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four.cycle

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Gertrude was quite a woman. She raised Blue-Ribbon champion dairy cows on her farm outside of the metropolitan Chicago area, when she wasn't running one of the largest tool manufacturers in the country:

IN OTHER NEWS...

There are some questions about the DATES on some Duro-Chrome catalogs. Unfortunately I am not as well-versed on Duro-Chrome as I am on Indestro, so I'm hoping somebody else here might offer some insight.

1953 Commercial Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Duro-Chrome ad pp 75.jpg
February 1953 Commercial Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Duro-Chrome advertisement pp 75
1953 Commercial Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Duro-Chrome ad pp 91.jpg
April 1953 Commercial Refrigeration & Air Conditioning pp 91

In the APRIL 1953 advertisement, the man is holding a model 4490 Duro-Chrome PRESSED FLANGE ratchet (patent 1902878)(The model he is holding is a special “refrigeration” ratchet.)

That ratchet was re-designed at some point, and replaced with a model using the same internal mechanism as the Indestro 6072 – Duro Chrome model 4491 (photo below) – for which unfortunately no patent was issued, so we do not have a point of reference as to WHEN Duro-Chrome introduced the later version.

There is only one definite point of reference for Duro Chrome/Indestro in the 1950s: the patent date of their 52-tooth “RHFT” (round head, fine tooth) ratchet (patent 2686582 Aug 17 1954 W.O. Wilmette & W. Osford), which shows up as “newly designed” in Indestro catalog No. 22 (for which we’ve established a date of 1959, five years after the patent was issued.)

The only other “time” indicator for Duro Chrome/Indestro for the late 1950s-early-1960s would be the screwdriver handles, which went from yellow to clear and white at some point, but I don’t believe anyone’s been able to establish a definite timeline on those.

At what point was the pressed-flange model 4490 Duro-Chrome ratchet phased out and replaced by the later 4491 pear-head (24-tooth) model?
 

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IMCA38

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


Yes, all 13 are there. Luckily the set didn’t come with a 10mm! 🤣
 

four.cycle

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10mm is pretty small to be working on with 1/2" drive, but what do I know?
There's one available on ebay here
Indestro didn't get their act together with the metric stuff until the mid-to-late 1970s. Up to that point their product offerings in metric were wanting.
Indestro 7883MM 17-pc 1.2 dr metric socket set 1959 Indestro catalog No. 22 pp 71.jpg
 

Private Lugnutz

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Gertrude was quite a woman. She raised Blue-Ribbon champion dairy cows on her farm outside of the metropolitan Chicago area, when she wasn't running one of the largest tool manufacturers in the country.
Wait, what? So it really is another Harriet Fisher story?! She ran Fisher & Norris Anvils for 35 years, threw the biggest parties in Trenton, NJ, and drove a Locomobile around the world with an entourage in 1909!
 

four.cycle

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Indestro model 120 3 piece SAE ignition wrench set

This one had me puzzled for a while until I took a closer look at the catalog. I often see mis-matched sets of tiny ignition wrenches listed on Ebay that contain one or two of these wrenches, but more often I see these listed on Ebay individually - orphans in search of new homes.
I wondered why I never saw any complete sets that included the screw that held them together, like the earlier model 137 ignition wrench set shown in the catalog illustration here:

Indestro 137 3-pc Ignition Wrench Set - 1935 Indestro catalog pp 42.jpg
Indestro 137 Handy ignition wrench set - 1935 Indestro catalog pp 42

Note that the wrenches in the 137 set are stamped with the name of the manufacturer of the magneto they're designed to fit - Delco, Splitdorf, Eisemann, etc.

When I took a closer look at the catalog, it finally occurred to me why I never see complete sets of the later production wrenches that made up the 120 set. The reason is really quite simple: the 120 set was not secured as a unit with a screw, even though the wrenches were all punched with a neat round hole in the center. Instead, the three wrenches were simply stapled to a piece of thin cardboard, as shown in the catalog illustration here:

Indestro 120 3-pc Ignition Wrench Set - 1959 Catalog 22M pp 66.jpg
Indestro 120 3-pc SAE ignition wrench set 1959 Indestro catalog No. 55M pp 66

Note the catalog listing shows the sizes for each wrench opening, as opposed to the earlier 137 set, in which the wrenches were stamped with the names of the magneto manufacturers.
The catalog illustration omits the fine details, but each wrench is stamped "Indestro Chicago U.S.A." with the size of the opening also stamped on each end.

The answer, then, as to why these hardly ever show up as complete sets is pretty simple: once they were torn off the card, they could be easily lost.

