Plomb tool picture thread - show your stuff!

[r_olson_06]

Cool, guys. Yet another drive plug appears, R. Nice. The little ones I posted aren’t branded.



Drives, no shelves. Had to make room in the drawer for the new box. Some pics next to the boxes from that other haul.

Same green box, a bit nicer lid on this one.

It has a good amount of used parts someone was saving. Some new parts. Some Proto, misc parts in all drives including a bunch of 3/4 stuff, a mini 4751 plate, a few punches for repairs (one is broken).

I was like how the hell did I miss that auction. It took me a while to find it due to the cramming of PlombToolCo all into one word.
Anyways that is an amazing piece and glad it it going to a good home.

Looking for the following Plomb Pebbles Wrench 3061

 

[d42jeep]

They all were from Ebay. I knew this one had to join the other two. It was a lucky find again.

If you post up your address, we can all start sending you our ratchets needing repairs. I have plenty! Congratulations on a great find.
-Don

 

[drivesitfar]

BHK: nice find and congrats for digging and finding it.

3bay: yep I agree having a parts store for your Plvmb is pretty cool.

Smoke: is he still around cause I don't see him posting much or maybe he's working on his cool cars and just posting in a different thread? thanks and you are probably correct cause he had quite a bit of cool stuff and it was like he did his shopping at the Plvmb factory store that was still open to him, but closed to everybody else for 60 years now.

 

[bargainhuntingking]

Here are some complete sets if you want to add the missing pieces to your new find.

-Don

Don, thanks for posting the pics of the complete sets! Do you know the model number of these sets or when they were made? Any pics of them in vintage catalogs? Do have a pic of all the contents laid out that you wouldn’t mind posting? Thank you.

I’ll have to keep an eye out and fill in the missing parts.

 

[3baygarage]

If you post up your address, we can all start sending you our ratchets needing repairs. I have plenty! Congratulations on a great find.
-Don

That would be fun!

Oh my word 3bay, what a great collection of parts! Are the punches beveled on the ends to be used for detent ball repair?

Could be. They're concave so I don't think they're for peening on the levers.

 

[Provincial]

I bought a ratchet and a couple of Plomb USA combos at an estate sale today. They should have been made during the time the date codes have a number and a letter.

The 5449 ratchet is stamped "DC". The 1214 combo is stamped "LC". The 1226 combo is stamped "cc" in smaller font and the letters staggered at an angle.

I see a socket stamped "cc" with one letter over the other on Alloy Artifacts, but that socket is also stamped "war finish". None of these tools are war finish.

The 1226 "cc" appears to be stamped at an angle in order to fit it in a limited area, like it was an afterthought.

Can someone educate me on this date code variation?

 

[d42jeep]

Don, thanks for posting the pics of the complete sets! Do you know the model number of these sets or when they were made? Any pics of them in vintage catalogs? Do have a pic of all the contents laid out that you wouldn’t mind posting? Thank you.

I’ll have to keep an eye out and fill in the missing parts.

Here is a page from the 1940 catalog that lists which pieces come in which sets.
Most of the various Plomb catalogs are available on this site.
https://archive.org/details/PlombHandForgedToolsCatalogNo18A/page/n3
The last two pictures are what I believe to be a late war 1/4” drive set.
-Don

 

[RubiconJK]

I bought a ratchet and a couple of Plomb USA combos at an estate sale today. They should have been made during the time the date codes have a number and a letter.

The 5449 ratchet is stamped "DC". The 1214 combo is stamped "LC". The 1226 combo is stamped "cc" in smaller font and the letters staggered at an angle.

I see a socket stamped "cc" with one letter over the other on Alloy Artifacts, but that socket is also stamped "war finish". None of these tools are war finish.

The 1226 "cc" appears to be stamped at an angle in order to fit it in a limited area, like it was an afterthought.

Can someone educate me on this date code variation?

There was a conversation on the war time / war finish markings on this thread, but not sure your exact question is addressed here. https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=340304&highlight=plomb+date+code
Tool Archives had quite a bit of info as I recall and we think all the war finish marked tools are 1943. Todd had noted on this other thread that he hadn't seen any war finish marked tools later than GC (July 1943) which may have been the last month they used the war finish mark.

