Proto Tools Picture Thread - Post Yours!

[DD T/A]

it's probably not old enough or a well enough known make here.

Bingo.
Just another example of people thinking they have gold.

 

[Smokeshow69]

I got a few Proto la pieces today!

3045S and 3049 and a 1226 combo



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[bmwrd0]

A recent eBay pickup, I had been looking for one of these for a while but never found one in the wild. So I picked up this nice example.

 

[d42jeep]

I knew about the P&C and Thorsen/Action versions but I didn’t know that there were any Proto branded open gear ratchets. Must be rare. I found these at a tool sale on Saturday.
-Don

 

[Smokeshow69]

A recent eBay pickup, I had been looking for one of these for a while but never found one in the wild. So I picked up this nice example.

Nice grab! Is that 1/4?


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[bmwrd0]

1/4" it is. And here it is with its siblings:

Thorsen, Action, Proto, and P&C. It is interesting the differences in the head shape and length.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

The proto and p&c are about identical, as you would expect. Surprisingly the action and thorsen handles are a bit different.

 

[outofbounds]

Not sure if this is the right parking place or not but I’ve recently uncovered 3 unique Penens open end wrenches.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Nice find oob

 

[Mintgrun]

Not sure if this is the right parking place or not but I’ve recently uncovered 3 unique Penens open end wrenches.

I recently found the next two smaller sizes. Suppose they came from the same set? The combination wrench must be from the same era.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Hi OOB and Mintgrun,

Just FYI, in case you don't know, these DOE wrenches were all made in the J.P. Danielson plant with the same dies they were using before Plomb Tool Co bought them and aligned them with Fleet and PENENS. By the way, those are date codes. Last digit is the year. Cannot be earlier than 1947.

I have the 1950 Fleet PENENS catalog, credit whoever sent it to Twertsy for uploading on TA. Maybe Todd himself. Fleet PENENS made seven (7) total wrenches from 1/4" to 1" available individually or in sets of five (5) or six (6). Finishes were nickel-plated, 'Brightone' (highly polished nickel-plated) and 'Velvetone' (described only as "economical"), but they made black oxide as well, just not listed.

I have examples of all seven wrenches, I have a 6-pc set in my PENENS PCR 2000 Master Mechanic Set, and I am working on a second set with orphans. They can be viewed in my PENENS thread, here. See post #3 on page and post #36 on page 2.

Feel free to post, ask questions, and discuss there if you want. Note that the holder I have my set in is not factory. The factory holder was a black polygonal clip with a thumbscrew at the top.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I have a mixed-brand set of spud wrenches, most are Williams, but one Fairmount and this oddball PROTO that I didn't even remember I had until I went to pull the Fairmount out for a photo opp. It is a strange forged-in logo.

 

[Jammer1329]

Picked these up for $5 each on offer up. Pretty happy to find these, but I do wish the most recent owner hadn’t decided to hang them with screws right through the lady’s head.

Also, I have a pretty decent Plomb/Proto LA collection and have never come across a single metric item from this era, much less enough to ever hope to fill this board!




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[macgee]

Anyone know or have any spare pawl springs for the 1/4" ratchet? I need three of them and would rather not have to pay the $32 for the rebuild kits to get them. Those little buggers love to fly.

 

[Catfishdan]

Anyone know or have any spare pawl springs for the 1/4" ratchet? I need three of them and would rather not have to pay the $32 for the rebuild kits to get them. Those little buggers love to fly.

Those springs have a pretty easy job to do. I’d try to cut down a clicker pen spring and use it before I bought a rebuild kit.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Those springs have a pretty easy job to do. I’d try to cut down a clicker pen spring and use it before I bought a rebuild kit.

...and change the 'd to past tense "did" and drop the "try". It worked. But I used a piece of a spring from a Gerstner spring-loaded lid pin and it was a 5449 rat. A few coils of any spring will do.

 

[BlakeTheCarGuy]

Anyone know or have any spare pawl springs for the 1/4" ratchet? I need three of them and would rather not have to pay the $32 for the rebuild kits to get them. Those little buggers love to fly.

They won’t send you a rebuild kit free? Since it is lifetime warranty I would think it would be free.


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[bmwrd0]

Try the springs that hold a battery in a small remote control. I have used them on other ratchets and they work great.

 

[macgee]

Thanks guys, I was afraid of this. I think the battery spring is too big but I like the pen spring idea and that could work. This is for the 1/4" size, they're tiny.

