Vintage S-K Tools

[d42jeep]

This black oxide partial 1/4” drive set arrived yesterday from an eBay seller. I probably would have passed on it except that it included a crossbar as well as three Chrome Alloy (Brazil) sockets. The downside to the set is that someone gave it a hammered finish repaint in a late S-K color for some reason.
I went through my matching spares and filled out the set.
Now I need to wait for a really warm day to refinish the exterior. I wouldn’t mind figuring out that paint source for use on some rusty late model boxes.
-Don

 

[Kdaniel8601]

I have a couple of boxes that have the inside painted just like like the one you have, one has an almost perfect decal that has been painted over, and I have seen several more listed on eBay that looked the same, I wonder if is something that S-K did?

 

[d42jeep]

I don’t think so. Probably done by owners after purchase. Those decals were pretty fragile. I have seen a couple with clear coat painted over the decal. Looks pretty funky. I’ve also seem some with no sign that they ever had decals.
-Don

 

[Outlawmws]

I think decals on wrinkle paint is pretty iffy at best...

 

[Kdaniel8601]

I don’t think so. Probably done by owners after purchase. Those decals were pretty fragile. I have seen a couple with clear coat painted over the decal. Looks pretty funky. I’ve also seem some with no sign that they ever had decals.
-Don

My 1/2" wartime set never had a decal.

 

[d42jeep]

This S-K Chrome drag link bit arrived in the mail today. The copper plating is all that shows. I wonder it it missed the nickel and chrome plating steps. It doesn’t look like they are missing from wear.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

The upper sets in this picture show no signs of ever having a decal.
-Don

 

[Outlawmws]

I wonder it it missed the nickel and chrome plating steps. It doesn’t look like they are missing from wear.

i assume its magnetic and not something contracted to AMPCO?

 

[d42jeep]

Definitely magnetic. I just checked with a refrigerator magnet while getting my coffee.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

It’s so unseasonably hot this week in the Bay Area that I sanded and painted wrinkle finish on a couple of postwar S-K 1/4” drive boxes today and they came out pretty well. Its supposed to stay hot all week so I’ll do the opposite sides tomorrow.
-Don

 

[Outlawmws]

SK "Set" I got last sat:

Black Oxide 1/2 Pat Pend and SK in a diamond

Sockets are not Black oxide, Not sure if sets came like that or not...

 

[d42jeep]

Can you add a side view of the sockets? The patent pending ratchet indicates prewar. The sockets may be Chrome Or Cad plated. Another indicator of socket age is to see if there are divots for the retaining ball on the square ends that were added in the early 50s. The patent dates show the timeframe of the ratchet’s manufacture.
-Don

 

[Outlawmws]

Thx for the patent Don, so prewar 39-41 on the ratchet

Sockets have no divots for the drive end ball. look to be Cad plated and about 1/2 have the plating worn off on the commonly used sizes.:

What SK tagging would the socket set have in the "prewar" time frame? metal tag or decal? I have a bunch of boxes, I might as well get one properly setup if I have that type.

 

[d42jeep]

The largest three look to be Cad plated as do the ones on either end of the lower row. The other six look to have originally been black oxide but a lot of that has worn off. The box for the set would have a water transfer decal. I would clean the cad plated sockets with an evaporust bath followed with some brake cleaner then a wipe off with paper towels. I wouldn’t dip the others, just regular degreasing and maybe fine steel wool. Here are some wartime sets.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

It’s so unseasonably hot this week in the Bay Area that I sanded and painted wrinkle finish on a couple of postwar S-K 1/4” drive boxes today and they came out pretty well. Its supposed to stay hot all week so I’ll do the opposite sides tomorrow.
-Don

Did some more painting today and after everything dried, I put the tools back in the two boxes.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

I found a decent amount of S-K sockets at a tool sale this morning. They are all currently in the evaporust.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

One of the tools I cleaned up yesterday was this early unmarked 3/8” drive flex handle that I received from bmwrd0. He believed it to be prewar S-K and after a comparison with a couple of slightly newer ones I concur. It seems like the postwar examples are slightly longer.
It‘s the upper unmarked one after cleaning.
Thanks again!
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

I found a decent amount of S-K sockets at a tool sale this morning. They are all currently in the evaporust.
-Don

They look better now. Some better than others due to abuse by previous owners
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

I received this early postwar box on Friday and thought that it might have been for the late 40s or early 50s set with the Ell handle but determined that it was a little too narrow to hold the Ell.


