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four.cycle

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Oct 19, 2015
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RE: Do you remember how many and which screwdrivers were in the other one you saw on eBay?

I do not. It was some time back. I do recall that the little pouch was in much better condition than the example above - the graphics were clear - as though someone had shoved it into a drawer and never used it.

I could be completely off the mark, but my gut feeling on that model 135TK kit is that it's possible it was made as a promotional item for sales representatives to hand out to accounts or as a freebie at trade shows. I attended many of those in the past (APAA, SEMA, etc.), and there was never any shortage of promotional material available from any number of manufacturers. I think my little model 175 6-inch stainless steel ruler falls into that category as well - it's the only one I've ever seen and I've never seen a catalog listing for it. (It appears in several of my more recent photos here.)

bmwrd0's comment just above raises a very likely possibility. There are (and have been) hundreds (if not thousands) of manufacturers of promotional items made for other companies. Coffee cups, key fobs, and pocket knives were always popular items. We had our company name stamped on all sorts of things that we used as give-away promotional items, and the sales representatives and factories were always happy to provide us with freebie goodies to get their name out to the public:

promotional items.jpg

RE: edit limits:
So... if I am understanding you correctly, I can only edit 15 posts in any 24-hour period? There are (if I remember correctly) about 50 posts in the "list" thread. Adding new entries and editing existing entries might require several days.
I'm sure somebody has their reasons for that, but as I pointed out to one of the moderators, idiots and vandals are an inevitable component of any "forum" type website.
 
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Fred Knox

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Aug 28, 2018
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Nor Cal
I thought I would post up my Indestro No. 35 1/2" drive hex socket set. It has seven sockets total, but five of them look original with the double star sides and unique numbering style (15-16, 7-8, 3-4, 5-8, 1-2). They are all 6-point with cove-cut detail (one photo shows another socket with a chamfer cut detail). I have not been able to find any information on this set, but I am guessing that I am missing the 11-16", 9-16" and 7-16" versions. Even so, the set has a pretty cool design with great knurling on the sockets.
 

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four.cycle

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^ pretty nice set there, Fred. Looks like you put it on a buffer wheel!
That model doesn't appear in the 1935 catalog, so I think it's reasonable to assume it dates from Indestro's earliest days - 1920s to possibly early 1930s.
I think Private Lugnutz has one of those as well. Not sure if I have a copy of that model here myself.
 

Lesserstore

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Mar 18, 2020
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Question: What exactly was "Select Steel?" Was it a lower cost alloy, or was it plain carbon steel? The reason I'm asking this because they seem more streamlined than plain carbon steel wrenches.
 

Private Lugnutz

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The whole purpose of the trademarked panel and dart is to lend that appearance. We know that 'Select Steel' was economy line branding. Since the composition wasn't CV, or a triple alloy, which weren't invented yet, that leaves CM or perhaps nickel. I'm not aware of any major cost distinctions between those. I suppose it could be manganese, but that would be highly unusual. Some mfgrs turned to that during wartime. My hunch would be carbon.
 

LesserSon

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four.cycle
Not sure how “WTF” or “ANY idea” you mean. That 3” thing is an alligator-style fixed-jaw pipe wrench. At that size/length it would fit in a pocket, handy for smaller-diameter threaded pipe or *******.
I know nothing of what’s stamped on it, nor its manufacturer.

EDIT: Ha-ha, NOW I know something about what’s stamped on it: Valparaiso is a university. No doubt there was a use for such a wrench in the Inventors Research department. Based on the apparent age of the wrench, and assuming consistant Lutheran values from their foundation in 1859, I’d guess their Engineering major is not a recent addition to the curriculae.
 
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RTM

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EDIT: Ha-ha, NOW I know something about what’s stamped on it: Valparaiso is a university. No doubt there was a use for such a wrench in the Inventors Research departmebt.
But remember, the university is in the city of Valparaiso. The fact that it says Valpo Indiana, instead of Valpo U, makes me think it may have been a company in the city in Indiana. But that's just a guess. With the age of that wrench, none of the people I know who went there were alive then, much less their parents. And last time I was there it was nearly midnight, and I had places to be.

