Mis-stamped craftsman socket

[Peanut]

I’ve been cleaning up all my old socket sets. Currently working on the craftsman sets. Metric and SAE, 3/8ths and 1/4 inch drive, parts of 3 sets. Some missing, of course they are after 30yrs.

Today I found the oddest thing!!!! A 1/4 inch, 11/32nds, 6 point socket stamped on the wrong end. Craftsman stamps their sockets on the driver end of the socket, as do most manufacturers. This socket is stamped at the socket end, not the driver end.

Here it is between two normal sockets on a 1/4 inch rail... How I didn't notice this after 30yrs is also a surprise!

 

[Cabin Fever]

Now you're gonna have me looking at all of my Craftsman sockets!

 

[Peanut]

@Cabin Fever I was trying to stack them all driver end down on the towel to get them organized. I put this socket in the wrong row twice before I noticed what was wrong with it!!! Then I was slow to figure it out! Wait? What?

I bought this set around 1992ish. I can't believe I never noticed it before!!!

I looked online... seems there was another more famous version of this same mis-stamp on a craftsman 3/8ths drive, 11mm socket. Seems a lot of those made it past quality control.

I didn't see another mention of an issue with this 11/32nds. I might have the only one.

 

[Tirediron]

I will have to look through mine, although I would never have noticed, I don't think, mostly I curse at the brand being in big letters and the size in microscopic

 

[havasu]

I know many that paint the stamped size lettering with black, then wiping off the excess paint. It is tedious work, but I bet the sizes show up way better. Anyone do this?

 

[Peanut]

I know many that paint the stamped size lettering with black, then wiping off the excess paint. It is tedious work, but I bet the sizes show up way better. Anyone do this?

That's a good idea! I've never heard of it. I'm thinking I'll give it try, might be helpful for my old eyes.

 

[havasu]

I always to do it, but never did. Personally, I'd use dark red colors, to match the Craftsman tool box.

 

[Tirediron]

i think about marking them too, but then a distraction happens,

 

[Tirediron]

right now I am sorting wiring terminals, I bought a guys tools years ago and he just had all the terminals mixed up in a coffee can what a gong show. I am sorting into egg cartons, then into something more perminant

 

[Neb]

right now I am sorting wiring terminals, I bought a guys tools years ago and he just had all the terminals mixed up in a coffee can what a gong show. I am sorting into egg cartons, then into something more perminant

Count me crazy but...

When I don't have urgent demands sorting hardware of all types is something I enjoyed.

I have on occasion neatened up plumbing parts in a hardware store just because.

There is something about order that invites peace.

Ben

 

[Peanut]

I just sorted all my wire terminals and small fuses back in december. They were a mess, stashed in 3 locations. Now I need to build out a small kit from them to keep in my truck. Found the perfect container on sale in Jan... just haven't gotten to them yet. I keep getting side tracked by more important matters. Spring is here now so I've been working or farm equipment for 2 weeks.

 

[Neb]

I just sorted all my wire terminals and small fuses back in december. They were a mess, stashed in 3 locations. Now I need to build out a small kit from them to keep in my truck. Found the perfect container on sale in Jan... just haven't gotten to them yet. I keep getting side tracked by more important matters. Spring is here now so I've been working or farm equipment for 2 weeks.

View attachment 175585

That is beautiful!

Ben

 

[Tirediron]

I just sorted all my wire terminals and small fuses back in december. They were a mess, stashed in 3 locations. Now I need to build out a small kit from them to keep in my truck. Found the perfect container on sale in Jan... just haven't gotten to them yet. I keep getting side tracked by more important matters. Spring is here now so I've been working or farm equipment for 2 weeks.

View attachment 175585

I keep starting and stopping this process too, other thing creep in . like to keep my stuff in plano fish tackle kits, they work well.

 

[INresponse]

I know many that paint the stamped size lettering with black, then wiping off the excess paint. It is tedious work, but I bet the sizes show up way better. Anyone do this?

When I bought a cheap set of Harbor Freight tools for work I laid them all out on cardboard, used painters tape top and bottom leaving only the center portions exposed, then painted them blue so I could identify them as my own. After a few weeks of trying to read the small print engraved for the size I got the idea to use a black marker to write the size on the blue paint. Of course after a year and a half some of them need a refresh but most still have the blue stripe and the size written on them. Best part is on the deep sockets I can write the size pretty darn big. A couple months ago for the metrics I took a yellow paint marker and put small marks on the end of all the even sizes. It just makes it a bit faster to grab the right size just by guessing without having to read the size.

I also use the 6mm and 8mm allen sockets a lot at work so I took the yellow paint marker and marked to top end of each of those for ease of identification. Just marking those two made it easy to grab the right size of the others, 10mm is the largest, 9mm and 7mm are never used but easily judged compared to the marked 6 and 8, 4 is the smallest and 5 somehow is between the 4 and the 6.

 

[INresponse]

I’ve been cleaning up all my old socket sets. Currently working on the craftsman sets. Metric and SAE, 3/8ths and 1/4 inch drive, parts of 3 sets. Some missing, of course they are after 30yrs.

Today I found the oddest thing!!!! A 1/4 inch, 11/32nds, 6 point socket stamped on the wrong end. Craftsman stamps their sockets on the driver end of the socket, as do most manufacturers. This socket is stamped at the socket end, not the driver end.

Here it is between two normal sockets on a 1/4 inch rail... How I didn't notice this after 30yrs is also a surprise!

View attachment 175564View attachment 175565View attachment 175566

Very cool find. I never heard of such a thing before. Definitely rare.

 

[Peanut]

I keep starting and stopping this process too, other thing creep in . like to keep my stuff in plano fish tackle kits, they work well.

I bought a bunch of the Plano boxes in Jan. They are better than sliced bread! Got 5 of the small size, on sale for $5ea, use one for thumb drives. Got 2 of the large size, on sale for $7, all at Walleys. They make quality boxes, good hinges and latches.

The dividers are really versatile, can divide up a box for a wide range of objects.

 

[Supervisor42]

Very cool find. I never heard of such a thing before. Definitely rare.

I still think he should put it on eBay for $500.
...Never underestimate how many silly people we have.

 

[rice paddy daddy]

When did Craftsman begin to be made in China?

My dad was a die hard Craftsman guy.
I have a 1/2" drive ratchet, breaker bar, and sockets that he bought in 1940 when he started at Pratt & Whitney Aircraft as a mechanic. Still work just fine.
ALL his tools, even power tools, were Craftsman. And I've got them all.
Heck, he even bought his clothes at Sears.

 

[Pearl]

That is beautiful!

Ben

Awww, you guys are sweet

 

[Peanut]

This is why I never noticed the socket was mis-stamped… Catscans and mri’s n the late 80’s and early 90’s often had large components bolted to circuit boards. Some really small size bolts were used, always in tight spaces.

I bought this big 81 pc set of craftsman. It had a few of the common 1/2 inch sizes w/rachet, a good selection of 3/8ths drive metric and sae, w/rachet. And a big selection of 1/4 inch w/ratchet, sae 6 point, 12 point and metric. The inside the lid there was space for a couple dozen deepwell sockets I bought extra and kept there. It was a great kit to keep in my company car.

After the first time I used the set there were always a few sockets out of position. I had so many 1/4 inch sockets I never noticed that one was stamped on the wrong end.

As far as selling the socket... I'm sure someone would want it, might even pay a few bucks for it. Might be more trouble and aggravation than i need... Maybe I'll put it in my will, let relatives fight over it!