Show your Indestro and Duro-Chrome tools

[outofbounds]

Oddly enough in the last two weeks I fished out both a 1/4 Drive set of Super sockets, as well as a set of Select. THought to myself wouldn't it be nice to have a 1/4" Indestro Ratchet to accompany them. I even went as far as Ebay, and fortunately didn't find one. The right one at the right price was waiting all along, and appeared at a good luck early bird viewing of a retired Ford mechanic's divestiture sale starting tomorrow.

 

[tym]

Just found this 2015 DC-circle at the local ReStore today for $2. Pleased to learn from AA that it is likely WWII production.

Before I give it a quick vinegar bath, am I correct in assuming a plain steel finish?

 

[Mintgrun]

Funny coincidence, I bought a 2015A today at St. Vinnies for $2.

I guess I am working on a set, now that I have a pair.




(I am going to leave these two wrenches dark-brown).

Tom

 

[saukit]

Just found this 2015 DC-circle at the local ReStore today for $2. Pleased to learn from AA that it is likely WWII production.

Before I give it a quick vinegar bath, am I correct in assuming a plain steel finish?

The couple I have found are a plain steel finish.

 

[d42jeep]

It might be black oxide which might be removed in the bath. I would try cleaning without any vinegar or evaporust. The 2014A, 2015A and 2016 with the Circle DC are popular with GMTK collectors.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

I spent some time yesterday working on my Duro sets. Here are some Duro-Chrome and D-I 1/4” drive sets in progress.
-Don
Duro-Chrome marked sockets

D-I marked sockets




Working on some Indestro marked sets. I’ll probably need to find boxes with the correct logos to match the sockets. I’m sure that four.cycle will be able to get me squared away.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

am I correct in assuming a plain steel finish?

I am going to leave these two wrenches dark-brown).

It might be black oxide which might be removed in the bath. I would try cleaning without any vinegar or evaporust.

What Don said. Yours might be natural steel, tym, hard to tell, but MIntgrun's are almost certainly black ox and it will be stripped by Evaporust if left in long enough. Evaporust doesn't care what kind of oxide it meets - naturally occurring or man-made finishes and paint pigments, it will attack it.

The 2014A, 2015A and 2016 with the Circle DC are popular with GMTK collectors.

And, ironically, not at all easy to find. The GMTK also had a set of three (3) short pattern DBEs (heads set normally on shanks with 45* offsets) and many collectors (this one certainly included!) find the deep dwarfies even harder than the long pattern to complete in Duro. Unlike the long patterns, Duro did not give them model numbers during WWII for some reason, probably expedience, just the sizes accompanied by the Circle-X logo.

If you ever find yourself wanting to see the GMTK contents in one quick and easy view, I did a digital version of a 'Living History Display' on one of mine back in 2015 that included an alphabetical list with sizes and specs in post # 1 linked here. That particular kit, my third, had a mix of Bonney (dwarf) and Williams (long). Earlier kits have had those mfgrs, Vlchek, and also Blue-Point. I have found all of those much easier to find through the years and kits.

To prove my point about Duro, though - and shamelessly use this opportunity to make another plea to Duro thread followers, I foolhardily decided to provision my current GMTK with ALL-MATCHING Duro-Chrome end wrenches.

I'm not doing too badly at the 30" ASL (Above Set Level) view.



But if you drop down to strafing range, there is one little unsightly wart I would dearly love to fix...



...and one gaping hole to fill!

 

[thehorse13]

I spent some time yesterday working on my Duro sets. Here are some Duro-Chrome and D-I 1/4” drive sets in progress.
-Don
Duro-Chrome marked sockets

D-I marked sockets




Working on some Indestro marked sets. I’ll probably need to find boxes with the correct logos to match the sockets. I’m sure that four.cycle will be able to get me squared away.

Awesome sets.

Twertsy just sold a 1/4 inch set on Ebay earlier in the week. That one was really nice too. I hope someone here ended up with it.

 

[d42jeep]

It didn’t go to me, but not for a lack of trying!
Lugz,
After years of looking, I found a 2014A on eBay. I’ll get some pictures up when it arrives. I’ve never seen a shorty 3/8” x 7/16“ DBE. Does Username have one?
-Don

 

[Username already in use]

Posted them several pages back. Here they are again.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I can live with the "G" wart 2014A. I'd even take a "G" wart dwarfie, which would have an interesting symmetry across the two DBE sets. But I haven't even run into one of those in the wild!