Might have been these guys: "INVENTORS' RESEARCH MFG. Co. 12 Indiana Ave." from a 1946 newspaper, they were advertising " WANTED Punch press operators, assemblers" they were in the First State Bank building. Now its a 1st Source Bank
 
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Lesserstore

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The whole purpose of the trademarked panel and dart is to lend that appearance. We know that 'Select Steel' was economy line branding. Since the composition wasn't CV, or a triple alloy, which weren't invented yet, that leaves CM or perhaps nickel. I'm not aware of any major cost distinctions between those. I suppose it could be manganese, but that would be highly unusual. Some mfgrs turned to that during wartime. My hunch would be carbon.
Thanks Lugz.
 

four.cycle

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RTM said:
Might have been these guys: "INVENTORS' RESEARCH MFG. Co. 12 Indiana Ave." from a 1946 newspaper, they were advertising " WANTED Punch press operators, assemblers" they were in the First State Bank building. Now its a 1st Source Bank

Was that in Valparaiso, Indiana?
 

RTM

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Was that in Valparaiso, Indiana?
Yup, supposedly the local newspaper of the day. Several links point to this, need to search with and without the ‘ thing. Scroll down to search OCR Text, the image is unreadable for free.

 

bmwrd0

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Nov 7, 2010
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Beaver Fever Oregon
I hit a barn sale yesterday, and as is my want I looked for old socket boxes, of which I found a few. My habit is to look for any sort of labeling on the box, and if it is something that looks interesting, I will purchase it. And this is what I found:

51254932561_91d40c92e0.jpg
A rather beat up old 1/4" box

But what is inside is the interesting part:
51253920901_128203a899.jpg
That is a late '30s Indestro logo, which is in surprisingly good shape considering the rest of the box

So, I brought it home, and rumaging around in my misc. spares I have a good start on filling it:
51255138398_6da10bea97.jpg
Most of the sockets are marked Chrome Vanadium, which I believe is period correct, while a few are only marked with the size. The spinner is a later model, I am not sure how late but it will work until I find a correct one. Hopefully.

I probably wont do anymore cleaning on it, as the decale is very fragile by this point, but I am quite please at how quickly it came together.
 

d42jeep

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Oct 22, 2014
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I hit a barn sale yesterday, and as is my want I looked for old socket boxes, of which I found a few. My habit is to look for any sort of labeling on the box, and if it is something that looks interesting, I will purchase it. And this is what I found:

51254932561_91d40c92e0.jpg
A rather beat up old 1/4" box

But what is inside is the interesting part:
51253920901_128203a899.jpg
That is a late '30s Indestro logo, which is in surprisingly good shape considering the rest of the box

So, I brought it home, and rumaging around in my misc. spares I have a good start on filling it:
51255138398_6da10bea97.jpg
Most of the sockets are marked Chrome Vanadium, which I believe is period correct, while a few are only marked with the size. The spinner is a later model, I am not sure how late but it will work until I find a correct one. Hopefully.

I probably wont do anymore cleaning on it, as the decale is very fragile by this point, but I am quite please at how quickly it came together.
Nice find. Looks kind of familiar.
-Don96976823-E0F4-4777-85D4-B57870E488EA.jpeg
 

Username already in use

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Ohio
Nice little set @bmwrd0
Good luck on the early midget spin handle. Seems that the early Duro/Indestro spin handles had a very bad habit of decaying in the boxes. I got a box once with just the business end of the spinner and no handle to be found!
 

d42jeep

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Oct 22, 2014
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This was the set I was going for, as it is the best description I have found:
51256021620_bdaeb62d46.jpg
And thanks goes out to 4cycle for posting all those catalog pictures.
My set is probably closer to the #28(00) set listed further down the page. I added a non reversing Indestro ratchet of around the same vintage. I buy all of the early Indestro spinners that I can find for use in Duro and Indestro sets, 852FB5C6-1B3C-478B-BDA0-CB153D3172D9.jpegCE5636D5-79D7-4285-BC39-EA502A75CB1F.jpeg4A8DF5B1-EDFA-4B59-9FA4-2266B41D5451.jpegD67B25E3-9591-450B-A1BF-C6FBDF1CE457.jpegbut as username mentioned, most all of the earliest ones have disintegrated.
-Don
 
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Debcrow

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May 14, 2019
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New Mexico
Obviously a Indestro wrench from the slanted CVS script and the curved FORGED IN USA. However, there is no Makers mark on it. Stamped 4A and the sizes.
I thought the nick where the FORGED IN THE USA is was damage from use but it is possibly a casting defect since it continues around the edge some with no smashed look and the FO from FORGED can be seen some in the bottom.
This is a thin wrench, measures about .22 inch thick on the stamped faces.
Any idea of age? Is this part of a set or possibly a factory second with no name. No finish on the shank, wartime? Any info would be appreciated.
 

