Wartime 1/4" drive socket sets

Manufacturers, configurations, Shovels, Axe, Wrenches, Oiler, F/E etc.
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Re: Wartime 1/4" drive socket sets

Post by d42jeep » Sat May 11, 2019 3:20 am

After looking endlessly for the missing M-21 9/32” drive slotted screwdriver bit, another collector generously sent me one. Here is the completed set plus a shot with the extra flex handle and crossbar from Cliff.
-Don
Attachments
436A1EB2-E515-4DC8-B858-36049A0ACE00.jpeg
M-21 screwdriver bit in the lid of the box.
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Mostly 1942 Snap-on 9/32” drive socket set.
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Set with added flex handle and crossbar.
46ECBF0A-0E94-45E3-8E79-07A5B7FFE3D4.jpeg (156.33 KiB) Viewed 98514 times
Ford GPW 76344 DOD 11/42 Built in Richmond, CA


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Re: Wartime 1/4" drive socket sets

Post by d42jeep » Sat Oct 12, 2019 7:54 am

I found this mixed Duro/D-I set on eBay from a seller on Oahu. It had a spinner shaft with the original handle totally missing so I modified a generic plastic handle from a broken Phillips screwdriver. I’ve replaced a couple of the Duro sockets with D-I spares I had on hand but a few Duro sockets remain.i suppose it could have been a mix from the factory. I think I’m missing an 8 point socket.
-Don
Attachments
FF6637AE-0F51-4ED3-A57E-8984B1B7AC6D.jpeg
Duro/D-I set as received
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Closer view
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Set with modified spinner
5D002FD1-4325-4427-B866-CF5441BA0658.jpeg (94.94 KiB) Viewed 98440 times
Ford GPW 76344 DOD 11/42 Built in Richmond, CA

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Re: Wartime 1/4" drive socket sets

Post by Gordon_M » Mon Oct 14, 2019 12:24 pm

Hmmm, all very nice, but how on earth did you go about swapping the handle Don? I'd never even considered that.

I can see you could heat the new shaft to install it, but how did you get the broken screwdriver shaft out without wrecking the plastic, we all want to know ( and some of us want the steal the technique. :D )
Gordon

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Re: Wartime 1/4" drive socket sets

Post by d42jeep » Tue Oct 15, 2019 7:12 am

Gordon,
My technique is extremely unsophisticated. I clamped the damaged Phillips driver’s shaft in a big vise and started prying on the end of the plastic handle. If you want to minimize damage to the plastic handle, you can slide a washer on the shaft before prying. Once it starts moving, I just re-clamp the shaft further in the vise and keep prying. Once the handle was removed, I made the round hole in the handle square by using a fairly small bit in my drill press as a reamer and manually shaped it into a square hole until it was a tight press fit on the square shaft. I dressed up the slight damage on the end of the handle with my sander and hammered it on the shaft with a plastic hammer. Your results may vary. :D
-Don
Ford GPW 76344 DOD 11/42 Built in Richmond, CA

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Re: Wartime 1/4" drive socket sets

Post by Gordon_M » Tue Oct 15, 2019 7:37 am

Thanks Don, it looks the part anyway. I thought there may have been more of a trick to it. :oops:
Gordon

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Re: Wartime 1/4" drive socket sets

Post by d42jeep » Thu Nov 07, 2019 4:03 am

I recently received the mixed set below with traces of the decal which Wingnutt IDed as likely Duro. It is my first Duro box with that configuration although I have a couple that are Indestro marked. The D-I sockets allowed me to complete some of those sets. I now have an incomplete Duro Chrome marked set to work on. I’m also planning to put together an early Indestro set with sockets marked Chromium Vanadium. The sets on the right are ones I consider complete and the ones on the left are in progress.
-Don
Attachments
A22B3C43-58F3-43B1-86EA-87E3FCC281C5.jpeg
eBay mixed set with unmarked spinner
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57B96739-52D5-4811-8BDC-1F2DFF82E75B.jpeg
Duro decal traces
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1089BFB2-FD7A-43F1-94D0-8A55B7EADBDB.jpeg
D-I sets on the right
1089BFB2-FD7A-43F1-94D0-8A55B7EADBDB.jpeg (113.22 KiB) Viewed 98071 times
Ford GPW 76344 DOD 11/42 Built in Richmond, CA

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Re: Wartime 1/4" drive socket sets

Post by d42jeep » Sat Nov 09, 2019 3:08 am

I found this empty FSN marked Walden box on eBay. When it arrived I noticed that it looked a lot like the early box I bought from Luca a few years back for my MVMTS. I filled it with Walden mostly cad plated tools since the box had fewer hinge elements. I had a plain steel sliding Tee which I decided not to use, so I’ll be on the lookout for a cad plated one to are the set match the catalog image.
-Don
Attachments
0718D13E-8B43-4147-97C1-7501695B14D1.jpeg
eBay FSN marked early Walden box
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8D6A21CC-F36E-40BA-8B08-B027E4F8B8F8.jpeg
8D6A21CC-F36E-40BA-8B08-B027E4F8B8F8.jpeg (76.38 KiB) Viewed 97944 times
Ford GPW 76344 DOD 11/42 Built in Richmond, CA

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Re: Wartime 1/4" drive socket sets

Post by Rustman » Sat Nov 09, 2019 4:26 am

So those Walden boxes intrigue me. Not long back I was at a USG facility in buildings that were only a couple of decades old at most and found several of these with much newer tools inside. But it was the same box!!! I wanted one so badly. But they frown on that where I work, so I had to leave them. Anyway thought others might want to know that these boxes are still out there in service.