That meant that it most have been for the 53 to 56 #4809 set after the holes for the Ell handle had been eliminated from the knurled deep 1/2” drive sockets. Putting what spares I had of that style of socket in the box confirmed the ID. Now I just need to find the ones I am missing. Looks like I need the 1-1/8”, 15/16”, 3/4” and 11/16” sockets so I’ll be on the lookout for those.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

Yesterday’s estate sale finds.
Hard to find unmarked prewar 1/4” drive extensions.
Combo wrench and 5/8” deep socket.
Cleaned up the socket.A large 1-1/4” S-K Lectrolite combo painted silver.
Removed the silver paint.


-Don

 

[d42jeep]

I’m gradually making progress on the 4809 set in progress as the sockets come in. Here it is with the sockets I had on hand.
After the 15/16” socket arrived and was cleaned up.
The 1-1/8” socket arrived today and I added it as well. I had repainted the bottom of the box since so much of the paint was missing.



I wanted to see what it would look like complete so I borrowed a 3/4” and 11/16” socket from a complete smaller later set.
I put the two sockets I borrowed back into the smaller set.

The larger set should be completed in a few days, if the USPS cooperates.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

With the arrival of the 3/4” socket, I’m on the home stretch. The 11/16“ is supposed to arrive on Monday.
Almost complete.
-Don

 

[r_olson_06]

With the arrival of the 3/4” socket, I’m on the home stretch. The 11/16“ is supposed to arrive on Monday.
Almost complete.
-Don

Thos deep knurled are tough to find. Do you have any of those Buick special ones with the B in the part number?

 

[d42jeep]

I have a few of the Buick sockets. All of those that I have feature the hole for the Ell handle.
-Don

 

[r_olson_06]

I have a few of the Buick sockets. All of those that I have feature the hole for the Ell handle.
-Don

Good point.

 

[Shelbylex]

I wonder if anybody on the board has a 1940 SK catalog.
I was searching the web (instead of properly sleeping) and found a picture of the front cover and few pages on Wortpoint site.
The quality is not too good, but it's interesting to see the store display on the front page. I hops that somebody on GJ has a good copy and can make a picture of the display - looks like it has 1/4, 3/8, 1/2 sets and 2 sets in boxes... I am not sure what the white cubes to the right and the left of 1/4 set (and SK emblem above it ) represent ?Lights

Sorry, Don, now you will need one of those displays : )

One more questions: given the hole pattern and cutouts, I wonder how those catalogs were originally held together. Was it some type of binder? Would be great if anybody had a picture...

 

[Outlawmws]

Sorry, Don, now you will need one of those displays : )

 

[d42jeep]

Auto parts stores had a large catalog rack for each counter person. Each rack had catalog clips that held various catalogs together. Those would snap into the racks. It was up to each counter person to keep their catalogs up to date. Generally the reps for each product line would make sure that catalogs were sent to each store.
-Don
Edit,,, The 1943 S-K catalog indicates that they used prewar pictures in the catalog and that the contents of
each set would be likely to vary from the pictures, depending on the restrictions.

 

[d42jeep]

Here is my postwar B4810 set with both Buick limited clearance sockets. This set was likely available from ‘46 to ‘52.
-Don

 

[r_olson_06]

Like this one?

Or like this one?

 

[Outlawmws]

Or like this one?

Neither. the rack in the catalog Shelby posted is a toolbox/set display.

