Show your Indestro and Duro-Chrome tools

[Etchase]

A modern one. Any hints on cleaning the decal?

 

[Private Lugnutz]

A modern one.

We had a very spirited and fun deep dive on those 'Indestro Upside Down Land' tools from the early 70's last year!

The decals were intentionally placed in the bottom and the tools were placed on the lid and the whole thing was "skin packed" (we would call it "shrinkwrapped" with transparent plastic today, so the pieces wouldn't fall out) where they could be more readily seen and their part numbers and sizes more readily read than if they were in their customarily stored position in the bottom on a display rack. Indestro actually marketed the term and the rack they were so enamored with themselves.

It was a crazy idea!

Start here and read that page (72) and down to at least post #2,854 on page 73.

Any hints on cleaning the decal?

Something very mildly abrasive wet with very very mild dishsoap and water. No Simple Green.

 

[Old Radar]

I would start with a clean shop rag dampened with only water to start with. If the decal holds up to that but you are not satisfied with result, add a little very very mild dishsoap to the damp rag.
As noted in various threads, decals and I have a very rocky relationship, so I now err to the gentle side and accept that they will never be as clean as I would like.
Good luck!

 

[Etchase]

We had a very spirited and fun deep dive on those 'Indestro Upside Down Land' tools from the early 70's last year!

The decals were intentionally placed in the bottom and the tools were placed on the lid and the whole thing was "skin packed" (we would call it "shrinkwrapped" with transparent plastic today, so the pieces wouldn't fall out) where they could be more readily seen and their part numbers and sizes more readily read than if they were in their customarily stored position in the bottom on a display rack. Indestro actually marketed the term and the rack they were so enamored with themselves.

It was a crazy idea!

Start here and read that page (72) and down to at least post #2,854 on page 73.

Something very mildly abrasive wet with very very mild dishsoap and water. No Simple Green.

I would start with a clean shop rag dampened with only water to start with. If the decal holds up to that but you are not satisfied with result, add a little very very mild dishsoap to the damp rag.
As noted in various threads, decals and I have a very rocky relationship, so I now err to the gentle side and accept that they will never be as clean as I would like.
Good luck!

Thank you gentlemen. I like to do this kind of cleaning in the kitchen, so it might be some time getting the leftovers out of the way before I can reclaim my kitchen.

 

[four.cycle]

^ That "Classic" label is just a paper label printed on a four-color printing press that was adhered to the inside of the box.
At most, I would try a very soft paper towel and some water, but that will probably cause the paper label to deteriorate.
That "hammertone" copper box is late 1960s-early 1970s. I have one exactly like it for my 3/8" drive user set.

 

[KnurledNut]

 

[Outlawmws]

KN - do you have the drivers? We want to see pics!

 

[KnurledNut]

KN - do you have the drivers? We want to see pics!

Yes they are all there. Just basic chrome looking hex keys.

 

[four.cycle]

^ Wow. Way different pouch.
I sent my #199 pouch down to Don a couple years ago. (Or was that a #199A, Don?)
Completely different.
Indestro's hex keys were all generic, chrome-plated hex keys. Never saw one with a part number or name on it.

 

[d42jeep]

It was a #198 set and it had generic chrome wrenches as well.
-Don

 

[four.cycle]

@KnurledNut -
Your #199 Indestro 7-piece "Hollow Head Set Screw Wrench Set" shows up in the 1961 catalog No. 22A on page 29, in a RED pouch.
It shows up in the January 15 1964 Indestro price list, presumably introduced as a "new item", as the price list applies to "Catalog No. 22A and Supplement Pages 1S through 16S".
I have never seen an Indestro hex wrench set in a blue pouch - always red - so rather odd.
Curiously, that part number set does not appear in the later 1971 catalog No. 55.

 

[KnurledNut]

@KnurledNut -
Your #199 Indestro 7-piece "Hollow Head Set Screw Wrench Set" shows up in the 1961 catalog No. 22A on page 29, in a RED pouch.
It shows up in the January 15 1964 Indestro price list, presumably introduced as a "new item", as the price list applies to "Catalog No. 22A and Supplement Pages 1S through 16S".
I have never seen an Indestro hex wrench set in a blue pouch - always red - so rather odd.
Curiously, that part number set does not appear in the later 1971 catalog No. 55.

It set me back $1.00. Looks like I overpaid.

 

[Outlawmws]

It set me back $1.00. Looks like I overpaid.

$7.23 in today's $$ - you did OK

 

[four.cycle]

It set me back $1.00. Looks like I overpaid.

I don't think so.
It's an oddball.
Some fool would probably pay good money for it on the web.

 

[KnurledNut]

KN - do you have the drivers? We want to see pics!

Just basic sheared end keys with nice consistent plating and very good tolerances.


1/4:


5/64:

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Some duro indestro wrenches with a clip

 

[Outlawmws]

Interesting that it has a Duro Clip.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Yup clip says duro metal products

 

[Cruzan80]

Is anyone else thinking that was pieces together after it left the factory? Duro clip, but Indestro and Select Steel wrenches mixed together? I thought they tried to keep the lines separate and not mix products in packaging.

