Alloy Artifacts

Pliers and Adjustable Wrenches

In the following sections we'll look at some of the more specialized tools made by Plomb. As with the other sections, all model numbers have been added to the Site Index, so check the index if you're looking for a particular tool model.

228 Duckbill Pliers

Fig. 145. Plomb 228 Duckbill Pliers, with Inset for Side View.

Fig. 145 shows the Plomb model 228 duckbill pliers, with "Made in U.S.A." stamped near the pivot, and with the PLVMB logo forged into the handles.

The overall length is 7.5 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

246 Slip-Joint Combination Pliers

Fig. 146. Plomb 246 Slip-Joint Combination Pliers, with Inset for Handle Pattern.

Fig. 146 shows the Plomb model 246 slip-joint combination pliers, marked "Mfd. U.S.A." with the PLVMB logo.

The overall length is 6.7 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

The inset shows the geometric pattern on the handles. Note that one handle has been ground at the end to form a screwdriver point or small prying tool.

Adjustable Wrenches

By 1940 the Plomb catalogs were offering Crescent-style adjustable wrenches, a well-known type of tool widely used for many service jobs. These popular tools were made by a number of other tool companies at that time, and rather than doing the manufacturing in-house, Plomb turned to an outside vendor for contract manufacturing. Based on catalog illustrations and known examples, their first vendor was Utica Drop Forge & Tool of Utica, New York. (See our article on Utica Tool for more information.)

The identification of Utica as the contract maker was based on several observations. The Plomb catalog description of the adjustable wrenches makes note of the square jaw ("deep-throated") opening for better operation with square nuts, a feature offered by Utica and J.P. Danielson in their wrenches. Most other makers used a jaw opening shaped for hex nuts, though still usable for square shapes as well.

Another clue is provided by illustrations in the 1940 and 1942 Plomb catalogs, which show adjustable wrenches with a raised panel on the handle, stamped with the Plomb name. Raised panels are somewhat uncommon on adjustable wrenches, but the 1939 Utica catalog illustrates its adjustable wrenches with a similar raised panel, again used for the stamped name.

Finally, some early examples of Plomb adjustable wrenches show a distinctive web-like raised panel that closely matches an Early Utica Adjustable Wrench shown on our page for Utica Tools. These observations clearly establish Utica as the initial manufacturing partner for the Plomb adjustable wrenches.

Early 708 8 Inch Adjustable Wrench

Fig. 147. Plomb Early 708 8 Inch Adjustable Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Reverse Detail, ca. 1941.

Fig. 147 shows a rare example of Utica production for Plomb, a Plomb 708 8 inch adjustable wrench with a raised web-like panel. The shank is stamped with the PLVMB logo on the panel, with "8 In." and "Alloy Steel" in forged raised letters, and the reverse is stamped with the model number on the panel with "8 In." and "Made in U.S.A." forged into the shank.

The overall length is 8.0 inches, and the maximum jaw opening is 1.1 inches. The head thickness was measured at 0.47 inches.

The finish is plain steel.

The use of the web-like panel is documented in the Utica No. 57 illustrated price list from 1941.

The Switch to J.P. Danielson

Some time in the mid 1940s Plomb switched to a slightly different style of adjustable wrench, and once again the vendor can be identified by a distinctive feature of the tools. The new wrenches were made with a double-hex broached opening in the handle end, a feature found on the popular "Bet-R-Grip" wrenches made by J.P. Danielson. These new Plomb models closely resembled the J.P. Danielson "Bet'R-Grip" Adjustable Wrench shown on our page for J.P. Danielson. The Danielson wrenches were also made in the square-jaw style, and the Plomb catalogs continued to mention the improved operation with square nuts.

Plomb's vendor relationship with J.P. Danielson apparently went well, and in 1947 Plomb acquired the company outright. Later production of adjustable wrenches dropped the broached opening, but otherwise closely resembled the earlier Danielson models, including the forged-in letter and number codes peculiar to Danielson wrenches.

