Show your Indestro and Duro-Chrome tools

[elidas]

First one I've run across.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Sweet metric set!

 

[elidas]

$5

 

[Outlawmws]

A steal!

 

[d42jeep]

I picked up another of these reversible Indestro 1/2” drive wartime ratchets with removable plug that is a match for a GMTK 41-H-1505. The price was right on eBay.
-Don

 

[RTM]

Hey gang
Here is a Duro Chrome box and 1/2" drive sockets I picked up a few years back, so long ago that I wasn't actively taking pictures of all my finds, so I don't recall exactly what was in it. I think I found this about 2010, in the 55+ mobile home park south of town. It was late in the day, and the seller was getting tired. Box was still sitting there, sockets on top, big wrenches ~1" on the bottom. Offered him about 1/2, and he accepted. Lugged it home, sorted it out, over the years added some other big sockets and big wrenches.

The label inside the lid claims its a 5818 1/2" drive 21 piece set w box, as found in the 1963 catalog, though I think the box is newer based on the label. It's supposed to be all 12pt sockets, but only a few are, and many are missing, and there are 6pt duplicates in the box. Didn't pay attention to that level of detail when I bought it, as I had a bunch of 1/2" drive sockets that covered the smaller size. Somewhere in its history the handle pulled off, and was re attached via screws. The drive tools were all missing. The box is 19 x 7-1/2 x 6-1/2". The sockets are all marked similarly, with the H's being 6pt, containing the standard marked in /32". The 16xx were what belonged in the kit.

6418, 6420, 1625, 1126H, 1632, 1134H, 1134H, 1634, 1136H, 1140H, 1140H, 1640





The box is currently carrying a bunch of Proto 1/2" drives, extensions and sockets, making the box weigh a ton, but that's a story for another thread.

 

[d42jeep]

This arrived in the mail yesterday. The 1/4” drive Duro-Chrome ratchets are getting a little hard to find. This one is chrome plated so it may be prewar or early war. I added it to the Duro set.
-Don

 

[Outlawmws]

Never seen that model.

 

[Chrome Vanadium Cody]

I have a Duro/Indestro soft spot and have kept my eye out for them for a while but this find was a new one for me. A Bell System KS8300 mechanical pencil credited to "Dur-O-Lite - Melrose Pk. Illinois". It has a spinning ball at the end and some googling tells me this was meant for switchboard operators to place in the finger holes of their rotary telephones to assist with dialing.

Found some lead for it and put it to work. Not the type of tool I usually look for but I'll take any Duro I can get!

 

[Outlawmws]

Finding lead for that oldie must have been interesting.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Not the type of tool I usually look for but I'll take any Duro I can get!

Cool find. I've got a few Dur-O-Lite mechanical pencils in their original box. Different style, though. Also Bell System. Linked here. The company sold a bazillion mechanical pencils to the US Government, too, as far back as WWII. I've wondered if their name ever caused any litigious friction between them and Duro Metal Products, especially due to the location, and Duro using very similar branding (e.g., "Durolite"). I guess that little hyphen made enough difference or neither company cared enough since the products were in different markets. You should post that pencil in the Bell System thread.

 

[Chrome Vanadium Cody]

Cool find. I've got a few Dur-O-Lite mechanical pencils in their original box. Different style, though. Also Bell System. Linked here. The company sold a bazillion mechanical pencils to the US Government, too, as far back as WWII. I've wondered if their name ever caused any litigious friction between them and Duro Metal Products, especially due to the location, and Duro using very similar branding (e.g., "Durolite"). I guess that little hyphen made enough difference or neither company cared enough since the products were in different markets. You should post that pencil in the Bell System thread.

Oh wow, I didn't realize it was a different company! I just saw it was made in Illinois and that Alloy Artifacts listed a line of Durolite tools under Duro/Indestro and assumed it was the same people. That is interesting and I wonder about any litigation between the companies too.

I love the illustrations on the box you posted. My pencil has the same friction sleeve/spiral advancement system as yours. Pretty neat

Finding lead for that oldie must have been interesting.

Ha, it definitely took a few tries. Luckily there is an old school office supply store called Payn's Stationery in town that still stocks the 1.1 mm lead it needed

 

[Username already in use]

Found this 1/2" drive Duro Chrome socket set when I went to go pick up a tool cabinet from FB Marketplace. Presumably wartime with ~4 D-I marked sockets in there. For $5, it was a no-brainer!

