Show your "Long C" Craftsman!

[notlob]

That's really cool! I'd love to have one just to use the lid as wall art.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Wow. My instinct is almost always "as is" preservation over restoration, but I'd be tempted to de-rust, blast, and re-paint that. That is an incredible uncommon piece with a huge forged-in brand. Congrats on the find.

 

[3baygarage]

The tank’s awesome. Never seen one. I agree Notlob, I’d love to find the lid somewhere.

Figured I better post this before it’s too late. Looks like it’s all good on the outside, but the sun showing through reveals some light lines that could be the onset of AHIBD, or “Amber Handle Internal Breakdown Disease”.

 

[Username already in use]

Yours is in much better shape than mine is. I've heard that if you clean it and coat it with clear spray paint, it will stop the off-gassing. I've never tried it though. Mine is too far gone.
Posted HERE.

 

[ed4banger]

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[ed4banger]

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[notlob]

Nice! Those sockets sets are in especially good shape.

 

[ed4banger]

Nice! Those sockets sets are in especially good sha.

 

[Rileysan]

The condition of the 1/2" sockets in the other two sets is just as good. Really having trouble finding a 3/8" set of circle H though. Weird.

I find single sockets all the time but sets in the boxes are no easy to come by. My personal opinion is that it has to do with the size of the metal box they came in - they take up too much room in your tool box!

Brian

 

[Username already in use]

Really having trouble finding a 3/8" set of circle H though. Weird.

I scored a partial set of 3/8" drive (H) Craftsman at the flea last year. The box and sockets are in nowhere near as nice of condition as your fine sets. I've been on the casual hunt for sockets since I found this set and haven't had a ton of success. The sockets look worse then they are. There's still a bunch of that yellow oil on them which has picked up some dust and debris. The odd thing is the T-bar handle was in the box, but not the breaker bar... that never happens!

 

[Outlawmws]

Nice Long C stuff Ed!

 

[ed4banger]

I find single sockets all the time but sets in the boxes are no easy to come by. My personal opinion is that it has to do with the size of the metal box they came in - they take up too much room in your tool box!

Brian

I recently snagged a box, and am just going to assemble a set a piece at a time. Have a descent rachet and speed handle, that's it so far.

 

[Username already in use]

Here's a handful of old orphaned Craftsman sockets.
chrome 1-1/16" BE Craftsman (no long C) 1/2" drive
chrome 19/32" BE Long C 1/2" drive
C-28 7/8" Craftmsan (no long C) 1/2" drive
3-8" long C 1/4" drive
The C-28 is the oldest one I've found.

 

[406Rich]

Picked this Long C up on the way home today...only thing I saw that was worth it..50 cents..

 

[DD T/A]

I hope you guys don't mind me leaving this here, I got another banded but not "long C" Craftsman today, in pretty good shape too.

 

[r_olson_06]

Nice find on the rope braid. They are a tough find.

I hope you guys don't mind me leaving this here, I got another banded but not "long C" Craftsman today, in pretty good shape too.

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk

 

[mjbuffum]

Considering it's age, this is probably the best condition I've picked up an OWWM so far. This runs silently, and the badges are even in fair condition.

Bittersweet, as this rounds out the vintage power tools I'll be buying for the near future.

 

[Username already in use]

Considering it's age, this is probably the best condition I've picked up an OWWM so far. This runs silently, and the badges are even in fair condition.

That's a nice looking router table.

I had some Long C Craftsman follow me home this weekend.
The complete set of (H) 1/4" drive with the case (only lightly used, if ever. The drive tools still have that yellow varnish all over them), tappet wrench and a couple of orphan BE sockets.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Picked up this 16 oz (1 lb 7 ozs with handle) ball-pein hammer with a strong marking at the Early Early Bird flea market this morning. Without a doubt made by Vlchek. (I'm going to have to put a wire whipping on the handle! )

 

[notlob]

Hey Lugz -

What gives you the indication that hammer was made by Vlchek? Font style? Head shape? V-shield on other side?

