The Ratchet Collection Thread

[3baygarage]

Thanks guys. Yeah, it’s 1/2” drive.

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Next to Plomb’s version, the WF-38-T. Which by the way, has an expiration date. I collected a bunch of these, and most of them will no longer, or have not since receiving them, accept a male square.

Very strange. Something about the steel. I thought perhaps it was a temperature fluctuation thing but no dice. Turns out that maybe 70 or so yrs is their shelf life.


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[DadsTools]

The line between form and function is not easy to distinguish sometimes. There is no rules against making a tool look good as long as it doesn’t distract from its function. I really enjoy using my retro ratchets for that reason. A few less teeth but that often makes no difference in performance.
My favorites are S-K, and Indestro. Here are a couple of Indestro Super ratchets that look awesome, and work very well.


Thanks
alton1911

Ditto on the old SK and Duro/Indestro. I like some of the older RHFT New Britain too, but never cared much for their snap-ring approach to securing the core.

 

[Username already in use]

Today was the first day I've made it to the flea in months. Ended up bring home this refrigeration ratchet. Marked:
Imperial
Eastman
Chicago
1230
Made In USA

 

[Oldtuleguy]

cool. did they make those or is it a rebrand? i have not run into any imperial brass stuff.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Hmm. That's the second incarnation of the tube flaring kit company. It makes sense, industry sector wise. The flaring kits weren't just for automotive fuel and brake lines.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

I like the giant "on off"

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I'd compare that rat to Walden and Bonney.

 

[Username already in use]

I'd compare that rat to Walden and Bonney.

Looks closest to the Walden, but it's not an exact match. Both the Walden and the Bonney have a squared off profile, the Imperial Eastman is very thin in the profile. Also, the head on the Imperial Eastman is much thicker.

Those are the only refrigeration ratchets that I have to compare against.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

They are a bit different

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Definitely. No concave panel in the handle, either. Very interesting.

 

[davethorik]

cool. did they make those or is it a rebrand? i have not run into any imperial brass stuff.

I dont know about older stuff like unaiu's rat, but I have seen a newer Imperial refrigeration ratchet that was based on the Tuff1 mechanism, but with 1/4 female drive.

 

[four.cycle]

I might be completely off here, but I think the design of the Walden evolved over the years. I don't own any of those myself, but for comparison purposes:

 

[four.cycle]

a couple more:

 

[d42jeep]

BK,
As your examples show, all of the Walden ratchets in my experience have concave side panels. I have no idea who may have supplied username's example.
-Don

 

[twertsy]

BK,
As your examples show, all of the Walden ratchets in my experience have concave side panels. I have no idea who may have supplied username's example.
-Don

Williams??

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[Oldtuleguy]

Perhaps made under license. Is there a pat date/number

 

[Username already in use]

Perhaps made under license. Is there a pat date/number

Both sides are pictured on the previous page. The opposite side is void of any markings.
The fact that the name is stamped and not forged, leads me to believe its contract manufacture.

Perhaps Williams, I don’t have one to compare against.

 

[DadsTools]

Was just looking at this post earlier today, then went out to the garage to start sorting through some estate sales bins....and I found one of these Walden refrigerator wrenches. Weird.

Now all I need is some computer algorithm to parlay all this into a lottery ticket number. Found some wartime snappy too, but that might skew the results.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Apparently this company was started by Joseph Eastman in 1877, merged with imperial brass in 1961
Held patents for a number of pipe and hydraulic fittings many of which are still in use. It seems likely this ratchet is 61 or later, given the imperial Eastman moniker. I have seen some imperial brass ratchets, perhaps they were the source rather than eastman.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

The fact that the name is stamped and not forged, leads me to believe its contract manufacture.

Agreed. There's one on eBay now marked IMPERIAL EASTMAN and Bonney. That one has the concave panel. My guess would be they had multiple suppliers and yours was either made by someone else, it was also made by Bonney and pulled off the line before the final die was applied, or it was also made by Bonney with a different die.

 

[3baygarage]

Here’s another odd one.
CO-OP DELUXE.

Twertsy, sure looks a lot like those Ward Master! I believe there is a rebranded pear head shared by the two and Truth.

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[twertsy]

Here’s another odd one.
CO-OP DELUXE.

Twertsy, sure looks a lot like those Ward Master! I believe there is a rebranded pear head shared by the two and Truth.

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I believe you're correct! That's a new brand....

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[3baygarage]

Not much info out there.

Posted by Parabellum before he joined the banned list:
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=337322

From the Gazette:

http://www.thegaragegazette.com/index.php?topic=10176.0

Also saw a socket on Ebay, clearly like a Truth socket:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Co-Op-Deluxe-1-2-Drive-1-1-8-12-pt-surface-rust-S082/162871131110?hash=item25ebe03be6:g:i50AAOSwEOpZ6Tag

 

[Private Lugnutz]

That's a first for me, and very interesting from a historical perspective! The "co-op" (co-operative) boom in the 30's, encouraged and often sponsored by New Deal activities, coincides with the vintage of the ratchet and sockets. While known mainly for farming, food, housing, electricity, and crafts (weaving, looming, etc), it was extended to small industry. That "brand" may have belonged to an actual co-op. They might've rented a forge or had forgings done by others.

 

[RagTopTA]

Got this little Duro Chrome 1/4 male/female ratchet in today. I have the 1/2 but its pretty rough, it was coated with something at some point.

