Show your "Long C" Craftsman!

[Outlawmws]

just due to age and propensity to be destroyed over the years

Not to mention sears warranty returns...

 

[outofbounds]

My humble addition behind some of the amazing sets upthread. Long C Roll Pin punch. It looks like it was probably used only once… But that didn’t stop the original owner from grinding off the deflection marks at the head. OCD?

 

[Ricky Joe]

My gut says the top one is newer? But don’t quote me. Hopefully others will weigh in

I think the top one is older. The bottom one looks like Vlchek.

 

[LesserSon]

The stamp on the cheek of the Vlchek-looking ballpein on p28 of the 1939 catalog doesn’t show in the illustration, but the oval geometric-C logo on the handle does.
Likewise, the stamp on the Stanley-looking ballpein on p31 of the 1942 catalog doesn’t show, but the full-underline-C logo on the handle does.
Admittedly, the oval logo is not a perfect match, because the letters following C on the Don’s hammer do not swell out to fill the oval like the ‘39 cat illustration. But I agree with Smoke’s guess: the bottom hammer is older.

 

[genog]

A few Craftsman Vanadium pieces showed up this weekend

 

[JoCoSawdust]

We've hit one hundred pages in here!!

To the best of my knowledge, this is every Craftsman-branded midget set Sears sold from the Vanadium set in the early 1930's up to the timeframe that I was born, the mid-60s with the butterfly sets. I'm kicking around some ideas of building a display rack for them but doubt I'll have time to act on it this time around. I'm still missing some odds and ends, particularly in the large 50's set but surprisingly, most of the T-bars are accounted for. If anyone knows of any sets that I'm missing, please clue me in.

 

[d42jeep]

Looks great. I’ve been very happy with my Plomb tower that my buddy built out of redwood scraps. Here it is during construction and complete. One like it would look great with those sets on it.
-Don

 

[JoCoSawdust]

Yup, your tower is what inspired the idea to me Don, thanks for letting me look at it naked! One thing about having a larger collection is that I sometimes forget what I have. I'm trying to move towards displaying more of what I've got and that tower is just the ticket.

 

[Patrick Eubanks]

Joco sawdust where are you located. Im in eastern NC and a vintage craftsman collector as well. Nice sets you have there. The vanadium and the midget clip are my favorites

 

[Smokeshow69]

We've hit one hundred pages in here!!

To the best of my knowledge, this is every Craftsman-branded midget set Sears sold from the Vanadium set in the early 1930's up to the timeframe that I was born, the mid-60s with the butterfly sets. I'm kicking around some ideas of building a display rack for them but doubt I'll have time to act on it this time around. I'm still missing some odds and ends, particularly in the large 50's set but surprisingly, most of the T-bars are accounted for. If anyone knows of any sets that I'm missing, please clue me in.

Wow, this is no small undertaking! It looks like you have them all represented but I’ve been wrong before. I agree you should build a shelf to display them on! Plus it makes them easy for use to be able to grab one and open it up. Nicely done!

 

[Cruzan80]

For the top right brown one (with a decal), does it have an embossed Craftsman circle logo on the lid? If not, I think I may have a box to another one.

 

[Mintgrun]

To the best of my knowledge, this is every Craftsman-branded midget set Sears sold from the Vanadium set in the early 1930's up to the timeframe that I was born, the mid-60s with the butterfly sets.

It looks like you have this set in brown. Did any other sets come in more than one color?

 

[d42jeep]

Many of mine have been assembled with a lot of help from JoCo. I’m not a big Craftsman collector but I do like my 1/4” drive tools!
-Don

 

[Patrick Eubanks]

For the top right brown one (with a decal), does it have an embossed Craftsman circle logo on the lid? If not, I think I may have a box to another one.

Sounds like you may have a vanadium box

 

[Patrick Eubanks]

It looks like you have this set in brown. Did any other sets come in more than one color?

I have a c set that’s a red color and a v 40’s set that is blue

 

[JoCoSawdust]

Thanks Smoke. Don, for a "not a Craftsman collector" that sure is a nice line up! Mintgun, I have another C-series midget set in a black crackle box. I think black crackle was used prior to the blue crackle. I have about equal numbers of each in socket boxes and carry boxes. Cruzan, the brown clamshell with the early Craftsman decal inside does not have one on the outside (and looks like it never did). I have seen that same clamshell with the decal inside and out. Patrick, sending you a private message.

 

[Cruzan80]

Not a decal on the outside, but embossed. Will grab a pic when I find it again.

 

[JoCoSawdust]

Ah. To the best of my knowledge, the embossed cases were only found with the Vanadium sets. My vanadium midget box isn't embossed but my 3/8d Fit More box is embossed. There may have been embossed midget boxes but I've yet to see one.

 

[Cruzan80]

Gotcha. I don't know which size mine is (besides knowing it is not 1/2"). Will have to check.

 

[LesserSon]

2269537 (granted 13Jan1942) No.6679 tapping drill index, probably made by General.
As I started to go through it, I realized the middle tier is missing the support hinge. All but one of the drills are numbered, though made by a few different manufacturers, and of course most are missing (especially the smallest).

