Show your Indestro and Duro-Chrome tools

[genog]

^ I was referring to the two sets just above that Don posted, both of which are Indestro's "Master" series carbon-steel composition.

Contemporaneously, they were also manufacturing "Super Quality" chromium-vanadium sockets, drive accessories, and wrenches, which are still on a par value with any of the top-shelf manufacturers of the current era (as would be the brands you just mentioned.)

That's exactly what I meant
That's why I am glad to hear that those tools are still being used

 

[Outlawmws]

I use older tools routinely, and if all you are doing is really old vintage cars, why not use the same vintage tools? just don't go using modern Impacts and cheaters on them.

I have a pretty old Mustang 13/16 - not an impact, that has been my go-to for tire changes WITH an impact for decades. No sign of "impact rash" and its been through a lot... Racing, I've almost always change my own tires, etc...

Point being you can sue them, just use them within reason. My point on the mustang is some tools are much tougher than you think. Of course, some are not, and the gorillas can break anything...

 

[Ricky Joe]

Duro-Chrome. Bought to be used on a 1939 Plymouth.

 

[saukit]

Pretty sure the top wrench here is Duro Chrome, if I remember correctly they are the ones that used Super Quality and the little stamp looks like a circle x to me...not sure of the one on the bottom, it's unmarked.

 

[RyanTN]

Duro-Chrome. Bought to be used on a 1939 Plymouth.

Those are great pullers. I have the same design with “OTC” labeling. I should get a pic of it posted.

 

[d42jeep]

You are close, Super Quality is an Indestro marking. During WW2 they weren’t too particular about whether the tools were Duro or Indestro. Lots of my wartime Duro sets came with Indestro ratchets.
-Don

 

[Username already in use]

Pretty sure the top wrench here is Duro Chrome, if I remember correctly they are the ones that used Super Quality and the little stamp looks like a circle x to me...not sure of the one on the bottom, it's unmarked.

I believe the second wrench, the S shaped wrench, is for an Indian motorcycle.
@Private Lugnutz has a similar wrench posted HERE.
If it’s the same wrench, that’s quite a find.

 

[saukit]

Thanks Don on the Indestro clarification! One of these days I'll find a wrench you don't have yet, although that day will probably not be any time soon

Also, thanks UNAIU for that reference, the one I have has no markings at all and the box ends seem a bit more crude than the one Lugz posted, but the shape certainly seems the same. I got this one in a batch with a number of other somewhat crude unmarked wrenches, most of which are posted in the Hinsdale thread.

 

[d42jeep]

four.cycle sent me a nice empty Indestro hex key pouch yesterday. Today I spent a few scintillating hours going through my bag of plated hex keys in order to complete the set.
-Don

 

[Private Lugnutz]

but the shape certainly seems the same

If each box is set on a 15* offset and both openings are 1/2", it is very likely for WWII era Indian 741 (chain drive) or 841 (shaft drive) cylinder base bolts, as UNAIU alluded to.

 

[d42jeep]

While I was putting my recent 3/8” drive ratchet away, I took a picture of my remaining Indestro ratchets.
-Don

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

My set is not in daily use, but comes out for the odd square nut. I do have an age appropriate flip over ratchet somewhere, but it's not nickel plate like these. 9/16 hex I think is all I'm straight missing but as you can see, 2 are cracked pretty bad. The latch is pretty lame, but I guess lends some authenticity? It was there when I got it along with the unmarked unidentified hex set and an even deeper coat of grime.

 

[Debcrow]

Indestro 2 1/2 inch Swivel Base Vise

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Here is an oddball. Chrome nickel?

 

[four.cycle]

really?

Chrome Nickel Sockets? Who made these? 04/09/21

any ideas? There IS mention of "Chrome Nickel" being touted in a 1931 Sears catalog on a model 1536 "DuroBilt" socket set shown at Alloy-Artifacts, but if you scroll down just a bit you'll also see "Chrome Nickel" on a Hinsdale box. I am flummoxed! :dunno:

www.garagejournal.com

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum...-walden-tools-here.392993/page-3#post-9382070 and following posts /

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Drive tools all labeled duro, ratchet pat pending, so dates it to that time frame

 

[four.cycle]

^ the patent on the ratchet (1798481) was issued Mar 31 1931. the "L-T" handle patent (1744413) was issued Jan 21 1930. Assuming the pieces are all original, that would date the set to 1930-1931.

obviously the "Chrome Nickel" moniker was used not only by Walden and Hinsdale.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Apparently not. I have a few walden chrome nickel sockets that have no resemblance to these.

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

The square shank on the speeder is pretty unique I think.

The big sockets also don't have the pronounced(expensively machined?) Swoop that my star sockets do....thinking 1929ish on my set?

 

[JjKk40]

Picked up a few 1/4 & a 3/8 wartime sets. Heres the 1st one of the 1/4, set #4504. Cadmium plated and almost complete. I had to add a Tommy bar from a black ox craftsman BE set and a small Xcellite driver. Im on the lookout for the correct driver and Tommy bar!

 

[d42jeep]

Picked up a few 1/4 & a 3/8 wartime sets. Heres the 1st one of the 1/4, set #4504. Cadmium plated and almost complete. I had to add a Tommy bar from a black ox craftsman BE set and a small Xcellite driver. Im on the lookout for the correct driver and Tommy bar!

Wartime Duro plastic is pretty well known for self destructing. Any wartime Duro plastic handled tools are pretty much Unicorns. Many of the wartime sets came with D-I sockets. Here are a couple of sets in progress.
-Don

 

[JjKk40]

These sets came with a mix of D-I and Duro-Chrome actually. My OCD made me put them in order together in each set! Lol! Yeah I haven't come across any of the drivers anywhere rescently for these sets.