In addition to production for Plomb (and later Proto), the J.P. Danielson factory apparently provided adjustable wrenches for the other tool brands in the Plomb family, including Penens, Fleet, P&C, and later even Vlchek. Examples of this production can be seen in the P&C 1708-S Adjustable Wrench, Penens 4204 Adjustable Wrench, and Vlchek AV6 Adjustable Wrench.

The next figures show examples of J.P. Danielson adjustable wrenches produced for Plomb.

706 6 Inch Adjustable Wrench

Fig. 148. Plomb 706 6 Inch Adjustable Wrench, with Inset for Reverse Detail.

Our first example of J.P. Danielson production for Plomb is shown in Fig. 148 at the left, a Plomb 706 6 inch adjustable wrench with a broached end. The shank has forged-in markings "Mfd. in U.S.A." with the PLVMB logo and model on the front, with "Forged Plombaloy Steel" on the reverse. A small forged code "B.2.7" can be seen on the shank at the right.

The overall length is 6.2 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

706S 6 Inch Adjustable Wrench

Fig. 148B. Plomb 706S 6 Inch Adjustable Wrench, with Inset for Reverse Detail.

Fig. 148B shows a similar Plomb 706S 6 inch adjustable wrench, marked with the PLVMB logo, model number, and "Mfd. in U.S.A." forged into the shank, with "Forged Plombaloy Steel" forged into the reverse. The shank also has a small forged-in code "A.1.7" visible at the right, near the broached hole.

The overall length is 6.2 inches, and the finish is plain steel. (The stamped "S" suffix to the model number indicates an industrial finish.)

710S 10 Inch Adjustable Wrench

Fig. 149. Plomb 710S 10 Inch Adjustable Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Reverse Detail.

Fig. 149 shows another example of Danielson production, a Plomb 710S 10 inch adjustable wrench with a broached end. The shank has forged-in markings "Mfd. in U.S.A." with the PLVMB logo and model on the front, with "Forged Plombaloy Steel" on the reverse. The shank also has a small forged-in code "W-3-7" visible at the right, near the broached hole.

The overall length is 10.2 inches, and the finish is plain steel. (The stamped "S" suffix to the model number indicates an industrial finish.)

Pullers, Presses, and Striking Tools

4010 Heavy-Duty Gear Puller Set

Fig. 150. Plomb 4010 Heavy-Duty Puller Set with Pebbled Background, ca. 1945-48.

Fig. 150 shows a Plomb 4010 heavy-duty gear puller set, consisting of a number 4011 yoke, 4012 pressure screw, two 4015 short jaws, and two 4016 long jaws. The yoke is marked "Made in U.S.A." with the PLVMB logo on a pebbled background, indicating production in the 1945-1948 time frame.

The overall length of the 4012 pressure screw is 11.5 inches.

According to the 1950 catalog, Plomb had by then made some improvements to this model, including a replaceable tip for the pressure screw. The jaws also featured drilled holes near the ends to allow them to be ganged together.

4020 Medium-Duty Gear Puller Set

Fig. 151. Plomb 4020 Medium-Duty Puller Set, with Inset for Marking Detail, 1941.

Fig. 151 shows a Plomb 4020 medium-duty gear puller set, with a number 4021 yoke, 4022 pressure screw (with 9/16-12 threads), two 4025 short jaws, and two 4026 long jaws. The yoke and jaws are marked "Made in U.S.A." with the PLVMB logo, and the pressure screw is marked with just the PLVMB logo.

The overall length of the 4022 screw is 6.9 inches.

The inset at the lower left shows the "1B" date code on the 4025 short jaws, indicating a manufacturing date in 1941.

4070 Three-Jaw Gear Puller

Our next figure shows a fine example of the less commonly seen Plomb model 4070 puller.

Fig. 152. Plomb 4070 Three-Jaw Gear Puller, 1938.

In Fig. 152 we see a Plomb 4070 three-jaw gear puller, consisting of a model 4062 pressure screw, 4063 adjusting nut, three 4064 screw pins, three 4066 long jaws, and a 4071 three-arm yoke. The model 4066 jaws are marked "L.A." with the PLVMB logo and an "8B" date code, and the pressure screw and yoke are marked with the PLVMB logo. The adjusting nut and screw pins are unmarked.

The overall lengths are 4.6 inches for the jaws and 6.1 inches for the pressure screw.

