Re: [MV] Military Tools

From: Nigel Hay - MILWEB (Nigel@milweb.net)
Date: Fri Mar 14 2003 - 11:08:05 PST


I recently sold my collection of WW2 tools, I had collected them for years,
brands like Crescent, Williams, Buffalo , Kent-Moore etc - I had a couple of
large chests full plus my Ward La France tool locker had virtually every
tool listed in the parts book.Even the soldering iron and orig WD flux. I
bought a box of US war grade tools at a boot fair ( flea market) in Sussex
from an old chap who said "I bought these off a GI in 1943 who got a local
girl pregnant and needed some money fast...."
It certainly finishes off a restoration to have the complete tool kit.

Nige
----- Original Message -----
From: "Fred Martin" <mung@in-touch.net>
To: "Military Vehicles Mailing List" <mil-veh@mil-veh.org>
Sent: Friday, March 14, 2003 2:48 PM
Subject: Re: [MV] Re Sears/Tools (long post)

> Yeah John...some more good quality tools that the government used. Those
> black oxide finished Armstrong and J H Williams brand and others. Down
> in shipboard engine rooms...they used what is called "slugging
> wrenches"...had a flat on them that was designed to be struck with a big
> 'ol clobbering iron (4 # or bigger hammer)...used for steam stuff...all
> heavy duty. I think the orientals should take a walk through there and
> get a working knowledge of the english word "Heavy Duty"! Once while
> doing one of these jobs (as a young snipe)...I saw the heaviest
> screwdriver ever...had metal going around a wooden handle...you could
> pound on this one. My thoughts were...I'm gonna get one of these when I
> find them. Years later I was in a little hardware store in New Vienna,
> Ohio (I called it New Banana) (another story...smile) and lo and
> behold...there they were...brand new and for sale...hoorahhhh! Looked on
> the box and they were made less than 20 miles away ...by Irwin...in
> Wilmington. I now have about half a dozen...as Irwin stopped making them
> a few years ago. I have also noticed the new Craftsman look...they kinda
> look more like a Snap-On or Mac design. I wonder why? They let the
> quality of theirs slip for the profit margin and now they're feeling the
> pinch. Heavy into advertising to the homeowner...instead of the more
> informed professional tool buyer. Sears used some of the local small
> forge shops locally years ago for their tools. Seems all the small tool
> shops would make a tool with any name on it...kinda like the gasoline
> thing...you don't know where it came from. After seeing the foreign
> tools some years ago...I knew that when they got around to finding
> chrome vanadium steel and getting their heat treating on the
> money...they'd get a pretty good share of the american market. If their
> tool doesn't say CR-V on it...you can about guarantee it will be made
> from high carbon steel or a cheaper alloy and some I've seen weren't
> even heat treated at all. Thats how the oriental tool makers do
> business...just sell enough junk tools to get modern equipment in their
> plant and then get competitive with the American tool makers. Theres a
> large world market out there and they sold a lot of this stuff to unwary
> customers used to American (and others) quality...but getting junk. They
> knew what they were doing...did you ever see a company address or phone
> number on the tool box that they sell? Probably all you seen was
> "Guaranteed for Life." And they got what they wanted...enough cheap
> stuff flooding our market to get their plant tooling and driving a lot
> of our companies out of business. We have so many rules pertaining to
> the building of vehicles in this country...why don't we have rules or
> laws pertaining to the tools used to work on them with? Fred Martin
>
>
> John Seidts wrote:
> > Proto tools are grown out of Plumb tools, which made tools on contract
for
> > the USAF and NASA, amongst others. Another brand that is a sleeper is
> > EASCO, which made many for the US Government, and also made them for
> > Craftsman (back when Craftsman was on par with Snap On). I have
several,
> > and they are extremely well made.
> >
> > If you haven't looked recently, Craftsman tools have a new look, and
seem to
> > be of higher quality than recent years. Of course, they are more
expensive.
> > I bought a replacement ratchet head, and it is very nice.
> >
> > By the way, I buy old Plvmb tools, with the v instead of u, if you have
any.
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Bjorn Brandstedt" <super_deuce@hotmail.com>
> > To: "Military Vehicles Mailing List" <mil-veh@mil-veh.org>
> > Sent: Friday, March 14, 2003 8:44 AM
> > Subject: Re: [MV] Re Sears/Tools
> >
> >
> >
> >>Last summer, I purchased a few PROTO brand tools (made in the USA).
> >
> > Grainger
> >
> >>carries them. The rathet has the best non-slip handle I have ever used
and
> >>the mechanism is extremely heavy duty, sounds like a small chain hoist
> >
> > when
> >
> >>using it. I also like them in the black non-glare finish to go with the
> >
> > MV.
> >
> >>The 1/2" Proto ratched lists for $54.00. They are pricy, but I'm
starting
> >
> > a
> >
> >>collection to go with the truck./Bjorn
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>>From: "Henry J. Fackovec" <hfackovec@easternems.com>
> >>>To: <mil-veh@mil-veh.org> (Military Vehicles Mailing List)
> >>>Subject: Re: [MV] Re Sears
> >>>Date: Fri, 14 Mar 2003 07:09:28 -0500
> >>>
> >>>Steve is to vehicle restoration, as France is to Bravery: They talk
> >>>about it a lot, but its hard to see any qualified results.
> >>>
> >>>HJ Fackovec
> >>>President MVMVC
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>-----Original Message-----
> >>>From: Military Vehicles Mailing List [mailto:mil-veh@mil-veh.org] On
> >>>Behalf Of Steve & Jeanne Keith
> >>>Sent: Friday, March 14, 2003 6:54 AM
> >>>To: Military Vehicles Mailing List
> >>>Subject: Re: [MV] Re Sears
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>clip-clop, clip-clop, BANG
> >>>
> >>>That is only from Ronzo, Potzo, Bozo II, Putzie or whatever he is
called
> >>>today
> >>>
> >>>Steve AKA Dr Deuce
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>----- Original Message -----
> >>>From: "Steve Grammont" <islander@midmaine.com>
> >>>To: "Military Vehicles Mailing List" <mil-veh@mil-veh.org>
> >>>Sent: Thursday, March 13, 2003 11:19 PM
> >>>Subject: Re: [MV] Re Sears
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>>Hi Joe,
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>>If you are a professional mechanic they will not guarantee anything.
> >>>>
> >>>>That's OK. According to several people (mostly from Vermont for some
> >>>>reason), Steve isn't a professional mechanic or anything else.
> >>>>
> >>>>Hey! That is just what I heard Steve! Don't shoot the messanger :-)
> >>>>
> >>>>Steve
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>===Mil-Veh is a member-supported mailing list===
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> >>>><ack@mil-veh.org>
> >>>>
> >>>
> >>>
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<ack@mil-veh.org>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
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> >>
> >>
> >>_________________________________________________________________
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> >>
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> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> > ===Mil-Veh is a member-supported mailing list===
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> > To switch to the DIGEST mode, send e-mail to
<mil-veh-digest@mil-veh.org>
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> >
>
>
>
> ===Mil-Veh is a member-supported mailing list===
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>
>



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