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Jim C.

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Jan 8, 2010
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I recently came across this Indestro Super 1/4” drive, inch pound torque wrench. I think it’s model number 8081A. It seems to be in good working order.

Jim C.
 

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Provincial

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Lots of D-I and D-I-sourced tools this week.

Friday I found a group of sockets that included Ward's Chromium Vanadium 1/2 drive sockets, both 12- and 8-point. Obviously made by Indestro. They are in the middle of the photo, with some SK on the left.

There are a bunch of 3/8 drive Chromium Vanadium sockets just to the right of those. A set of 12-points from 7/16 to 3/4, less the 9/16 (I found one in my stash), plus 8-points in 3/8, 7/16, and 1/2. All have part numbers with 27** (the ** are 32's) and the 8-points have an "S" after the part number. One of the 8-points has the dot knurl instead of the straight knurl.

At a church flea market Saturday I found the Duro 8039 1/4 "Torque Indicator" 1/4-dr, wrench. It is very cute! I like the finger hole!

Edit to add: That shiny 8-point next to the wobbly socket on the right in the first photo is a Wizard 1/2 that was obviously made by D-I.
Friday Sales.jpgDuro Torque Wrench.jpg
 

Private Lugnutz

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I was excited to spot this Duro-Chrome Chrome Vanadium Steel No. 1 tappet wrench at the flea this morning, because I knew I needed it.
 

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Private Lugnutz

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I have been slowly working on a near-matching set. My last find was back in 2019. I now have No. 1, a No. 2, a No. 3, and a No. 4A. I am missing a No. 1A and a No. 4. Let's see if anyone can spot the oh so slight "imperfection" preventing me from calling it a matching set. See Pics 1, 2, & 3 for top (branding, model numbers) side, and Pics 4, 5, & 6 for flip (arcing COO, sizes) side.
 

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Private Lugnutz

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(As you guys know, I have a thing for tappets. I'll sneak in a group shot. Complete in pouch Bonney and Herbrand sets. Complete no pouch Plomb LA 31xx and Vlchek sets. Near complete Duro. A few Billings, Barcalo and Lectrolite.)
 

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Old Radar

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I have been slowly working on a near-matching set. My last find was back in 2019. I now have No. 1, a No. 2, a No. 3, and a No. 4A. I am missing a No. 1A and a No. 4. Let's see if anyone can spot the oh so slight "imperfection" preventing me from calling it a matching set. See Pics 1, 2, & 3 for top (branding, model numbers) side, and Pics 4, 5, & 6 for flip (arcing COO, sizes) side.
Looks to me like your #2 has a different font, but it appears in the photos that there are several different throat designs--or is that just wear and perspective?
 

Private Lugnutz

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Has the 11/16 end been modified? It looks like it was enlarged.
Probably. I'll mic it later. Funny how that works, though, for me anyway. It could have mods, burrs, pits, and permanent box rot and it wouldn't bother me in the least in terms of completing the set as long as all the markings are correct and all the same! Lol
 

Oldtuleguy

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Nice wrenches guys! Here is a 220 set I filled up after picking through my random old hex drive stuff today.20210627_181106.jpg
 

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Oldtuleguy

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I have a few of them. It seems like they are usually empty or full of the wrong stuff. Pick them up anyway just cause they are cool looking!
 

four.cycle

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Oldtuleguy said:
I have a few of them. It seems like they are usually empty or full of the wrong stuff. Pick them up anyway just cause they are cool looking!

You too, huh?
That 220 box is way cool.

I could probably "complete" at least a couple with the odds and ends laying around.
 
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