The 4070 gear puller was also available with model 4065 short jaws, and could be ordered as a 4070A set with both jaws, 4070B with short jaws only, or 4070C with long jaws only. The price in 1936 was $4.70 for the 4070C set as shown.

41 Center Punch

Fig. 153. Plomb 41 5/8 Center Punch, ca. 1939-48.

Fig. 153 shows a Plomb 41 5/8 center punch, marked "Made in U.S.A." with the PLVMB logo.

The overall length is 5.9 inches.

Specialty Tools

In addition to its selection of general-purpose tools, Plomb offered a wide variety of specialty tools designed for one specific application, or in some cases for one particular model of automobile.

4508 1/2-Drive Stud Extractor

Fig. 154A. Plomb 4508 1/2-Drive Stud Extractor, with Insets for End Views, ca. 1934-1938.

Fig. 154A shows a 1/2-drive Plomb 4508 stud extractor, marked "L.A." with the PLVMB logo.

The overall length is 2.0 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

6527 15/16 Head Light Specialty Wrench

Fig. 154B. Plomb 6527 15/16 Head Light Specialty Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Marking Detail, 1934.

Fig. 154B shows a rare Plomb 6527 15/16 specialty wrench, designed for adjusting the headlights on Ford and Essex automobiles. The shank is stamped "Los Angeles" with the PLVMB logo and a "4C" date code for 1934.

The overall length is 12.0 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

6505 Wrist Pin Tool

Fig. 155. Plomb 6505 Wrist Pin Tool, with Inset Showing Model, 1938.

Fig. 155 shows an example of a model-specific specialty tool, the Plomb 6505 wrist pin tool, designed to remove and replace the piston pins in Ford Model A and B engines. In use, the piston pin was secured to the tool with the castle nut, and then was driven into the heated piston.

The overall length is 10.25 inches, and the tool is marked with an "8A" date code for 1938. The model 6505 was listed in Plomb catalog 15-A of 1936 with a price of $1.75. Earlier catalogs listed this tool as a model F-5.

This tool is marked with patent #1,824,743, filed in 1929 and issued to K. Neu in 1931. The patent document does not indicate an assignment to Plomb, so it's possible that it was licensed to other manufacturers as well.

At least one other manufacturer offered wrist pin tools for Ford models A and B. For example, Duro Metal Products offered a Duro-Chrome 276-AB Piston Pin Tool (of somewhat different design) in their 1938 catalog.

2034 Valve Adjustment Tool

Fig. 156. Plomb 2034 Valve Adjusting Tool, with Inset for Reverse Detail, ca. 1939-1941.

Fig. 156 shows a somewhat rare Plomb 2034 specialty tool for adjusting valve clearances, marked "Made in U.S.A." and "Pat. No. 2,007,432" in raised letters on the reverse. The overall length is 7.0 inches.

The valve tool is basically a 1/2-drive handle with an integrated screwdriver bit, and allows using a 1/2-drive socket to tighten the lock nut after the screwdriver blade has adjusted the valve clearance.

The inset is marked for patent #2,007,432, issued to E. Mancuso in 1935. The patent was not formally assigned to Plomb at the filing, which may suggest that these tools were made for Plomb by another company.

Another note of interest regarding this tool is that after being first offered as model number 2034, the number was later changed to model 6734. According to information sent by other Plomb collectors, the model 2034 tool was offered starting in 1937, then changed to model 6734 in 1942 and later.

The change in model numbers may be a bit confusing, but is actually helpful in determining the manufacturing date. The "Made in U.S.A." marking would normally indicate manufacture in 1939 or later, but by considering the change in model numbers, the manufacturing date would range from 1939 to 1941.

A similar tool was offered by Snap-On as early as 1927, and a somewhat later example can be seen in the Snap-On V21 Valve Adjuster.

6734 Valve Adjustment Tool

Fig. 157. Plomb 6734 Valve Adjusting Tool, with Inset for Reverse Detail, ca. 1942-1948.

Fig. 157 at the left shows the later Plomb 6734 valve adjustment tool, basically identical to the previous example except for the model number.

