PLOMB progress, questions, & stuff needed

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Gordon_M
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Re: PLOMB progress, questions, & stuff needed

Post by Gordon_M » Wed Jul 05, 2017 7:39 am

d42jeep wrote:Hi Gordon,
Apparently nobody on the Garage Journal was familiar with your wrench, since there were no responses. I revisited this thread because I recently picked up some Plomb 1/4" drive tools marked IC and they got me interested in finding a wartime Plomb set. I found an ad from a 1944 magazine and a set that was a close match on eBay. Here are some pictures.
-Don
Thanks Don, what does that date code suggest to me as they look quite shiny ?
Gordon

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Re: PLOMB progress, questions, & stuff needed

Post by d42jeep » Wed Jul 05, 2017 10:09 am

According to Todd's research, the tools dated IC would have been made 9/43 and the sockets dated AC would have been made in 1/43. They are all unplated but barely used.
-Don
Attachments
IMG_4845.JPG
Plomb 1/4" socket set
IMG_4845.JPG (180.07 KiB) Viewed 2761 times
IMG_4846.JPG
Sockets close
IMG_4846.JPG (141.51 KiB) Viewed 2761 times
Ford GPW 76344 DOD 11/42 Built in Richmond, CA

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Re: PLOMB progress, questions, & stuff needed

Post by Gordon_M » Wed Jul 05, 2017 10:26 am

Thanks. They look shiny in the images but maybe lack of use.
Gordon

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Re: PLOMB progress, questions, & stuff needed

Post by d42jeep » Thu Jul 20, 2017 4:54 am

I picked up a 1943 Plomb ratchet off of eBay to replace the early pebble ratchet I was using as a placeholder in my new '43 Plomb 1/4" drive set.
-Don
Edit: Added 6" extension
Attachments
IMG_5051.JPG
Plomb 1/4" drive 6" extension
IMG_5051.JPG (61.32 KiB) Viewed 2692 times
IMG_5004.JPG
'43 Plomb 1/4" drive set with new ratchet
IMG_5004.JPG (176.5 KiB) Viewed 2703 times
IMG_4993.JPG
1943 Plomb ratchet close
IMG_4993.JPG (161.17 KiB) Viewed 2726 times
IMG_4992.JPG
IMG_4992.JPG (134.15 KiB) Viewed 2726 times
IMG_4991.JPG
IMG_4991.JPG (132.54 KiB) Viewed 2726 times
IMG_4994.JPG
'43 Plomb set in progress
IMG_4994.JPG (94.97 KiB) Viewed 2726 times
IMG_4995.JPG
1944 Plomb ad
IMG_4995.JPG (35.06 KiB) Viewed 2726 times
Last edited by d42jeep on Tue Jul 25, 2017 3:23 am, edited 2 times in total.
Ford GPW 76344 DOD 11/42 Built in Richmond, CA

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Re: PLOMB progress, questions, & stuff needed

Post by Gordon_M » Thu Jul 20, 2017 5:02 am

That's nice, I think the style is pre-war but you have it dated and the MADE IN USA seems to confirm wartime. I have just the odd pebble item but I never took to that style, though I've been told some pebble items date right to the end of the war.


I still have no luck in the search for a WW2 1" Plomb cold chisel for the machinists set though. I can find pretty much any size below 1", but the 1" one continues to elude me. I may have to go for a non-Plomb equivalent.
Gordon

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Re: PLOMB progress, questions, & stuff needed

Post by d42jeep » Thu Jul 20, 2017 5:26 am

There is a wartime Plomb 86A on the auction site right now but unfortunately the width of the chisel cutting area is 7/8". The one you are looking for would be a Plomb 86A 7/8 which would be a 1" cutting area. Very confusing.
-Don
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Re: PLOMB progress, questions, & stuff needed

Post by Gordon_M » Thu Jul 20, 2017 5:35 am

Indeed, anything below a 1" cut isn't that difficult to find, either as Plomb or Proto, in an 86A type.

Pre-war they were 86 rather than 86A, so I'm assuming they just changed the alloy composition for that. I think the 1" cut came as either 8" or 12" long - I'd take either at this stage.
Gordon

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1944 Iron Fireman T-36 Snow Tractor
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Re: PLOMB progress, questions, & stuff needed

Post by d42jeep » Tue Aug 29, 2017 3:24 am

I've been continuing the search for your 1" chisel, but no results so far. I imagine that one will eventually turn up. I've been trying to complete my Plomb 1/4" drive sets. The one on the left is mostly from 1943 and I've added an unmarked 3/8" 8 point socket so it would serve as a 41-W-2615. The set on the right has many War Finish marked pieces so I'm considering that one as a wartime civilian set. It is missing the 9/32" socket if anyone happens to have an extra. Thanks to Tin Medic for the new spinner in the set on the left!
-Don
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IMG_5382.JPG
Plomb wartime 1/4" drive sets
IMG_5382.JPG (126.33 KiB) Viewed 2679 times
IMG_5381.JPG
IMG_5381.JPG (109.63 KiB) Viewed 2679 times
Ford GPW 76344 DOD 11/42 Built in Richmond, CA

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Re: PLOMB progress, questions, & stuff needed

Post by Gordon_M » Tue Aug 29, 2017 3:32 am

Thanks Don. The lack of the specified cold chisel, from any appropriate manufacturer, is just an annoyance really, but it does suggest Plomb chisels were only really common in the sizes below 1".