 

[d42jeep]

I had my eye on one of those on eBay but I didn't pull the trigger. Yours looks like a nice one. The 3/8" drive ratchets are the same size as the 1/4" but with the larger size drive installed. Here is my 1/4" drive Duro D-I set. It's rusting due to the gasses put off by the early plastic handle which is now sealed in a ziplock bag.
-Don

 

[RagTopTA]

I had my eye on one of those on eBay but I didn't pull the trigger. Yours looks like a nice one. The 3/8" drive ratchets are the same size as the 1/4" but with the larger size drive installed. Here is my 1/4" drive Duro D-I set. It's rusting due to the gasses put off by the early plastic handle which is now sealed in a ziplock bag.
-Don

Its prob the same one! I get bored with no sales and have to hit the bay a lot. Now I must find a 3/8. That set is great!

 

[d42jeep]

Thanks. Those 1/4" Duro spinners are almost impossible to find in any condition. I'm working on a 3/8" drive set but it's not quite finished yet. Getting close though.
-Don

 

[four.cycle]

Coincidentally, I just picked up this little 2888 Indestro today at the post office:



Maddeningly, as d42jeep notes above, both Indestro and Duro Chrome produced that same ratchet not only in both 1/4" and 3/8" drive, but they both used the same part number on both the 1/4" and 3/8" drive models! (noted in the "Duro Ratchet?" thread)
2888 = Indestro 1/4" drive "Midget"
2888 = Indestro 3/8" drive "Cub"
4487 = Duro Chrome 1/4" drive "Midget" *
4487 = Duro Chrome 3/8" drive "Cub"

note the catalog shows it as a 4487¼, but the ratchet itself is stamped only "4487".
Indestro, on the other hand, makes no such distinction either in the catalog or on the ratchet itself. Or maybe I'm just not reading the catalog correctly. Guess I need to go dig out the 1937 catalog and see what it shows.





If you need a drive adapter, you can get those from KC Tool in Kansas City:

1/2" = 60366 https://www.kctoolco.com/wiha-heyco-60366-1-2-square-coupler/

3/8" = 60261 https://www.kctoolco.com/wiha-heyco-60261-3-8-square-coupler-0-98/

1/4" = 60141 https://www.kctoolco.com/wiha-heyco-60141-1-4-square-coupler-0-79/

The early spinners are one of those "Holy Grail" things... kind of like the #136 Indestro pocket screwdriver.
I have several of the later 2873 and 6073 (clear handle with white stripes) Indestro models, but do not recall ever having seen one of the earlier yellow-handled models listed on Ebay, even in a set. Is it possible that because of the crappy disintegrating plastic they used that all of them ended up in landfills?

On that note: I have a couple others - an old Walden 3117 and an ancient New Britain NM62 - that both stink to high heaven - do those also have the "gas" problem that will cause the other components to corrode? If so, I need to dig them out and isolate them.

(* RagTopTA - I almost grabbed that 4487 (if that's the same one that was listed on Ebay about a week ago) but I didn't know if it would fit into the boxes that my 1/4" Duro sets are in! )

 

[d42jeep]

I have this intact Indestro in one of my sets. BK, when do you think it was made?
-Don

 

[Username already in use]

The early spinners are one of those "Holy Grail" things... kind of like the #136 Indestro pocket screwdriver.

Not to derail the ratchet thread, but you're talking out this guy...

I would probably trade it for one of those 1/4" drive wartime 'durolite' nut spinners....

 

[four.cycle]

on the spinner my best guess is 1940s or 1950s.
I have one of those 136 yellow-handle screwdrivers somewhere here... found it listed on Ebay a couple days after you mentioned it somewhere here a couple years ago.


1948* catalog No. 16 shows a 2873 1/4" drive spinner with "yellow transparent handle"

what is believed to be* the 1959 catalog No. 22 shows a 2873 "long handle" 1/4" drive spinner with "shock proof amber handle"

unfortunately the next catalog I have is (what is believed to be*) a 1972 catalog No. 55, which shows the later clear with white striped handle.

I own at least two #7602 1/4" drive sets that came to me with the later clear white stripe handles. the graphics on the stickers (on the lids) cause me to think they're either late 1950s or early 1960s. something tells me they phased out the yellow handles right after that catalog No. 22 was printed, but I could be completely wrong there.
I would really like to get my hands on an early 1960's catalog - it would answer a lot of questions - there are significant differences in product selection and design between the catalog No. 22 and the catalog No. 55.
The search continues....

* I don't believe that it has been definitively ascertained what the actual publication dates are on several of the catalogs. The only ones that are "for sure" are the 1935 and 1937 and 1982, because they all have the dates printed on them. The others I'm not sure about.
Additionally, I believe that Alloy-Artifacts is in error on a couple of the dates that they have assigned to a couple of the Indestro catalogs they make reference to on their site.
The only thing that can be pinned down are patent dates, so that makes ONE catalog (out of half a dozen) that I should be able to accurately date. The others are "best guess" stuff.

 

[Catfishdan]

I picked up a few 1/4 inches for the collection today. An Industro, an Easco rhft, a Duro-Chrome with both male and female drives and a mystery wrench. Can't quite place the logo but I know I've seen it before. Anyone?



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[Oldtuleguy]

That's an interesting logo. Looks like maybe a swan?

 

[3baygarage]

That's an interesting logo. Looks like maybe a swan?

The brand is American Forge. So not unless our national bird is the swan.

 

[Catfishdan]

The brand is American Forge. So not unless our national bird is the swan.

Well done sir.

 

[3baygarage]

Nice find. Also made by New Britain.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

It is some sort of bird!

 

[Catfishdan]

I guess it's an eagle head with one wing extended? Looks like a floating waterfowl to me as well.

 

[3baygarage]

It is some sort of bird!

I guess it's an eagle head with one wing extended? Looks like a floating waterfowl to me as well.

An eagle disguised as a swan. The question is, is it before Matco used an eagle?