From the discussion above, the change in model numbers from 2034 to the present 6734 helps to narrow the manufacturing date for this example to 1942-1948.

5402 1/2-Drive Torque Wrench

Fig. 158. Plomb 1/2-Drive 5402 Torque Wrench, with Insets for Detail.

Fig. 158 shows a 1/2-drive Plomb 5402 100 ft-lb torque wrench, marked "P.A. Sturtevant Co." and "Made in U.S.A." on the reverse. The overall length is 19.5 inches.

The lower right inset also notes the patents D112,888 and #2,283,707, both issued to P.A. Sturtevant.

The lower left inset shows the dual-stud drive head, which allows the user to torque bolts from the top or bottom for convenience.

The finish is polished steel, with hardly a blemish on this near-mint example.

Flare-Nut Wrenches

Flare-nut wrenches are specialty tools often used for work on refrigeration and hydraulic systems. Plomb added flare-nut wrenches to their tool line at a relatively late date, probably during the war years or immediately afterwards. (These tools were not listed in the 1936 catalog.)

It's interesting to note that after Plomb switched to the new "Proto" trademark, the flare-nut wrenches were allowed to keep their full pebbled background, but with "Plomb" replaced by the new trademark. These are among the very few tools to retain the original pebble design after the trademark change.

3734 Flare Nut Wrench

Fig. 159. Plomb 3734 1-1/16 Flare-Nut Wrench with Inset Showing Reverse, ca. 1945-1948.

Fig. 159 shows a Plomb 3734 1-1/16 inch flare-nut wrench with a pebbled background.

The overall length is 8.2 inches.

3736 Flare Nut Wrench

Fig. 160. Plomb 3736 1-1/8 Flare-Nut Wrench, with Inset Showing Reverse, ca. 1945-1948.

In Fig. 160 we see a similar Plomb 3736 1-1/8 inch flare-nut wrench, also with a pebbled background.

The overall length is 8.4 inches.

Flare-nut wrenches were offered in sizes ranging from 3/8 for model 3712 to 1-1/8 inch for the present model 3736.

Crowfoot Wrenches

Crowfoot wrenches were listed only sporadically in the Plomb catalogs, but the pieces most commonly found were probably made as special order contracts. Plomb catalog No. 12 of 1933 listed five crowfoot wrenches, ranging from the model 5716 of size 1/2 to the model 5724 of size 3/4, all in 1/2-drive. This catalog also showed the corresponding older model numbers DC8 through DC12, implying that these had been available previously.

Crowfoot wrenches are absent from catalogs later in the 1930s through at least 1940, but reappear in the later 1940s catalogs in 3/8-drive models. At this time crowfoot wrenches were offered in a 49xx series, with sizes ranging from the model 4912 of size 3/8 up through the model 4944 1-3/8 size.

In addition to the catalog items, Plomb also offered crowfoot wrenches in a K-21xxx model number series in both open-end and flare (double-hex) configurations. These K-series tools were apparently produced under special contracts, probably as part of the wartime effort, as they are not listed in the standard catalogs. In addition, the markings don't follow the expected patterns of the other tools, which makes it difficult to estimate a manufacturing date for these tools.

The next group of figures will show examples of the various crowfoot wrench models.

K21520 1/2-Drive 1-7/16 Crowfoot Wrench

Fig. 161. Plomb K21520 1/2-Drive 1-7/16 Crowfoot Wrench, ca. 1941-1945.

Fig. 161 shows a 1/2-drive Plomb K21520 1-7/16 crowfoot open-end wrench, stamped with the size, model, and PLVMB logo.

The dull cadmium finish suggests production during the war years.

K21521 1/2-Drive 1-1/2 Crowfoot Wrench

Fig. 162. Plomb K21521 1/2-Drive 1-1/2 Crowfoot Wrench, ca. 1941-1945.

Fig. 162 shows a 1/2-drive Plomb K21521 1-1/2 crowfoot open-end wrench, stamped with the size, model, and PLVMB logo.

The dull cadmium finish suggests production during the war years.

K21522 1/2-Drive 1-9/16 Crowfoot Wrench

Fig. 163. Plomb K21522 1/2-Drive 1-9/16 Crowfoot Wrench, ca. 1941-1945.

