Don’s Den of Dandy Delights

[don long]

Oh man Don
You have quite the collection of shinny metal.
Thank you for clearing up so many questions I've had as you have posted over the years (a tid bit here and there)
I tip my hat to you and your organization skills. Thanks for the overall picture of the basement
You have earned all my respect

Don

 

[four.cycle]

I had no idea you collected quick-adjust wrenches. What's the length on the Coe's steel-handle model above? (post #38)

 

[msharley]

Hey Don,

Wowser!

I'm a needin' to clean the drool off the keyboard!

Absolutely AMAZING!

Thank you kindly for sharing!

Later, Mark

 

[turbowoodworker]

You just raised “cool” to a new level here on GJ. Thanks for posting it all. Subscribed.

 

[Nikoror]

Thanks a lot for sharing. Very enjoyable read

 

[d42jeep]

Thanks, guys.
BK, I’ll measure the Coes tomorrow. I used your list of manufacturers to look up the Lamson & Sessions wrench. Thanks for making that list available.
-Don

 

[saukit]

We're not worthy...amazing stuff Don!

 

[Catfishdan]

Very cool. Quantity and quality!

 

[Southern83]

Good stuff!

 

[ForrestT]

Thanks so much for sharing, Don! Your collection is really amazing!

 

[4xdog]

Boy, that's a fun walk through (part of) your collection, Don -- thanks for it.

Don (another one)

 

[four.cycle]

L&S is not an easy one to identify, if one were to gauge that difficulty by Ebay listings.
Hey, THIS is exactly what that list is for! The payoff is seeing collections like this, all neatly organized and identified.
I have one of those all-steel Coes - a tiny thing - only about 6 inches long, I think - only reason I asked is I was wondering if yours was the tiny version as well. I didn't know you even delved into that genre.

 

[crguy]

L&S is not an easy one to identify, if one were to gauge that difficulty by Ebay listings.
Hey, THIS is exactly what that list is for! The payoff is seeing collections like this, all neatly organized and identified.
I have one of those all-steel Coes - a tiny thing - only about 6 inches long, I think - only reason I asked is I was wondering if yours was the tiny version as well. I didn't know you even delved into that genre.

2 things: Coes wrenches are not quick adjust, and the smallest Coes, the "baby", is under 5".

 

[d42jeep]

Thanks, everyone. The project has been fun to do.
BK, the Coes monkey wrench Is 8-1/2” long. I never set out to have a monkey wrench collection, they just kind of found me.
Today I dug out a few Dunlap tools. I guess I’ll store them with the Craftsman since they are related. The wood handled chisels arrived today from four_cycle.




I pulled these Duro Chrome sets out of their storage box to add to the display. The larger set is a wartime refrigeration set.

 

[d42jeep]

Today’s additions were some Xcelite sets along with some Barcalo DOE wrench sets.
-Don






Barcalo sets.

 

[JoCoSawdust]

Now that was fun!! Thanks for showing us around Don, you have an amazing collection. I particularly like the Plomb Toolset Tower. Great idea!

 

[d42jeep]

Thanks, JoCo.

 

[bugnut]

Don, many thanks for the tour of your growing collection! Thanks for sharing!

 

[Shiftless]

Again, you have a very impressive collection there Don.

I am honored to have been the first to receive an in person guided tour. And thanks again for recycling my empty 16 oz. Oatmeal Stout can.
I think it was about 75 degrees outside that afternoon.

 

[d42jeep]

Thanks, folks. Today I moved one of the major stumbling blocks out of the garage, my Kennedy carpenter’s box full of a motley collection of items found at estate and garage sales. Bear in mind that woodworking is something I do reluctantly and only of necessity. Someday my carpenter buddy that built the Plomb display will stop by and get me squared away. The auger bit set is Korean War era and was found complete.
-Don

 

[Cruzan80]

Don, amazing collection!

Please dont take this the wrong way. From other posts, I know you are a stickler for getting precise sets together, with stampings, finish, etc correct.

How many of the sets shown are duplicates? Not just the same contents, but the same box, logo style, timeframe, finish, etc all the same?

I personally dont know enough about the differences for several of these brands to spot what may be a change from one box to the next (in whatever relevant way), which is why I am asking.

 

[d42jeep]

There are some sets that are very similar, particularly the wartime sets that have a specific list of contents. Sometimes with sets of the same brand there may be differences in the finishes of the tools such as cadmium plating vs black oxide. In the case of the early Plomb pebble 1/4” drive sets, the difference is that one box has original paint and the other had to be refinished. The placement of the Plomb 1/4” sets in the Plomb display start with the oldest sets at the top and they get gradually (slightly) newer as they go down. There are two very similar looking 3/8” drive Thorsen sets. One is fractional and the other is metric. I‘m not particularly bothered any more when I hear the H word, there are other collectors that I regularly communicate with where it’s gotten to be kind of a running joke.
-Don

 

[gpw_42]

Don, great collection and display, as others have stated. Love your Plomb setup, and look forward to seeing some of the things you haven't yet added!

