New Member - Sam, from downunder.

[kw573]

Greetings all,
I am Sam and I live on the mid east coast of Australia, Bundaberg to be exact. I am a semi-retired 'shop' teacher, teaching wood/metal/plastics/technical drawing/design to teenagers ("High School" in Oz.) for a couple of decades.

My interest in tools is allied to my interest in WW2 US trucks, which all had tools, at some level, issued to them.
I see I'm not the only WW2 vehicle enthusiast here (Hi, 43gpw)

Anyway, I have joined Tool Talk to help me complete some tool sets I am slowly working on. This stuff is almost non-existent here, so finding stuff in the US is my best option. And, yes, the shipping is a killer, frequently being 2, 3, or more times the price of the items, even when shipping many items at once. There are no other real options for me.

Skip mentioned the scarcity of information on tool kits. This is a place where I may be able to help those interested, as I have access to some tool lists as used by the US military in WW2.

The trucks I have, and are slowly building kits for is the Diamond T 969 wrecker and the Ward La France M1A1 Heavy Wrecker (but mine is the rarer Kenworth produced model 573, almost identical). Whilst some of the tools are more-or-less standard for the era, some are highly specialist and a mystery to most people. I am quietly hoping that after posting a picture, someone will say "I've got one of those, never knew what it was. Wanna buy it, cheap?"

When I started on the M1A1 tool kit, one decision I didn't expect to have to make was what brand of tools to choose. From what I gather, and ISTBC, pretty much every manufacturer sold to the US military at the time. I ended up going with Craftsman and that is what I'll be mostly chasing on Tool Talk.
I have a good friend in Stevensville, N.C. who stores and ships my stuff to help me with the vehicles.

Anyway, that is enough for now.
Glad to be here.
Have a nice day.
Sam.

[Lewill2]

Welcome, hope you find us as a friendly bunch. Join in on the fun and post some pictures of your tools and vehicles. We love pictures and challenges.

[mikeswrenches]

Hi Sam, welcome to Tool Talk from sunny Florida. I'm sure you'll get lots of help here. There are great folks on this site.

Mike

[Papaw]

Welcome to Tool Talk!
Another cache of tool info is always appreciated.

[gibsontool]

Hello and welcome from British Columbia Canada.

[turnnut]

 Sam, welcome to tool talk.  good luck in your search for tools that you are seeking.

Frank from Massachusetts

[p_toad]

Hello Sam.   Welcome to the forum.   Glad to see members from around the globe.   I'm here in sunny (to be rainy) Ohio; with a chance of snow on Friday. 

[skipskip]

Many of us have a box or 2 of unidentified tools just waiting for someone to ask about them.

and DOE wrenches that say  "drop forged" and nothing else.

Skip

[Yadda]

Trucks and tools, you'll do!  Howdy from Texas!

[john k]

Welcome to the forum.   Ever get to see the magazine,  Military Vehicles?  Vintage US vehicles of all types.  www.militaryvehicles.com

[Plyerman]

Greetings, good to have you aboard!

[kw573]

Thank you for the kind greetings.

I have started with a thread on 'Buy, sell, trading' seeking Craftsman hand tools to complete the M1A1 kit.

Next will be posting the information I have on this kit, and then others.

Have a nice day.
Sam.