Plomb tool picture thread - show your stuff!

[d42jeep]

Those are some rare items, Roy.
I pulled the 2” socket out of the evaporust today and cleaned it up as well as I could.
-Don

 

[r_olson_06]

Those are some rare items, Roy.
I pulled the 2” socket out of the evaporust today and cleaned it up as well as I could.
-Don

Thanks Don. That is a clean 3/4" drive 2 band socket.

 

[d42jeep]

My other Plomb find from the free ranch clean out was this War Finish 11/16” combo, now rust free.
-Don

 

[r_olson_06]

My other Plomb find from the free ranch clean out was this War Finish 11/16” combo, now rust free.
-Don

Nice war finish! I added a 1212 yesterday.

 

[r_olson_06]

A few additions.
Notable:
A 20s cold chisel that looks to be a 1/4" making it a part number of 87 from the early catalogs.
A 1939 3/16" x 1/4" socket that has a NAF-39119-33. I did not have this one on my Plomb NAF list as known.

 

[d42jeep]

I guess that 1939 was the last year of the NAF 39***** numbers. By 1940 they had transitioned to the newer NAF-1108-** numbering system. These have a 1940 date code.
This 1941 1/4” drive extension arrived in the mail yesterday, destined for an early set.
-Don

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I guess that 1939 was the last year of the NAF 39***** numbers. By 1940 they had transitioned to the newer NAF-1108-** numbering system.

Agreed.

What's a tad more interesting to me is that Roy's 1/4-inch drive socket also shows that the Navy transitioned from 9/32-inch drive to 1/4-drive before they changed the stock numbering scheme from 39XXX to 11XX. My Walden-Worcester Navy 39XXX-** set is 9/32-inch drive.

 

[d42jeep]

This rough example of the weeding tool arrived in the mail today. I was surprised at how few bids it received considering it’s rarity.
Here it is with my first one.
-Don

 

[r_olson_06]

This rough example of the weeding tool arrived in the mail today. I was surprised at how few bids it received considering it’s rarity.
Here it is with my first one.
-Don

Nice Don. I still don't have an example of that one yet. I saw it and it slipped my mind. Glad you picked it up.

 

[Steven 33]

Didn't realize how big Bertha was. She needs to go on a diet!

 

[r_olson_06]

Didn't realize how big Bertha was. She needs to go on a diet!

Dang! Are they Z series or pre part numbers?

 

[Steven 33]

Dang! Are they Z series or pre part numbers?

I sent you a message

 

[r_olson_06]

I sent you a message

Thanks!

 

[bmwrd0]

Picked this screwdriver up yesterday,


marked Plomb Los Angeles, probably the oldest I have.

 

[GemState10ER]

Has anyone seen a Plomb screwdriver with the hex nut shank? I got it for $1 so if it’s modified oh well, love the color anyways. Side by side with a P&C Phillips no. 2 I need to clean up.

 

[d42jeep]

I have one.
-Don

 

[r_olson_06]

Has anyone seen a Plomb screwdriver with the hex nut shank? I got it for $1 so if it’s modified oh well, love the color anyways. Side by side with a P&C Phillips no. 2 I need to clean up.

There are 2 different versions or the pyroxylin (early plastic) handles. The earlier version of the 2 you have that is a fluted style handle. The later version is has no flutes and is a cylinder that is tapered on each side of the center. It has a pebble pebble marking for both Plomb and the part number.
Nice find!

 

[d42jeep]

Three Plomb items arrived in the mail today. First was a late 1/2” drive 12 point 3/4” socket needed to complete a very late Plomb low groove socket set.
Along with the socket came this 1941 tappet wrench that I didn’t have.


The last piece was a 29/32” 1/2” drive socket just because.
-Don

 

[r_olson_06]

Three Plomb items arrived in the mail today. First was a late 1/2” drive 12 point 3/4” socket needed to complete a very late Plomb low groove socket set.
Along with the socket came this 1941 tappet wrench that I didn’t have.


The last piece was a 29/32” 1/2” drive socket just because.
-Don

Solid additions!