 

[lafester]

Picked this up a few days ago. Slowly getting it cleaned up. The wheels are off in this pic but I wanted to put it together since I got it in pieces. Just missing a motor mount, motor and cover knobs. The housings have some cracks but I think it will clean up ok. There aren't many of these left so it's nice to save one of them.

1938 Walker Turner 16 in.

 

[DD T/A]

How much would one of those funky ratchets in 1/4" drive be worth, and what would be considered a good deal? I say a reliable vendor at the swap selling one. The square socket peg also pushed through the head, along with having it's directional changing switch, which I though was weird.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Hey Lugz -

What gives you the indication that hammer was made by Vlchek? Font style? Head shape? V-shield on other side?

Sorry for the delayed reply, notlob! I didn't see this before.

Yes, the head shape on Vlchek machinists' ball-pein hammers is very distinctive from all other hammers. It's an unusual oval and, unlike others that are oval but perpendicular to the handle, the oval is turned parallel to the handle, and the cheek leads into the poll. I've collected dozens of 40's era machinists' ball-pein hammers, for jeep (16 oz) and GMTK (4, 16 and 32 oz) sets, in all kinds of makes (Fairmount, Williams, Bonney, Vaughan, Plumb, etc) and the Vlchek is very distinctive. (Williams are, too, for different reasons.)

See Pic 1.

Additionally, the Craftsman "BT" code is known to be Vlchek, and I had a DUNLAP BT hammer that was also clearly Vlchek made. (EDIT: It's now in Donlap Land.)

See Pic 2.

I didn't mention it originally, but this is the second Craftsman Long C hammer I have found with Craftsman blue paint remains in the last three months. The first was back in March, also reported on this thread, on page 21, linked here. That post included a 1942 catalog excerpt.

 

[Username already in use]

How much would one of those funky ratchets in 1/4" drive be worth, and what would be considered a good deal? I say a reliable vendor at the swap selling one. The square socket peg also pushed through the head, along with having it's directional changing switch, which I though was weird.

It's tough question to answer. Personally, I only pick up ratchets at the flea for a few dollars. If it's one I've been hunting for, I'd probably give a few more. The 1/4" ratchets with the removable plug aren't super rare, but having the drive plug makes them more desirable, for certain.

 

[d42jeep]

Sorry for the delayed reply, notlob! I didn't see this before.

Yes, the head shape on Vlchek machinists' ball-pein hammers is very distinctive from all other hammers. It's an unusual oval and, unlike others that are oval but perpendicular to the handle, the oval is turned parallel to the handle, and the cheek leads into the poll. I've collected dozens of 40's era machinists' ball-pein hammers, for jeep (16 oz) and GMTK (4, 16 and 32 oz) sets, in all kinds of makes (Fairmount, Williams, Bonney, Vaughan, Plumb, etc) and the Vlchek is very distinctive. (Williams are, too, for different reasons.)

See Pic 1.

Additionally, the Craftsman "BT" code is known to be Vlchek, and I had a DUNLAP BT hammer that was also clearly Vlchek made. (EDIT: It's now in Donlap Land.)

Right where it belongs!

It's tough question to answer. Personally, I only pick up ratchets at the flea for a few dollars. If it's one I've been hunting for, I'd probably give a few more. The 1/4" ratchets with the removable plug aren't super rare, but having the drive plug makes them more desirable, for certain.

Usually the drive plugs are equal in value to the ratchets, since the originals are so hard to find.
I found a nice long C tappet wrench at an estate sale in Berkeley this morning.
-Don

 

[Joe506]

I just picked up this vise today. Does anyone know anything about this model?

 

[Outlawmws]

Reed built Craftsman from 1945 or so. 66 lbs, should be 4-1/2" jaws.

Catalog pages here: https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=149519

 

[Joe506]

Thanks it does have 4 1/2”jaws. I’ll have to search around to figure out how to break it down and clean it.

 

[Outlawmws]

Basic breakdown is easy: Just unscrew until the slide come out. if it binds back off and check for raised dings or dinged corners. Stone those flat.

