Old Plumb ratchet/socket set???

[cubfarm 1]

Am trying to set a date on a 3/4 drive set. Old yes but how old? Extensions and many pieces are stamped "war surplus". Am thinking ww2. Metal box is dark green where paint is still there. No chrome anywhere. Sockets from 3/4 to 3" Needless to say the set is nearly too heavy to lift much less to carry any distance. Is there a tool site for this stuff???

 

[Hoss356]

http://home.comcast.net/~alloy-artifacts/plomb-gallery.html

 

[lbgradwell]

Plomb, not Plumb; Plumb was a completely different company.

Be careful; the tools very likely have a cadmium finish so DO NOT wire wheel them as it is a health hazard.

Pictures are required to be certain, but WWII is a near-certainty.

Try the Plomb Tools Website for more info...

 

[Gort the giant robot]

Plomb tools that were made during the WWII years can be marked several different ways. Military Plomb tools used different part numbers than civilian tools. All military tool part numbers start with the letters WF which stands for Wright Field. Wright Field Air Force base distributed need supplies to our troops. Civilian Plomb tools may be marked War Finish or not. War finish tools may be made of a lessor grade of steel or with a plain steel finish. Most military tools had a cadmium finish. I have never seen any Plomb tools marked war surplus and I have bought and sold many, many, many Plomb tools over the last 10 years.

Gort, one luckly SOB.

 

[Plombob]

Post some pictures. Let's see what ya got!

 

[Jireh Customs]

I know this is an old thread, but i found it trying to do some research on some old tools that I came across the other day in my shop. I have what I thought was a 6" long 1/4" drive extension and a 7/16 and a 3/8 socket, both 1/4" drive. The sockets would fit the extension but none of the three would fit on my ratchet. the looked old, but a lot of my tools are old. Some were my grandfather's and some came from my dad. With the the collections of misc. stuff that they collected there is no telling where some of it came from. Anyway, back to my tools. They are all stamped with what looks like WF-a# and PLVMB. With a little research and a closer inspection the V has a - across the top making it an O. From what I have read on here, the tools are mid 40s or earlier and all in good shape with a nice patina. My question really is why didn't they use a standard 1/4" drive hole? Also, does anyone know or have a link to the detailed history of this company and the tools?

 

[ganymede]

Correct, it is Plomb not Plumb or Plvmb. There is a Plumb tool co though .
Back then 9/32 was a standard size as common or perhaps more so than 1/4.