Matt
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Re: Wartime 1/4" drive socket sets

Post by d42jeep » Sat Nov 09, 2019 5:24 am

I find them fairly often at garage sales, often repurposed to hold other items. I found this one October 18 and it had been repainted. When I removed the spray paint it turned out to be originally a postwar red box. The FSN marked boxes are the hard ones to find.
-Don
Attachments
7EC32697-1FCE-4952-B3B2-A0D81B76A769.jpeg
Spray bombed postwar Walden box
7EC32697-1FCE-4952-B3B2-A0D81B76A769.jpeg (50.74 KiB) Viewed 97938 times
Ford GPW 76344 DOD 11/42 Built in Richmond, CA

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Re: Wartime 1/4" drive socket sets

Post by Rustman » Sat Nov 09, 2019 6:57 am

Don,

I didn't mean to belittle your find. Marked boxes are of course really rare. Great save your part. I only meant to say that those Walden boxes turn up in USG facilities, even when the building they are in is much newer than the boxes. Meaning they somehow got moved there instead of sold off and shiny new ones bought.

Matt
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1945 Corps of Engineers Welder & Trailer
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Re: Wartime 1/4" drive socket sets

Post by d42jeep » Sat Nov 09, 2019 3:23 pm

I had no problem whatsoever with your reply. Walden must have made a ton of those boxes.
The Indestro Chromium Vanadium sockets and flex handle with crossbar arrived today and I immediately filled out my partial set. I had also picked up the Indestro non reversing ratchet with plug recently.
-Don
Attachments
B772D97F-E5E0-40B2-9F50-F5AA7F206F5B.jpeg
Indestro Chromium Vanadium set
B772D97F-E5E0-40B2-9F50-F5AA7F206F5B.jpeg (107.65 KiB) Viewed 97923 times
FF6180B1-D4E9-464A-98D9-D690ED36C5E4.jpeg
FF6180B1-D4E9-464A-98D9-D690ED36C5E4.jpeg (124.11 KiB) Viewed 97923 times
Ford GPW 76344 DOD 11/42 Built in Richmond, CA

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Re: Wartime 1/4" drive socket sets

Post by d42jeep » Wed Nov 13, 2019 1:40 am

I recently spent some time updating my Plomb 1/4” drive sets. The first pictures include some unusual Plomb pieces I’ve come across. Next are all of the sets. The last shots are of a set currently in progress and a flex handle I found on eBay this morning with some markings that I couldn’t pass up to go into the set in progress.
Attachments
DEA825E9-8F70-4353-BD29-789F1E82E1F5.jpeg
Some unusual Plomb pieces in the box
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C76EC3F1-7511-4BF3-811C-1A820616BE78.jpeg
A 3/16” and a 1/2” socket along with a crossbar and u-joint
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C4F2B73D-5AD4-44A2-8901-F71B0516DFCE.jpeg
The Plomb sets, oldest to newest left to right
C4F2B73D-5AD4-44A2-8901-F71B0516DFCE.jpeg (109.78 KiB) Viewed 97863 times
7349B28D-7786-43AB-88AE-D42B8311D30E.jpeg
Exterior shot of the Plomb boxes
7349B28D-7786-43AB-88AE-D42B8311D30E.jpeg (99.84 KiB) Viewed 97863 times
2ADF9BDA-4454-491B-B08C-5A023D7D050B.jpeg
Set in progress
2ADF9BDA-4454-491B-B08C-5A023D7D050B.jpeg (108.59 KiB) Viewed 97863 times
46127B93-854B-43E8-9C20-DB5FE2828C41.jpeg
Plomb 4766 on order
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A087DCD8-E4D5-42FD-BE6C-6018F60BBAB4.jpeg
Check out the markings
A087DCD8-E4D5-42FD-BE6C-6018F60BBAB4.jpeg (77.52 KiB) Viewed 97863 times
Ford GPW 76344 DOD 11/42 Built in Richmond, CA

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Re: Wartime 1/4" drive socket sets

Post by Len Jones » Wed Nov 13, 2019 7:17 am

Some more nice finds there Don, especially that 4766 with the extra markings.

Very strange that you happen to mention ' unusual Plvmb pieces ' because this little gem was a recent auction site find :shock:
Although I had vowed not to collect any more midget sets, this one had me totally puzzled :?:

What were some of the contents :?: It was only when it arrived that I could see that some of the ' mystery pieces ' had been stored inside one another.

It contains some twenty five pieces with date codes ranging from 1937 - 1941. The 4748 ratchet with a removable plug is a first for me, and I believe it was replaced by the 4749 in 1940.

The set appears to have had little or no use. Unusually it contains two 4785's, and I have retained the wire loop on the upper one - Not sure if it might be from a tag, or added to create a stop :?:

Apart from a very light burnishing with some fine steel wool, then oiling, it remains as delivered to me.

Len
Attachments
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Re: Wartime 1/4" drive socket sets

Post by Gordon_M » Wed Nov 13, 2019 8:25 am

Very nice Len Jealous🤢. I hope you bought it locally though, I’d hate to think what the Customs ransom would be. 🙄
Gordon

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Re: Wartime 1/4" drive socket sets

Post by '42 Peep's Motorpool » Wed Nov 13, 2019 11:50 am

Great thread, going through it I was reminded that I have an empty New Britain repack box with the repack label still on it. Thinking now if I should complete it, or leave it empty so the label doesn't get knocked off. :?:

The Walden is what I keep in the GMTK boxes, but it used to be a lot easier to find than some other brands. Maybe time for more variety, :lol:


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