I'm not ready to resort to eBay yet.

 

[Username already in use]

I looked for years for the smallest dwarf DBE in 3/8 & 7/16. I've only seen 2 others. One in Tennessee, and the other in Great Britain.
I hedged my bets with other versions.

I have 2 of the G series and one of the 'Chrome Vanadium Steel' - Both Duro Indestro brands.

I can live with the "G" wart 2014A. I'd even take a "G" wart dwarfie, which would have an interesting symmetry across the two DBE sets.

I'm sure we can work something out.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I'm sure we can work something out.

Cool. Put my name on one. My OCD will be greatly assuaged having one "G" series in each set, and with each one being the smallest wrench in each set.

 

[tym]

Well, I heeded the advice here and did not give my 2015 a vinegar bath. Instead, I doused it with SiliKroil, brass brushed, and wiped clean. I think it may have traces of black oxide finish. The little rust that was present was light and patchy, perhaps suggesting an oxide coating protecting the tool (or a fairly dry storage environment).

 

[LesserSon]

These were in the trunk of my van, with the DC tappets, Lugz. I’m beginning to doubt the beadiness of your eyes.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Haha. I obviously never saw those, either. I'll PM you.

 

[LesserSon]

Picked up this ballpein with a flat-blade screwdriver for a handle, today. The shank was somewhat curved and I had very little trouble straightening it, so it isn’t hardened. Must be for very light tapping on…what?

Here is the most-similar tool I have found in the net…I wonder if the handle comes off to reveal a screwdriver?

 

[Username already in use]

These were in the trunk of my van, with the DC tappets, Lugz. I’m beginning to doubt the beadiness of your eyes.

 

[d42jeep]

I finally received and added the 2014A I’ve been looking for seemingly forever to my GMTK. Here is a group shot of the old and new together. From top to bottom are two 2016s, two 2015As, a 2014A and a G2014A.

 

[Outlawmws]

Here is the most-similar tool I have found in the net…I wonder if the handle comes off to reveal a screwdriver?

LS, I think I can say with reasonable certainty they do not:

 

[four.cycle]

NOS Indestro unicorns

Security Measure | eBay

www.ebay.com

worth a look. only made one piddly order so far she gave me 20% off

 

[LesserSon]

Thanks, Outlaw!

 

[d42jeep]

I spotted a familiar shape at an estate sale yesterday. Although I was slightly disappointed that it wasn’t reversing, the condition drew me in. Like most of these dinosaurs, this one works perfectly.
-Don

 

[bonneyman]

Nice grab, Don. The finish on that is in great condition.

 

[Cruzan80]

What do you mean, "non-reversing"? Just flip it over and it reverses just fine...

 

[d42jeep]

I prefer the sophisticated flip the lever method.
-Don

 

[four.cycle]

Indestro 224 go-no-go feeler gauge

Indestro 225 master feeler gauge

Indestro 224 go-no-go and 225 master feeler gauges - 1971 Indestro catalog No. 55

 

[four.cycle]

This 1952 "Hardware Age" magazine advertisement, brought to my attention this morning by Mr. Stansbury, establishes the DATE of Indestro catalog No. 20 to be 1952.

Alloy-Artifacts.org erroneously assigns a date of 1956 to this volume.

The correct date of catalog No. 20 is 1952.


1952 Hardware Age magazine Indestro ad pp 103

 

[Old Radar]

At an estate sale last week I was able to re-assemble this set from various corners and boxes in the garage.

In the 1970ish Indestro Tool Catalog 55-M there is a description (no image) that has all these wrenches with the appropriate serial numbers and is listed as No. 941-6MM, which is the number on the back of the Klip-Tite clip. I thought it was interesting that the sticker on the Klip says Metric Sizes, but then continues in smaller print: Not for SAE or Whitworth.

 

[Mark Stansbury]

This 1952 "Hardware Age" magazine advertisement, brought to my attention this morning by Mr. Stansbury, establishes the DATE of Indestro catalog No. 20 to be 1952.

Alloy-Artifacts.org erroneously assigns a date of 1956 to this volume.

The correct date of catalog No. 20 is 1952.

Indestro Catalog No. 16 was out by or in 1948, and still current in 1949 and 1950. They ran ads Mar. to Dec. 1951 promising to put your name on the list for a new catalog, "ready soon." One ad even had a picture of Catalog No. 17. In Feb. 1952 Catalog No. 20 was issued, although this ad does not give the catalog number. Ads later in 1952 make clear that the new one is No. 20. It appears that numbers 17, 18, and 19 were skipped.