 

[d42jeep]

I think that sounds likely. The two product lines were kept separate with the exception of WW2 when all bets were off.
-Don

 

[genog]

Bought a mixed set of Duro sockets today
Some are D-I, a couple are Indestro marked.....

Saw them all mixed up in a box of sockets and misc other stuff
For some reason, I made up a set from 7/16 to 1"......
I can't help it.....I do stuff like this

And then for some reason, I doubled down and bought them!

 

[d42jeep]

Those look like you found some of the fairly rare chrome plated D-I sockets. The great majority of those either have a cad or black oxide finish. Cool find.
-Don
Here are the few that I’ve found.

 

[d42jeep]

Here are yesterday’s Indestro and Duro finds at a El Sobrante CA garage sale. The Indestro will be headed North.
-Don

 

[ranger08]

i found just this one in a junk sale, pre ww2 i think?, one of the earliest ones i have come across


now on the look out to complete the set

 

[d42jeep]

Here is my Indestro wrench find at an estate sale yesterday.
-Don

 

[Outlawmws]

pre ww2 i think?, one of the earliest ones i have come across

I'm pretty sure these were made for decades, and at least into the early 60's? Someone surely has catalog pages and likely posted them. These are handy sets, several companies made them and I have a set in each vehicle; metric or not, - These got me a couple of vises unbolted from benches with them...

 

[d42jeep]

I'm pretty sure these were made for decades, and at least into the early 60's? Someone surely has catalog pages and likely posted them. These are handy sets, several companies made them and I have a set in each vehicle; metric or not, - These got me a couple of vises unbolted from benches with them...

Some of mine.
-Don

 

[four.cycle]

^ yes. decades. from the early 1930s well into the 1960s. there's a German-made knock-off that's almost identical except for the branding.
The Barcalo version has a somewhat differently shaped panel on the shank.

 

[ranger08]

Some of mine.
-Don

nice

 

[ranger08]

I'm pretty sure these were made for decades, and at least into the early 60's? Someone surely has catalog pages and likely posted them. These are handy sets, several companies made them and I have a set in each vehicle; metric or not, - These got me a couple of vises unbolted from benches with them...

yeh i think the later ones were stamped made in usa and the very very early ones were stamped chicago usa

 

[GaryM909]

I picked up this ratchet a couple days ago. First time I have ever seen one except the ones that are posted.
It was in a bag with a couple extensions and a bunch of random sockets that I didn't need and should have left them there.
These are the pictures before I cleaned it up. It did clean up pretty good.

 

[d42jeep]

I received a 1/4” drive Duro-Chrome one that was similar in appearance at Christmas from BK. I haven’t been able to find it in a catalog yet. The flex handle was a recent gift as well from GJ member Kaervak. Thanks, guys.
-Don

 

[four.cycle]

^ Something of an odd duck, if I'm not mistaken. The 1948 catalog shows only the 4588 - non reversible model. This snip is from the 1951 catalog. It was only a couple years later they introduced the little 52-tooth round-head model..... so these probably weren't produced for a long time. I remember getting into a bidding war on the Indestro equivalent.

 

[d42jeep]

Yeah, in the same catalog where that ratchet is shown, when I went to look at the sets where it might have been included, the later round head is shown. Probably why those ratchets are seen so infrequently.
Since we are forced to take some time away from going to garage and estate sales, I ordered this mixed tool lot off of eBay. It was difficult to determine brands in the listing but the bulk of the tools turned out to be Indestro, along with a few Western Auto Wizard sockets. Only four pieces turned out to be Duro.
EBay lot
Indestro tools
Wizard sockets including a 10mm.
Duro sliding tee
D-I 5/8” #1220 socket
i’ll hang on to the 1/4” drive Indestro pieces and send the rest somewhere they might be appreciated.
-Don

 

[four.cycle]

^ I don't even want to tell you what I paid for that 1/4" drive pressed-flange reversible. Way, way too much, but there were two other guys bidding against me on it. Same model as what you have there, but Indestro. I think that one had a relatively short run (compared to the earlier non-reversible model) because they introduced their little round-head in the early 1950s - patent 2686582 was applied for Mar 22 1952 - so it's reasonable to assume they were producing them as early as that, although what Mark and I determined to be the 1952 Indestro catalog only shows the 2889 1/4" drive pressed-flange reversible model. (patent 1902878)
What is supposedly the 1953 Duro Chrome catalog (catalog No. 35) shows only the 4587 (pressed flange, reversible) model for the 1/4" drive, which is rather puzzling.

We have something of a "black hole" in respect to "catalog" between 1952 and 1960 - having a catalog (for either brand) for that time period would answer a few questions.

 

[d42jeep]

I cleaned up these Indestro tools before I sent them off to their new owner.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

I have two of the boxes that held the more rudimentary set. One is complete and the other needs a few sockets.
-Don

 

[Outlawmws]

Picked up this Indestro Super Allen Socket today -interestingly it's marked "Not Guar.". Is that because the Allen shank's fails so much, or was this wartime/gov issue?

 

[d42jeep]

That Indestro Super socket is postwar. I assume the Not Guar is due to how easy it is to twist the hex drive part using a ratchet.
-Don

 

[Old Radar]

One is complete and the other needs a few sockets.

But as usual for Don, both tommy bars are present and accounted for...