I'm surprised that the Barcalo shrine wasn't the first thing you put up

 

[misterbill]

I'm surprised that the Barcalo shrine wasn't the first thing you put up

Why do you think he's clearing room in the garage?

 

[d42jeep]

The most important Barcalo tool went in the first day, along with the rolls. I added the sets I showed yesterday to Grandpa’s box this afternoon. I still have space for a little more Barcalo
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

Actually, I cleaned and straightened the Kennedy carpenter’s box so I could put the tools back in. I found a few more eggbeaters in the garage and figured out which one to keep in the box.
i put the tools back in the box and decided where it should be kept.I added a Craftsman Heritage and Dunlap set of drawers for a little more storage capacity.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

Only took a picture of one set today. The 1/4” nutdriver got lost last night in the dark under the Jeep. I called in reinforcements during the search but she didn’t have any luck either. It was finally spotted in the area of the front left tire and retrieved with a telescoping magnet.
-Don

 

[Miss the Pontiacs]

All I can say is WOW!! Thanks for sharing.

 

[d42jeep]

Thanks. I accidentally forgot to add this cute little Vaco set sent to me recently by four.cycle. It is a perfect addition to the Nutdriver display. Thanks, BK!
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

As some members are aware, I have a bit of a thing about nutdrivers. Here are a couple sets I cleaned up a bit and added to the nutdriver section of the display.
-Don
J.C. Penny set
Vaco set
In the basement
The nutdriver display

 

[four.cycle]

^ there was a reason I sent that little midget set down there! I knew you needed that one!!!

 

[d42jeep]

Although I don’t have that many Indestro tools, I have hung on to a few items. The hex drive was complete when I found it as was the DOE wrench set in the cool holder. The Auto Kit wrenches I’ve picked up over time. The hex key set pouch was part of the care package from four.cycle and I added the hex keys from spares.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

Here are three very similar but each slightly different Walden combination 1/4” and 3/8” drive sets. Rather than a conventional extension, they included an extension with two male ends and a double square connector. Kind of unusual. They also included a hex key for some reason. They were all estate sale or garage sale finds.
-Don

 

[four.cycle]

^ wow!~ your PM21 sets are in way better shape than mine. Did anybody ever figure out WHY they included the 5/16" hex key in that set?

 

[d42jeep]

There was a thought that it could have possibly been used on the lower end of an outboard motor since one was shown on the label of the sets. Otherwise, I have no idea. I added a few items to the downstairs display. I dug out a few Barcalo sets since a surprising lack of Barcalo had been mentioned. First was the addition of some possibly useful chemicals. The olive drab cans have FSNs printed on them. Lugz kindly sent me the rifle bore cleaner because my last name was printed on the can.
Here are the Barcalo tools.

Put into the toolbox.
-Don

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

I thought somebody added the green **** in my blue Walden box, but I guess it's factory.

 

[d42jeep]

Yeah, I think all of those sets came with the “green ****”. Probably to keep the contents in place.
-Don

Today I gathered up my dual marked PL∇MB/PR∇T∇ Tools and added the cool label to the box I put them in. They are now residing in the basement.

 

[d42jeep]

While going through the Barcalo tools I found this nice Dunlap punch and chisel set I had put there by accident and added it to the other Dunlap tools on display.
Yesterday afternoon I checked out my two Keystone boxes. I decided to add the red box to the basement but I believe that the hex drive tools in the black box were probably Indestro so it didn’t make the cut.
-Don

 

[Cruzan80]

Don, what stamping is on the Keystone, vs the Indestro? (Indestro used stars, correct?)

 

[d42jeep]

The Indestro sockets in that black box just have vertical knurling although I have seen Indestro hex drive with stars, looking very similar to some of the 1/2” drive sockets. The Keystone sockets just have crosshatch knurling and simple size markings. I’ll try to get some pictures later.
-Don
edit. I found some pictures from 2019 in the Keystone thread.

Keystone Mfg. Co., Buffalo, N.Y.

Keystone Mfg. Co., 41-63 Chandler St., Buffalo, N.Y. (* not to be confused with Keystone Drop Forge Co., Northumberland, PA. or Keystone Reamer & Tool Co., Millersburg, PA. *) Manufacturers of the "Westcott" wrench More information about Keystone at: http://toolarchives.com/node/572...

www.garagejournal.com

Here are the sockets in the black Keystone box.