 

[d42jeep]

As I noted in the last posting of the thread that Rubicon provides a link to above, all of my war finish marked tools have C as the second letter. I was careful NOT to say 1943 because I have way too many examples of chrome plated Plomb tools with the C as the second letter which shouldn’t have been made in 1943. Here are a couple.
-Don

 

[RubiconJK]

As I noted in the last posting of the thread that Rubicon provides a link to above, all of my war finish marked tools have C as the second letter. I was careful NOT to say 1943 because I have way too many examples of chrome plated Plomb tools with the C as the second letter which shouldn’t have been made in 1943. Here are a couple.
-Don

Don, per your point and previous conversations on these war time pieces, we have a lot to learn yet!

 

[r_olson_06]

Well another wrench in the books puts in an all to fimilar place. 1 wrench left to finish out the full set of Plomb Spuds. I am on the look out for possibly the biggest Plomb wrench know a 3-1/8" spud.

Back to orginal point at hand of being 1 wrench short of a full set. This will make set number 8 this way for my Plomb sets. It is often the biggest hurdle to finishing any set is the last piece. I was joking around with Lugz when he picked up a single wrench for a set that he would likely not ever finish about what is worse. Buying a wrench with a known fact that you will never finish or being stuck on the last wrench and the possibility of never finishing the set out.

I have been in this situation before and have jumped the biggest hurdle with other sets but it often can take years just to locate 1 wrench.

I am tempted to start a thread similar to the "wanted" thread but dubbed "last piece to a set". I think this could help focus efforts to help find what can seem like unobtainium and really help out some GJers. What do you think of this idea?

If anyone has a the following they would help me complete a set for me.
3061 Pebble DOE
3065 Smooth DOE
1068 Heavy Duty Round Beam DBE
2650 Heavy Duty Spud Wrench
4" Plomb Adjustable J.P Danielson
4" Plomb Adjustable Mid Utica (inverted arcs)
3315 Electrical Ignition Wrench
8112 Midget DBE


Looking for the following Plomb Pebbles Wrench 3061

 

[r_olson_06]

Some more pics.

Looking for the following Plomb Pebbles Wrench 3061

 

[RubiconJK]

I am tempted to start a thread similar to the "wanted" thread but dubbed "last piece to a set". I think this could help focus efforts to help find what can seem like unobtainium and really help out some GJers. What do you think of this idea?

I like the "Unobtainium" thread idea! Lord knows I have a few to add!

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Sounds pretty good. I am sure we all have odd tools looking for their sets.

 

[bargainhuntingking]

Here is a page from the 1940 catalog that lists which pieces come in which sets.

Most of the various Plomb catalogs are available on this site.

https://archive.org/details/PlombHandForgedToolsCatalogNo18A/page/n3

The last two pictures are what I believe to be a late war 1/4” drive set.

-Don

Thanks Don!

 

[tym]

Loving the Hall of Plomb!

 

[jgromada]

let me ask the question here as i have the best chance of getting this answered correctly

i just acquired a few old Plomb black oxide swivel sockets . what's the best technique to free them up (they're locked with rust) and then clean them up and restore them?

 

[Private Lugnutz]

If you want to retain the finish, DO NOT use Evaporust for an extended period of time. It will definitely remove the black oxide if left soaking for longer than a few minutes at a time. I hit my black oxide tools with WD-40 and 0000 steel wool, maybe a soft Scotchbrite or wire brush if necessary. For stuck things, I have used break-free (Lock-Tite, etc) and just kept working the piece's motion (swivel joint, adjustable wrench worm-screw, etc). If you absolutely have to soak it in something like Evaporust, I wouldn't leave it in but a few minutes at a time before checking on it. And I would wipe dry and then spray the Evaporust off good in every crevice with WD-40.

 

[jgromada]

oops too late on the evaporust. I had to do some light wirebrushing just to figure out these were Plomb, may be a total loss then

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Are you sure it was black oxide? I'm trying to think if I've ever seen Plomb black oxide. Mainly steel, cad, and what appears to be a phosphate. Maybe they were very dark steel.

 

[jgromada]

Possibly was not black oxide. (this thought carried from another thread). They are mostly rustly but after a soak and a bit of wire brushing i could make out that they were Plomb.

Let me go a bit further and then i will post a pic and maybe you can give me an assessment. they are totally rusted in the joints and not free at all. I was thinking of putting in vise (with wood lined jaws) and trying to leverage other piece but i am trying to be careful and think too much force will just break it

 

[Private Lugnutz]

If you leave them in Evaporust overnight, they will break free.

