d42jeep
Well-known member
Not all of them, just several of the sockets and the ratchet. I put as many tools with “C” codes as I had available. It would be cool to find an entire War Finish set.
-Don
Plomb tool picture thread - show your stuff!
- Thread starter GRX
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Not all of them, just several of the sockets and the ratchet. I put as many tools with “C” codes as I had available. It would be cool to find an entire War Finish set.
-Don
r_olson_06
Well-known member
Thank you all. Now I just need a tool mobile or master chest to use it.
Looking for a Plomb 3061 Pebble Open End.
RubiconJK
Well-known member
You and me both brother!
Smokeshow69
Well-known member
If you send me that socket rail I can show you what it looks like on a tool mobile [emoji41][emoji23]
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d42jeep
Well-known member
r_olson_06
Well-known member
Nice work Don. Looking good. I think you have better chances of snagging a Tool Mobile.
Looking for a Plomb 3061 Pebble Open End.
RubiconJK
Well-known member
I'll look through my spares to see if any are War Finish. Agree with Roy that you are in the prime tool mobile picking area.
d42jeep
Well-known member
I had a line on one once but it fell through. It seems like So Cal or Oregon is prime tool mobile picking area. I imagine that I’ll run across one someday. 
Rube, thanks for checking on the war finish sockets.
-Don
Rube, thanks for checking on the war finish sockets.
-Don
Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
A mobile, huh? I'm suddenly picturing all of you in your nursing home beds mesmerized by all kinds of tools suspended from layers and layers of spinning DBE wrenches.
RubiconJK
Well-known member
No dice so far Don.I had a line on one once but it fell through. It seems like So Cal or Oregon is prime tool mobile picking area. I imagine that I’ll run across one someday.
Rube, thanks for checking on the war finish sockets.
-Don
Is it wrong if I already have that set up?!
tin medic
Well-known member
Yes it is, since you never posted pics.
Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
Haha. I honestly thought about making one from orphan tools and wire when I posted that, but I'm up to my elbows in other alligators right now.
RubiconJK
Well-known member
tin medic
Well-known member
r_olson_06
Well-known member
Another mobile emerges. Well done. Is it your first one?
Looking for a Plomb 3061 Pebble Open End.
Oldtuleguy
Well-known member
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Nice
tin medic
Well-known member
This is my first. Hopefully not the last.
d42jeep
Well-known member
Smokeshow69
Well-known member
Very nice! Perforated drawers even! Please make sure to post this to my pressteel thread.
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RubiconJK
Well-known member
Congats! Encouraging to think that these might actually exist here in TX!
Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
Do let us know if that's "brilliant Chinese red" or what's underneath if it's a repaint. Great score.
Smokeshow69
Well-known member
It is Chinese red and it appears to have not been repainted as far as I can see from the photos. He found a good one! Those stickers and the overspray can be removed and the paint polished
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Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
Well, it's red, that's for sure, Smoke. Looks 'from here' can be deceiving, though. Waiting to hear from TM's actual in person physical inspection if that's the original finish or not. IMO, there's no bad news either way in these cases. If it's original, it's in incredible condition. If it's a repaint, it can be carefully removed to preserve the original, which might also be wartime green. If that's not possible, it can be refinished in whatever color, red or green, one chooses.
Smokeshow69
Well-known member
I agree it is totally sweet! To my knowledge plomb never made a tool mobile in war time green but I would love to be surprised! I have wondered why they made all kinds of boxes in green but never the tool mobile?
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Smokeshow69
Well-known member
Scored this 1/2 extension and chisel yesterday at an estate sale. 5464 so 18” extension and an 86a 7/16 chisel
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r_olson_06
Well-known member
Picked up this 1236 LA on the bay. This one is barely and LA sneaking in at 1939. This only leaves 1 left to finish off the set of LA combos. Have a few of the shorter earlier variants yet that maybe good to get out into a separate set. All in all 56 unique Plomb combo wrenches not counting dual marked.
The hunt continues!
Looking for a Plomb 3061 Pebble Open End.
The hunt continues!
Nice! Can't beat that price either. No Plomb left behind.Scored this 1/2 extension and chisel yesterday at an estate sale. 5464 so 18” extension and an 86a 7/16 chisel
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Looking for a Plomb 3061 Pebble Open End.
r_olson_06
Well-known member
And then I forgot to attach pics[emoji21]
Looking for a Plomb 3061 Pebble Open End.
