Show your vintage Lufkin tools

[cretedog]

Squares

 

[cretedog]

Squares

 

[cretedog]

Squares

 

[cretedog]

Tank dipper

 

[cretedog]

Planer gauge. And the planer it goes with

 

[craftsman creep]

Just got this Lufkin tape measureBut there is no handle to crank. What should I do to fix that.
-Preston

 

[RTM]

Not that old, maybe contact mfg see if they sell spares. As you can see, not a tiny handle, so if you are willing to drill the hub to add a pin, make one however you can, wood metal, plastic.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07C28884G/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[rlitman]

I found this model 3227 12” English-Metric rule lost in an old piece of furniture I recently took apart. Four days in Evaporust made it readable again. Looking online at catalog 11, page 102, I find the model a little different, so I’m thinking this is from between 1897 and 1918.

 

[alfadan]

I found this model 3227 12” English-Metric rule lost in an old piece of furniture I recently took apart. Four days in Evaporust made it readable again. Looking online at catalog 11, page 102, I find the model a little different, so I’m thinking this is from between 1897 and 1918.

"Where did I put that ****** thing?! There goes a week's pay!"

 

[Beerhippie]

My favorite (uh, only) Lufkin Rule:





72" with aluminum blades and brass hinge/locks. Love the ornate number fount.

1920-1950(?)

I used Lufkin tapes (black body) on the jobsite for years. I took a lot of **** from the Stanley 'stans, but I never needed or wanted anything else. Then Lufkin went somewhere bad.....

 

[Tynee]

Gentlemen, can anybody school me a bit on these old Lufkin mics? I've decided I want a quality vintage 0-1" mic, but can't decide which one. I think I've settled that I'm looking for friction thimble, but I'm not sure what that translates into in the old lufkin model #'s? I see 1911's 1641's, 1641V's, 1942's...

Any help?

 

[Nutria]

Tynee, I'm no help on the Lufkin 0-1" mics, but while we wait for a more knowledgeable person to come along, here are some odds and ends.

- No. 3851 36" folding boxwood rule
- No. 515 depth micrometer and rod set in box
- No. 513 depth micrometer, no rods or box
- Largest of No. 79 telescoping gauge set
- White Clad 100' metal tape
- No. 60 rule

The depth micrometer and telescoping gauge sets are go-tos for me.

 

[MXmaniac]

Gentlemen, can anybody school me a bit on these old Lufkin mics? I've decided I want a quality vintage 0-1" mic, but can't decide which one. I think I've settled that I'm looking for friction thimble, but I'm not sure what that translates into in the old lufkin model #'s? I see 1911's 1641's, 1641V's, 1942's...

Any help?

There’s a vintage (1945) catalog available here:
http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/detail.aspx?id=29996

It looks like the V denotes ten-thousandths (tenths) graduations.

I think pages 12-13 have what you’re looking for. Happy hunting.

 

[Beerhippie]

@Nutria --Your post got me wondering. What in the heck ever happened to MY Lufkin White Clad like yours? And my spring scale for tensioning it, for that matter....

 

[Nutria]

@Nutria --Your post got me wondering. What in the heck ever happened to MY Lufkin White Clad like yours? And my spring scale for tensioning it, for that matter....

Remember that time when you were distracted by the two mating giraffes in front of your house . . . ?

 

[Tynee]

There’s a vintage (1945) catalog available here:
http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/detail.aspx?id=29996

It looks like the V denotes ten-thousandths (tenths) graduations.

I think pages 12-13 have what you’re looking for. Happy hunting.

Very helpful. I'd looked for something like that catalog, but had struck out. This armed me with what I needed to low-ball a guy on a set of 1911's last night, and won them. Now I'm bidding on a 2-piece set with a 1941V and 1942. Wish me luck.

 

[Provincial]

I imagine the "V" was for the vernier function of the ten-thousands graduations.

 

[Tynee]

I imagine the "V" was for the vernier function of the ten-thousands graduations.

Makes sense now.

 

[Tynee]

Well, I'm starting a collection, I guess... Nothing too interesting, but I buy them to use them, even if infrequently.

I scrounged this 1911 from eBay:

Then I bid on and won this 1941 with the ratchet thimble (and not-that-great photos):

I added them to a run-of-the-mill X46 folding rule that I've had for a bit, but just now learned how to use.


ETA: Fixed my typo, that's a 1941, NOT a 1942...

 

[maximillion]

I have an old lufkin red end foldable rule, it was my dads or possibly his dads, i have had it for years but just noticed something. there are two sections that are identical. once unfolded i realized that there are 2 sections that have 55 through 61 inches. So the measurements go 50 51 52 53 54 55 51 52 53 54 55 56 5758, etc. When the ruler was made i guess someone made a mistake and put 2 identical sections one right after another. Has anyone ever seen or heard of this before?

 

[genog]

Interesting thread.....

I didn't know that Lufkin made anything other than tape measures
.....or just didn't pay attention

Going through my tape measure drawer, I found these



The 12 footer is my Go-To
I grab it every time

 

[john.k]

I had a Lufkin wind up tapes once ......feet and inches,right ? ......nooo..... feet and 1/10s of a foot ..........that caused some stuff ups before the penny dropped.

 

[Beerhippie]

I had a Lufkin wind up tapes once ......feet and inches,right ? ......nooo..... feet and 1/10s of a foot ..........that caused some stuff ups before the penny dropped.

Surveyor's tape. Be glad it wasn't in chains and links!

 

[genog]

Found another one.
This little guy sits on my workbench.....

 

[DetailSeeker]

A 6 foot Lufkin Mezurall for the local vintage tool group. This one was made after September 18, 1934 (because of the patents), and before 1949 (because that's when the cases started having the coloured inset side plates).


