Plomb tool picture thread - show your stuff!

[Mintgrun]

Unless you plan on retaining the black paint, I would see what that sticker is.

I am not attached to the black paint, but have a habit of leaving things as I found them lately, since I have too many 'restorations' to choose from. I like to clean them up enough to be useful, but don't have the time or energy to paint things right now. That said, I'd like to know what the sticker says, but don't know how to remove the paint without removing the sticker. It is a paper sticker, so Simple Green would probably wash it off along with the paint.

I used SG to take red paint off of a blue-green box recently and it was a bunch of messy work! That's another 'mystery box' that doesn't fit this thread, so I won't bother posting photos.

Thank you for the information. Your attention to (and retention of) the details is much appreciated.

Tom

 

[Private Lugnutz]

If curiosity gets the best of you, I have had luck with a cotton ball or other swab just slighlty damp with just a smidge of SG. You are doing most of the extremely patient work with just the slightest of pressure rubbing in a circular motion in just one inconspicuous spot. But totally understand. Not that important.

 

[d42jeep]

I’ve been looking for one of these for quite a while. It’s a chisel with a 1” wide cutting area that was 12” long when it was made. It’s lost an inch of length in the intervening years and maybe a little more since it arrived since it needed sharpening and the striking surface dressed up.
-Don
Here it is sharpened and the striking end dressed up.

 

[Smokeshow69]

I’ve been looking for one of these for quite a while. It’s a chisel with a 1” wide cutting area that was 12” long when it was made. It’s lost an inch of length in the intervening years and maybe a little more since it arrived since it needed sharpening and the striking surface dressed up.
-Don

Nice find! I think a lot of the big boys got destroyed over the years due to use and abuse. I have way more small size chisels than I do big ones.

 

[d42jeep]

I added a pebble 1136 DBE to the collection yesterday. It was one that I was missing.
Here are all of my pebble DBE wrenches together.
-Don

 

[930dreamer]

Seller states Cornwell tools! $150

 

[Outlawmws]

Did you buy it yet?

 

[Stuart in MN]

I picked up this flex socket yesterday.

 

[JohnDeere]

I almost cried today… This poor 1145 DBE.

 

[Outlawmws]

I have some 'tortured" tools in the collections, and I kind of like them as they show the real world of getting things done. Heartbreaking if its super rare, but most are not.

 

[Macduf]

First time I've seen a date code go that high,

 

[d42jeep]

First time I've seen a date code go that high,

Nice chrome plated socket. There is a school of thought that those letters do not represent date codes.
-Don

 

[Etchase]

My earliest Los Angeles adjustable. They didn’t seem to know how to fit the city name on the tool yet. It would have been interesting to see the second digit, but it was squished. I think that’s the technical term. They also stamped an “S” on it, but the plating looks consistent with others without the “S”. Still haven’t figured those “S”’s out.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

First time I've seen a date code go that high,

You may have missed the thread I started on the "Letter-Letter" codes.

SURVEY: PLVMB tools with "Letter-Letter" code stamps (and ONLY those tools!)

Fellow and Sister GJ'ers, Several years ago @twertsy and some cohorts conducted a study of Plomb Tool Co tools with the letter-letter stamps and published their findings on the old Tool Archives site. It can be found, via Wayback Machine backdoor link, here. The theory, based on examples and...

www.garagejournal.com

What drive size is that socket? 1/4?

 

[Outlawmws]

I
m thinking the "Date codes" needs a keeper of a spreadsheet, in a matrix - Tool numbers to codes; Then analyse and are they date codes, or Mfg plants, or something else?

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I
m thinking the "Date codes" needs a keeper of a spreadsheet, in a matrix - Tool numbers to codes; Then analyse and are they date codes, or Mfg plants, or something else?

The thread I just linked is data collection and discussion. I have it in Excel. Read the whole thread if you want to catch up. Or if you just want the gist, skip to the last post.

 

[d42jeep]

Here is a 9/16” dual marked combo that arrived today from a GJ member.
-Don
I added it to my recent arrivals from another generous GJ member.

 

[Smokeshow69]

Here is a 9/16” dual marked combo that arrived today from a GJ member.
-Don
I added it to my recent arrivals from another generous GJ member.