Here's my 120 set. I did exactly what my grandfather would have done - I went out into the garage and dug around in an old coffee can and found a screw and nut to fit. Done.

Indestro 120 3-pc SAE ignition wrench set 01.jpg
Indestro 120 3-pc ignition wrench set (front)
Indestro 120 3-pc SAE ignition wrench set 02.jpg
Indestro 120 3-pc ignition wrench set (back)
 

d42jeep

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The brass nut is a nice touch.
I wasn’t looking for more Indestro DOE wrenches but these looked too sad to leave sitting on a shelf at yesterday’s estate sale. I’m sure they will be more presentable when they come out of the evaporust later today.
-DonDEDEA696-7B28-4CC7-9399-7F6A8E8FE51A.jpeg72AAE403-1A49-4C2E-AB7D-4133EAAFFEE1.jpeg
 

four.cycle

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d42jeep said:
The brass nut is a nice touch.

It was the only nut in that coffee can that fit the only screw in that coffee can that fit into that tiny hole in those wrenches, and I wasn't about to start turning more coffee cans full of oddball nuts and bolts and screws upside-down at that hour. ;)
 

ejot

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I just have these two offset box sets and really enjoy them. Both are users. Well worn cad plate Select Steel AF and a later 'Duro-Indestro' high polish chrome metric/short.

Select Steel cad.jpg

Duro_Indestro chrome.jpg
 

Private Lugnutz

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...and a later 'Duro-Indestro' high polish chrome metric/short.
Cool set. They actually don't show up that often on GJ, but the marking always elicits interesting thoughts about the company history for me.

4.c tipped his hand when he named this thread with the Indestro name getting top billing, because most collectors refer to the entire enterprise as "Duro-Indestro", and most WWII collectors use "DI" for short, even when they're not only referring to the peculiar "-D-I-" marking that shows up on their socket sets in that era. But as far as I know that was actually the first time in their illustrious history that the two names showed up on the same tools, and even then it was only implied by initials.

For decades begore that, and again after that, it was two distinct brands making and selling two distinct lines of tools which nevertheless often shared some very common traits (and dies!).

So, even though I don't collect tools that late, it's always neat (and, as I said, none too common) to see the full names "DURO/INDESTRO" featured so prominently on a shank.
 

four.cycle

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:lol: I didn't start this thread! This thread is what originally led me to this site 6 years ago! :lol:

On that little set of ejot's above - post #2013 -
That particular set was cranked out in huge numbers by several manufacturers for the military - they were made by Duro-Indestro, S-K, and Proamerica (among others.) There are still dozens (if not hundreds) of brand new NOS sets collecting dust in the aisles of a tool liquidator in Oklahoma City. He's currently asking $55 for the set. Prior to the new owner's acquisition, another GJ member (who lives down there) went down and picked me up a couple of them for $29.99 each. They are very nicely made.
The new owner of the place has been willing to work with me on price on purchases of multiple items.
YMMV
 

bonneyman

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Finally! My long awaited buy of Duro shorty metric DBE's came in. A little more than I wanted to pay but brand new (came in the original factory bag!) and free shipping. Been looking for a set of shorty metrics like this for a long time to augment my SAE sets. Me be a happy man!

If anybody wants a set ebay still has some:
 

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four.cycle

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^ I've been trying to persuade that seller to come up with some sort of "Black Friday" special for members here, but thus far he hasn't come up with anything.
He did shoot me an offer earlier on the 2775A for $18.00 (incl. shipping), but I already own about half a dozen of them - at least four of which still have the price stickers on them.
Did he give you any kind of break on the price? He sent me an offer for $52.00 (incl. shipping) after I'd already told him I bought two sets well over a year ago (for $29.99 each) and gave one to the boy for Christmas last year.

Those wrenches are, amazingly, made with the same kind of fit and finish one would expect from older Indestro product. I was quite impressed with the two sets that I got.
 
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bmwrd0

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^ I've been trying to persuade that seller to come up with some sort of "Black Friday" special for members here, but thus far he hasn't come up with anything.
He did shoot me an offer earlier on the 2775A for $18.00 (incl. shipping), but I already own about half a dozen of them - at least four of which still have the price stickers on them.
Did he give you any kind of break on the price? He sent me an offer for $52.00 (incl. shipping) after I'd already told him I bought two sets well over a year ago (for $29.99 each) and gave one to the boy for Christmas last year.

Those wrenches are, amazingly, made with the same kind of fit and finish one would expect from older Indestro product. I was quite impressed with the two sets that I got.
I bought one of those sets six-seven years ago, I think I paid around 30 bucks shipped. They are beautiful, but I don't think I have ever used them. Then again, I try not to work on my daily driver, which at this point is around 90% of the metric I come across.
 