For the swivel base there should be a big screw/bolt dead center. that and the swivel clamps hold the base on. its pretty basic!

 

[txlonghorn1989]

Since this is a long C Craftsman thread I thought I might ask here about where I can find the components of the different 1/2" drive BE socket sets Sears may have offered. It's in my mind that the BE sockets were sold in the 30's but I'm not sure of that. Any help or pointers to where I can find ads or documentation on what sets were made up of would be greatly appreciated! I've got 8 BE sockets that I'd like to turn into some kind of set that Sears would have sold.

Thanks!
Mike

 

[Outlawmws]

TX, they were made from 31- 47; and I'm sure through WWII for the military, but as New Britain not Craftsman I'm sure. The only catalog I have is 1942 which was pretty much the end of the era for civilian use until the war ended. I don't recall exactly when the raised panels replaced (48?), but the 49 catalog shows raised panels on the cover. certainly shortly after WWII.

These are the "deluxe sets" but the same tools came with and without the blue stripes, and of course there were the amber handled tools a notch higher.

and the Standard sets:

The old catalogs in PDF are your friends.

 

[dkroth]

Humans.













.

 

[Joe506]

Thank you!

 

[Rileysan]

Long-C carpenter's tool box anyone? I gave $10 for it at a swap meet today. I could hardly contain myself!

Brian

 

[txlonghorn1989]

TX, they were made from 31- 47; and I'm sure through WWII for the military, but as New Britain not Craftsman I'm sure. The only catalog I have is 1942 which was pretty much the end of the era for civilian use until the war ended. I don't recall exactly when the raised panels replaced (48?), but the 49 catalog shows raised panels on the cover. certainly shortly after WWII.

...

The old catalogs in PDF are your friends.

I'll check that '49 catalog to see what the socket sizes were and what accessorties were included in the deluxe and standard sets. I notice in the '49 catalog that the 21/32" socket isn't available. So I reckon I'll have to assume what one of those earlier sets were based on the later sets plus or minus some parts/pieces.

Thanks!

 

[d42jeep]

As I posted in the 2018 Garage sale thread, I found this Craftsman long C 1/4” box at the Tahoe flea yesterday. I think it will be a good place to keep my 1/4” drive BE tools.
-Don

 

[Private Lugnutz]

It also helps to continue to confirm, for me, anyway, that the 1/4-inch drive BE or (H) sets found in Heritage era boxes, like their larger 3/8- and 1/2-inch drive cousins, are more likely very late 40's production tools, in that transition period, when they introduced the new logo and boxes, but hadn't yet dropped the New Britain made tools.

 

[drivesitfar]

ALL: i'm starting to find some of my Long C tools so i'll have more to post soon, but i just picked up this Long C 1/2 inch drill that the owner called a WIDOW MAKER. it should spiff up nicely and already works if I need it to. yep it's got a lot of muscle if i find I need some, but I need to remember to stand clear and/or quickly turn the power off if the drill bit catches while drilling (hence the Widow Maker name).

cheers

 

[gpw_42]

As I posted in the 2018 Garage sale thread, I found this Craftsman long C 1/4” box at the Tahoe flea yesterday. I think it will be a good place to keep my 1/4” drive BE tools.
-Don

Don, is that box black or blue crinkle? I'm thinking black, but would rather ask than assume.

And Lugz, I picked up the same vibe about Heritage boxes for 1/4" drive sets. I found a Walden box some time ago, and have started to (slowly) work on a set. Figure that'll be a better fit for my GMTK than the Craftsman.

 

[d42jeep]

Don, is that box black or blue crinkle? I'm thinking black, but would rather ask than assume.

And Lugz, I picked up the same vibe about Heritage boxes for 1/4" drive sets. I found a Walden box some time ago, and have started to (slowly) work on a set. Figure that'll be a better fit for my GMTK than the Craftsman.

I would call it a very dark blue. Here it is next to a partial New Britain set I received today. The boxes are very similar but the New Britain set is black wrinkle.
-Don