 

[jgromada]

had it in the evaporust bin for almost a week no luck

but when i wirebrushed an area away to look at markings it was still very dark metal which is why i thought black oxide

 

[drivesitfar]

ALL: anybody put their old tools in Electrolysis tank? why or why not? molasses a good or bad idea or just too slow?

Olson: do you have a PLVMB WING in your garage now? nice stuff and not sure i've ever seen some of those.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

had it in the evaporust bin for almost a week no luck

Wow. I have never had anything stuck that bad.

 

[jgromada]

i got one of those ebay lots of rusty old sockets for like $5. Half **** (no name Chinese) but also a bunch of American brands that generally cleaned up pretty well. The Plombs were in there. First time i used Evaporust but what looked like pure rusty was somewhat shiny metallic finish when it was done. So i would give a thumbsup

 

[r_olson_06]

i got one of those ebay lots of rusty old sockets for like $5. Half **** (no name Chinese) but also a bunch of American brands that generally cleaned up pretty well. The Plombs were in there. First time i used Evaporust but what looked like pure rusty was somewhat shiny metallic finish when it was done. So i would give a thumbsup

Is the part number have a WF in it? If so they are likely Cad plated which is toxic if in a dust format that is breathed in.

Looking for the following Plomb Pebbles Wrench 3061

 

[Catfishdan]

Here’s an oddball wf-8 I picked up on eBay recently. It’s got the batwing selector, chrome finish, and the most prominent lettering I’ve seen on one of these ratchets. It’s amazing how many variations there are with the wf ratchets. I have 12 and no two are quite the same.

 

[r_olson_06]

Here’s an oddball wf-8 I picked up on eBay recently. It’s got the batwing selector, chrome finish, and the most prominent lettering I’ve seen on one of these ratchets. It’s amazing how many variations there are with the wf ratchets. I have 12 and no two are quite the same.

Hey Dan,
I agree there is so many variants to the WF series ratchets. The WF-8s were the most common I have seen to include variants such as drive sizes and tool marking. I wonder if the batwing selector was a field repair.

Looking for the following Plomb Pebbles Wrench 3061

 

[EngineerNate]

Proto torque wrench I picked up a while back. Works fantastic. The model number indicates production of this particular wrench started in the 70s if I recall correctly. It's been a month or two since I got it and looked it up.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

 

[Mooreag47]

Not back oxide but I got some new old stock plomb with cosmoline on them

 

[Mooreag47]

Last weekend's finds

 

[r_olson_06]

Not back oxide but I got some new old stock plomb with cosmoline on them

All WF series? Got any over 1" if they are?

Looking for the following Plomb Pebbles Wrench 3061

 

[Mooreag47]

All WF series? Got any over 1" if they are?

Looking for the following Plomb Pebbles Wrench 3061

Yes all wf bout none over 1 inch that I know of but I'll look

 

[Smokeshow69]

Not back oxide but I got some new old stock plomb with cosmoline on them

Oh man [emoji15] I started sweating just looking at those new old stock! How did you find that many in one place? What is the story?


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[Mooreag47]

Called about a Craigslist add that had a few plomb items in the picture got there and there was 700 n something items from speed handles to 3/4 drive sets me and my friend split the hoard for 250.00 I've cleaned a few but then stopped they are basically sitting in the same bucket I found them in

 

[jgromada]

Is the part number have a WF in it? If so they are likely Cad plated which is toxic if in a dust format that is breathed in.

Looking for the following Plomb Pebbles Wrench 3061

I can't see a part number but here is the best pic I could get

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Definitely not cad. Very odd. It does look like it could possibly be black oxide. The marking looks painted. But if that's what they looked like after they came out of a long Evaporust bath, there is something wrong with your Evaporust. Seriously. A couple hours and that would be gone.

 

[jgromada]

Yeah thats why i was originally thinking black oxide because they looked similar and where i got a bit too agressive on the bottom with the abrasive it starts getting shiny just like my black oxide coated impact sockets.

 

[r_olson_06]

Called about a Craigslist add that had a few plomb items in the picture got there and there was 700 n something items from speed handles to 3/4 drive sets me and my friend split the hoard for 250.00 I've cleaned a few but then stopped they are basically sitting in the same bucket I found them in

3/4" drive WF or standard?

Looking for the following Plomb Pebbles Wrench 3061