JoCoSawdust
Well-known member
I've been on a Craftsman dome carry box kick lately and ended up doing a bit of research using David Mahers catalog collection to help myself date the variations I run across. Since I woke up at 4AM this morning I thought I'd share what I've learned.
The "Long Handle" first appeared in 1939 with the box exclusive to the Super Deluxe amber handled set. For this reason I refer to the later boxes as "Domes". I've yet to find this box that ran from 39-42. (Forgive the thumbnail clips, I've yet to figure out how to make pictures big on this thing).
The Domes appear after the war in 1946 with four variations. The smallest, measuring 19.5 long (as all the domes do) is 6.25 wide by 6 high (small box). This is the smallest dome ever offered. It has two fixed metal plates to allow the insertion of a padlock. The next two sizes, 7x7 (medium box) and 8.5x9.5(large box), are unique in that they have a cylinder key lock incorporated into the handle of the removable tray. The lift out tray also has 3 socket trays that clip to the edge of the tray itself. There's a fourth dome that's not pictured. It measures 10x12.5 (extra large box). It lacks the removable socket trays and has "the same construction as other boxes". Does that mean it has the center lock or the pad lock bracket? I've never seen one so I don't know. EDIT: Yes, the largest of the dome boxes does indeed have the center lock feature. I still don't own one but I've seen one that another collector has. None of these boxes ever appear again in later catalogs. The small and extra large boxes disappear and the medium and large boxes loose the center lock feature. I suspect the center locks (and the removable socket trays) were left overs from the pre-war Super Deluxe box.
In 1947 and 48 there's only two dome boxes offered. This is the first year of the cantilever dome. The medium box is offered as well, this time without the center lock. In its place are two fixed metal plates to attach a padlock.
The same two dome boxes are offered in 1949 but the fixed padlock plates are replaced by a more conventional hinged hasp. All dome boxes will continue to have the hinged hasp through the end of their run in 1957.
The cantilever dome remains unchanged (hinged hasp) for the rest of it's run (57). The lift out tray variant continues to be offered but they seem to bounce around in size between the medium and large box. They never offer both sizes in one year, it's one or the other. At some point in time the lift out tray goes from gray to red. Impossible to tell when due to the black and white catalog images.
The only time a dome box is offered as part of a tool kit is 1955-57 when it houses the 3/4" drive set. I don't have a Circle K or BM ratchet for reference so I don't know if one of those will fit in a 19.5" long box. Can somebody give me the length of that ratchet? If it won't fit in that size of box, that's another larger variant of box that's out there. EDIT: The 3/4d ratchet does fit into a standard size box albeit a bit awkwardly. It has to be place diagonally in the main compartment. The only difference in the box pictured below is the tray. The tray has larger partitioning for the 3/4d sockets. EDIT: I have to correct myself, a 60pc set was offered in 1952 with a dome box. My set should have ratchets that are sans the decorative bit on the neck, that'll be corrected one of these days. I'm apparently not smart enough to insert the pics here so...they're at the bottom of this post.
All catalog listings describe the paint as "gray finish" or "machinery gray finish".
Considering there's NOT a specific dome box for the 3/4" drive set, I count 9 variations of domes. If choosing to call them long handles I would think you'd have to bump the count up to 10 to take the original Super Deluxe box into consideration. EDIT: As mentioned above, there IS a specific box for the 3/4d set, the only difference being the tray. I stand by the count. 4 boxes in 1946, 2 "oddball hasp" boxes in 47 and 48, 2 hinged hasp boxes from 59 to 57 and the 3/4" drive box for a total of 9 physically different dome boxes. Considering the paint change from wrinkle gray with gray tray to hammered gray with red tray (somewhere around 53-ish?), one could say there's 11 different dome variations out there.
The "Long Handle" first appeared in 1939 with the box exclusive to the Super Deluxe amber handled set. For this reason I refer to the later boxes as "Domes". I've yet to find this box that ran from 39-42. (Forgive the thumbnail clips, I've yet to figure out how to make pictures big on this thing).
The Domes appear after the war in 1946 with four variations. The smallest, measuring 19.5 long (as all the domes do) is 6.25 wide by 6 high (small box). This is the smallest dome ever offered. It has two fixed metal plates to allow the insertion of a padlock. The next two sizes, 7x7 (medium box) and 8.5x9.5(large box), are unique in that they have a cylinder key lock incorporated into the handle of the removable tray. The lift out tray also has 3 socket trays that clip to the edge of the tray itself. There's a fourth dome that's not pictured. It measures 10x12.5 (extra large box). It lacks the removable socket trays and has "the same construction as other boxes". Does that mean it has the center lock or the pad lock bracket? I've never seen one so I don't know. EDIT: Yes, the largest of the dome boxes does indeed have the center lock feature. I still don't own one but I've seen one that another collector has. None of these boxes ever appear again in later catalogs. The small and extra large boxes disappear and the medium and large boxes loose the center lock feature. I suspect the center locks (and the removable socket trays) were left overs from the pre-war Super Deluxe box.
In 1947 and 48 there's only two dome boxes offered. This is the first year of the cantilever dome. The medium box is offered as well, this time without the center lock. In its place are two fixed metal plates to attach a padlock.
The same two dome boxes are offered in 1949 but the fixed padlock plates are replaced by a more conventional hinged hasp. All dome boxes will continue to have the hinged hasp through the end of their run in 1957.
The cantilever dome remains unchanged (hinged hasp) for the rest of it's run (57). The lift out tray variant continues to be offered but they seem to bounce around in size between the medium and large box. They never offer both sizes in one year, it's one or the other. At some point in time the lift out tray goes from gray to red. Impossible to tell when due to the black and white catalog images.
The only time a dome box is offered as part of a tool kit is 1955-57 when it houses the 3/4" drive set. I don't have a Circle K or BM ratchet for reference so I don't know if one of those will fit in a 19.5" long box. Can somebody give me the length of that ratchet? If it won't fit in that size of box, that's another larger variant of box that's out there. EDIT: The 3/4d ratchet does fit into a standard size box albeit a bit awkwardly. It has to be place diagonally in the main compartment. The only difference in the box pictured below is the tray. The tray has larger partitioning for the 3/4d sockets. EDIT: I have to correct myself, a 60pc set was offered in 1952 with a dome box. My set should have ratchets that are sans the decorative bit on the neck, that'll be corrected one of these days. I'm apparently not smart enough to insert the pics here so...they're at the bottom of this post.
All catalog listings describe the paint as "gray finish" or "machinery gray finish".
Considering there's NOT a specific dome box for the 3/4" drive set, I count 9 variations of domes. If choosing to call them long handles I would think you'd have to bump the count up to 10 to take the original Super Deluxe box into consideration. EDIT: As mentioned above, there IS a specific box for the 3/4d set, the only difference being the tray. I stand by the count. 4 boxes in 1946, 2 "oddball hasp" boxes in 47 and 48, 2 hinged hasp boxes from 59 to 57 and the 3/4" drive box for a total of 9 physically different dome boxes. Considering the paint change from wrinkle gray with gray tray to hammered gray with red tray (somewhere around 53-ish?), one could say there's 11 different dome variations out there.
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