What about 3/8" drive tools?

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What about 3/8" drive tools?

Post by mrbill » Thu Apr 26, 2018 11:10 am

Somebody educate me... we have physical evidence that 3/8" drive tools were used by the Air Corps/AAF (Snap-on, Plomb, Wright) and the Navy (see the Navy Class 41 Catalog) but why are they so few? Was that size considered more of a specialized thing during WWII? I hardly ever see anything from S-K, Bonney, NB/Husky/CM, etc.

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Re: What about 3/8" drive tools?

Post by Silly's MB » Thu Apr 26, 2018 11:53 am

The only Husky socket I have ever found is 3/8" drive over here and i have found DI, Craftsmen and Bonney but not in huge numbers.

It is a bit of an in-between size and probably gets over torqued so maybe not so much survives :idea:
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Re: What about 3/8" drive tools?

Post by mrbill » Tue May 01, 2018 4:01 pm

I figured since I'm obsessing about 3/8" drive tools I might as well share photos of what I have. Here's a Plomb set I've been piecing together for a while:
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Re: What about 3/8" drive tools?

Post by mrbill » Tue May 01, 2018 4:34 pm

I have a similar set of Wright 3/8" socketry. Most of the pieces are "AC" (Air Corps) stamped.
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Re: What about 3/8" drive tools?

Post by d42jeep » Tue May 01, 2018 4:37 pm

Bill,
That set looks great! You’ve got some hard fo find pieces there.
I’ve been gathering various 3/8” drive D-I and Duro Chrome tools in a Duro box. I don’t think it will ever result in a complete set but it shows that the 3/8” drive tools are out there. The top row of sockets are all D-I. The extensions are not Duro.
-Don
Attachments
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3/8” tools in the box
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Early and late flex handles
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Re: What about 3/8" drive tools?

Post by d42jeep » Tue May 01, 2018 4:47 pm

When it comes to 3/8” Plomb, I’m afraid that my set in progress is mostly postwar, although there are some wartime tools currently in the box.
-Don
Attachments
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Plomb 3/8” drive set in progress
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Re: What about 3/8" drive tools?

Post by mrbill » Tue May 01, 2018 4:49 pm

Some photos of S-K 3/8" pieces are in Don't Forget About 'Sherman Klove'. I know d42jeep also has a dark finish 3/8" S-K ratchet but I'll be darned if I can find the photo of it!

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Re: What about 3/8" drive tools?

Post by d42jeep » Tue May 01, 2018 5:23 pm

I just happen to have some pictures of that ratchet. :D
-Don
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Early patent markings
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3/8” & 1/4” ratchets
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S-K ratchets
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Re: What about 3/8" drive tools?

Post by mrbill » Tue May 01, 2018 5:34 pm

d42jeep wrote:
Tue May 01, 2018 5:23 pm
I just happen to have some pictures of that ratchet. :D
-Don
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Re: What about 3/8" drive tools?

Post by mudbox » Sat May 05, 2018 5:43 pm

I just realized after taking this picture, that I have some 3/8" drive Plomb and WF pieces as well that didn't make it into the shot.
However, here's a sampling of the other brands of wartime (I think) 3/8" drive sockets that I have lying around.
From left to right we have: Husky, Craftsman, D-I, Walden, Owatonna, Williams, Chromium Vanadium, New Britain
So, they're out there, just not in any kind of significant quantities.
I suspect the 3/8" drive tools continued to be made primarily for the civilian market and some upper echelon kits but due to the significant overlap between the 1/4" and 1/2" drive sizes, the 3/8" was not a priority for production. My $0.02, of course. :wink:

Image

-Jason

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Re: What about 3/8" drive tools?

Post by mrbill » Mon May 07, 2018 5:57 pm

Nice gallery shot, Jason. Thanks for sharing.

It's not as dark as d42jeep's S-K 45170 upthread (I'm pretty sure that one is covered in molasses) but he was kind enough to give me a lead on this plain steel one shown here with a chrome sibling.
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Re: What about 3/8" drive tools?

Post by d42jeep » Thu May 10, 2018 1:50 pm

I totally overlooked my Craftsman 3/8” drive tools that are likely wartime. The Circle H are above the BE extension and the other BE are below.
-Don
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Craftsman Circle H and BE 3/8” drive tools
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Re: What about 3/8" drive tools?

Post by Silly's MB » Fri May 11, 2018 5:24 am

Here are my Craftsman 3/8" drive sockets. I find these in 3/8 more than any other socket but the majority of these are marked with the Canadian acceptance mark. Sometimes stamped sometimes with electric pencil.

I have never found any wartime Craftsman manufacturers other than BE (new Britain) .
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Re: What about 3/8" drive tools?

Post by d42jeep » Sun May 13, 2018 8:24 am

Nice Craftsman set, Roger. I see that the ratchet is assembled just the way they are shown in the Craftsman catalogs with the control and drive on the same side. In the New Britain catalog they are shown with the control and drive on opposite sides. I don’t understand it but it seems that’s just how it was. Around here I find the New Britain sourced Craftsman BE and Circle H at just about the same rate.
-Don
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Re: What about 3/8" drive tools?

Post by d42jeep » Fri May 18, 2018 2:11 am

Here are a few more Plomb 3/8” drive tools.
-Don
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