Fig. 163 shows a 1/2-drive Plomb K21522 1-9/16 crowfoot open-end wrench, stamped with the size, model, and PLVMB logo.

The dark cadmium finish suggests production during the war years.

K21528 1/2-Drive 1-7/8 Crowfoot Wrench

Fig. 164. Plomb K21528 1/2-Drive 1-7/8 Crowfoot Wrench, ca. 1941-1945.

Fig. 164 at the left shows a specialty tool, a 1/2-drive Plomb K21528 1-7/8 crowfoot open-end wrench, marked with the PLVMB logo.

The dull cadmium finish suggests production during the war years.

K21529 1/2-Drive 1-15/16 Crowfoot Wrench

Fig. 165. Plomb K21529 1/2-Drive 1-15/16 Crowfoot Wrench, ca. 1941-1945.

Fig. 165 shows a 1/2-drive Plomb K21529 1-15/16 crowfoot open-end wrench, marked with the PLVMB logo.

The dull cadmium finish suggests production during the war years.

3/8-Drive K219xx Crowfoot Wrenches

The next several figures present examples of the K-219xx series of 3/8-drive crowfoot flare-nut wrenches, all with 12-point broachings and cadmium finishes. The tools are marked with just the PLVMB logo.

Fig. 166 shows the model K21901 size 9/16 crowfoot along with the basically identical model F21901, Fig. 167 shows the model K21902 of size 5/8, and Fig. 168 shows the model K21904 size 7/8 crowfoot wrench.

Fig. 166. Plomb 3/8-Drive 9/16 Crowfoot Wrenches, Models K21901 and F21901, ca. 1941-1945.

Fig. 167. Plomb 3/8-Drive 5/8 Crowfoot Wrench, Model K21902, ca. 1941-1945.

Fig. 168. Plomb 3/8-Drive 7/8 Crowfoot Wrench, Model K21904, ca. 1941-1945.

K21923 1/2-Drive Crowfoot Wrench

The larger sizes in the K219xx series used 1/2-drive connections, as the next figure illustrates.

Fig. 169. Plomb K21923 1/2-Drive 2-1/4 Crowfoot Wrench, ca. 1941-1945.

Fig. 169 at the left shows a 1/2-drive Plomb K21923 2-1/4 flare-nut crowfoot wrench, stamped with the PLVMB logo and broached with a double-hex (12-point) opening.

The dull cadmium finish suggests production during the 1941-1945 war years.

49xx Crowfoot Wrenches

The next several figures show examples of the 49xx series of 3/8-drive open-end crowfoot wrenches. These were listed in catalogs from the mid 1940s onward.

Fig. 170. Plomb 49xx 3/8-Drive Small Crowfoot Wrenches, ca. 1945-1948.

Fig. 170 at the left shows a group of five 3/8-drive Plomb 49xx crowfoot open-end wrenches, all marked "Made in U.S.A." with the PLVMB logo. The models and sizes are, from the left, 4912 (3/8), 4914 (7/16), 4916 (1/2), 4920 (5/8), and 4922 (11/16). (The 9/16 Model 4918 is missing.)

The finish on these wrenches is chrome plating.

Fig. 171. Plomb 49xx 3/8-Drive Intermediate Crowfoot Wrenches, ca. 1942-1945.

Fig. 171 at the left shows four 3/8-drive Plomb 49xx crowfoot wrenches in the intermediate sizes, all marked "Made in U.S.A." with the PLVMB logo. The models and sizes are, from the left, 4924 (3/4), 4926 (13/16), 4928 (7/8), and 4932 (1 Inch). (The 15/16 Model 4930 is missing.)

The finish on all four wrenches is plain steel.

Fig. 172. Plomb 49xx 3/8-Drive Large Crowfoot Wrenches, ca. 1942-1945.

Fig. 172 at the left shows two of the larger 3/8-drive Plomb 49xx crowfoot wrenches, both marked "Made in U.S.A." with the PLVMB logo. The models and sizes are, from the left, 4940 (1-1/4) and 4944 (1-3/8).

The finish is plain steel.