Post up your Thorsen tools!

[d42jeep]

I’ll measure them the next time I get the Thorsen out. It’s currently buried under the Jeep.
-Don

 

[rogue321]

Here are some of my Thorsen tools.

 

[d42jeep]

We found a large batch of mostly Emeryville made Thorsen tools this morning at a Pinole estate sale. Here they are as found.
I spent the afternoon cleaning them up and most of them came out pretty well. I plan to go through some sets and upgrade some tools in worse condition.
-Don

 

[Unk]

Some of my Thorsens. The last pic of the old beat up box was my Dad's set. I remember using this set back in the early 1960s when I was a kid. It was the only socket set we had growing up, and it fixed bicycles, mini-bikes, motorcycles, cars, tractors, and everything in between. The poor old red box has seen better days, but the ratchet still works like new. Sometime in the early 1970s (I was a young teenager), we lost the divider, and I made a divider out of some old leftover sheet metal we had used to build a chicken coop and a workshop. I guess the repair worked - it's still in there 40 years later.

 

[daddyopoppy]

These are the Thorsens I have gotten over the years. It’s what my folks started me off with. Don’t remember if they got me the wrenches or socket set first. They bought them at the local true value store so when the ratchet broke and I went in to replace it they didn’t tell me sorry we have them anymore he just gave me what he had which was the master mechanic. They get housed in the proto box along with the next few sizes bigger craftsman sockets.

 

[d42jeep]

We found a large batch of mostly Emeryville made Thorsen tools this morning at a Pinole estate sale. Here they are as found.
I spent the afternoon cleaning them up and most of them came out pretty well. I plan to go through some sets and upgrade some tools in worse condition.
-Don

Here are the tools I found yesterday cleaned up.
I added my other recent Thorsen finds to yesterday’s.
I upgraded my 1/2” and 3/8” drive sets.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

The ad came in. Scanned at 1200dpi but there is some compression loss due to being saved as a JPEG (GJ doesn't support TIFF files). Gonna see if I can get a graphic designer friend to color it like a period piece before I move forward with having it printed on tin for a display.

@d42jeep, from the ads I've seen there were 7 sizes of Speed-Hed wrenches. If you put all of them side to side with the closed ends at the same height (like they were hanging on a board), with like a half inch between them how wide would they be from one outside to the other outside measurement? I'm trying to gauge how big I would need to make the sign to have it be the same width as the lined up wrenches. Hopefully this description made sense.

I didn’t measure but I remembered to take a picture while I had them out. The larger ones are longer than the shorter ones. I only have four sizes. I only have ones I find at garage or estate sales. I don’t like them enough to pay eBay prices.

-Don

 

[d42jeep]

Today I finally remembered to measure the wrenches. Hope this helps with your display design.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

After measuring the wrenches, I added some tools to the partial 1/4“ drive set to complete it and upgraded a couple others.
-Don

 

[bonneyman]

Nice Speed Hed collection, Don! I've seen only one in all my years searching in the wild.

 

[d42jeep]

I probably find so much Thorsen because I live so close to where they were produced. I rarely look at them on the internet.
-Don

 

[mritchie77]

I didn’t measure but I remembered to take a picture while I had them out. The larger ones are longer than the shorter ones. I only have four sizes. I only have ones I find at garage or estate sales. I don’t like them enough to pay eBay prices.

-Don

If you have any spares left, I'd be interested. I've got a design I'm working on as a fantasy tool ad board that I'm gonna do. eBay prices a bit a bit high, but I'm going to have to pony up for some of them from there at least.

 

[d42jeep]

I have a spare 3/4” and a couple spare 9/16”. I’ll get one of each headed your way. As is typical of Thorsen, the chrome is far from perfect.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

One of the items we found at yesterday’s morning estate sale was an empty Thorsen 3/8” drive deep socket set. I guess the original price was too low so someone marked it up a little.

I had essentially the same set in the Thorsen display. I grabbed some sockets out of the spares box but the vintage wasn’t correct on several so I’ll need to go through the main boxes and see if I can complete both sets with correct sockets.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

I received a couple of generous contributions to my Thorsen collection from bmwrd0. I particularly liked the 3/8” drive spinner that I’ve only ever seen on the GJ. The 1/4” ratchet is a nice one and will no doubt be added to a set.
Thanks to misterbill as well for some welcome Thorsen and S-K sockets.
-Don

 

[four.cycle]

Thorsen 18375 3/8" drive x 1/4" slotted screwdriver bit (U.S. made)

recently acquired - NOS from ebay - seller had several of them pretty cheap.

