I had to do some plumbing today which involved replacing a leaking outside faucet and the shut off valve going to it in the basement. I learned long ago that that the new lead free solder requires more heat than my old propane torch can generate and being too frugal (cheap)to buy a new MAPP gas setup I've been using my old set of oxy acetylene torches to get the job done. I carried the tanks into the basement and as I was installing the gauges I wondered how many times I've hooked up these gauges and torch set over the years. I got the set for Christmas when I was in my early teens and became interested in playing around with cars which makes them well over 50 years old. They were made by Craftsmen in the days when that brand was hard to beat. In all of that time I've never had to do a thing to them ...They just keep going like when new. I've also got fairly new arc and mig welders but the good old torches still get a workout for general cutting ,brazing ,welding and bending. Do you guys have any tools or equipment that have been with you from day one and have stood the test of time?
I have the same exact set, they have served both my son and I very well, I'm sure they were made for Sears by Harris or somebody like that BITD. I bought mine in 1970 and now that I think about it I should probably pop for new hoses. Edit- I bought the above pictured drill press around the same time, it was about $120 with my uncle’s 10% employee discount. Still plugging away with the original v-belt. I only mention the belt because it is the most spindly thing you ever saw, it’s not 3/8 or 1/2” like you might expect , it only measures 5/32”.
I've got a small torch set like that, I bought them used in the seventies, they worker great for gas welding but were to small for cutting heavy steel. You could put down a perfect quarter inch pass of brass without a bit of warpage on 20 gage. I bought a bodyshop in 83 and acquired another one just like it. More than a little outdated now...... like me.
Bought a set of 3/8 and 1/2 inch Snap on sockets and Wrenches second hand for $30 about 5o years ago and still use them all the time.
I don't want to get this thread closed, so I'll walk cautiously. I REALLY hope after all this settles that products that last a lifetime or capable of being repaired come back to quality manufacturers we have right here in Canada and the USA. Like the good old days. Not only for quality products (I know there still are some here and that there are some quality overseas products), but let's put our people to work, and slow down the uneccesary welfare handouts.
I still have a WWII era Snap-on 1/4 inch socket set but when I saw the title of the thread I was thinking it was gonna contain some 63 Chevy content.
I got a a full set of Canadian Snap in sockets when I got into the trade. I think 2 or 3 have been warranties over the years. My grand fathers black smith hammer And a center punch that he made. I live old tools, especially taps and dies, files and chisels and punches. the older ones seem much better then the new stuff
I have one thing from Snap On that's not made in the U.S.A., it's a set of 3/8" drive tap holders. The package says made in china, the first and only made in china shit I've bought. Problem is the stuff is okay. I use it to cleen out the threads on big equipment that I have painted. ....... it's all good. But I have Not bought China shit since..... I should have said 3/8 " tap drive holders.
The Craftsman torch set shown has a pretty large handle and came with a cutting tip that will flow plenty of gas, enough for cutting 1 1/2” steel. I’ve gas welded patch panels on my coupe years ago but it is sure not the most comfortable torch to use.
The summer I was 16, I think, I bought a Craftsman torque wrench. Still use that thing. Ben P.S. That was 1953.
I still have the ''SK Wayne'' socket sets (1/4'' - 3/8'' - 1/2''drive) that I started off with in my apprenticeship, back in 1967, only had to replace the power bar due to breakage..
My old Craftsman floor jack is still around that i bought back in 1972. I haven't used it much in the last 4 or 5 years, one of the front wheels lost its bearings, and the handle you turn doesn't turn so well anymore. I was going to rebuild it back then, but one day I needed a jack so I ended up buying one. Like a lot of stuff around here, it just sits in the corner these days. Up until about a week ago I still had the 1st welder I ever bought, an old Lincoln tombstone. I bought that in 78, and it still works great. My grandson needed a welder, so I'm letting him borrow the old tombstone, I told him I'd be pretty mad if something happened to it... Gene
I have a 12" New Britain 3/8" drive extension that has been with me since I was 16, in the fall of 1977. One of the few things that has been with me through all of my ups and downs, I get a smile on my face every time I see it.
Those look like Victor gauges, and that was what came with my Craftsman torch in 1970. I have others that I have acquired over the years, because I wanted a smaller torch for welding sheet steel. It is still a great heavy duty unit. For welding now, if I am not using MIG or TIG, I use either a Smiths aircraft torch or a Dillon Mark III (pistol grip type) torch. The Dillon is a great torch, which allows the use of 4psi for both the Oxy and Acetylene, which saves a lot of gas. For soldering, back in the 70s, I bought a super hot Bernzomatic propane torch, that was hot enough to braze with. It has a two piece nozzle with two tips. The only disadvantage, was it was difficult to light until it was hot. It still works great. I am posting a picture of the setup I bought back then. I see that Burnzomatic offers a trigger start torch that they claim is super hot. This is the name to look up. Bernzomatic TS8000 - High Intensity Trigger Start Torch Bob
I'm still using my Craftsman battery charger from 1965. Tried a digital Schumacher charger and it lasted about a year!
