Post up your Thorsen tools!

[four.cycle]

Giller 26 piece 3/8" drive SAE Socket Set w/original box

5/16" - 1-1/8" (includes 19/32" and 31/32")

one piece was marked by a previous owner

 

[four.cycle]

Giller 8-inch adjustable wrench

(* ^ who made this wrench for Giller? *)

 

[d42jeep]

Made in the old Danielson factory after they were purchased by the Plombpire.

-Don

 

[four.cycle]

Note in both the examples posted above by Don and myself that Thorsen used the same part numbers on both their standard length 15° offset and 45° offset double-end box wrenches: 2212, 2214, 2216, 2218, 2220, 2222, 2224, 2225,2226, 2228 (yes, they made one) and 2230.

 

[d42jeep]

Just to add to the confusion.
-Don

 

[Etchase]

Quite an education today. Thanks for all the pictures.

 

[four.cycle]

Just to add to the confusion.

Perhaps "Always keep 'em guessing" was something of a mantra among American tool manufacturers.
Indestro had a practice of using the same part number over the course of years on completely different items.

 

[bonneyman]

Picking my chin off of the floor, 4 cycle! Just wow!

 

[d42jeep]

I had a fun Thorsen day yesterday after receiving a care package from BK. First was the short 1/2” combo wrench. As is typical with Thorsen, the chrome plating was done poorly on the open end and all of it ended up peeling off when I hit it with the wire wheel to remove the loose plating. Fortunately all the rest of the plating remained intact so I just polished up the bare steel and applied plenty of Fluid Film. I think it came out pretty well.
Added the Fluid Film.
The Red Box set came with some 1/4” drive sockets that I was missing so I came pretty close to being able to complete it. Here it is cleaned up.
I put in some additional tools since it seemed kind of sparse from the factory.
The last item was an empty plastic envelope that held combo wrenches. It cleaned up pretty well.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

I wasn’t sure what style of wrenches it would have come with so I dug out my spares and matched the content list. I added an 11/16” wrench since I didn’t understand why one wouldn’t have been included.
Another possibility would have been Vee style combos so I pulled out those spares.
Again matching the content list.
Of course I made the wrong choice and added the earlier style wrenches to the envelope. After checking the internet it seems that the Vee style would have been the correct wrenches for that set. I’ll correct them later today.
-Don

 

[four.cycle]

^ For reasons I never understood, almost all open-end "sets" in the 60s and 70s omitted an 11/16" opening - seems like almost all of them jumped from 5/8" to 3/4". (see my note about that on the short 45 degree offset double-end box wrenches made by Thorsen and Giller.)
It is the reason my 1830 Indestro 11/16" "thin" obstruction wrench is mangled - I discovered that day it was the only 11/16" open-end tool I owned. (Couldn't get a box end on the nut.)

@d42jeep - I just noticed the tag on that pouch has the Dallas address on it, so yeah - most likely those fancy "V-groove" models were in there. I just sold a mess of them (obviously too cheap.)

 

[d42jeep]

Traded them out this morning and added them to the basement Thorsen. Thanks again!
-Don

 

[Old Radar]

Here's my 8-piece Metric version:

 

[d42jeep]

I like that metric set!
Here are my Thorsen estate sale finds today. The 3/4” drive 1-1/16” socket looks pretty early. I tried to preserve as much of the finish as possible while cleaning.
-Don
As found
Cleaned up

 

[d42jeep]

More progress today on the Red Box set from four.cycle. Some tools arrived from eBay.
Here is the set complete with period matching tools.
Extras are below the set.

-Don

 

[d42jeep]

I’ve had this box around for quite a while. I used to store Plomb ratchets in it. It looked kind of familiar so I finally compared it to some sets in the basement and it turned out to be an exact match for an early Thorsen 3/8” drive deep set.
The two boxes together.
The Thorsen set.
I figured that I might as well try to duplicate the complete Thorsen set.
I’m having trouble coming up with the correct length 13/16” socket. They come in two lengths.
I ordered decals from Jim on eBay.
Now to find the correct 13/16” socket.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

This arrived in the mail today. Until I saw the eBay listing I never knew that these existed. It’s a match to a GMTK ell handle. The FSN would be 41-H-1501 Offset Handle ½" Drive.
-Don

 

[four.cycle]

^ I believe I saw that thing when it popped up! Interesting piece, for sure.

 

[d42jeep]

I finally received the last socket to complete the red box special set. I was missing a 6 point 1/4” socket and had a 12 point socket as a placeholder. It took a while for the USPS to quit sending it all over CA and figure out that it should end up where it was addressed.
6 and 12 point sockets
The set now matches the content list.
Added in some extras to fill out the set.
-Don

 

[Old Radar]

Congratulations, Don!

 

[d42jeep]

Thanks, OR! If anyone has a Thorsen 3/8” drive 13/16” deep socket that is slightly less than 2-1/2” long with markings like these I could really use it to complete an early 3/8” drive deep socket set.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

I found a mostly complete 1/2” drive red box set at yesterday’s estate sale. I cleaned it up a little and went through my spares and did a few upgrades. I have a logo matching 5/8” socket on the way.
-Don
As found
Cleaned up

 

[genog]

Found this Action set today
I have an Action 1/4" ratchet.... I think so......

