Plomb tool picture thread - show your stuff!

[Private Lugnutz]

Anybody need a Plvmb WF-76 (5/8") or WF-78 (3/4") 3/8-inch drive swivel socket? I think I might be able to scrounge up a few.

 

[Username already in use]

Anybody need a Plvmb WF-76 (5/8") or WF-78 (3/4") 3/8-inch drive swivel socket? I think I might be able to scrounge up a few.

The very definition of 'surplus'! Good lord!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

The very definition of 'surplus'! Good lord!

Some guy in a truck down from the city. As you know, the problem with surplus is they're all the same size! Whatever surplus vein he tapped into up there, it favored Plomb empire tools. He had about dozen and a half drag link bits - all the same size, all Thorsen MFD U.S.A. He also had a lot of special "Proto TAC" (Tubing Appliance Company) drive tools attachments. See pics.

 

[Catfishdan]

Anybody need a Plvmb WF-76 (5/8") or WF-78 (3/4") 3/8-inch drive swivel socket? I think I might be able to scrounge up a few.

Holy cow. That's awesome!

 

[Username already in use]

Some guy in a truck down from the city. As you know, the problem with surplus is they're all the same size! Whatever surplus vein he tapped into up there, it favored Plomb empire tools. He had about dozen and a half drag link bits - all the same size, all Thorsen MFD U.S.A. He also had a lot of special "Proto TAC" (Tubing Appliance Company) drive tools attachments. See pics.

The PROTO branding and the 'Made In USA' has to be some kind of transitional marking. I've never seen Proto marked with anything other than MFD. USA.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

The patent on those PROTO TAC attachments is a TAC patent that dates to 1951.

I didn't buy the boxes of swivels, by the way and just to clear that up before I get barraged with requests! I made an offer - but the guy wouldn't come down. I didn't want to sell a dozen or so and then get stuck with 100. Been there done that not doing it again. I did grab a handful of each.

 

[honza.vosalik]

Today's find - 5464 extension bar and a breaker bar.

 

[Username already in use]

The patent on those PROTO TAC attachments is a TAC patent that dates to 1951.

Applied for in 1945. Interesting.
Patent 2578686
Perhaps the Pat. Pend. was changed on the tooling to the actual patent number once it was awarded.

 

[RubiconJK]

Anybody need a Plvmb WF-76 (5/8") or WF-78 (3/4") 3/8-inch drive swivel socket? I think I might be able to scrounge up a few.

Holy mother of all swivel sockets Batman!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Some of the swivels were marked with a marking I have never seen before. I bought one just for the research value and now I can't find it. It was marked like this: v 40706 v. I may be misremembering the exact model numbed, but it was close to that, and that's the format, with the model number between the two plumb bobs, no branding. If I see the guy again, I will grab one for sure this time.

Here are the other Plomb, Proto LA, and Proto-TAC pieces I bought, all 3/8-inch drive... The number on the Plvmb 11/16" flare nut style crowsfoot is hard to read: H24903.

 

[Catfishdan]

Hey guys... what is this thing? Hex shank that's been beat on and ground on with a Phillips ish looking point in it. It's the only plomb tool I've ever found at the restore so I ponied up a buck.





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[Private Lugnutz]

Also picked up this pair of 81XX series DBE wrenches...

 

[Private Lugnutz]

...and a J.P. Danielson-made 710-SL 10" CLIK-STOP adjustable with a PROTO (R) PROFESSIONAL stamp and a "D 2 1" forged in date code. Has to be 1961. The Coslow Pendleton Tool Industries, Inc. era patent (2,905,037) was Sep 22, 1959.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Hey guys... what is this thing?

Looks like a masonry drill.

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

specifically a "star drill".

 

[notlob]

Star drill. Main use is to drill holes in rock, e.g. hard rock mining.

 

[Catfishdan]

Aha! Thanks guys. Never seen one before.

 

[r_olson_06]

Are they 9/16 shanks or 7/8. I have a few 7/8 shanks (first Big Bertha series). I am looking to add to my set [emoji2]

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[r_olson_06]

Been away for a while since Tapatalk crashed and took several months to resolve but in that time I did pick up 2 S.R. drive tools. I have never seen drive tools but they appear to follow the Plomb WF series design. Very interesting thought on the S.R. orgins. I can't wait to see if we finally crack this one.

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[Oldtuleguy]

9/16

 

[RubiconJK]

...and a J.P. Danielson-made 710-SL 10" CLIK-STOP adjustable with a PROTO (R) PROFESSIONAL stamp and a "D 2 1" forged in date code. Has to be 1961. The Coslow Pendleton Tool Industries, Inc. era patent (2,905,037) was Sep 22, 1959.

Nice finds!

 

[honza.vosalik]

Hey guys... what is this thing? Hex shank that's been beat on and ground on with a Phillips ish looking point in it. It's the only plomb tool I've ever found at the restore so I ponied up a buck.





