farmer J.]

Dave, very pleased to see it was you who eventually got that kit. I wondered about contacting the seller but decided not, as I only have a box but don't have any Blackhawk tools, (or a Caterpillar!) and didn't want to start another collection...
Look forward to seeing pics of the tools and box as you get it sorted out and cleaned up..

 

[Dave455]

Dave, very pleased to see it was you who eventually got that kit. I wondered about contacting the seller but decided not, as I only have a box but don't have any Blackhawk tools, (or a Caterpillar!) and didn't want to start another collection...
Look forward to seeing pics of the tools and box as you get it sorted out and cleaned up..

Thanks!

Having a good deal of Whitworth Blackhawk (my Grandfathers, plus another set I picked up) everything in this set makes a nice complement. The 3/4 drive is particularly useful, as I have Whit and Metric, but very little A/F.

I’ll post pictures of the tools as I unpack and clean them. Looking at the list of items included in the set at the start of this thread (which is in a different box, but otherwise seems similar) I think this set might be about 95% complete.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Nice save, Dave! I'm a patina guy, so I would be inclined to preserve that exterior rather than strip/repaint, but either way you go will do it justice.

 

[Dave455]

Nice save, Dave! I'm a patina guy, so I would be inclined to preserve that exterior rather than strip/repaint, but either way you go will do it justice.

Yes, I totally understand that point of view. It’s not something I’ve gone for in the past, but I understand it.

The problem is, in the relatively damp / wet U.K. it’s difficult to prevent corrosion like that from getting worse, so at the moment I’m leaning towards a full repaint (or perhaps just an external repaint) of the box, but probably leaving the drawers as they are. No rush to decide.

I also need to decide if I attempt it myself, or get a pro sprayer to do it. I’m leaning to the latter.

 

[Dave455]

And I need to sort out a replacement bit of trim!

 

[snapmom]

Are the tools for the Blackhawk Cat box stamped Blackhawk, or made by Blackhawk with just a Cat model number, like the Snap-
on made Cat tools for the Snap on version of this box.

 

[Dave455]

Are the tools for the Blackhawk Cat box stamped Blackhawk, or made by Blackhawk with just a Cat model number, like the Snap-
on made Cat tools for the Snap on version of this box.

All the Blackhawk items just have the Blackhawk part numbers, and are indistinguishable from other Blackhawk tools of the same era.

Not all the items are Blackhawk. Included were linemans pliers by Crescent, some sizeable drifts by W.D. Allen Mfg Co, and so on. I believe that these items were part of the original kit, being of U..S. origin, of the period, and in similar condition. None of these items have Caterpillar numbers either.

There were, however, some other tools included that were obviously not part of the original kit, being either of British make, or British sizes. I’m trying to separate these out!

 

[Dave455]

The only items that I’m unsure about are also the items that are in the worst condition, namely these two Blue-Point screwdrivers, the handles of which have started to degrade.

I’m not sure if these were part of the original kit or not. The manual shown at the start of this thread doesn’t show such drivers, but they are of the era / origin, and if it wasn’t for the decomposition, would be in good shape.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

The problem is, in the relatively damp / wet U.K. it’s difficult to prevent corrosion like that from getting worse,

Oh, I live by the ocean, and I'm not a proponent of leaving rust go, Dave. Definitely not in that camp. You might be able to arrest that rust with penetrating oil and abrasive hand scrubbing, and there are techniques for completely eliminatinng it whilst keeping the original paint, and touching up the bare steel. But it's painstaking work, the finish is not meant to look like new, and it's not everyone's cuppa, I know. In fact, it's clearly a minority position. Just throwin' it out there. Good luck with it regardless.

 

[Dave455]

Oh, I live by the ocean, and I'm not a proponent of leaving rust go, Dave. Definitely not in that camp. You might be able to arrest that rust with penetrating oil and abrasive hand scrubbing, and there are techniques for completely eliminatinng it whilst keeping the original paint, and touching up the bare steel. But it's painstaking work, the finish is not meant to look like new, and it's not everyone's cuppa, I know. In fact, it's clearly a minority position. Just throwin' it out there. Good luck with it regardless.

Ahh, I sympathise! I once bought a car (Saab 900) from a guy who lived by the sea. Even that rotted!

As for the box, all options are up for consideration at present, though I think there are cultural differences here.

I know that in the U.S. the “all original” look is often in demand, even on vehicles. Over here it’s not. If someone buys a classic they want it looking like it’s just come out of the factory - anything else would be regarded as “lazy” and re - done “properly!

The other thing to be considered is that the box is the only thing that has been really exposed. The tools themselves are fairly minty (some 1/2 inch accessories shown). If both box and tools were well used, I might just clean them and preserve them ”as found”!

 

[four.cycle]

"... the “all original” look is often in demand..."

It's not really a "U.S." thing. More personal preference than anything else, really. I'm one tiny step beyond Lugnut's "all original" credo - I don't even wipe the grease off the stuff I collect. My collection is 100% "as is" (and I'm not making any apologies for it.)
But yes, the rust spots do pose a question.
Me: I'd pull out a big can of "Mother's Carnuba Paste Wax" and go at it very carefully, making sure to leave a good coat on the rust spots in the hope that might somewhat arrest the process. At least that way you always have options.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

All the Blackhawk items just have the Blackhawk part numbers, and are indistinguishable from other Blackhawk tools of the same era.

Not all the items are Blackhawk. Included were linemans pliers by Crescent, some sizeable drifts by W.D. Allen Mfg Co, and so on. I believe that these items were part of the original kit, being of U..S. origin, of the period, and in similar condition. None of these items have Caterpillar numbers either.

There were, however, some other tools included that were obviously not part of the original kit, being either of British make, or British sizes. I’m trying to separate these out!