 

[d42jeep]

Another box with the Thorsen red divider.
I received the matching 5/8” socket to complete this set.
Completed set with matching sockets.
-Don

 

[mritchie77]

-Don

Great set! Before I found GJ, I had gone through some of my grandfather's items sorting into the "keep" and the "donate to my redneck neighbor" piles. I ended up donating an identical box and ratchet like this one to the neighbor (I kid about the redneck part, but he is a really great guy running a transmission shop) before I knew what it was. Kind of kicking myself for that one.

 

[d42jeep]

I finally received the last socket to complete the red box special set. I was missing a 6 point 1/4” socket and had a 12 point socket as a placeholder. It took a while for the USPS to quit sending it all over CA and figure out that it should end up where it was addressed.
6 and 12 point sockets
The set now matches the content list.
Added in some extras to fill out the set.
-Don

I found a mostly complete 1/2” drive red box set at yesterday’s estate sale. I cleaned it up a little and went through my spares and did a few upgrades. I have a logo matching 5/8” socket on the way.
-Don
As found
Cleaned up

I added the new red box sets to my other ones and gathered them all together for a photo session.
-Don

 

[Tom "Python" Aycock]

Thanks, OR! If anyone has a Thorsen 3/8” drive 13/16” deep socket that is slightly less than 2-1/2” long with markings like these I could really use it to complete an early 3/8” drive deep socket set.
-Don

I dug through my miscellaneous box of Thorsen and found the right size but mine is a 626JA...

 

[Tom "Python" Aycock]

Finished restocking this Thorsen #4019 1/4 & 3/8 drive set last night. Closest date I can figure is pre-1980. If ya have a better reference for the date, let me know your source...

 

[Tom "Python" Aycock]

And now working this NSN 5120-00-322-6231 USGI issued 3/8 drive 23 pcs set. Thank God it had the original stock item label inside. Fortunately Ebay has a lot of what I'm missing but I find so much Thorsen in the wild that I may just take my time...

 

[d42jeep]

Here is my complete set with the same numbers in the contents list.
-Don
Your list
My list
I added a few extras to mine.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Here's a thorsen 1/2 speeder

 

[d42jeep]

Here are some recent Thorsen finds. Some of the DBE wrenches look unused.
-Don

 

[four.cycle]

@Tom "Python" Aycock -

Tom, I have that exact same box. I gutted it, made up "sets" that are currently on ebay, and now have an empty box.
Don just sent me a handful of Thorsen orphans. Shoot me a list of what you're shy and I'll see what I've got here.
BK

(first photo image is altered to enlarge size of label.)

 

[d42jeep]

I found some Thorsen tools at a garage sale close to home yesterday.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

A few more Thorsen pieces found at a Nevada estate sale yesterday.
-Don

 

[Etchase]

I watched this video:

Finally found one of my own, but my example has the raised panel on one side and the other side is ground down. I don’t know if it was done by a previous owner or factory. It’s a pretty good job. The ball detent is traditional in my version. Anyone have a story on the flat raised panel handle? I assume the patent is for the pawl issued in 1981.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Here's a 3/8 set

 

[four.cycle]

Anyone have a story on the flat raised panel handle? I assume the patent is for the pawl issued in 1981.

without watching the video:
best wild guess: one of Thorsen's late-stage attempts to remain relevant in a changing market?
that 1981 patent applies to that clunky 89J - not the 77C models.
no idea why they'd be applying for a patent on the 77C design - it's not really "original" work - just another copy of somebody else's copy.
I have to wonder if the patent that was pending was a design patent for the handle, which would not surprise me in the least.

and.....

if you check the datamp.org page on 4261233 you'll note Stan has it noted "Not known to have been produced".
Somehow I just don't see that as one that would slip through the cracks on Stan.

 

[Etchase]

without watching the video:
best wild guess: one of Thorsen's late-stage attempts to remain relevant in a changing market?
that 1981 patent applies to that clunky 89J - not the 77C models.
no idea why they'd be applying for a patent on the 77C design - it's not really "original" work - just another copy of somebody else's copy.
I have to wonder if the patent that was pending was a design patent for the handle, which would not surprise me in the least.

and.....

if you check the datamp.org page on 4261233 you'll note Stan has it noted "Not known to have been produced".
Somehow I just don't see that as one that would slip through the cracks on Stan.

This ratchet is similar to the patent, but not quick release. I haven’t taken the pawl out of the head yet, but switching direction, requires very little angular rotation as mentioned in the patent. I couldn’t swing the pawl to get to the pin, which is a feature mentioned in the patent too. One of these days, I’ll take the pawl out, and verify, or break it The ratchet in the video is unique to me in that the socket retaining ball was peened into the anvil with a hexagon shaped punch. He doesn’t take the pawl out either. Thorsen is hard to follow near the end, as are so many others.

 

[d42jeep]

Two later ratchets.
Ejector ratchet



Locking ball ratchet (Taiwan)

-Don