 

[Smokeshow69]

As many of you know I have been busy narrowing my Plomb collection to a more core group of pre war or war time items. So no early stuff or Plomb Los Angeles and no pebble or chrome tools for the most part. But there was one thing that has evaded me for years so when I found one on eBay for a reasonable price, I hopped on it.


I would say it looks right at home in my 1/4 drive box set (but it's actually now tucked into my display cabinet in my living room)

 

[Leviton]

And here are those deep sockets, with a couple better views of the male drive tang with the internal 3/8-inch female square drive opening on that Pratt Whitney Aircraft socket. Not sure I've seen one like that before. Is it so it can be turned externally as well? (There's probably a really obvious explanation I am missing.)

Lugz, that PWA 2254 socket is for spark plugs on WWII radial engines. 7/8" is standard hex size for the spark plugs even now. Prior to WWII, aviation spark plugs had various size hex for installation, and other, smaller hex for servicable (take apart, clean, and reassemble) components, like insulator retainers.

The external square drive was intended for use with an open-end wrench, or a larger square drive female drive. In service, the internal square drive was almost always used, since many of the spark plugs were located in areas with poor access due to cooling fins, baffles, and intake/exhaust piping.

That's what was throwing me off about the external drive (5/8" by the way). Even though I can see it was used (a corner is burred), I don't see how they would have access! I have spark plug wrenches for aviation work with extra long reaches and weird bends on them. Thanks for the info!

... they are standard extra deep with a tommy bar hole and a 1/2-inch female drive opening. Which makes me even more curious about the PWA sockets with the short male drive tang (5/8-inch external drive) with a 3/8-inch internal female drive opening. Mine is at Post #5256. Waiting to see RagTop's. Why did PWA require that if the Navy didn't? EDIT: Maybe something to with the junior drive size.

On further thought, if the GMTK set includes a 5/8" 8-point (or 4-point) with 1/2" drive, that would be an alternative which would provide greater power to attack a stuck spark plug. Ordinarily, one avoids the greater leverage because the threads can, and do, break off if a stuck plug is overtorqued while trying to unscrew it!

I always appreciate @Provincial 's knowledge of aviation tools!
At an estate sale last weekend I picked up 3 PWA 2254 sockets. Interestingly, the external across-flats dimension on the outside of the square tang is 3/4" on all three of them (instead of 5/8" like the one @Private Lugnutz has).

These were part of an interesting buy out of Cali.

-grind off 7/8” spark plug socket. Perhaps a PWA 2254. Threaded hole in the socket wall.

One possibility for the threaded hole in the spark plug socket is for use working on flying boats. If you changed spark plugs on a PBY or PBM while it was floating in the water, a dropped tool was a lost tool. The threaded hole could be for attaching a lanyard to keep the tool from being lost.

Regarding @3baygarage 's possible 2254 with the side hole: I wonder if maybe some of the 2254 sockets came with the threaded hole from the factory? Because, one of my sockets also has a threaded hole with a set screw.


And, to finally get to a question. What did I find?
One of my sockets is unmolested. However, the other two are welded to a 5/8" diameter solid rod for an overall length of 13 inches. These two have the internal 6-point service end portion of the socket cut off (3/8" cut off of one and 1/2" cut off of the other) leaving only the smooth round bore. These also have a slot cut out of a portion of the circumference. The cut out slot is about 5/8" x 5/8".









After a bit of searching, i found that the now-deceased owner of the tools was born in 1934, was a Marine with Aircraft Maintenance as his MOS, likely took classes at the Northrop Aeronautical Institute in Inglewood, and completed AS 90C-6 727C Airframe and Systems training at the Boeing Airplane Division Service School. (He also had a Bonney PWA 1437 that I'll post in the Bonney thread.)

 

[d42jeep]

Here is my PWA2254 with a set screw in the side.
-Don

 

[r_olson_06]

Another 2 feet of wall space. Thanks to @Smokeshow69 for the 2 puller display boards. I made a stack of boards opening up some additional peg board space for hammer and other auto body tools.
Still have some clean up to do but overall this should get most of the items off of the floor.

Next I am working on a custom extension rack to hold all of the Plomb extensions with allocations for every drive size and length from 1920s to the 1950s for 26 variants and about 130ish extensions in total.

