Tool Talk

Wrench Forum => Wrench Forum => Topic started by: moparthug on July 03, 2017, 05:32:12 PM

Title: Plomb Los Angeles date code question
Post by: moparthug on July 03, 2017, 05:32:12 PM
I just picked up a Plomb #1145, 1x15/16th box. It's marked Los Angeles which I think is pre-1939? But it has a date code of 7C which should be 1947.

Examples on Alloy Artifacts show 5A as 1935, 8B as 1938, and 1C as 1941.

Am I reading the date codes all wrong? If so, what year is a Los Angeles stamped wrench with 7C?

If it's from 1937, shouldn't the date code be 7B?????
Title: Re: Plomb Los Angeles date code question
Post by: mrbill on July 03, 2017, 08:00:00 PM
I think the 7 is the year and C is the month (i.e., March).  During WWII it seems they changed their scheme to the second character being A,B,C,D,E for 1941-1945, and the first letter the month.  I have a fair number of B's and C's but have not seen any D's or E's myself.  toolarchives.com has some research:  http://toolarchives.com/node/232 (http://toolarchives.com/node/232)

Bill
Title: Re: Plomb Los Angeles date code question
Post by: Northwoods on July 03, 2017, 09:58:09 PM
D's and E's might be scarce, having been replaced by WF's during the later war years.
Title: Re: Plomb Los Angeles date code question
Post by: moparthug on July 03, 2017, 10:22:26 PM
Thanks MrBill, that's the link I needed to see, I'm good with it being March 1937.
Title: Re: Plomb Los Angeles date code question
Post by: Twertsy on July 04, 2017, 03:49:05 AM
D's and E's might be scarce, having been replaced by WF's during the later war years.

The WF series was an entirely different contract than the one with the War Dept.  WF tools were for the Wright Field contract, whereas the A-E scheme was put on tools sold to the public or general War Dept.
Title: Re: Plomb Los Angeles date code question
Post by: Northwoods on July 04, 2017, 08:59:41 AM
D's and E's might be scarce, having been replaced by WF's during the later war years.

The WF series was an entirely different contract than the one with the War Dept.  WF tools were for the Wright Field contract, whereas the A-E scheme was put on tools sold to the public or general War Dept.

That is what I was (evidently ineffectively) trying to say.  Thanks for filling in all my missing words.