 

[r_olson_06]

Neither. the rack in the catalog Shelby posted is a toolbox/set display.

I was looking at the last page vs the cover. I am a little slow today.

 

[Shelbylex]

Hopefully somebody will show their copy or know who bought the copy listed on Worthpoint site. If we get good pictures, there is aways a hope that somebody will recreate the display (look at Blackhawk threads - there are 2 recreated things there by Don Long

The vintage Blackhawk Thread

Thanks for letting me know. I’m actually fine with that as I like New Britain tools and the ratchet is quite smooth working. -Don

www.garagejournal.com

The vintage Blackhawk Thread

I just posted this in a thread I started for my random projects, but after a few years of dragging my feet, I finally finished the restoration of my Nugget Toolbox. You can see more details here. The real trick is filling it with all the correct tools for a 49-K set. Nice job!

www.garagejournal.com

 

[d42jeep]

I spotted this 1/4” drive set on eBay. Even though the seller didn’t show a side view of the sockets, the lack of notches on the lid of the box indicated to me that it was likely quite early. When it arrived, I was jazzed to see a complete set of 12 point S-K chrome sockets along with an unmarked flex handle. The early dark brown wrinkle finish on the interior of the box was quite intact.
Even the exterior wasn’t too bad.



I compared the set residing in my S-K Chrome box and the new set looked much nicer. I switched the crossbar and put the new set into the box.
In it’s new home.
-Don

 

[INSP380]

I spotted this 1/4” drive set on eBay. Even though the seller didn’t show a side view of the sockets, the lack of notches on the lid of the box indicated to me that it was likely quite early. When it arrived, I was jazzed to see a complete set of 12 point S-K chrome sockets along with an unmarked flex handle. The early dark brown wrinkle finish on the interior of the box was quite intact.
Even the exterior wasn’t too bad.



I compared the set residing in my S-K Chrome box and the new set looked much nicer. I switched the crossbar and put the new set into the box.
In it’s new home.
-Don

Well done!!! Love it when things come together like that…

 

[Shelbylex]

Nice find, Don! Especially for the price!!!

 

[d42jeep]

Yeah. There were a few bids. I hope nobody here was bidding on them.
-Don

 

[four.cycle]

Auto parts stores had a large catalog rack for each counter person. Each rack had catalog clips that held various catalogs together. Those would snap into the racks. It was up to each counter person to keep their catalogs up to date. Generally the reps for each product line would make sure that catalogs were sent to each store.
-Don

^ A very expensive and time consuming method. The "Master" clips that held the catalogs together were about $1.50 each in the early 1970s. A box of divider pages (with the metal tabs on the edges) was about $10 bucks. The catalogs required constant upkeep and maintenance and rarely was any one rack 100% up-to-date. We never allowed sales reps to touch the catalog racks - they would yank out competitor's stuff and sabotage the system. The racks were insanely expensive - $300 new (in the early 1970s.)

 

[Outlawmws]

^ A very expensive and time consuming method. The "Master" clips that held the catalogs together were about $1.50 each in the early 1970s. A box of divider pages (with the metal tabs on the edges) was about $10 bucks. The catalogs required constant upkeep and maintenance and rarely was any one rack 100% up-to-date. We never allowed sales reps to touch the catalog racks - they would yank out competitor's stuff and sabotage the system. The racks were insanely expensive - $300 new (in the early 1970s.)

I still have one rack with outdated mostly race car parts catalogs. my friend with a race car parts shop would give me outdated stuff. Now its like 40 years out of date...

 

[Shelbylex]

I still have one rack with outdated mostly race car parts catalogs. my friend with a race car parts shop would give me outdated stuff. Now its like 40 years out of date...

Can you post a picture of it, Outlawmws?

I wonder what would be a good way to keep an old catalog (I might be getting something soon (Not the 1940s SK catalog I posted above, but it will be an interesting one). It's not clear from the pictures if older catalogs will fit in modern binder...