Plomb tool picture thread - show your stuff!

[Oregon rock crusher]

Dang it, you are cutting into my monopoly I have on this area of pressteel rollers [emoji23] I know it went to a good home and I also noticed yours has the perforated drawers and stamped logos on the side. Nice pick up on the puller as well! I have been looking for one but have not found one yet in the wild! What does your key look like ? Is it an Illinois marked key ? Those are the original ones if it is!

Thanks Smoke, I wasn't aware that all Toolmobiles didn't have the top two drawers bottoms perforated. The drawers are pretty strong and feel like they could handle quite a load. The keys are not marked Illinois and they're not the same so they may be copies I suppose.




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Outstanding find! And for the record, I don't think Smoke has actually found any Plomb boxes in the wild - he just finds ways of acquiring them from those of us who do. Beware!

Brian

Thanks for the warning about Smokeshow Brian and I think you are right about his acquisition tactics. Still, it's hard to argue with his results. I've been in awe more than once at your plomb and P&C finding nose though and usually pulled out at bargain prices as well. Ed.

 

[Smokeshow69]

Thanks for the warning about Smokeshow Brian and I think you are right about his acquisition tactics. Still, it's hard to argue with his results. I've been in awe more than once at your plomb and P&C finding nose though and usually pulled out at bargain prices as well. Ed.

I think those are copies but still nice to have! I believe montanafordman has an original set from his grandfather with his tool mobile? Either way, fantastic find! It appears I will need to exploit Ed’s vice for vises in order to obtain this one [emoji23] I will have to find a vise he does not already have which will be even more rare than a tool mobile [emoji23]


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[Catfishdan]

I just got this little box off eBay. I thought it was for 1/4" drive, but it appears it's made for 3/8" drive. I've never seen a 3/8" drive box this small, but Looking at the 1940 catalog, it seems like it held the "challenger" set with 3/4-3/8" sockets and a breaker bar. Not sure what the spray painted numbers are on the lid.
I guess now I have to find the parts to fill it!





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[tym]

well I just cant walk away and leave Plomb there unless its CRAZY priced. I have seen that a few times. Wrenches $50 plus. One guy wanted $100 for a REALLY rusty 3/4 pebble ratchet, that I need. But no way Im paying that. unless it was pristine condition.

That's nuts! One of the reasons I don't really but old tools on eBay. Even the ratty ones have "heirloom antique" prices. It's like everyone thinks they have the next Antiques Roadshow sleeper.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Not sure what the spray painted numbers are on the lid.

The yellow, the stencil, and the terms are looking like a military wartime proprietary marking to me, and if I had to guess with a gun to my head, I would guess a unit designator. 44th BAC. "BAC" is not something common. EDIT: But that doesn't deter my confidence. /EDIT

 

[Catfishdan]

The yellow, the stencil, and the terms are looking like a military wartime proprietary marking to me, and if I had to guess with a gun to my head, I would guess a unit designator. 44th BAC. "BAC" is not something common. EDIT: But that doesn't deter my confidence. /EDIT

I figured you'd know! Looks military to me as well. So do you think it should be filled with WF tools or regular old civilian pieces?

 

[d42jeep]

I just got this little box off eBay. I thought it was for 1/4" drive, but it appears it's made for 3/8" drive. I've never seen a 3/8" drive box this small, but Looking at the 1940 catalog, it seems like it held the "challenger" set with 3/4-3/8" sockets and a breaker bar. Not sure what the spray painted numbers are on the lid.
I guess now I have to find the parts to fill it!





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Dan,
I’m excited to see another early Challenger set box. Are there any traces of a label in the top? Here are a couple pictures of mine showing the 1939 tools and
label. The last shot is the catalog page.
-Don

 

[Catfishdan]

Dan,
I’m excited to see another early Challenger set box. Are there any traces of a label in the top? Here are a couple pictures of mine showing the 1939 tools and
label. The last shot is the catalog page.
-Don

Thanks! No traces of a label at all. Looks like you've got the jumbo sized challenger kit. So it looks as though the challenger sets had tools identical to the other plomb sets, they just came packaged together? I can't have an unfilled box laying around, so I must go find some tools to fill it.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

So do you think it should be filled with WF tools or regular old civilian pieces?

?? If by "regular old civilian pieces" you mean tools that Plomb produced under contract to military agencies other than the US Army Air Corps (i.e., Wright Field), such as the US Army Quartermaster Corps, US Army Ordnance Dept, and the US Navy, as well as the Treasury Dept (which administered the Federal Standard Stock Catalog a la GSA does the NSN system today), marked with the model numbers (52xx) and wartime branding ("v PLVMB v MVDE IN VSA"), that depends on the acronym. If you're looking to match that acronym, which I respect and admire, you might want to wait until we can identify it. If that proves to be unidentifiable, I think either "WF" pieces or pieces with a natural steel finish and correct wartime vintage model numbers and branding would work equally well.