 

[r_olson_06]

As many of you know I have been busy narrowing my Plomb collection to a more core group of pre war or war time items. So no early stuff or Plomb Los Angeles and no pebble or chrome tools for the most part. But there was one thing that has evaded me for years so when I found one on eBay for a reasonable price, I hopped on it.


I would say it looks right at home in my 1/4 drive box set (but it's actually now tucked into my display cabinet in my living room)

Nice keychain screwdriver! Also nice of the Plomb TPC file to photo bomb.

 

[Outlawmws]

Another 2 feet of wall space. Thanks to @Smokeshow69 for the 2 puller display boards. I made a stack of boards opening up some additional peg board space for hammer and other auto body tools.

What you need to do is move the light out and over 4 feet; then set up some rails (think sliding closet door, rails) and then how many floor to rafter panels can you setup in the 2-3 feet where you have the panels on the back wall (defined as where all the DOE's are..)

 

[r_olson_06]

What you need to do is move the light out and over 4 feet; then set up some rails (think sliding closet door, rails) and then how many floor to rafter panels can you setup in the 2-3 feet where you have the panels on the back wall (defined as where all the DOE's are..)

I thought about making something like that using unistrut and roller assemblies. I was concern about the load bearing of the rafters with that much weight. I have haven't ran the math but at 1st blush. 1500 tools average 2.5lbs each would put us 3.750 tools load and add another 500lbs in hardware and displays would put us down over 2 tons.

 

[Outlawmws]

I thought about making something like that using unistrut and roller assemblies. I was concern about the load bearing of the rafters with that much weight. I have haven't ran the math but at 1st blush. 1500 tools average 2.5lbs each would put us 3.750 tools load and add another 500lbs in hardware and displays would put us down over 2 tons.

OK go the other direction - foot rollers like sliding glass doors use. you need 8 ft of track for each, and a couple of guide rollers up top. per panel.

 

[r_olson_06]

OK go the other direction - foot rollers like sliding glass doors use. you need 8 ft of track for each, and a couple of guide rollers up top. per panel.

I suppose if the weight was support off the concrete floor it would work. I am going to look into that. Thanks for the idea!

 

[Smokeshow69]

Nice keychain screwdriver! Also nice of the Plomb TPC file to photo bomb.

Im glad someone saw the ignition file photo bomb!

 

[Provincial]

I always appreciate @Provincial 's knowledge of aviation tools!
At an estate sale last weekend I picked up 3 PWA 2254 sockets. Interestingly, the external across-flats dimension on the outside of the square tang is 3/4" on all three of them (instead of 5/8" like the one @Private Lugnutz has).






Regarding @3baygarage 's possible 2254 with the side hole: I wonder if maybe some of the 2254 sockets came with the threaded hole from the factory? Because, one of my sockets also has a threaded hole with a set screw.


And, to finally get to a question. What did I find?
One of my sockets is unmolested. However, the other two are welded to a 5/8" diameter solid rod for an overall length of 13 inches. These two have the internal 6-point service end portion of the socket cut off (3/8" cut off of one and 1/2" cut off of the other) leaving only the smooth round bore. These also have a slot cut out of a portion of the circumference. The cut out slot is about 5/8" x 5/8".









After a bit of searching, i found that the now-deceased owner of the tools was born in 1934, was a Marine with Aircraft Maintenance as his MOS, likely took classes at the Northrop Aeronautical Institute in Inglewood, and completed AS 90C-6 727C Airframe and Systems training at the Boeing Airplane Division Service School. (He also had a Bonney PWA 1437 that I'll post in the Bonney thread.)

I suspect that the molested sockets are a shop-made tool for compressing valve springs/rocker arms for Pratt & Whitney engines. They slip over the valve end (with adjustment screw) of the rocker arm and you pull on the rod to pivot the rocker arm to depress the valve. This frees up the push rod end and allows removing the push rod to replace seals on both ends of the push rod cover tube.

The original P&W tool (PWA 1392) was a "socket" with 3/8" drive that used a very heavy duty extension for a handle.