I know the wartime ones are 86A ( as are the later Protos ) but prewar were just type 86, so I assume the change from 86 to 86A was a material change.

I was sorting through my Plomb sockets yesterday and noted a handful that didn't really match, but I have workable sets and still pointing my pennies towards filling gaps in the WF stuff mainly.
Gordon

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1944 Iron Fireman T-36 Snow Tractor
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Re: PLOMB progress, questions, & stuff needed

Post by Tin Medic » Tue Aug 29, 2017 1:25 pm

Gordon, what WF pieces are you looking for?
1952 M-37
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Re: PLOMB progress, questions, & stuff needed

Post by Gordon_M » Tue Aug 29, 2017 9:17 pm

I'll e-mail you the curent shortages list in case you have any of them spare, thanks.
Gordon

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1944 Iron Fireman T-36 Snow Tractor
1986 Nolan Road/Rail trailer

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Here's a little something different

Post by Gordon_M » Mon Apr 30, 2018 4:59 am

I know there are numerous categories of WW2 period Plomb product.

1. Ordinary US Catalogue items.
2. US contract pieces like WF, PWA, and AT-marked items.
3. Obscure non-catalogue items with no catalogue reference numbers but military similarities, such as 25/32" sizing.
4. Whitworth marked items, non-catalogue, presumably either made for the Commonwealth or for those working on their equipment

... and extending category 4, here is the first item I've ever seen in BA ( British Association ) markings, purchased on the UK version of that auction site.
PLOMB_BA.jpg
PLOMB_BA.jpg (127.15 KiB) Viewed 2456 times
No catalogue number but marked Made in USA so I'm categorising it as wartime production for the Commonwealth Forces again. The image isn't that great for scale, but it is only 3 1/2" long, BA sizes being on the small side.
Gordon

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1944 Iron Fireman T-36 Snow Tractor
1986 Nolan Road/Rail trailer

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Re: PLOMB progress, questions, & stuff needed

Post by Wingnutt » Mon Apr 30, 2018 5:19 am

Nice acquisition. Aren't there spud (structural) wrenches out there with BA sizing? I think I have one somewhere around here. I may be mistaken. It definitely has an alternate British size marking in parentheses. Might be a different standard.
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Re: PLOMB progress, questions, & stuff needed

Post by Gordon_M » Tue May 01, 2018 2:13 am

Wingnutt wrote:
Mon Apr 30, 2018 5:19 am
Nice acquisition. Aren't there spud (structural) wrenches out there with BA sizing? I think I have one somewhere around here. I may be mistaken. It definitely has an alternate British size marking in parentheses. Might be a different standard.
Never seen one, but not an expert in British sizes generally or BA in particular. I always associate BA with sizes appropriate for the likes of radios and carburettors - the equivalent of US 8, 10, and 12 gage.
Gordon

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1944 Iron Fireman T-36 Snow Tractor
1986 Nolan Road/Rail trailer

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Another puzzling PLOMB piece

Post by Gordon_M » Thu Dec 13, 2018 5:24 am

Len and I both noticed a half dozen AT marked sockets up on that auction site, and I drew the short straw.
at6.jpg
at6.jpg (52.7 KiB) Viewed 2224 times
They are all 3/8" drive, all marked with an 'AT-xxxx' reference number ( usually Fairchild Aviation I'm told ) but they are all marked W for Whitworth too.
The one that attracted my attention was the largest one, 3/8" drive, 1/2" Whitworth, 12-point, as it was made by Plomb.
at1.jpg
at1.jpg (92.71 KiB) Viewed 2224 times
The full markings are:

vPLOMBv 1/2W.919-AT-8040

... there is plenty of room for MADE IN USA but it isn't on there. I think this is a contract tool made by Plomb for Fairchild, and destined for the UK or Commonwealth via Canada maybe? Plomb Whitworth spanners ( wrenches) are not uncommon here, but I've never seen a Plomb contract Whitworth socket before. The other five sockets have various AT reference numbers on, plus W for Whitworth, but no manufacturers marks. All six have holes drilled so the locking ball can snap in.
Gordon

1941 Highway Trailer K-38
1944 Iron Fireman T-36 Snow Tractor
1986 Nolan Road/Rail trailer


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