There was a 44th Bomb Group in the US Army Air Corps. That would call for WF pieces. There was a 44th ID, but it would be odd to find a division level unit designator on a socket set box. It wouldn't be precise enough to claim it if it grew legs. A Bn, Rgt or Co designator would have more digits. I'll do some asking around with a few personal effects collectors I know. They are usually way more familiar with unit designators.

 

[d42jeep]

Thanks! No traces of a label at all. Looks like you've got the jumbo sized challenger kit. So it looks as though the challenger sets had tools identical to the other plomb sets, they just came packaged together? I can't have an unfilled box laying around, so I must go find some tools to fill it.

Dan,
They appeared in the 1940 catalog and had disappeared by the time the next catalog came out. Apparently they were packaged complete with no substitutions and featured identical tools to all the other Plomb offerings. I imagine if your markings are military, and they very well could be, it would have been early in the war, perhaps right before the metal restrictions. I guess lend/lease might have been a possibility although I’m not sure how they would have made it back to the west coast.
-Don

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Dan,

Are the three (3) sockets that came in the box plated, steel, or some other finish?

 

[Provincial]

BAC could be Boeing Aircraft Corporation. That would make sense given the period the Challenger sets were made, and Plomb made lots of tools used in aircraft plants. Boeing was complulsive about marking things, and the painted ID would fit their style.

If this is the case, the tools would have been prewar civilian standard.

Catfish, where was the seller located?

 

[d42jeep]

Since the Challenger sets were supplied for such a brief time, I would say that they would likely be chrome plated tools dated 1939 or 1940. Maybe 1941 at the latest.
-Don

 

[Catfishdan]

Lugz-
Thanks for the info! I'm afraid I lack the patience to find all wartime branded sockets. I'll probably go with either chrome, like in the catalog, or with WF pieces which are relatively easy to come by. The box came empty- I just threw those sockets in for scale.

Don-
Thanks. I like the shiny chrome on yours. I might go with that to try to match the catalog.

Provincial-
Boeing is entirely possible. The seller was in my old home town of San Jose, CA. I seem to remember Boeing having some kind of presence there. There are also numerous military bases in the area.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I like the Boeing theory. The military certainly wasn't the only activity using stencils. The "44" could be a building or a section or possibly even a mechanic's ID. I wouldn't rule out the continuation of that little 3/8-inch drive set sans the Challenger moniker for the military, though, regardless of the fact they dropped it from the catalog.

As for availability, I'm curious now. Do you really see more WF pieces than 52XX pieces with a plain steel finish? I see way more 52XX and 54XX steel than WF steel out here on the right coast. I see plenty of WF, but more 52XX and 54XX.

 

[d42jeep]

My Challenger set was found at an estate sale in Alamo, CA which isn’t all that far away from San Jose. As far as finding Plomb, I think that I find less WF tools than regular marked Plomb.
-Don

 

[Username already in use]

I live about 45 minutes from Wright-Pat AFB, and you would think that I would be swimming in Plomb WF tools, but I don’t find that many at all. Usually more regular Plomb pieces and honestly, not that many of those either.

 

[Catfishdan]

Dan,

Are the three (3) sockets that came in the box plated, steel, or some other finish?

As for availability, I'm curious now. Do you really see more WF pieces than 52XX pieces with a plain steel finish? I see way more 52XX and 54XX steel than WF steel out here on the right coast. I see plenty of WF, but more 52XX and 54XX.

I think I misunderstood... I see the most chrome, then plain steel, and lastly wf marked tools. Really, I don't find all that many 3/8 plomb sockets in general. There seems to be 10x more 1/2" out there.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I see the most chrome, then plain steel,

Thanks, Dan. The plain steel is almost certainly wartime and much of it has the possibility of being military surplus, appropriated, etc. My point was that there were no special markings for tools that Plomb made and sold under contract to other Army branches. Have fun with that set - and yes, I see far fewer 3/8-inch drive pieces. But that's true across the board for me compared to 1/4- and 1/2-inch drive, regardless of the Mfgr.

 

[d42jeep]

Dan,
I’ve been slowly working on a 3/8” drive set and I have some spare sockets. I won’t be where they are for a few weeks but if you are missing some maybe I can help you out. The first picture is the spares. The second and third are my set in progress.
-Don

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

My new 1/4, and newly 3/8 rats.

The new Proto pawls are a few thousandth thinner. I was surprised how different the original drive gears were, the one on the leftis from the more rounded ratchet, and its significantly taller, as well as has much less bevel at the sides of the teeth. The other ratchet didn't look that good on ebay, but when it arrived, there was none of the dirt I thought i saw in the fuzzy picture was there, and I thought it was possibly re-chromed, but on taking it apart, I've come to believe it just wasn't used. there isn't any of the common wear from the selector, and the ratcheting parts only had the slightest of polish. it was also bone dry inside, no trace of grease at all.

 

[oldmantaylor]

Thanks, Dan. The plain steel is almost certainly wartime and much of it has the possibility of being military surplus, appropriated, etc. My point was that there were no special markings for tools that Plomb made and sold under contract to other Army branches. Have fun with that set - and yes, I see far fewer 3/8-inch drive pieces. But that's true across the board for me compared to 1/4- and 1/2-inch drive, regardless of the Mfgr.

