Plomb tool picture thread - show your stuff!

[RagTopTA]

Well now I know who out bid me on the tool roll!! hahaha Good thing I have one already! Today I got to the flea late cause it was in the 20s this morn. I walk around and check out the few vendors.. one has a trailer just piled with junk. Clothes, household items, and trash. Bogus... I walk away and something caught my eye. Oh hey a rusty old tool box... fulla.. JUNK. Wait ... *Closes lid and sees a very faint familiar logo... on a blue paint back ground... Part number 100 HD.... $8 and got the tetanus for free! no tray and banged up.. but... Plomb is scarce in north central Texas lately.

 

[d42jeep]

Nice find. The tray that it would have come with probably looked like this.
-Don

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Picked up an oldie today.

Is it, though, Dan? I think that's an even rarer example of much, much later (postwar) California Tool Co production still being marked A PLOMB.

Plomb is scarce in north central Texas lately.

Those 100HR ("Hip-Roof") GMTK style carry boxes are not too common anywhere! The earliest documented record of them is Catalog 19-R THIRD PRINTING, which cannot be any earlier than 10/1946 and is probably from 1947. They show up in Price List P-4717 dated October 1, 1947, then the 1948 catalog, and of course, would no longer be marked PLVMB after 1949. Short production window. I don't recall seeing a blue one before. Catalogs always advertised red, and they were making them OD before that, but red is most common, into the early PROTO LA era, too. Plomb did use a blue finish on boxes and rollers, but that was in 1938 and 1939.

 

[RagTopTA]

Is it, though, Dan? I think that's an even rarer example of much, much later (postwar) California Tool Co production still being marked A PLOMB.

Those 100HR ("Hip-Roof") GMTK style carry boxes are not too common anywhere! The earliest documented record of them is Catalog 19-R THIRD PRINTING, which cannot be any earlier than 10/1946 and is probably from 1947. They show up in Price List P-4717 dated October 1, 1947, then the 1948 catalog, and of course, would no longer be marked PLVMB after 1949. Short production window. I don't recall seeing a blue one before. Catalogs always advertised red, and they were making them OD before that, but red is most common, into the early PROTO LA era, too. Plomb did use a blue finish on boxes and rollers, but that was in 1938 and 1939.

Lugz, did they make the same model for P&C in Blue ?

 

[RagTopTA]

Nice find. The tray that it would have come with probably looked like this.
-Don

Now to find one of those!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Lugz, did they make the same model for P&C in Blue ?

I don't know. They're not shown in the 1948 P&C Catalog. Maybe one of the P&C guys would know.

There's so little paint and so little decal left on that, and the prospects of finding a blue removeable tray so slim, I'd be very tempted to strip and refinish that and a tray (I may have an orphan to donate, have to check...) in "lustrous blue metallic" and paint a gleaming white "v PLVMB v" / "100HR" marking on it. It would really pop! And I would keep photos of the original box inside for the naysayers.

 

[Beerhippie]

Now to find one of those!

It's usually at the same sale you bought the box from, just dislocated from the box.

 

[d42jeep]

I’ve seen more boxes than trays.
This 1/2” drive Plomb extension was in a partial Craftsman set I picked up close to home yesterday.
-Don

 

[Catfishdan]

Is it, though, Dan? I think that's an even rarer example of much, much later (postwar) California Tool Co production still being marked A PLOMB.

I truly don’t know. I’ve never seen an a. Plomb tool with model numbers like that.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

I have one crusty one from a park and swap, maybe proto decal is toast.

 

[Outlawmws]

OTG, if that is house paint or rattle can, you can likely strip it off layer by layer, with SG. Soak a Paper towel, soften it and wipe away. you can add a sheet of Saran Wrap so the SG doesn't eveporate.

 

[genog]

Found a cool ole Plomb push through ratchet
I gave it a good soaking in Evapo-Rust.... doesn't look too bad now

 

[Outlawmws]

Got this one yesterday; may or may not have been with a set of Long C Craftsman BE sockets and an breaker.

Clearly Plvmb, and related to the WF series, but no incriminating markings at all:

The O circle may be a tell, other than that, "Made in USA" is the only markings - before cleanup I couldn't see ANY markings.:




Don't think the screw is OEM.

 

[four.cycle]

^ I think it is. I have one of those. Came in an "Oxwall" kit, of all things. Does not appear to have been messed with much.

 

[Outlawmws]

Interesting - both use the same cover screw. I'm surprised!

 

[Squez]

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I truly don’t know. I’ve never seen an a. Plomb tool with model numbers like that.

That and the USA on the shank smack of later, modern production to me, which is what's so cool about seeing the "A PLOMB" marking on it.

 

[bmwrd0]

Outlaw, here is the Sears Craftsman ad (1948 cat) that clearly shows that ratchet. I found one a couple years ago and thought the same thing, that it was just misc. tools put in a box, but someone clued me in

 

[Outlawmws]

Thanks BMW! were your sockets in your set also BE?

Looks like I have a few pieces to look for in my collection. I have the right size socket in Long C, - not sure if it is also BE yet - working off my inventory which is not detailed to the markings... Well, some are - I have the extensions in Circle H...

 

[bmwrd0]

I would have to check, it is kind of buried, might take a few days to get around to it.