 

[Mintgrun]

The original P&W tool (PWA 1392) was a "socket" with 3/8" drive that used a very heavy duty extension for a handle.

I have one of those, plus a few other PWA tools. No maker's marks on the 1392 or 1468.

 

[Provincial]

I have one of those, plus a few other PWA tools. No maker's marks on the 1392 or 1468.

1468 is for the nut that holds the shielded ignition lead onto the top of the spark plug. There are several sizes of hex. If that one is 3/4", it is WWII, and probably not for B-29's.

1343 is for nuts holding the cylinders onto the crankcase. This is for work in the field. For depot and overhaul, they used a torque adapter wrench that put a square drive directly over the nut.

1399 is for the packing gland nut that seals the intake pipe to the crankcase. There is a different nut at the cylinder end. If I remember right, this one is for R-1340, R-1830, and R-2000 engines.

 

[Leviton]

I suspect that the molested sockets are a shop-made tool for compressing valve springs/rocker arms for Pratt & Whitney engines. They slip over the valve end (with adjustment screw) of the rocker arm and you pull on the rod to pivot the rocker arm to depress the valve. This frees up the push rod end and allows removing the push rod to replace seals on both ends of the push rod cover tube.

The original P&W tool (PWA 1392) was a "socket" with 3/8" drive that used a very heavy duty extension for a handle.

@Provincial , thank you for your insight, I greatly appreciate it! Always interesting to know what tools were used for, especially the home-made ones.

I have one of those, plus a few other PWA tools. No maker's marks on the 1392 or 1468.

@Mintgrun , thanks for showing me the 1392.

 

[r_olson_06]

Sometimes the stories are just as crazy as the finds.

Huge shout out to @Steven 33 . After messaging me about a FB Marketplace find he was unable to get the seller to ship what appeared to be an early Plomb socket set. After exhausting options he let me know that the seller was 4 hours one way from my location. I messaged the seller right that morning away trying to connect up with him and didn't have a response for 7 hours. After the 7 hours I told him that $100 (he was asking $40) and I would drive down to tonight and pick it up. Minutes after that message he responded that I could come down and pick it up.
Getting some off work at 3:30 I made the trek 4 hours with my wife down to Central Iowa to meet the seller in a Walmart parking lot. Dark in the trunk of the sellers car was a true OG Big Bertha socket set 7/8" drive including handle, extension, and 7 sockets! but there is more. With the 7/8" drive was also an early 9/16" drive socket set as well with extension, handle, and speeder. Both sets appear to be mid 1920s by stamping. The seller said to me I must be crazy driving so far for a wrench set. I looked it over for about 30sec handed the $100 bill and he looked at me with big eyes and said are you sure. I said we are more than good and shook his hand.
He was happy to see it go to someone who appreciates it as it was his father's. We started the trek back to home and made it back just before midnight.

This 9/16" socket set appears to be 4th variant I have found that I would put in 3rd of the chronological order by age. I will have to do some more research and a write up.

 

[four.cycle]

^ Pretty amazing find there, Roy.

So... the sockets are male drive? How odd.

 

[Outlawmws]

So... the sockets are male drive? How odd.

The ratchets were female drive, so why not?

 

[r_olson_06]

^ Pretty amazing find there, Roy.

So... the sockets are male drive? How odd.

Yes. They ran this design up until the late 20s before converting over to the standard drive sizes. Plomb's 1st socket set was the 9/16" drive. I picked up the earliest variant of these about 12 years ago tucked in an old ammo can at a farm estate. They were longer male drives and no retention ball.

 

[four.cycle]

. They were longer male drives and no retention ball.

slip fit? interference fit?

I had a "radio" socket set like that.... you just jammed the sockets onto the drive tool (essentially a spinner handle.)

 

[r_olson_06]

slip fit? interference fit?

I had a "radio" socket set like that.... you just jammed the sockets onto the drive tool (essentially a spinner handle.)

Yes. These are pretty much that as well with the rention ball. Similar fit to a wrench on a bolt/nut.

Is that early radio set a WW?

 

[four.cycle]

Bridgeport Hardware Mfg. Co. made it. Finally remembered.

(some stuff takes longer to bring back to mind these days.)