Back in the 70s to early80s, I bought a lot of Craftsman power tools. I bought, and am still using, the torch, a 12 inch Craftsman table saw, 10 inch radial arm saw, router (underpowered and replaced), 5 hp Craftsman skillsaw, 6 inch Lathe (made by Atlas, upgraded to 12 inch Lantaine), 1/4 inch electric die grinder, 10 inch two speed grinder, and a lot of smaller stuff such as lathe accessories and tools. I was in Simpson Sears in Montreal on the day that the Sears line was dropped by Simpsons, because the company was purchased by the Hudson's Bay Company. The tool department manager arrived in the area in a flap, and said that all the Sears brand tools had to be removed from the shelves. I asked if some items could be purchased at a discount. The response was, what was I interested in buying, anything I wanted would be discounted at 60% off the list price? I walked out of the store with a load of tools that made it a difficult walk back to the hotel. I was flying the 747 at the time, and knew I needed to haul it all home in the cockpit, so I found a box, bought some tape, and made a parcel that I could drag up the stairs into the cockpit. When I told them the story, my other crewmembers were green with envy. Although I have collected a few, I never was fond of the wrenches. I do have 3/8ths, and 1/2 inch 6 point sockets and ratchets that have performed well. Bob
Your right about it not being the most comfortable torch to use but it was the one I learned how to use back in the day and it came to feel comfortable once I got used to it. My brother in law has a light wight set of torches and when I first tried them it was hard for me to control because I was so used to wielding the heavier handle (thus the saying "It's hard to teach an old dog new tricks")
I've got a level and a coping saw from a Sears Happy Time kid's carpenters set from Christmas of '52 when I was 7. Still use the coping saw on occasion. Also a 16 oz. claw hammer my grandfather gave me when I was 8. My brothers gave me a Craftsman 1/2" drill for Christmas of '66. Old Sparky doesn't get much use now that I have a 1/2" cordless, but it is still handy when I need something with some grunt. My toolboxes and hand tools are from the late '60's, when I was making weekly donations to the Mac and Snap-on trucks. My torch set is used military surplus (large Victor) that I bought in the '60's.
My metric set from Germany that my dad bought my bro and I to work on our motorcycles with - I ended up with them but.... My first sawsall I bought at the Sears surplus store in the 70's is still going - the one tool I've beat the heck out of....
When I was in the army in 1958, a local store in town had a many piece toolbox for sale for $ 19.95, and you could pay with time payments. I bought the tools, Penens ( sp) brand sockets and box wrenches. I still have and use them today all except the 5/8" socket that my youngest son broke. It was very thin walled. I think that I got my money's worth out of them.
Yep, I have one and it works pretty well as far as charging routine except when it gets real cold the digital buttons & display hork out, and it won't turn on. Thankfully, nobody would ever need to charge a dead battery in the wintertime.
My Dad still has an SK socket set that he bought when I was a little kid 50+ years ago. I have a lot of Craftsman tools I bought when I was delivering newspapers and building bicycles. Back then, my entire tool set fit in a small tackle box, then Mom and Dad gave me a True Value toolbox to put them in, plus many more. I still have that box. Had WWII era Craftsman table saw that the table tilted instead of the saw blade. That thing weighed a ton, but it was a solid piece of machinery! You can't beat the quality and durability of old tools!
This is the backside of the old Lincoln Tombstone I've had since I bought it new in the early 70's. It was the only welder I had until 2005? and I had made all the brackets/mounts/cross member for the 38 Chevy as well as a couple of trailers. My wife wanted to know what I was doing Told her I needed to clean the dirt out and it wasn't too bad for having never been cleaned. The Lincoln behind it has pretty much replaced the old Tombstone except when I need to fix something that is cast iron. It's been better than the 40 year old Craftsman floor jack that started leaking last year. I guess it gave pretty good service even at that.
I got my craftsmen torches in 1976 so I could cut up a Datsun to scrap it out, still have them. also have craftsmen table saw ( dad got in 1970) and craftsmen wrench set dad got when he was in the Air Force in 1951
I still have my first set of Craftsman combination wrenches that my Grandad got me when I was about 8. I also have some tools and equipment that I inherited from Grandad and my Uncle Richard. Every time I use these tools, I feel like Grandad and Uncle Richard are helping me with whatever project I’m working on at the time. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
my Craftsman floor jack from around ‘78 just bit the dust too! Only one I ever had... Had to get a low profile one to fit under my hot rod. Still have the jumper cables I bought around ‘77 though, they ride right behind the seat in my daily driver pickup! Still have a large vice I took out of an abandoned old house when I was around 14 years old, and one of my auto body hammers I bought when I was in high school. Still use it!
Oh, and a 6/12 volt 6/2 amp battery charger from back then, still works. I had a ‘52 Desoto that was 6 volt at one time, and the battery always needed to be charged after sitting a few days....
I have some "Pencraft" wrenches from J.C.Pennys bought in the 60's. About as good as Craftman with same lifetime warranty. Also when hurricane Agnes came thru in '72 our local Sears was completely flooded. All the tools were taken about a mile from my house and buried and covered with about 10' of dirt. Site of a used car sales now.
The Jalopy Journal