Looking good! Those are not easy wrenches to find so I wish you luck! You will find the big ones and the small ones also present the largest challenges to track down. I’ve got all the small ones now but most of the big boy ones are my board are still missing.

 

[Catfishdan]

After months of wading through ads for bad pencil drawings and lead figurines, I finally found a 4768 flex spinner on the bay. I believe I now have every plomb midget tool with the exception of one trico socket and a marked pin handle.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I believe I now have every plomb midget tool with the exception of one trico socket and a marked pin handle

A commendable achievement.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Kudos!

 

[Smokeshow69]

After months of wading through ads for bad pencil drawings and lead figurines, I finally found a 4768 flex spinner on the bay. I believe I now have every plomb midget tool with the exception of one trico socket and a marked pin handle.

Ha ha, so you were the winner on that. I was bidding but stopped at $40. Sorry if I ran you up

 

[d42jeep]

I’m not convinced that the 1/4” pin handles were ever marked. I only have one and it is unmarked as is my 3/8” drive example. The catalog image is the only place that 1/4” drive pin handles are shown as marked and that is probably artistic license.
-Don

 

[Catfishdan]

I’m not convinced that the 1/4” pin handles were ever marked. I only have one and it is unmarked as is my 3/8” drive example. The catalog image is the only place that 1/4” drive pin handles are shown as marked and that is probably artistic license.
-Don

I tend to agree. Someone would have seen one by now.

Here’s the celebratory group pictures.

 

[JohnDeere]

After months of wading through ads for bad pencil drawings and lead figurines, I finally found a 4768 flex spinner on the bay. I believe I now have every plomb midget tool with the exception of one trico socket and a marked pin handle.

Are you going to get a pebble finish ratchet and breaker bar?

 

[Catfishdan]

I’ve got pebble ratchets. I was just going for one of each part number in the picture. If I ever come across a pebble breaker bar it will become mine.

 

[d42jeep]

Hey Dan,
What is the socket number that you’re missing? I double checked and don’t seem to have either of the Trico sockets (4704 or 4705) but I can keep an eye out.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

Another addition to the dual marked collection arrived today.
-Don

 

[Smokeshow69]

I tend to agree. Someone would have seen one by now.

Here’s the celebratory group pictures.

Great set! I’m glad you got that spinner and were able to complete the small drive catalog section. Not an easy task

 

[Oldtuleguy]

If the pin handles were stamped, it may have interfered with their sliding in the breaker, requiring additional expense in fitment after the stamping. I suspect as don does it was merely artistic license.

 

[d42jeep]

I do have a photo (not mine) of some stamped pin handles in the larger drive sizes provided to me by a long time Plomb collector from northern CA. I’ve never seen a stamped one in person. They must be extremely rare.
-Don
The plain pin handle from my Plomb 3/8” drive Challenger set.

 

[Catfishdan]

Hey Dan,
What is the socket number that you’re missing? I double checked and don’t seem to have either of the Trico sockets (4704 or 4705) but I can keep an eye out.
-Don

Thanks! 4704 is the one I’m missing.

 

[four.cycle]

@d42jeep -

I am assuming from your posts just above that "pin handle" is the nomenclature used by PLOMB for the "cross bar" (aka "tommy bar") above?
(first time I've seen the term "pin handle" used.)

BK

 

[Old Radar]

 

[Smokeshow69]

I do have a photo (not mine) of some stamped pin handles in the larger drive sizes provided to me by a long time Plomb collector from northern CA. I’ve never seen a stamped one in person. They must be extremely rare.
-Don
The plain pin handle from my Plomb 3/8” drive Challenger set.

I’ve never seen a stamped one either but if I do it’s yours. If it wasn’t for this picture you have posted a few times over the years I wouldn’t think they actually existed

 

[d42jeep]

@d42jeep -

I am assuming from your posts just above that "pin handle" is the nomenclature used by PLOMB for the "cross bar" (aka "tommy bar") above?
(first time I've seen the term "pin handle" used.)

BK

Yeah, pin handle is Plomb’s name for and included in the part number of their crossbars.
-Don

 

[Oldtuleguy]

The plomb cross bars are hard to find in my experience

 

[Old Radar]

The [insert any brand name here] cross bars are hard to find in my experience

 

[3baygarage]

I just ran across my marked blackhawk 1/4” bar. If they did it, Plomb could have.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

I have several marked blackhawk marked cross bars