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d42jeep

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^ I've been trying to persuade that seller to come up with some sort of "Black Friday" special for members here, but thus far he hasn't come up with anything.
He did shoot me an offer earlier on the 2775A for $18.00 (incl. shipping), but I already own about half a dozen of them - at least four of which still have the price stickers on them.
Did he give you any kind of break on the price? He sent me an offer for $52.00 (incl. shipping) after I'd already told him I bought two sets well over a year ago (for $29.99 each) and gave one to the boy for Christmas last year.

Those wrenches are, amazingly, made with the same kind of fit and finish one would expect from older Indestro product. I was quite impressed with the two sets that I got.
On your recommendation I started watching this ratchet listing. He sent me a best offer and I countered with $16.00. Much to my surprise it was accepted.

D38D904F-D2E9-4E87-8969-2B1B5561E9BE.jpeg5797B17A-4E35-4F15-90CF-968EC686C322.jpeg

-Don
 

mogandave

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Thought I had a few other pieces, but the only thing I could find was this number 482 "Industro Super 3/8"-1/2" adaptor...

Industro 01.jpg
 

bonneyman

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^ I've been trying to persuade that seller to come up with some sort of "Black Friday" special for members here, but thus far he hasn't come up with anything.
He did shoot me an offer earlier on the 2775A for $18.00 (incl. shipping), but I already own about half a dozen of them - at least four of which still have the price stickers on them.
Did he give you any kind of break on the price? He sent me an offer for $52.00 (incl. shipping) after I'd already told him I bought two sets well over a year ago (for $29.99 each) and gave one to the boy for Christmas last year.

Those wrenches are, amazingly, made with the same kind of fit and finish one would expect from older Indestro product. I was quite impressed with the two sets that I got.
No, I didn't get a discount. I paid the $54.99 as I've not seen the set in awhile, and being NOS I just grit my teeth and paid it. I have a set of Bonney's in SAE like those, but sadly, Bonney didn't make them in metric.
While not a much used variety of wrench, there's so much metric around that situations arise where one needs a shorty deep offset. I know on my bike repairs it's good to have both long and short metric wrenches. Sometimes those brake attachment bolts are best gotten with a long wrench, other times a shorty works best.

So I ponied up - and took one more tool off of my bucket list so to speak.
 
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four.cycle

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I spent the better part of an hour last night digging around on this site trying to find the photos that former GJ member popparoach posted several years ago that he took inside that building in Oklahoma City when it was still "Meridian Tool". I could not find them.
There were huge boxes full of those wrench sets, mountains of those ratchets, and a big bin full of 2875A 1/4" drive 60-tooth ratchets (star-wheel selector knob.)
I sent him a check and he went down and picked up a mess of stuff and shipped it to me.
A couple years ago, I connected with another GJ member here and he went down and got me the wrench sets ($29.99 each) and a few of the 2775A ratchets ($12.99 each) and shipped them to me.

Here's my best guess:
The new owner (whatchamacallittools) just bought the place. He is sitting on mountains of inventory.

I've been there.

I just don't think he's seen the light yet.

He's got tons of Duro-Indestro and Thorsen II stuff (lots of those "V-groove" wrench sets). IF I really needed to buy more of that stuff (which I do not) I'd just put it on "watch list" and do exactly what Don did - work him down.

Just my two cents.
 

LesserSon

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EA88B9E9-EA45-4FA7-9F3F-D4C40B33D396.jpeg
8F828AC8-0494-43A9-84C1-FF153844E469.jpeg

On the matter of GripAll pliers, these don’t have the characteristic swoopy-S lever, but the circle-DC stamp after the C’man caught my eye and piqued my interest. Considering all the stamped steel products Duro/Indestro produced over the years (bottle-cappers, wrenches, etc) manufacturing locking pliers seems well within their capability.
 

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Private Lugnutz

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That may be the most shocking thing I've seen all year. As far as I know they only used that on their own products, in lieu of their own branding. Secondly, it's pretty much considered a wartime thing. Yeah, it does show up on chromed sockets, so the production gets technically extended to postwar, but immediate postwar. It's not a logo that lived on for them. That geometric Craftsman logo could be that early, I suppose, but I typically think of it as later 40s/transitional. On top of all that, you normally don't see an OEM logo accompanying the Craftsman brand, but some sort of internal Sears, Roebuck & Sons code instead. So, it's all kinds of strange, not one kind of strange.