To my knowledge the blackhawk sockets, ratchets etc... were not marked with any cat numbers. I think that started later with the snap on stuff.

 

[thehorse13]

Beautiful grab. No doubt I would go for the clean and preserve on this one. It's got too much originality all the way around.

 

[Farmer J.]

The only items that I’m unsure about are also the items that are in the worst condition, namely these two Blue-Point screwdrivers, the handles of which have started to degrade.

I’m not sure if these were part of the original kit or not. The manual shown at the start of this thread doesn’t show such drivers, but they are of the era / origin, and if it wasn’t for the decomposition, would be in good shape.

Desperate suggestion: Fill the missing parts of the handles with P38, then sand it down and paint the filler to match?

 

[Farmer J.]

Yes, I totally understand that point of view. It’s not something I’ve gone for in the past, but I understand it.

The problem is, in the relatively damp / wet U.K. it’s difficult to prevent corrosion like that from getting worse, so at the moment I’m leaning towards a full repaint (or perhaps just an external repaint) of the box, but probably leaving the drawers as they are. No rush to decide.

I also need to decide if I attempt it myself, or get a pro sprayer to do it. I’m leaning to the latter.

I will probably repaint that box of mine, for the same reasons. I don't have much inclination for days of sanding and rust treating so will look for someone who can do 'media blasting' to get all the rust off the outside and clean deep in to the rust pits then at least prime paint. There was a chap doing it I talked to he said on old stuff he used crushed walnut shell (among other things) rather than sand as it was more gentle and didn't bend/warp flat panels. Needs a bit more research I will ask around after harvest is done.

 

[Dave455]

Desperate suggestion: Fill the missing parts of the handles with P38, then sand it down and paint the filler to match?

It’s a thought! The big question is whether they were part of the original set, or added later. If they were added, I’m not too worried. If part of the set, then I’d really like to sort them out.

The problem is, the rest of the handles are not in great shape either.

 

[Dave455]

I will probably repaint that box of mine, for the same reasons. I don't have much inclination for days of sanding and rust treating so will look for someone who can do 'media blasting' to get all the rust off the outside and clean deep in to the rust pits then at least prime paint. There was a chap doing it I talked to he said on old stuff he used crushed walnut shell (among other things) rather than sand as it was more gentle and didn't bend/warp flat panels. Needs a bit more research I will ask around after harvest is done.

I have no doubt I can find folks locally who would do a superb job, but also present me with a superb bill, so I’ll be doing most of it myself I suspect. I think for now I’ll just prevent any further rust and concentrate on the contents.

Yes, I think I’m looking at removing the rust somehow (probably chemically but gentle media blasting is an option), filling any pits (which I hope are not bad) then prepping the surface before subbing out the actual painting.

 

[Dave455]

A “day one” update on my set.

With most of the 1/2” accessories needing no /little cleaning up I thought I’d start with the 1/2” sockets.

Here they are before,

and after, cleaning.

These tappet spanners (wrenches) are still in the packing. I’ll clean them, polish the marks from one of them, protect them with a dry protectant, then return to the packing.

 

[bmwrd0]

Those Armstrong envelopes are super cool.

 

[thehorse13]

This buy gets better by the minute. Super cool to see the wrench wrappers show up in the wild. I've only seen pictures of those wrench covers.

 

[stormking]

Excellent box and tools Dave. I think that box will clean up better than you might think. We have a products called (bar keepers friend, or Zud) here that will clean rust and grime off leaving the paint alone. Interesting that your box doesn't look to have the decal on the inside of the lid.

 

[Dave455]

This buy gets better by the minute. Super cool to see the wrench wrappers show up in the wild. I've only seen pictures of those wrench covers.

No, I’ve never seen them either.

I don’t know the full story behind this set, but the original owner obviously used some of the tools (most of the 1/2” drive sockets for example) albeit carefully. Other tools appear unused, though only the tappet wrenches retain their wrapping.

This feeler gauge also appears unused. There is still (original?) grease around the rivets.

 

[Dave455]

Excellent box and tools Dave. I think that box will clean up better than you might think. We have a products called (bar keepers friend, or Zud) here that will clean rust and grime off leaving the paint alone. Interesting that your box doesn't look to have the decal on the inside of the lid.

I may try something like that first. For general grease and grime I like Auto Glym Machine Cleaner but it won’t do much for the rust.

Unfortunately, I think we are just beyond the “surface rust” stage here, though it certainly isn’t bad.

Edit - the inside of the box is in pretty good condition, but there doesn’t appear to be any evidence that there ever was an internal decal.

 

[hmwrench]

I thought I would add mine . It is pretty rough found it at the Hillsboro , Or all Ford swap meet a few years ago
thanks
Kirk

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Needs a little work but pretty good. Mine was missing a drawer as well but pretty easy to make one, no slides or anything.

 

[Provincial]

thehorse says that the knob is the hardest part!

 

[Oldtuleguy]

You can make a.knob on a lathe. It's 5/8 across. If you want an original that's a bit tougher!

 

[thehorse13]

You can make a.knob on a lathe. It's 5/8 across. If you want an original that's a bit tougher!

This will be my Alamo. Take an original to a machinist and have one made. But given that the Blackhawk boxes have the same pulls as the Snap-On K60, I am still holding out hope that one turns up somewhere. Any leads are appreciated as always.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Spotted this on ebay

Rare! METAL EMBLEM - Blackhawk Caterpillar (TOOLBOX) SERVICEMAN'S Tool Kit | eBay

Rare! METAL EMBLEM - Blackhawk Caterpillar (TOOLBOX) SERVICEMAN'S Tool Kit.

www.ebay.com

 

[AngrySunday]

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Is that one of these?