 

[J5hort]

Posted this in general, but probably should have posted here where all the experts are...

Early Thorsen 33 universal joint?

 

[d42jeep]

This picture shows a couple of early Thorsen universals. The TT marked one in the bottom row is likely even earlier than the early one you showed in the garage sale thread. Four.cycle posted this 1929- 1930 dated catalog page there.
-Don

 

[J5hort]

I guess the interesting observation is that there are no other markings on mine. Just THORSEN 33. Does not appear to have been chromed. Just trying to zero in on a date as I know I will be asked.

 

[J5hort]

Is the one on the top row of your pic the same?

 

[d42jeep]

I think so but I’d have to get it out and double check.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

Four.cycle alerted me to this Thorsen oddity. The eBay seller initially listed it for much more than I was willing to pay for it. After getting no bids during the first listing, the seller relisted it for 75% less and I snatched it up.
-Don

 

[four.cycle]

^ that is such a weird thing! I'm still tryin' to get my head wrapped around that one!

 

[MR.X]

That seller had some interesting stuff from an old SoCal aircraft mechanic but it was pricey. BTW, it looks like one of those tools is marked "C&?" and then below that maybe "PA.."? a patent notice?

 

[d42jeep]

I haven’t had a chance to examine them closely yet but I’ll do that today.
-Don

 

[bmwrd0]

I like those, especially the brace attachment one.

 

[d42jeep]

Although it looks like it would hook to a brace, I think it is a carbon reamer. It looks like only the three spiral tools are original to the set. The other two handles with cutters are marked C&T Dallas Pat. Pend.
-Don

 

[four.cycle]

"C. & T." Dallas "head guide tool"

and here shows another view

for the moment:

C & T / C & T, Dallas, TX / specialty automotive engine tools /

until somebody unearths more... from the graphics and the postal "zone" a reasonable guess would be .... 1949-1960-ish?? yeah??

 

[d42jeep]

We found quite a few 1/2” drive Thorsen sockets at a Castro Valley estate sale yesterday along with a screwdriver. I cleaned them up but didn’t get a picture of the screwdriver.
-Don
As found
Sockets cleaned up.

 

[four.cycle]

^ looks like older stuff.

 

[d42jeep]

I guess the interesting observation is that there are no other markings on mine. Just THORSEN 33. Does not appear to have been chromed. Just trying to zero in on a date as I know I will be asked.

I have two of the dark finish #33 universals in addition to the early TT marked example. I wouldn’t be surprised if they were made during WW2, based on the black oxide finish.

 

[genog]

I bought this empty Thorsen box at the Flea Market on Sunday
It wasn't empty when I saw it.
It was full of Chinese sockets which I didn't want, so I left them for the seller.
The seller asked, you don't want the sockets??!!

Check out the original price sticker!
$25.59!

 

[d42jeep]

Nice box!
Today ended up being a Thorsen day. After digging out the early u-joints above I decided to add three sets to the new Thorsen basement display plus update the big Thorsen boxes.
Here are some dark finish sockets.
My TT marked sockets.
Quartermaster Corps marked sockets.
Sets headed for the basement display.
Early 1/2” drive speeder.
Here are some of the sets in the new display shelves.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

I bought this empty Thorsen box at the Flea Market on Sunday
It wasn't empty when I saw it.
It was full of Chinese sockets which I didn't want, so I left them for the seller.
The seller asked, you don't want the sockets??!!

Check out the original price sticker!
$25.59!

Do you think that Willow Glen Lumber was in the San Jose area? It seems like many Thorsen tools didn’t travel far from the factory.
Here are some Navy Thorsen sockets I added to the Christmas gift Navy cantilever box in the basement.
-Don

 

[RTM]

Do you think that Willow Glen Lumber was in the San Jose area? It seems like many Thorsen tools didn’t travel far from the factory.

In 1966, yes they were. 1130 Bird Ave. currently a Walgreens

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[d42jeep]

I found a 3/8” drive ratchet with some chrome challenges today. At least the cap was in place. It may end up serving as a cap donor.
-Don

 

[bonneyman]

Nice, Don.

If having a capless rat bothers you, I'll take it! I can either try and make a cap, or use it as is. Love the Thorsen open gears!

 

[Oldtuleguy]

They are pretty much indestructible

 

[d42jeep]

I found a couple of early 1/2“ drive sockets today including the ever popular 31/32”.
-Don

 

[genog]

Well, I found another empty Thorsen box......
I keep wondering, what happened to the darn tools?