 

[d42jeep]

Nice find. Let me know if you are short any D-I sockets to fill it out. I have another Indestro labeled set on the way.
-Don

 

[Username already in use]

Thanks, Don! I'll let you know if I'm missing any.
Those are a couple of nice sets!

 

[saukit]

Nice, I love those old Duro Chrome ratchets! So cool looking.

 

[d42jeep]

My wartime Indestro partial set arrived yesterday. I should have the missing pieces.
-Don

 

[outofbounds]

Interesting find coming out of a mostly Craftsman box I bought on my lunch hour today. Curious if was part of any Indestro Super Set, or a stand-alone catalog item.

 

[Username already in use]

Could have been from a spark plug set.

 

[AK4570]

Now there's a size you don't see every day!

Good snag

 

[Private Lugnutz]

They've shown up before. Links here and here.

 

[RTM]

As saw part number 53764 the first time I looked. Guess I need more coffee.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

It's a 21mm socket

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I thought I had posted this before in the earlier replies to similar queries that I linked, but I guess not.

 

[MisterEd]

This might be your Grandfather's Pliers.

 

[misterbill]

This 0930-5W Select Steel cadmium plated post-war set came in a box from a CL find.




Bill

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Nice.

 

[d42jeep]

This 0930-5W Select Steel cadmium plated post-war set came in a box from a CL find.




Bill

Looks kind of familiar, Bill, but yours is nicer.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

I straightened the box a bit and united the ratchet and u-joint to the rest of the set. Now I just need to add the missing sockets from my spares.
-Don

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Cleaning up nice! Picked up this wrench set with the often missing bolt and wing nut.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

I thought I had posted this before in the earlier replies to similar queries that I linked, but I guess not.

Here are a few

 

[d42jeep]

Your set may have come in a box with these markings. Although I have the box, I am on the lookout for those Duro marked sockets that came in it. I have substituted some D-I versions. So far I have the Duro 5/8” and 9/16”.
-Don

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Here are a few

I was posting that catalog ad with that particular set because it includes the 53/64" socket that Oob was asking about, Otg.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Happy to find these No. 2125 brake spring pliers yesterday at the flea. See Pic 4 for catalog excerpt. It's cool how Duro extended the "Dart" style theme to multiple tools (see Pic 5). And if I could find my only "Dart" style combination wrench (see Pic 6) I would've included it in the group shot to further accentuate the point!

 

[Ricky Joe]

It still works.

 

[d42jeep]

Added the D-I sockets to my new wartime Indestro 1/2” drive set. These sets came in quite a variety of finishes and logos.
-Don

 

[Username already in use]

Some wartime (X) DBE wrenches from my WW2 mechanics tool kit.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

NOT an easy set to complete!

 

[d42jeep]

Hey gang
Here is a Duro Chrome box and 1/2" drive sockets I picked up a few years back, so long ago that I wasn't actively taking pictures of all my finds, so I don't recall exactly what was in it. I think I found this about 2010, in the 55+ mobile home park south of town. It was late in the day, and the seller was getting tired. Box was still sitting there, sockets on top, big wrenches ~1" on the bottom. Offered him about 1/2, and he accepted. Lugged it home, sorted it out, over the years added some other big sockets and big wrenches.

The label inside the lid claims its a 5818 1/2" drive 21 piece set w box, as found in the 1963 catalog, though I think the box is newer based on the label. It's supposed to be all 12pt sockets, but only a few are, and many are missing, and there are 6pt duplicates in the box. Didn't pay attention to that level of detail when I bought it, as I had a bunch of 1/2" drive sockets that covered the smaller size. Somewhere in its history the handle pulled off, and was re attached via screws. The drive tools were all missing. The box is 19 x 7-1/2 x 6-1/2". The sockets are all marked similarly, with the H's being 6pt, containing the standard marked in /32". The 16xx were what belonged in the kit.

6418, 6420, 1625, 1126H, 1632, 1134H, 1134H, 1634, 1136H, 1140H, 1140H, 1640





The box is currently carrying a bunch of Proto 1/2" drives, extensions and sockets, making the box weigh a ton, but that's a story for another thread.

Other than variations in the top tray, that box looks a lot like this unmarked one I‘ve had for quite a while.
-Don

 

[RTM]

Other than variations in the top tray, that box looks a lot like this unmarked one I‘ve had for quite a while.
-Don

Yours looks like a bit more care to appearance was important during the mfg. The welds between the handle and the trays seem much nicer on yours. The extra little divider on mine, mostly hidden behind the handle, does seem to be original, not a user add on.