I found a male 3/8" size that fits in a Plumb/Proto/Challenger 1/4" body and thought I would convert one to a 3/8 for giggles, of course the springs went flying when I opened one of them and then lost another one while being careful with a second one. My shop floor is full metal curly swarf from using the mill and lathe on a project yesterday and that did not help one bit.

I wont be paying for the service kit and they charge for them as they see these parts as consumables so not a candidate for warranty.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

My shop floor is full metal curly swarf from using the mill and lathe

Oh man, the proverbial curly needle in the curly haystack!

 

[Provincial]

The old advice of using a clear plastic bag to work in while repairing an item that has small springs involved applies here! Good luck!

 

[jpilgrim]

Hey all,
I used to be pretty active here on GJ (but then had kids...LOL).
I bought, scanned and posted these years ago, and I've seen a number of folks have reposted them elsewhere, but I thought it'd be fun to re-post them again now:
http://bartlettstreet.com/toolcatalogs/

 

[Smokeshow69]

Picked these up for $5 each on offer up. Pretty happy to find these, but I do wish the most recent owner hadn’t decided to hang them with screws right through the lady’s head.

Also, I have a pretty decent Plomb/Proto LA collection and have never come across a single metric item from this era, much less enough to ever hope to fill this board!




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This is a major you ****! Those metrics boards are not common! I am glad they went to a collector!


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[macgee]

Hey all,
I used to be pretty active here on GJ (but then had kids...LOL).
I bought, scanned and posted these years ago, and I've seen a number of folks have reposted them elsewhere, but I thought it'd be fun to re-post them again now:
http://bartlettstreet.com/toolcatalogs/

First of all, Welcome back jpilgrim!


I want to say a big Thank You for taking all that time to make the high rez scans for each brochure and then providing it for our use and reference. They're very useful

Cheers!

 

[macgee]

Oh man, the proverbial curly needle in the curly haystack!

Edit

The old advice of using a clear plastic bag to work in while repairing an item that has small springs involved applies here! Good luck!

You don't seem to understand, I'm above using a plastic bag and better than that...........

Well, we now know how well that went.


If I ever find or fabricate new springs, I will humbling be taking your advice because I know those little buggers will take the first opportunity to do flybys past my mill, lathe and into the dark hole on the other side of my shop.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Edit

I hope I didn't offend you, macgee. I just meant that as an analogy for what it would be like finding the sprung springs on your shop floor right now.

 

[BlakeTheCarGuy]

Thanks guys, I was afraid of this. I think the battery spring is too big but I like the pen spring idea and that could work. This is for the 1/4" size, they're tiny.

I found a male 3/8" size that fits in a Plumb/Proto/Challenger 1/4" body and thought I would convert one to a 3/8 for giggles, of course the springs went flying when I opened one of them and then lost another one while being careful with a second one. My shop floor is full metal curly swarf from using the mill and lathe on a project yesterday and that did not help one bit.

I wont be paying for the service kit and they charge for them as they see these parts as consumables so not a candidate for warranty.

That *****. Every other brand gives them for free I’m glad I don’t have any Proto ratchets that would make me angry.


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[ssdave]

....

 

[BlakeTheCarGuy]

Absolutely no reason a company should give you a free rebuild kit because you dropped a spring on the floor. That's an incredibly entitled attitude. Plus, you do realize that the "free" rebuild kits are built into the price you pay up front, don't you?



If you have a legitimate quality or workmanship problem with Proto, they will warranty it out without question. The few items I have broken of Proto, they have replaced.

Oh I didn’t read about him dropping a spring I thought he stripped it out. Yeah if you lose the components then yeah no warranty but stripping it out or it breaking yes warranty.


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[Provincial]

macgee, have you tried contacting the Proto Customer Service people? They might be like Snap On and send you some springs out of courtesy.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

I suspect they will send you some springs

 

[macgee]

I hope I didn't offend you, macgee. I just meant that as an analogy for what it would be like finding the sprung springs on your shop floor right now.

No, not at all Lugtz.

It was me writing something that sounded funny but thought maybe not appropriate. It was something like, That's what she said.

macgee, have you tried contacting the Proto Customer Service people? They might be like Snap On and send you some springs out of courtesy.

I suspect they will send you some springs

Thanks for the suggestions, I can ask them and fall upon there mercy.

I'm believer about acting on warranties especially with companies that charge you for it up front and boast about their excellent warranty but these are not second hand, they're probably more like fourth or fifth hand, bought them used for pennies on the dollar and it was my own ego and impatience (don't tell anyone that) on why they decided to vacate their position inside the ratchet and do a scenic flyby around my shop.

