Sorting through my Father-In-Law's tools

[njsteve]

I've been sorting through the tool boxes and playing a giant game of concentration/Mahjong matching up sets of wrenches, sockets, screwdrivers, etc., to make tool kits for my kids and cousins. Not exaggerating: he had at least 100 screwdrivers, alone. All different makes. I was able to match up a full set of vintage Craftsman screwdrivers and various pliers as well as actual "Vice Grip" brand locking pliers for my daughter. I threw in one of Wayne's old hammers as well. She wanted Wayne's yellow tool box, so I got that all set up for her.

I got my son's tool box similarly set up though its the grey steel Craftsman tool box.

Here's some of what it started as: just boxes of wrenches and sockets and hand tools. I spread them all out over the garage floor and just started matching things up. I was able to move some of his nicer versions of my old stuff into my tool boxes (and next to his newer Craftsman box that is now parked next to mine.)

[njsteve]

And those of you with obsessive compulsive disorder will appreciate this endeavor: Wayne had an actual bucket of drill bits of every conceivable size. I spent two days at the kitchen island cataloging them with a magnifying glass initially, and then with a micrometer. I labeled plastic bags with the fractional size if I could read it, then using the micrometer and putting them into piles and into the bags.

Last night I left to go to the cruise night around 3:00 PM. I came back afterward to the kitchen and found that my wife (also a victim of OCD) had channeled her inner fairytale "Shoemaker and the Elves" story and had made up a full set of envelopes, labeled each one with a printer, laminated them, and then found a card catalog box to collate them into size order from smallest to .075 (5/64") to .500 (1/2") sizes. There were bizarre sizes in between the traditional 32nds and 64ths that ended up 128ths of an inch, drill bits. Amazing!

I've been calling some of my friends and asking them to check their drill sets and tell me what's missing so I can gift them some of my avalanche of drill bits to complete their sets.

BTW, I weighed the Dewey Decimal System Drill Bit box and it weight 5-1/2 pounds!

[njsteve]

Also found these bizarre torque wrenches. I was finally able to ID them after I went down a mile long rabbit hole trying to figure out what these two unadjustable torque wrenches were that I found in my Father-In-Law's tool box. TheGarageJournal.com solved the mystery!

I learned they were made by a company "Jo-Line" that supplied WWII military production factories with calibrated screw drivers, and wrenches for repetitive assembly work to precise tolerances. In a total fluke of coincidence the son of the son of the original inventor found the thread and started filling everyone in on these amazing tools. The man's grandfather was a mechanical genius and held the patent on the micrometer-based torque wrenches we all use today. He would confer with his nearly 100-year old father and post the stories of the goings-on at the factory back in the 1940s to the 1970's.

These two wrenches were prototypes for future production made for one of their reps in Chicago. One was calibrated to 50 inch pounds and the other to 75 inch pounds. I had thought maybe they were related to my Father-In-Law's service as a helicopter mechanic in Viet Nam at age 19, but the son didn't think they were for a specific military application.

Here's the thread on the Jo-Line wrench story with 70-year old the son chiming in after discussing the tools with his then, late 90's aged father: https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/...enches.413693/
Attached Images

[AnthonyS]

WOW! On all points!

[1967 4K]

I like the old hammer in the yellow box. Cool patina!

[njsteve]

Originally Posted by 1967 4K

I like the old hammer in the yellow box. Cool patina!

Thanks! I thought it was cool too. If you look closely, you'll see that those are all his finger prints in the paint.

[Too Many Projects]

I have a similar box with old drill bits in it, most need sharpening. I'll gladly send them to you for more family fun with your wife, identifying them and if you have a good sharpener, maybe touch them up a bit too before sending them back
Seriously, I need to consider getting a GOOD drill sharpener. I have, probably, 100 drills here that are too dull to use on anything but wood, but I can't throw them out. I just keep buying more new assortments...
I don't have them sorted, so I don't think I'm OCD, am I

[njsteve]

90% of the drill bits I was sorting were brand new so it was worth the effort. Thirty five years ago Wayne worked for a company down in Florida that made trailers so that was why he had all the drill bits, I guess.

[1967 4K]

Yes Mitch your OCD, obsessive Camaro disorder! 😎

[Too Many Projects]

Originally Posted by 1967 4K

Yes Mitch your OCD, obsessive Camaro disorder! 😎

Funny you mention that. About 12 years ago, a good friend had a sticker made up for my car window that had OCD...Obsessive Chev Disorder. I've owned ~150, so far...