Wartime 1/4" drive socket sets
- d42jeep
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Re: Wartime 1/4" drive socket sets
New Britain made high quality tools and made the early Craftsman 1/4” drive tools. Here are my New Britain sets.
-Don
-Don
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- New Britain 1/4” drive sets
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Ford GPW 76344 DOD 11/42 Built in Richmond, CA
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Re: Wartime 1/4" drive socket sets
Len,Len Jones wrote: ↑Wed Nov 13, 2019 7:17 amSome 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
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
That set is a fantastic find. I think they may have used that style of ratchet until 1940. Here is an end view of my tools for comparison.
-Don
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Ford GPW 76344 DOD 11/42 Built in Richmond, CA
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Re: Wartime 1/4" drive socket sets
Very nice! I have been tempted to fill this one since it has the repack label on it, but since it was an old repack (and had been repainted prior to that) I think I will leave this one as-is to save it as an example of a repack case.
- d42jeep
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Re: Wartime 1/4" drive socket sets
Nice box! I’m not sure that I could resist the urge to fill it up but you are probably making the right decision.
-Don
-Don
Ford GPW 76344 DOD 11/42 Built in Richmond, CA
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Re: Wartime 1/4" drive socket sets
Hi Don!
Thanks! Yes it is very tempting to fill it but I would be afraid the repack tag would fall off, and then people would assume it was just repainted by a reenactor. You can tell they weren't very concerned with removing the old paint, just covering where it was missing. Wish I had a bunch of these boxes now!
Thanks! Yes it is very tempting to fill it but I would be afraid the repack tag would fall off, and then people would assume it was just repainted by a reenactor. You can tell they weren't very concerned with removing the old paint, just covering where it was missing. Wish I had a bunch of these boxes now!
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Re: Wartime 1/4" drive socket sets
Here is an early Ward’s Riverside 1/4” drive socket set made by Indestro. I’m not sure when it was made.
-Don
-Don
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- Ward’s Riverside set with spare sockets.
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Ford GPW 76344 DOD 11/42 Built in Richmond, CA
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Re: Wartime 1/4" drive socket sets
I found this 1/4” drive set on eBay recently. It looked pretty original and complete. The spinner handle apparently totally disintegrated. I took the best pieces from the new set and my existing set to make a new keeper. I’ll add the two pieces missing from my former keeper set and move it along.
-Don
-Don
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- New eBay set as received
- ADF1171C-5E52-4820-A96D-6770778879AF.jpeg (106.69 KiB) Viewed 136948 times
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- New completed 1944 keeper set
- 748D346A-F1AF-45A2-B77A-81AB1B000914.jpeg (165 KiB) Viewed 136948 times
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- Exterior shot
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- Previous keeper set waiting for the spinner and crossbar
- 969E6996-557A-4E9C-913F-C744226C2095.jpeg (141.33 KiB) Viewed 136948 times
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- Two sets together
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Ford GPW 76344 DOD 11/42 Built in Richmond, CA
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Re: Wartime 1/4" drive socket sets
I wonder how hard it would be to make a mold and cast a new one out of epoxy? Or, for that matter, 3D print one.
Bill
1945 Ford GPW 268739 from the Dallas, TX plant.
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Re: Wartime 1/4" drive socket sets
I used the buy another one on eBay method. I’ll probably use my find an old handle and make it fit technique and see how it comes out.
-Don
-Don
Ford GPW 76344 DOD 11/42 Built in Richmond, CA
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Re: Wartime 1/4" drive socket sets
I found a buy it now flex spinner on eBay which was the last piece I needed to match the contents of the 1/4” drive set shown in the 1942 Craftsman catalog.
-Don
-Don
Ford GPW 76344 DOD 11/42 Built in Richmond, CA
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Re: Wartime 1/4" drive socket sets
I only just realised the 1/4" Craftsman set I got was more than the 12 piece set, but in the 12 piece set box. The DeLuxe kit I'm assembling doesn't show boxes for the smaller sets in the original illustration, and the tools I got in the 1/4" and 3/8" boxes don't exactly match the DeLuxe layout either..
Gordon
1941 Highway Trailer K-38
1944 Iron Fireman T-36 Snow Tractor
1986 Nolan Road/Rail trailer
1941 Highway Trailer K-38
1944 Iron Fireman T-36 Snow Tractor
1986 Nolan Road/Rail trailer
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Re: Wartime 1/4" drive socket sets
Great job Don - Sorry Gordon if you missed this one.
Now did I really need another 1/4'' drive set ? But I thought it was too nice to pass especially as it was a great price, and in the UK as well
Snap - I just need that flex spinner to complete this set as well
Len
Now did I really need another 1/4'' drive set ? But I thought it was too nice to pass especially as it was a great price, and in the UK as well
Snap - I just need that flex spinner to complete this set as well
Len
Owner & Custodian of GPW 24043 since 1976.
MVT No 366.
MVT No 366.
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Re: Wartime 1/4" drive socket sets
Well done Len, didn't see that one. Spookily similar to the one I bought, right down to the female drive ratchet and two drive plugs, in what looks to be the twelve piece set box, so you may have extra rather than being short - that box wouldn't set its a flex spinner in too, would it?
Gordon
1941 Highway Trailer K-38
1944 Iron Fireman T-36 Snow Tractor
1986 Nolan Road/Rail trailer
1941 Highway Trailer K-38
1944 Iron Fireman T-36 Snow Tractor
1986 Nolan Road/Rail trailer
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Re: Wartime 1/4" drive socket sets
Nice set Don!
Len, looks like you need the long extension and the sliding T, right?
-Jason
Len, looks like you need the long extension and the sliding T, right?
-Jason
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Re: Wartime 1/4" drive socket sets
I ended up with an extra Plomb 5295 box that formerly housed my postwar 3/8” drive set. I’m planning to repaint it and see how close I can come to putting together a 4700R master 1/4” drive set since they used the 5295 box as well. I posted the unusual sockets upthread. This will be an updated version of Len’s unique set from 1940. The ignition pliers arrived from an eBay seller today. Some of the other pieces will be a challenge to find.
-Don
-Don
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Ford GPW 76344 DOD 11/42 Built in Richmond, CA
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