Although my Dad worked at Plomb, he had no 3/8" drive tools. He had only 1/4" and 1/2". It was a time that most people did not have enough money to get anything they didn't really need.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Yup. Ironically, though, in the ensuing decades, especially through the 60's, leading into the 70's and early 80's, the opposite became true, with 3/8-inch drive becoming so popular that many mechanics hardly ever used 1/4- or 1/2-inch drive.

 

[Username already in use]

Added a couple of Plomb wrenches to the drawer today.
Odd sizes on the large DOE - 21/32 and 19/32 (#3032). The faces on both ends have been milled down to the same height as the handle of the wrench.
Ignition wrench #3215 chrome plated with the electroplating 'burn' marks.

 

[StinkinEngine]

With a Big Thanks to Mr. McMahon in CO, I’ve completed my Plomb SAE Wrench Set.

The 1212 was in better condition than expected.

Now the restoration starts on the others.

I’ll also be building a custom wrench rack made from aluminum & hardwood.

I plan to do an engraving of the old Plomb logo in the center. I have a general idea on how I’m going to do it.

Have to get these other Wrenches in good order first.

Crazy story on how I acquired this 3/8”, I’m going to put a thank you package in the mail Monday morning.


Steven E.
-StinkinEngine
https://pin.it/yce2bgc2emfgdo

 

[Rileysan]

I found this 9/32" drive WF set on eBay a few weeks ago. I paid more than I wanted to (~$35) but the screwdriver sockets convinced me.

As it turns out, this was a mixed set with some pre-war 1/4" drive sockets to boot. Fortunately, the screwdriver sockets were all 9/32" drive, which included a pair of Cal Air Phillips sockets. These are the first I've ever seen. I'm guessing they're contract tools made by Plomb but would like more info. Thanks!

Brian

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Those screwdriver sockets are awesome. Nice find, definitely worth the 35$

 

[DD T/A]

Picked this up this morning.

 

[tym]

Picked this up this morning.

Un-pebbled?

 

[DD T/A]

Yes, and in very nice condition with only a dime sized area of mild surface rust.

 

[RagTopTA]

So, after three weeks off I had to go back to work this l weekend. Sat and Sun. 12 hour shifts. Missed the reg and the big monthly fleas. Not happy so I this made me happy when it showed up today!

 

[RagTopTA]

These are from last week as well...
10" Adjustable
6" Pipewrench
Celbow socket
H series deep socket
3/8 extension

 

[Smokeshow69]

These are from last week as well...

10" Adjustable

6" Pipewrench

Celbow socket

H series deep socket

3/8 extension

Nice finds, especially on the 6” pipe wrench! I had never seen one before and then found 2 from the same vendor at the swap meet! I gave one to rileysan since he did not have one... was it very expensive? I don’t think those are very common but maybe they are ? A few weeks ago, I found the Proto LA version at a swap meet and bought it for $3!


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[d42jeep]

I’ve had this trio since 2015 but while I frequently see Proto Stillson wrenches I haven’t seen any more Plomb in the wild.
-Don

 

[RagTopTA]

Nice finds, especially on the 6” pipe wrench! I had never seen one before and then found 2 from the same vendor at the swap meet! I gave one to rileysan since he did not have one... was it very expensive? I don’t think those are very common but maybe they are ? A few weeks ago, I found the Proto LA version at a swap meet and bought it for $3!


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the 6" pipe wrench came off the bay that's what happens when I'm forced to work my weekends and cant hit the sales. But I found an 8" at an Estate sale here in town few weekends ago for $3 in really good shape! I also found the Prentis 6" pipe wrench at flea a while back for $5.

 

[tym]

These are from last week as well...
10" Adjustable
6" Pipewrench
Celbow socket
H series deep socket
3/8 extension

That 10" adjustable is a beauty!

 

[RagTopTA]

It is pretty clean! I think I have two or three now !! Then this came today... First one I have seen.

 

[Catfishdan]

Have you guys ever seen this before? It's a 4748 style ratchet, but it's marked wf-8 and is 9/32" drive. I've only seen the regular beaver tail wf8's.


I've been looking for a 4748 for a while. I guess this one will have to do for now.


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[RagTopTA]

Have you guys ever seen this before? It's a 4748 style ratchet, but it's marked wf-8 and is 9/32" drive. I've only seen the regular beaver tail wf8's.


I've been looking for a 4748 for a while. I guess this one will have to do for now.


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I have never seen one of those marked WF. That's a cool find!

 

[RubiconJK]

Have you guys ever seen this before? It's a 4748 style ratchet, but it's marked wf-8 and is 9/32" drive. I've only seen the regular beaver tail wf8's.

I've been looking for a 4748 for a while. I guess this one will have to do for now.


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Seems like I've seen one like this before on Ebay or elsewhere online, but have never seen one in person. Nice find!