 

[d42jeep]

Here is your large 1/4” drive box in a wartime photo. Probably the only intact Duro spinner picture around. (Except for Tin Medic’s)
-Don

 

[JjKk40]

Here is your large 1/4” drive box in a wartime photo. Probably the only intact Duro spinner picture around. (Except for Tin Medic’s)
-Don

Oh damn I guess they really are unicorns! The plastic was really that bad?

 

[d42jeep]

Here is my Unicorn spinner in 2017 damaging the surrounding tools with it’s off gassing. I have it sealed up in a ziplock now but the chunks of the handle are falling off quickly. I use unmarked spinners or amber handle Indestro spinners as substitutes.
-Don

 

[Username already in use]

@d42jeep Same. Mine continues to decompose.
I've actually got 1 and a half Duro spinners. The one with no handle came with one of the sets I bought.

 

[d42jeep]

I would find a similar amber handle and press in that spinner shaft. My 9/32“ drive Snap-On spinner didn’t look too good either. It really rusted the ratchet! The shaft now has a new handle. It seemed better than throwing it away.
-Don

 

[JjKk40]

Omg! How does that actually do that? Is it made out of the acetate that the smelly Xcellite handles are made of?

 

[Outlawmws]

JK, your laces are missing!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I think Duro used Pyralin (pyroxylin), a DuPont product, like Snap-on and Herbrand. Not cellulose acetate butyrate. But I'd have to double-check that this weekend. I'm on the road. They're both early plastics that badly desiccate and off gas.

 

[Ricky Joe]

If each box is set on a 15* offset and both openings are 1/2", it is very likely for WWII era Indian 741 (chain drive) or 841 (shaft drive) cylinder base bolts, as UNAIU alluded to.

Snap-On made the same wrench in 1/2, 9/16, and 5/8 configurations. I have the 1/2” and 5/8”, dated 1934 and 1935. Still seeking the 9/16”. They are indeed very handy at times. I last used mine replacing the thermostat on a Ford 302 without removing the AC.

 

[Ricky Joe]

@d42jeep Same. Mine continues to decompose.
I've actually got 1 and a half Duro spinners. The one with no handle came with one of the sets I bought.

I have a Williams short screwdriver decomposed like that.

 

[Ricky Joe]

The Herbrand is offset like the Blue Points, but has a different size on each end. I don’t know if Herbrand made sets like ignition wrenches, where the opposite side was represented on another wrench.

 

[d42jeep]

Here is an upgrade for the Duro ignition wrench set in my keeper GMTK. It came missing the smallest wrench and the Unicorn screwdriver which I transferred from my previous set. It’s rare to find one that’s not torn or worn through. My former keeper set will move into the Plomb based GMTK.
-Don

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Here are some closer pics of the partial wartime Duro set I just dug out of a second-hand tools store yesterday. Sockets are all "-D-I-" from 3/16" to 1/4" 6-pointers, 9/32" to 7/16" 12-pointers and the standard 8-pointers. The handles are not marked, which is not too unusual. While I have had a couple of these sets in the smaller boxes, all moved on to other WWII collectors, this is the first "large case" set I have ever run into. I was happy to see the crossbar. One of the most ironic things about the 1942 QMC photo from NARA (Don re-posted it in post #2183 just upthread on this page) showing the Duro "large case" set - other than the fact that there are actually two midget sets pictured, is the fact that the crossbar is missing from the Duro set! Think about it! In a formal inspection layout photo. In 1942. We get dismayed when they're missing, but that dismay started 70+ years ago!

It's going to be fun looking for the rat, the sliding tee, and especially the spinner. (No eBay tips, please! I mean in the wild.)

 

[four.cycle]

^ that's kind of unusual, because almost all the breakers I've seen are stamped with a number at minimum. (Indestro 2850/Duro 4550)
I've seen extensions with no markings at all, though.
I'm going to assume you guys already saw this.

And you're not going to find an early D-I spinner on Ebay anyway - Don already owns all of the few that are left.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

almost all the breakers I've seen are stamped with a number at minimum.

You may be right. It may be the extension I'm thinking of, but frankly, I'm not motivated enough to go through my old photos to try to find other examples. Duro's production had a lot of variance in this larger timeframe, in my experience. The drive stud on the **** end of the hinge handle or not, for example. I don't have the same degree of interest in trying to figure a pattern or chronology out, or even in following anyone else's documenting of it, as I do some other brands.

And you're not going to find an early D-I spinner on Ebay anyway

I wasn't referring only to the spinner, but I don't plan to look.

 

[d42jeep]

I just grabbed a G series 1/4” drive extension on eBay since they are kind of hard to find. Lugz, you wouldn’t like the price of the ratchets on eBay recently anyway. They seem to suddenly be made of gold.
-Don
This is why the spinners are a little hard to find. Photo courtesy of Tin Medic.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

This is why the spinners are a little hard to find.

I am well aware of their scarcity, but I've never been totally convinced that's the main reason. Tool makers were not making their own plastic. Everyone was getting their CAB or Pyralin from the same places, so unless Duro (and more likely Duro's suppliers) got all the really bad batches a few years in a row, which is unlikely, I don't subscribe to the theory that their handles desiccated and off-gassed any more severely than any other mfgr's. Not to be disagreeable. It just doesn't make sense to me for that reason. There's no doubt it was an issue, I just have a hard time understanding how it would be an issue that hit Duro's spinners harder than anyone else's. I have a few really bad NB spinner handles, for example. Maybe Duro just didn't make as many. I don't know.

 

[d42jeep]

I have Snap-on just as bad or worse.
-Don