 

[d42jeep]

The screw is factory. I would have expected that ratchet to accompany Circle H sockets but I’m not positive.
Maybe in a set similar to this one only with the Plomb made ratchet substituted for the Circle H ratchet during the transition away from NB as the primary supplier.
-Don

 

[930dreamer]

A few treasures in this lot. FB MP $120 Bonney Lake .

 

[drivesitfar]

It’s been too long since I posted on this great thread. I might have posted these about a decade ago and I just stumbled on them in my early spring cleaning.

I know there is some pieces that maybe don’t belong in this set but if anyone knows what I’m missing I’ll see if I can at least have one complete set to display and maybe use sparingly?

 

[d42jeep]

Here is a rather simple pebble 1/2” drive set shown in a 1947 ad. I like your rare pin handle with the part number on it! Since there is no actual 1947 catalog available, what was in late war sets involves some guesswork.
-Don

 

[930dreamer]

This popped up on MP $700. Bellevue, WA. No road trip to Seattle for me.

The ad for this shows another plomb 9990 box with the little drawers, price now $500 for all of it. No 12 hour road trip for me.

 

[Shelbylex]

Nice box! What is the usual price for them? $500 sounds expensive for me (though considering the rarity, a collector might consider it…)

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Seems a bit high

 

[d42jeep]

I found a couple of Plomb items at an Alameda estate sale today. Here is a 3/4” combo.
I needed this 3/8” drive speeder to fill out a wartime set
-Don

 

[Smokeshow69]

The ad for this shows another plomb 9990 box with the little drawers, price now $500 for all of it. No 12 hour road trip for me.

The seller is just throwing stuff at the wall and seeing what sticks at that price. I think the market could support $200 for a nice one but that’s tops.

 

[drivesitfar]

Don: nice work finishing up that socket set!! just curious if my socket set is 1947 because I have several more sockets? I think I also have the 32 nds in my set? also I'm not certain this set is complete yet, but I like it.

ALL: I might have an extra 3/4 Plumb pebble ratchet (I think I have an extra 1 inch ratchet too, but not 1 inch sockets that I'm aware of) and a few big sockets I won't need if any of you might need them to fill up a set. I paid up to get this stuff even though I was at sales about a decade ago because even then the estate guys and tool guys in my area realized Plvmb made great tools. of course I did find a few in the rusty dusty corners occasionally for a good deal, but if at a sale the guys checking out would know and price them accordingly. i'm hoping to live long enough to go through all my finds cause at the minute they certainly are not organized. sort of my own private garage sale when i'm too old to go to them in person.

have a great day all!!

 

[d42jeep]

Don: nice work finishing up that socket set!! just curious if my socket set is 1947 because I have several more sockets? I think I also have the 32 nds in my set? also I'm not certain this set is complete yet, but I like it.
have a great day all!!

Not necessarily 1947 but certainly postwar with that style of pebble tools. Here is my 3/8“ drive set of similar vintage. They always seem to be in progress.
-Don

 

[JMP]

I wish I had more Plomb tools. Some of the best looking vintage hand tools imho.

This 1/4 ratchet's is now one of my favorites. Unfortunately it needs repair. The ball detent spring is broken but otherwise the internals are solid. I could buy a modern rebuild kit but that pretty much kills the originality.

 

[930dreamer]

The seller is just throwing stuff at the wall and seeing what sticks at that price. I think the market could support $200 for a nice one but that’s tops.

Many other tools included!

 

[Etchase]

I recently picked up a Proto product and posted it in the plomb thread. Sorry. Moving it. Thanks drivesitfar for helping me out.

 

[drivesitfar]

ET: I’m sure this might get more answers for you over on the proto thread even though Plvmb turned into proto eventually.

3bay: do you have a nationwide search on for Plvmb? I guess that’s what I used to do for vises but sadly it wasn’t nearly as easy as it is today. I had to search specifically certain areas cause they didn’t have the 1000 or maybe 4000 mile search parameters then.

 

[Squez]

Todays haul

 

[Smokeshow69]

Todays haul

Very nice score! the tool chest looks to be in good shape! The socket rail and that Plomb pry bar are not common.

 

[Squez]

Update on my collection so far

 

[d42jeep]

Although most of the War Finish marked tools I see are 1/4” drive, here are two 3/8” drive War Finish marked tools.
My wartime 3/8” drive 5200B set in progress is coming along. It still needs a 7/16” universal (extra) and a longer speeder. It has a few extras
-Don

Although I found an acceptable speeder at an estate sale, prior to finding that one I ordered a nicer looking one on eBay. After being typically lost by the USPS for almost a month, it finally arrived yesterday. When I went to add it to the set I found it was one of the speeders that has the wrong dimensions to be able to fit In the box. I‘ve experienced this in the past but it’s not possible to just look at a picture to determine if it will fit.

Side by side comparison
The upper one fits the box perfectly. It is now in the rust removal stage.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

The evaporust worked its magic on the estate sale speeder.
Before.After
I brought up the first set from the Plomb tower and compared the tools from both sets.
I selected the nicer and more appropriate tools for the tower set while going through the wartime and earlier 3/8” drive spares.
Wartime and earlier spares.

Project complete. The tools on the left went back into the big Plomb storage box
-Don