Herbrand 57/64

[Rileysan]

This may be another case where I'm over excited in my belief I found something unusual but oh well.

For your viewing pleasure, I picked up these 3 Herbrand 1/2" drive deep sockets last week at ReStore for .50/ea. It wasn't until I pulled them out of the bag at home that I looked at the sizes.

I looked up the model no. on GJ and only found one other example - http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=135672&highlight=DS28b - which differs in where the stamping was placed on the socket.

- Herbrand DS28B, 1/2" drive deep 57/64 socket

Also present: Herbrand DS30, and DS36 sockets

Feedback welcome

Brian

 

[four.cycle]

re: the other post you cited.
if it was a spark plug socket, does it have a foam insert inside of it?
if it was a spark plug socket, why would it have been included in a deep-well socket set packaged in a steel box? (not sure where the post is.... might be in the "Ebay hot deal" thread... I came across a set that included a 57/64" deep-well on Ebay a few months ago.)
if it was a spark plug socket, why didn't every tool manufacturer offer that size?

 

[misterbill]

Looks like this was discussed before: http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=199612. I have a similar sized 1940 Wright socket in this thread: http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=5474759&postcount=13

Bill

 

[Rileysan]

re: the other post you cited.
if it was a spark plug socket, does it have a foam insert inside of it?
if it was a spark plug socket, why would it have been included in a deep-well socket set packaged in a steel box? (not sure where the post is.... might be in the "Ebay hot deal" thread... I came across a set that included a 57/64" deep-well on Ebay a few months ago.)
if it was a spark plug socket, why didn't every tool manufacturer offer that size?

No foam insert in my socket but I wouldn't use that as criterion. I don't know when spark plug sockets began shipping with foam inserts, but I have seen early Ford sockets and "Spark Plug" wrenches that never came with inserts.

Misterbill,

I have the hardest time searching for threads on GJ. Thank you for sharing these.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

- Herbrand DS28B, 1/2" drive deep 57/64 socket
Also present: Herbrand DS30, and DS36 sockets

Looks like you have three (3) of the six (6) deep-well spark plug sockets that were in Herbrand's Spark Plug Set No. DS-7-1/2. Came in a metal box. The others were DS-26 (13/16"), DS-28 (7/8"), and DS-32 (1"). Go to The Tool Archives (twertsy & collective's wonderfully helpful resource), catalogs, Herbrand No. 54M (1948), pg 17.

The DS-28-B has an asterisk next to it. The footnote under the table reads: "Extra thin for Buick, prior to 1938."

I would bet it's in the earlier Herbrand catalogs as well. I didn't check those.

if it was a spark plug socket, why would it have been included in a deep-well socket set packaged in a steel box?

For the same reason you can still buy deep straight wall sockets in sets today - for a variety of spark plug sizes on a variety of engines. They'll fit any fastener that is recessed or needs a reach (running board channels, fender and body supports, etc), but deep-well 1/2-inch square drive sockets milled with a hole at the base for a bar were marketed and sold in catalogs as spark plug sockets and sets since at least the 1930's. (EDIT: Or am I missing your point?)

if it was a spark plug socket, why didn't every tool manufacturer offer that size?

I just checked a few other period catalogs (1943 SK, 1949 Williams, and 1942 Plomb). Standard graduations in their spark plug socket sets.

Duro sold a 1/2-inch drive spark plug socket set in the 1930's and 1940's with a 53/64" socket. The others in the set were 9/19, 11/16, 29/32, and 15/16.

I don't know why the odd sizes only show up in Duro (53/64") and Herbrand and Wright (57/64") sets. This is pure conjecture, but given the footnote and the proximity (53/64" is just 0.0156 wider than 13/16"; 57/64" is just 0.025 wider than 7/8"), they may have been designed (slightly wider opening, slightly thinner walls) for particularly tight quarters with a hex that could tolerate the slop. ??

 

[tdcisco1]

looks like the same 3 I found at an estate sale a few weeks back !

 

[3baygarage]

Thanks for sharing Rileysan, I didn't know that socket existed. I had some 64th sockets in 1/4 drive.

 

[four.cycle]

Rileysan and Lugnutz - thanks!

first time I saw that size was in an Ebay listing - and then later I saw a "set" of them listed (in a metal box) that may well have been what you've mentioned above - a "spark plug socket" set - not just a "deep well" set.

not planning on acquiring a 1938 Buick, so I'm not really sure I need one other than for the novelty factor.