Looking for a Plomb 3061 Pebble Open End.
Smokeshow69
Well-known member
True that! I actually needed that extension for my collection so I was glad to get it. Detent ball intact [emoji23]
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Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
If you mean you've never seen one, I can't argue with you. I don't recall ever seeing one either. I'm not sure that's enough to conclude they didn't make them during WWII though.
How many Toolmobiles have we seen? Less than a dozen? How many have we seen that had an indisputable original red finish? My point is they're rare enough to begin with and maybe the green ones are even rarer.
The catalogs also indicate otherwise. The Toolmobile was included in every wartime catalog (18A, 19, 19-A, and 19-R) from 1941 to 1946. It is always shown, like every other toolbox, as red, and called "brilliant Chinese red" in the text. But we know they painted their boxes green during the war, they just re-used the same graphics from before the war. Catalog 19-A, which dates from 4/1943 to NLT 1/1944, is the first catalog Plomb addresses WPB requirements and restrictions, reusing catalog 19, but including notes about finishes and availability in the Price List inserted in the back. Catalog 19-R, which dates from 2/1944 to 10/1946, is the first catalog Plomb makes the annotations in the catalog itself, striking through items that are discontinued with red lines and adding DISCONTINUED and other notices about availability. One of those notes is in the toolboxes section. References to "brilliant Chinese red" are struck through with red lines, and a note in red text reads, "All toolboxes finished GREEN." Some of the toolboxes (those the WPB deemed redundant) have been struck and discontinued. The Toolmobile is not one of them.
Let me emphasize, that is not an argument that they made them. Empirical evidence is better than documentation. But it is an argument that the catalogs certainly suggest they made them, and if they made them, there is no indication they wouldn't have been GREEN like "all" the other toolboxes.
This is purely my opinion but I always had trouble with separating Plomb tools into a category based on whether they were marked "Los Angeles" or "U.S.A." It seems an obvious but superficial dividing point for the category. The late 39, 1940 and many 41 combo's have much more in common with the mid to late 30's stuff ( and I think this is especially true with the combo's) then they do with the war years production. Having said that, completing (or on the brink of) a set all marked Los Angeles would obviously be more difficult and I suppose visually a little more congruent. Congrats.
r_olson_06
Well-known member
I hear you there 100%. I thought about catorgizing a separate set for the 1940 as it is a unique beast in of itself. The ratchets are alot different where as the wrenches are only a little with having the size markers on the ends of the wrench similar to the LA stamped along with the wrench finish. Right now I have separated the combos in 3 distinct catagories: pebble, smooth (stamped logo), and LAs besides contract production.
I started the catagories when I was very green in Plomb but as you have mentioned the more you understand it seems more difficult.
My storage/display system is becoming overwhelmed and needs another revamp. I have been admiring another collectors layout system to see what my next step may look like but it looks like a massive undertaking that I don't think I have the resources for ATM.
I am open to ideas from fellow collectors as well. Any ideas would be appreciated.
Looking for a Plomb 3061 Pebble Open End.
Last edited:
Oldtuleguy
Well-known member
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Sounds like you are a bit overwhelmed. Just send all that pesky plomb stuff to me!Smokeshow69
Well-known member
Great write up lugz.... I haven’t studied the subject much but would love to see some od tool mobiles. Your have the catalogs backing you up. We just haven’t found any yet
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RagTopTA
Well-known member
Congrats TM!! Plomb Toolmobiles are the best Mobiles! What's the serial number?!? Smoke have you made a chart on everyone's serial numbers yet?
Smokeshow69
Well-known member
Nope but I should... that would be a cool resource
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RagTopTA
Well-known member
Indeed. No telling what may be figured out by the serial number, or lack thereof, and the style of the box. Whether it had Add on later drawers or just originals etc...
RubiconJK
Well-known member
From your post over on the Pressteel thread I see that it came out of Colorado. At least someone here in TX owns one!
He posted on the Pressteel thread that the mobile has had a repaint over original red. Here is the link to that post.
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=8525306&postcount=375
Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
Thanks, Roob. I saw. Alas, another red one.
Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
...and what color it originally was.
Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
If the catalogs are to be trusted. Has anyone ever seen a blue one? They were "Lustrous metallic blue enamel finish" in 1938 and 1939, a very deep dark blue, apparently, before they went to 'brilliant Chinese red" in 1940. Again, per the catalogs.