Neat find.
 

d42jeep

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EA88B9E9-EA45-4FA7-9F3F-D4C40B33D396.jpeg
8F828AC8-0494-43A9-84C1-FF153844E469.jpeg

On the matter of GripAll pliers, these don’t have the characteristic swoopy-S lever, but the circle-DC stamp after the C’man caught my eye and piqued my interest. Considering all the stamped steel products Duro/Indestro produced over the years (bottle-cappers, wrenches, etc) manufacturing locking pliers seems well within their capability.
Good spotting. I’ve only ever seen the Circle DC on wartime Duro/Indestro produced tools. What is the finish on those?
-Don
edit*** typical cross post with Lugz.
 

bonneyman

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I'm no expert on markings, but I'm wondering about it from the angle of that DC mark being a wartime thing. Perhaps Indestro had a bunch of top halves of the tools done and the war ended? Along comes Sears after the war looking for tools, and Indestro meets their price point by selling them pliers made with the surplus tops they had laying in storage. They remark them "CRAFTSMAN", and add Sears number on the lower jaw. That DC mark isn't that pronounced, and most people other than us collectors wouldn't even notice it. (I didn't notice it until I saw the close-up pic). They'd see "CRAFTSMAN" and be good to go. And everybody is happy.

Possible?
 

Private Lugnutz

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Possible?
That would make perfect sense and be the most logical explanation if we had examples of wartime locking plier-wrenches with DI Circle-X/Circle-DC marks. Just to be sure what I mean when I say "all kinds of strange" - as far as I know, nobody has ever seen ANY locking plier-wrench with a Circle-X/Circle-DC marking. Now we see one and it's also branded Craftsman.
 

four.cycle

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You wouldn't be stamping symbols or names on the piece after it had been assembled - it would crush the mechanism.

The Indestro locking pliers was one item I steered clear of, because we started carrying the Petersen "Vise Grip" line in the mid-1970s. The Petersen was a far better product than the Indestro, which was actually not all that bad. We didn't get a lot of them back, but then we didn't sell a lot of them either when we could sell a guy a set of Taiwan-made "Hollywood Accessories" locking pliers for $2.99.

I have no doubt that they were making their own - they really don't resemble any other makes when you start looking at details. The finish was shiny, but not polished. Very similar to the finish on the Petersen models of the day.
 

Mintgrun

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I have a similar pair of locking pliers, currently on slide-hammer duty.

IMG_0366.JPG

These have a different part number, but the only difference I see are the straight jaws on mine.

I am not up on what all the circle markings mean, but does the (I) in this one refer to Indestro?

IMG_0367.JPG

I could see where a sloppy I stamp might resemble DC, but the stamp above is curvy enough that I don't think it is an I.

Tom
 

four.cycle

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according to Mr. Lauver's list, the "I in c circle" logo is Parker:

I-circle = Parker Mfg Co, ca. 1939 - 1950, 1957 - 1986, & 1970 - 1996 (note- the 1st period represents amber/blue handled screwdrivers; the 2nd period represents locking pliers; the 3rd period represents laminated RBE wrenches)

Parker / Parker Mfg. Co., Worcester, MA / est. 1901 / patent 3181181 May 4 1965 J.Z. Buckley / https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=427314 / https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=6206429#post6206429 / https://progress-is-fine.blogspot.com/2015/11/vanished-tool-brands-parker-line.html /
 

LesserSon

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D5DE5376-17FB-4FF9-98DE-65B5034E3C2C.jpeg
I was doubtful enough, I had to look again and take another picture.
The finish is not shiny, but there is something over the steel. I don’t think cadmium, but maybe zinc?
 

LesserSon

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The other side isn’t much more help - just “Made in USA”FDB4721A-BE13-4AFF-9B6B-5605890E28BD.jpegAnother weirdness about it: there is no adjustment bolt, but more importantly, no threads inside the hollow of the handle. I was going to try tapping it to accept a typical Petersen adjustment bolt.
37F2DA5D-E742-4408-A7B1-A5D29C42C469.jpeg
EDIT - oops, sorry! I see from the others, there is a missing insert that is threaded. Not so weird on that point, then.
 
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LesserSon

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I have 5 other C’man grips - 3 have “Made in USA,” - none identical.51EAD1CA-E34C-4ADA-8959-06C1070496D2.jpeg
All marked circle-I - even the sloppiest doesn’t resemble a circle-DC.
4CD0A9BE-7591-4C87-965A-B97DEA334877.jpeg
BUT the top one is so similar in construction details, I think the “circle-DC” MUST be a Parker with an odd and so far inexplicable mis-strike.
 
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