I also think it might have been made in 1941 or later. 1941 is the earliest example of the 928 (8 foot) Mezurall in a catalog, and every picture of a 928 with an engraved case that I can find has the "ADD 2 INCHES / WHEN INCLUDING CASE" on the side of the case, like this 926. However, some 926s had this note along the top of the case. So I was thinking that if the side engraving was on all the 8' Mezuralls, then it would likely have been on the 6' ones as well?

Also, possibly interesting: there's no patent marked on the tape itself, and the tape was made in Canada. I can't find anything to narrow down when or why that might have happened, or if it was more or less likely to have been during WWII.


When I could find pictures of a Mezurall with a patent on the tape, it was patent 1,828,401. Whether the tape doesn't have that patent because the patent had expired (which would put the measure after Oct 20, 1948?), or because tapes manufactured in Canada had different rules about displaying patents, I cannot say.

 

[searman]

Picked up this Lufkin model HW223 at an estate sale today for just under $5. It looks unused and there is just a little corrosion on the "claw" end of the tape and the little roller. Brought it home, wiped the metal with CLP, and then wiped the "leather" with Malco Leather Conditioner.

I'd love to get an approximate date of manufacture. So far, all I can determine is:

1869 Lufkin founded in Cleveland OH
1895 Moved to Saginaw MI
1967 Acquired by Cooper Industries
19?? Moved to Apex NC

 

[d42jeep]

I have posted most of my Lufkin tape measures on the vintage tape measure thread but here is a recent pickup. I knocked a little of the rust off.
-Don

 

[Dtraster]

Vintage Lufkin 60-inch ruler with brass ends and a hook. A little hard to read but I think it's a No. 714-3 (found an image of a 72-inch No. 714-4 ruler on line so I think mine is a 714-3.)

 

[four.cycle]

a Lufkin model 7143 is a 60-inch-long Glass Cutters Rule

Lufkin at International Tool Catalog Library

 

[d42jeep]

Since I found a pretty nice Ni-clad at Thursday’s estate sale, I decided to gather most of the Family together for a group shot. I’m sure I missed some..

 

[RoninB4]

A couple of photos from my personal tooling;

First is a Lufkin dial indicator, it's a lever type model used primarily for jig borers and jig grinders. The extra length stylus is 1" long for reaching into holes, the resolution is .0005. I bought this new in 1979 but retired it from regular duty sometime in the late 80's.

 

[RoninB4]

Next is an inside micrometer with interchangeable extensions. I already had a set from Starrett but I always liked the feel of Lufkin instruments. I believe this set goes out to 24" IIRC. I didn't buy this one new, I acquired it used sometime in the 90's from the original owner. This set is more robust than the other offerings from Starrett/Mitutoyo and that helps when trying to accurately mic at those lengths IMO.

 

[genog]

Well.......here's a set of Lufkin Radius Gages

 

[d42jeep]

This one lives in the top of my Gerstner box. The return button makes it one of my favorites.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

Found some more at my summer home.
-Don

 

[searman]

Scored this Lufkin tape measure at an estate sale today for $2! I almost didn't buy it because the tape was "stuck". Then I read the print on the face that said, "Press Here".

 

[Mintgrun]

Nice one! Is that diagonal strap across the back what holds the belt clip on/part of the clip?

You might need to carefully bend the tab on the front of the tape back to perpendicular to the base/tape. It looks like it got dropped and bent in. That'll throw the accuracy off (by a lot in this case).

I'd probably whittle out a wooden pad to hold onto the tape and tab where it's riveted on, so the wood fits the shape and use pliers to hold it, while using other pliers to bend the tab back.

Or, maybe you can bend it back while it's retracted in the body and let the slot support it.

Or, leave it the way it is and compare the measurement to another tape and then subtract the difference each time you use it.

 

[RTM]

Or, leave it the way it is and compare the measurement to another tape and then subtract the difference each time you use it.

As long as you only use that tape to measure everything, it will be fine. Even gives an automatic offset for internal dimensions for clearance.


sometimes I crack myself up. Ignore chronically bad advice.

 

[searman]

Nice one! Is that diagonal strap across the back what holds the belt clip on/part of the clip?

You might need to carefully bend the tab on the front of the tape back to perpendicular to the base/tape. It looks like it got dropped and bent in. That'll throw the accuracy off (by a lot in this case).

I'd probably whittle out a wooden pad to hold onto the tape and tab where it's riveted on, so the wood fits the shape and use pliers to hold it, while using other pliers to bend the tab back.

Or, maybe you can bend it back while it's retracted in the body and let the slot support it.

Or, leave it the way it is and compare the measurement to another tape and then subtract the difference each time you use it.

Actually, the diagonal strap IS the belt clip. It's all a single piece of metal. And thanks for pointing out the detail about the bent tab. I used a pair of vice grips to hold the tape at the rivets and a pair of duck bill pliers to try bending the tab back into shape. Despite my best efforts, I wasn't able to get it bent back perfectly. Compared against a more modern tape measure, the Lufkin reads about 1/8 of an inch shorter than it should. This appears to be due to play where the tab is held to the tape by two rivets. I'm open to suggestions on correcting that discrepancy. I'd like to use it as a "daily" tool, but the thought of it being off by 1/8 plays with my mind. You can PM me with thoughts so we don't clutter this thread. Thanks!

 

[RTM]

This appears to be due to play where the tab is held to the tape by two rivets. I'm open to suggestions on correcting that discrepancy

Be careful, some of those tape measures were made where the hook is supposed to slide the thickness of the tab so that it automatically corrected for inside versus outside measurement