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I recently found the same one, it's posted a week ago on this thread.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

I found one of those in a box of old plumbers tools. Never tried to use it.

 

[RagTopTA]

Been away for a while since Tapatalk crashed and took several months to resolve but in that time I did pick up 2 S.R. drive tools. I have never seen drive tools but they appear to follow the Plomb WF series design. Very interesting thought on the S.R. orgins. I can't wait to see if we finally crack this one.

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I have the same ratchet, and a bunch of deep sockets as well as reg sockets, and some 3/8. I sure hope we get the SR mystery figured out sometime soon!

 

[d42jeep]

To your refinery point, Lugz, I have a socket and a Phillips driver, both obviously made by Proto, both marked Chevron. (found both at a swap right next to a Chev. refinery)

I have a Chevron marked screwdriver as well. It may have come from the Chevron refinery in nearby Richmond.
-Don

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Never seen one before.

It's not exactly intuitive in context with the automotive tools they are best and primarily known for. None of the early catalogs (edit: in the public domain!) have anything but automotive or aviation mechanics' tools, and those (1925, 1928, and 1933) were explicitly published for automotive and aviation. I think the first catalog in TA library that includes masonry drills and concrete and soil pipe chisels, plumbing calkers and irons, and the like, is 1939, actually including "Plumbing" on the cover, along with an attempt to broaden the customer base for the mechanics tools (by also including "Oil Country", Railroads, Utilities, Mining, etc on the cover). Note that there are no special tools offered for those industries. 1941 continued that trend and the wartime catalogs shortened it to "Army, Navy and All Industries," but the masonry drills and chisels were gone. The 1948 catalog still had plumbing tools, but I'm not sure what happened after that.

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

My impression was that Mr A Plomb started making such things perhaps before getting into wrenches, but in the 30s/40s, Allen Ironworks in San Bernardino provided at least many of the striking tools.

 

[bmwrd0]

I have a Chevron marked screwdriver as well. It may have come from the Chevron refinery in nearby Richmond.
-Don

Mine is yellow plastic and I found it at the Concord swap if I remember.

 

[d42jeep]

Mine is yellow plastic and I found it at the Concord swap if I remember.

I can’t count how many estate sales I’ve gone to and found Chevron marked tools. I think it must have been a special perk for Chevron employees. Or possibly not.
I went to a garage sale a few blocks from home and the guy had Whitworth tools left over from ownership of a MG TD. I came home with these 3/8” drive Proto Whitworth sockets
-Don

 

[bmwrd0]

I can’t count how many estate sales I’ve gone to and found Chevron marked tools. I think it must have been a special perk for Chevron employees. Or possibly not.
I went to a garage sale a few blocks from home and the guy had Whitworth tools left over from ownership of a MG TD. I came home with these 3/8” drive Proto Whitworth sockets
-Don

I always figured that Chevron ordered custom tooling to discourage tools walking away. But that never stopped anyone...

I have a set of the Proto BS sockets, use them for working on my Raliegh 3 speed.

 

[Catfishdan]

I got a huge box of pebbles in the mail today from Mr. Stormking. I traded with him and gave him a list of things I was missing from my budding collection. Instead of sending one or two items, he sent me all of them. What a guy!



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[Oldtuleguy]

Nice!

 

[3baygarage]

I can’t count how many estate sales I’ve gone to and found Chevron marked tools. I think it must have been a special perk for Chevron employees. Or possibly not.
I went to a garage sale a few blocks from home and the guy had Whitworth tools left over from ownership of a MG TD. I came home with these 3/8” drive Proto Whitworth sockets
-Don

Don you had to go and find the complete 6 piece set in one shot, unlike the 5 pc teaser someone sent me in a box lot.

 

[notlob]

I can’t count how many estate sales I’ve gone to and found Chevron marked tools. I think it must have been a special perk for Chevron employees. Or possibly not.

-Don

There are quite a few refineries near my part of the SF bay area. I frequently find tools marked Shell Oil or Tosco (another refinery, now Tesoro) but even more marked SP Co. for Southern Pacific RR.

Oddly enough, most of the refinery-marked tools appear to be new or nearly new.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

My impression was that Mr A Plomb started making such things perhaps before getting into wrenches,

It wouldn't surprise me, Slew. Most of the toolmakers that pre-date the era of automobile retail were making tools for other industries, especially blacksmithing, railroads, plumbing, etc, including Bonney, Billings & Spencer, J.P. Danielson, Champion DeArment (Channellock) etc.

 

[CrotalusAtrox]

Here are a few I picked up

 

[48548]

Here are a few I picked up

Those look awesome.

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[r_olson_06]

That's a nice proto pebble bar. 3/4 drive?

Here are a few I picked up

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[CrotalusAtrox]

Yes it’s a 3/4 Drive

 

[CrotalusAtrox]

Those look awesome.

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Thanks now all I look for are Pebble plomb or proto