FYI and unrelated: Bosch has the amazing warranty they stepped up big time for me last week but thats for another thread.

 

[bmwrd0]

I am with you on that MacGee. I bought a Snap-on roller a couple of years ago, dirt cheap. And it was that cheap as it needs new slides. I could probably get a pair for free if I worded things right, but seriously, what is the point? I bought it knowing this was an issue, got the deal, and now need to pay the piper.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

. It was something like, That's what she said.

Haha. I get it.

On the whole warranty thing, it's like when a cashier makes a mistake and you catch it and you can walk out of a store with $100 worth of something for $10. Or do the right thing. I'm no saint, but I am superstitious, and I prefer the good karma over the guilt.

 

[Farmer J.]

Haha. I get it.

No, not at all Lugtz.

It was me writing something that sounded funny but thought maybe not appropriate. It was something like, That's what she said.

Maybe it's the 'English Slapstick Humour' thing, Mrs Farmer J fell around giggling when you posted it!
It's like that slogan on Don Long's totem pole Blackhawk Jack display which goes something like 'Lifts higher, reaches further, lasts longer'. If you put that in a shop here a load of folk would be laughing at it..

 

[d42jeep]

No, not at all Lugtz.

It was me writing something that sounded funny but thought maybe not appropriate. It was something like, That's what she said.




Thanks for the suggestions, I can ask them and fall upon there mercy.

I'm believer about acting on warranties especially with companies that charge you for it up front and boast about their excellent warranty but these are not second hand, they're probably more like fourth or fifth hand, bought them used for pennies on the dollar and it was my own ego and impatience (don't tell anyone that) on why they decided to vacate their position inside the ratchet and do a scenic flyby around my shop.

FYI and unrelated: Bosch has the amazing warranty they stepped up big time for me last week but thats for another thread.

S-K has great customer service as well. They were out of 1/2” drive repair kits so they sent me a brand new ratchet.
Here is my donor Proto 1/4” drive ratchet. PM me your address and I will send you the screws, springs and dogs. You can PayPal me back for postage if you want. Or not. Merry Christmas.
-Don

 

[macgee]

S-K has great customer service as well. They were out of 1/2” drive repair kits so they sent me a brand new ratchet.
Here is my donor Proto 1/4” drive ratchet. PM me your address and I will send you the screws, springs and dogs. You can PayPal me back for postage if you want. Or not. Merry Christmas.
-Don

Don,

Thats very gracious of you, Thank you for the offer and yes I can pay for postage.
I'll shoot you a PM soon.

Cheers!

 

[macgee]

Here are two wrenches I used today. I don't see many of these out in the wild, especially the #1210 5/16" Plomb Pebble wrench.

Tiny Proto L.A. 1208, 1/4" wrench

I have a complete set of Pebbles up to 1-1/4" but they didn't make a 1208 in pebble, so the Proto gets included in the set.

 

[Hoorn]

Here is before and after of my 1979 Proto box. I had always intended to place it under a cabinet, so I removed the front cover by drilling out the rivets. Rather than just leave empty holes I bought sized screws and cut off the extra length of thread. A tiny drop of crazy glue on the remaining thread, they seat flush and secure.
I primed the box and did three coats of Sunrise Red. On the days that I painted last summer, the thermometer was hitting 117+ in socal. The finish was literally baked flat with almost no orange peel.
Love the handles on these Proto boxes, I don't see this exact style often.

 

[macgee]

Here is my donor Proto 1/4” drive ratchet. PM me your address and I will send you the screws, springs and dogs. You can PayPal me back for postage if you want. Or not. Merry Christmas.
-Don

Don was very gracious to send me some badly needed spring and pawls for my 1/4 Proto rachet, today I was finally able to install them.

Don, I even used the plastic bag you sent them in while installing them so they wouldn't do a world tour of my shop. The bag is a total pain in the @$S while trying to see through it and see those tiny springs while putting them in with a non magnetic tweezer but it saved me several times, so thank you for that as well.

Having Don's springs to gauge size and strength, I went through my dumpy cheap pen drawer, out of the ton of different pens I found a couple of springs that would work for another Proto that also needed springs. I just trimmed the length needed and now working well. I also had a 3/8" mechanism laying around that fits perfectly in a 1/4" Proto ratchet and I like it; works great. I now have a mini old school 3/8 ratchet when I need one.

Here some pics of the 2 Proto's with 2 Plombs.

Thank You Don and Happy New Year!