 

[Outlawmws]

LS, is it missing the hinge, or the linkage that makes it an "Automatic" index??

 

[RTM]

2269537 (granted 13Jan1942) No.6679 tapping drill index, probably made by General.
As I started to go through it, I realized the middle tier is missing the support hinge. All but one of the drills are numbered, though made by a few different manufacturers, and of course most are missing (especially the smallest).

I have the same index. pixs below. Maybe I can get better pix if you can figure out what you are missing where. No linkages between the layers, gravity make them fall open. The bottom has a foot which stops it from opening too far, I see it on yours.

The side slats on the indices just help them fold shut when needed.

Looks like you are missing the index for 1 - 17 and 18 - 37, but I don't think that is critical to making it work, just saving your eyes. if your middle tier isn't dropping, may just be bound up, or bent.

 

[LesserSon]

Thank you RTM. The middle tier does drop. I think it lost the index part because one of the “pins” or nubs is chipped so it is tapered rather than cylindrical. The index probably slipped off. I’d think the PO probably had kept it somewhere, but it became separated at some point. I think the sellers were his daughters.
No, Outlaw, the hinge of the case is fine, it’s just the middle tier index is gone. I described it as hinged because it pivots as you open the case. Not as complex as cantilever trays; as RTM said, it just rocks down from gravity.

 

[RTM]

I can try to get you a nice hi res shot so you can spend many hours and dollars recreating that tier, or just print it on paper, stick it on a tin, and save your eyes.

 

[LesserSon]

One straight-on image of the printed surface would be nice. I’ll do what I can with it.

 

[RTM]

One straight-on image of the printed surface would be nice. I’ll do what I can with it.

Hope this works.

 

[genog]

I've got a fondness for Double box end wrenches
....and Craftsman Long C stuff

 

[JohnDeere]

Here is a neat one! It is a little rough though.

 

[Outlawmws]

Nice find JD!

I picked up a smaller "Yankee" style driver, with the Geometric letters so in the era, but it also has the dark blue paint on part, so I'm thinking 30's early 40's:





I like this little guy, runs very smooth adn I haven't even oiled it! I wish it locked in the "closed" position.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Here's a smaller set from 30s

 

[Patrick Eubanks]

Alright tool box guys. I give up. I’m trying to get the wrinkle or texture finish on a box. Blue of course. How’s it done? I have tried every trick that I know of. Used a texture enamel paint underneath and proceeded to fill in the texture with this self leveling paint. I have tried sponging it as it dries. I’m out of options

 

[d42jeep]

I have shown examples of my technique in the past. I use VHT black wrinkle finish on as warm of day as I can to maximize the wrinkling. After the paint dries for a couple of days I lightly paint over the wrinkle with whatever finish color is desired. Your results may vary. Here is a Craftsman box I did in 2020.
-Don

 

[Smokeshow69]

Alright tool box guys. I give up. I’m trying to get the wrinkle or texture finish on a box. Blue of course. How’s it done? I have tried every trick that I know of. Used a texture enamel paint underneath and proceeded to fill in the texture with this self leveling paint. I have tried sponging it as it dries. I’m out of options

I feel your pain. I can’t get it to wrinkle to save my life. OTG and D42 are wrinkle experts on here. I have seen guys use a heat gun on it while it’s still wet to accelerate the process? Check some YouTube videos as well. That might be helpful. I need to try my hand at it again this summer to see if I can get it to wrinkle

 

[Old Radar]

Don--
I haven't tried repainting with a crinkle finish myself, but I understand through your posts the importance of temperature to the success of the process. I use an old toaster oven in the garage to cure my painting projects and I am interested in your thoughts on how that might be employed in the crinkle process, instead of waiting for a warm day. The lowest setting on my oven is 175. Do you think that is too high? If nothing else, it may be a good way to pre-warm the item before hitting it with the crinkle paint.

 

[d42jeep]

It may work well but I haven’t tried it. I tried a heat lamp once on a day that wasn’t all that warm and wasn’t pleased with the result. I think that the heating wasn’t even enough. I would think that you would have plenty of hot days in Texas!
-Don

 

[Old Radar]

^^^ Oh, yeah. Heat index yesterday was 113. Might be a little warmer today...

 

[Smokeshow69]

^^^ Oh, yeah. Heat index yesterday was 113. Might be a little warmer today...

Just shoot the box and then set it on the pavement . It will cure really quickly!

 

[TexTJ209]

As an aside to the great crinkle debate, I've also got two mid 30s era Craftsman boxes, both ignition sets, that have this interesting alligator-skin esque texture to them. Kinda similar to the crazing on a bad paint job.

 

[RTM]

Kinda similar to the crazing on a bad paint job.

You mean that's not how a paint job should turn out? Damn

 

[Smokeshow69]

As an aside to the great crinkle debate, I've also got two mid 30s era Craftsman boxes, both ignition sets, that have this interesting alligator-skin esque texture to them. Kinda similar to the crazing on a bad paint job.

Is that cardboard the uncommon insert with the ignition tools wires to it?