 

[four.cycle]

Thanks Mark.
Unfortunately, it looks like they used the same artwork for the covers of Catalogs No. 20, 22, 22A, and 22MA (black covers), so unless the "Catalog No." part is visible it's difficult to say which one they were touting.
I know they did not print new catalogs annually. As I said in the notes I sent, we used Catalog No. 55 for several years, beginning in 1971 when we first put the line in.


1951 Hardware Age Indestro ad Vol 167 March 1951 pp 179

1952 Hardware Age Indestro ad Vol 167 Feb 1952 pp 276

 

[Mark Stansbury]

This Aug. 1952 ad shows the "Catalog No. 20" on the cover.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I thought it was interesting that the sticker on the Klip says Metric Sizes, but then continues in smaller print: Not for SAE or Whitworth

The lawyers nixed the third caveat: "For the jackasses who don't know what metric means and ignored the warning about these wrenches not working on SAE or Whitworth nuts and bolts, don't expect a refund because you can't read."

 

[four.cycle]

1941 Hardware Age Indestro "Ambassador" Tool Set advertisement Oct 30 1941 pp 175

1940 Hardware Age Indestro advertisement Apr 4 1940 pp 119


1951 Hardware Age Indestro advertisement Mar 1951 pp 179

 

[four.cycle]

1928 Indestro catalog No. 4 - 64 pages - 6¼" x 3½"



1928 Indestro catalog No. 4 front cover

1928 Indestro catalog No. 4 frontispiece

1928 Indestro catalog No. 4 pp 6-7

1928 Indestro catalog No. 4 pp 18-19

 

[four.cycle]

Duro Chrome catalog No. 40M - date unknown (assuming 1940) - 131 pages 5½" x 8½"

Duro Chrome catalog No. 40M front cover

Duro Chrome catalog No. 40M pp 39-40

 

[four.cycle]

We're trying to pin down accurate dates on some catalogs, and one of the questions raised was "When did they come out with the MPI series?" (MPI = "molded plastic insert")
Mr. Stansbury took the time to pick through some older trade publications.
I believe it's reasonable to assume that Indestro first introduced the "MPI" sets in 1968 at the latest, based on the footwear on the model in the photo images. (The "Go-Go" boot was at its peak of popularity in 1965 and 1966, after Barbara Streisand posed for "Vogue" magazine in 1965 wearing a pair, and Nancy Sinatra's "These boots were made for walking" was released on Jan. 22, 1966 and peaked at Number One on the Billboard chart and the UK singles chart.) I'm actually more inclined to think it may have been 1965 or 1966. I own one of those early "MPI" sets and the graphics are definitely "60's" stuff. (Just my lousy opinion, of course.)
Sorry for the poor resolution - these are screen shots of tiny images.


1968 Hardware Age Vol 202 No 2 Jan 15 1968 pp 196 Indestro MPI advertisement


1970 Hardware Age Vol 205 No 4 Feb 15 1970 pp 16 Indestro MPI advertisement

1976 Hardware Age Vol 213 No 9 Aug 1976 pp__ Indestro Classic advertisement

The "Indestro Classic" line was an attempt to capture more of the mass-merchandiser-retailer market. The tools themselves were the same as "Indestro Select" for the most part.
You will not find any Indestro wrenches or sockets stamped "Classic", but you will find (late production, chrome plated and polished) Indestro sockets that do not say "Super" or "Select" - they just have "Indestro" stamped on them. The part numbering system used for them was the same as the "Select" line. To the best of my knowledge, those were packaged as "Classic" along with the usual "Select" ratchets and extensions. (At least it's that way in the few sets of "Classic" that I own.)

The "Classic" catalog (Indestro catalog No. 10) will be available at ITCL soon.

Thanks again to Mr. Stansbury for his efforts.

 

[d42jeep]

Back in 2015 Tin Medic sent me a picture from Korea of the cover of his 1940 Duro catalog. There wasn’t much question about the date.
-Don

 

[IMCA38]

Picked up this 1/2” drive metric set at an estate auction a few years ago.

 

[four.cycle]

^ that's an amazingly cherry set for its age. are all the sockets still there?

Mr. Stansbury just sent this to me:


Chicago Tribune Thursday January 23 1992