Plumb Manufacturing Thread

An old thread I know, but Plumbs have a special place in my heart. :) My first axe was a plumb hatchet I bought with money I'd saved when I was 12 or so from the local hardware store. This would have been 25 years ago or so. I've still got it, it's the first one on the left in the picture.

My Plumbs:



The middle is (obviously) a WW2 Military hatchet my brothers and I found (quite rusted and with a broken handle), and the last is a double bit cruiser's axe I picked up for $30 without a handle that has become one of my favorites.
 
Here is a Plumb that just sold on ebay:

s-l1600.jpg

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Plu...qJQimf%2BL3W7SVNmeiGI%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc


Bob
 
Here are some permabond pictures for those interested. No kerf. No wedge. Just the handle jammed not all the way in. And permabond all around. That stuff holds like a deathlock!












 
Woodcraft said:
Here are some permabond pictures for those interested. No kerf. No wedge. Just the handle jammed not all the way in. And permabond all around. That stuff holds like a deathlock!


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I was watching that but decided not to bid. Glad that Tas went to a good home.
 
Hello folks, I stumbled upon this thread and may have a small bit of information to offer: I actually worked for Cooper Tools, Plumb Plant, Monroe, NC from 1990 - 1999. This was about 7 years after it moved from "up North" to Monroe (Management was old school and hated the northern unions). I started out as a Labor Grade 3 Grinder, running production MANUAL grinding operations on most all striking tools - from hammers, ball peens, sledge hammers, California framing hammers you name it. And yes, many many hatchets and axes! After a couple of years, I tested well enough to head out to the "Die Shop" where I ran NC and CNC EDM production die sinking. The pay was $8.08 and hour when I started grinding, working 50+ hours per week. By the time I left, was making $17.95/HR getting good hours. Started my life and began a family (after the Marine Corps) working that job. While the work was very difficult and physically grueling at times - I look back on those years quite fondly. While a "Grinder" was technically an "unskilled" labor grade, I can assure you that it takes quite a long time, years in fact, to become competent and skilled in grinding (both with snag grinding wheels and finishing belts) including final polishing operations. Each and EVERY tool (axes and hatchets included) had several (sometimes six or more) manual operations performed and were in my mind, individually crafted. I'm not an expert on the history which is outlined very well here, but I can say that it is very sad what has happened to the manufacture of these storied tools. I and my professional co-workers watched good solid American manufacturing jobs drift slowly to China. Please know that we all took GREAT PRIDE in our work and tried to make the best possible tool on the market. Our plant maxed out at over 500 workers at it's peak, in a 290K+ SF facility. (Crescent Wrenches, Diamond Horse Shoes and Farrier Tools, Wiss and others) were also drop hammer forged and injection molded in Monroe, NC. All gone and the plant sits empty. It is getting late, and if folks are interested, I can maybe share some more of my experience regarding the manufacture of these and other great tools with another post. Great thread!
 
Walt Bell said:
Hello folks, I stumbled upon this thread and may have a small bit of information to offer: I actually worked for Cooper Tools, Plumb Plant, Monroe, NC from 1990 - 1999. This was about 7 years after it moved from "up North" to Monroe (Management was old school and hated the northern unions). I started out as a Labor Grade 3 Grinder, running production MANUAL grinding operations on most all striking tools - from hammers, ball peens, sledge hammers, California framing hammers you name it. And yes, many many hatchets and axes! After a couple of years, I tested well enough to head out to the "Die Shop" where I ran NC and CNC EDM production die sinking. The pay was $8.08 and hour when I started grinding, working 50+ hours per week. By the time I left, was making $17.95/HR getting good hours. Started my life and began a family (after the Marine Corps) working that job. While the work was very difficult and physically grueling at times - I look back on those years quite fondly. While a "Grinder" was technically an "unskilled" labor grade, I can assure you that it takes quite a long time, years in fact, to become competent and skilled in grinding (both with snag grinding wheels and finishing belts) including final polishing operations. Each and EVERY tool (axes and hatchets included) had several (sometimes six or more) manual operations performed and were in my mind, individually crafted. I'm not an expert on the history which is outlined very well here, but I can say that it is very sad what has happened to the manufacture of these storied tools. I and my professional co-workers watched good solid American manufacturing jobs drift slowly to China. Please know that we all took GREAT PRIDE in our work and tried to make the best possible tool on the market. Our plant maxed out at over 500 workers at it's peak, in a 290K+ SF facility. (Crescent Wrenches, Diamond Horse Shoes and Farrier Tools, Wiss and others) were also drop hammer forged and injection molded in Monroe, NC. All gone and the plant sits empty. It is getting late, and if folks are interested, I can maybe share some more of my experience regarding the manufacture of these and other great tools with another post. Great thread!
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Thank you, Sir, it would be an honor to have you here sharing your expertise. Thnak you for this already detailed first post!
 
Square_peg said:
I'd like to hear as much as you can tell us, Walt.
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Me too! The Cooper Tools era, nor the Ames era (1971-1981) that preceded it are generally regarded as high points in the 120+ year saga of the Plumb brand. Set the record straight, right from the horse's mouth!
 
300Six said:
Me too! The Cooper Tools era, nor the Ames era (1971-1981) that preceded it are generally regarded as high points in the 120+ year saga of the Plumb brand. Set the record straight, right from the horse's mouth!
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While far from perfect as a whole package I have been impressed with the Victory era.
 
Square_peg said:
Do you know what type of steel they used in their axes and hatchets? Was it different than older Plumbs made in the NE?
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Most of the steel came out of Finkl Steel in Chicago as bar stock of various makeups pending on tools. It may take me a bit of time, but I have old colleagues still around that maybe can answer the steel specific questions. As a grinder, I grinded and as a die maker, I made the dies. Of course I learned some about the heat treating, annealing, coining (where applicable) and that oven (LOL) and other processes - but I'll reach out and see if I can gather good info.

The sides of a hatchet or axe were one of the few "automated" steps because of the relative flatness of the tool. Contact wheel softness (durometer) on the very basic automated machine could be changed (say 40 or 60 etc.) to help follow the angle of the tool. Companies like 3M and Carborundum slugged it out for stocking inventory used in the manufacturing process. (I often wondered how many kickbacks our Industrial Engineer received from those guys:) A couple of fine ladies ran those machines (2 shifts) for years and years. 36 grit and 60 grit belts were the mainstays, from 2-1/2" wide right on up to 10+ inch wide belts x 8+ feet long. But for me? It was a 440 volt (Divine?) Floorstand type or Swing Frame snagging wheel!! I've ran wheels from an inch or so wide to 3 or 4" wide x 30" tall. I can tell you those wheels seemed 4' tall at times!! Being safety conscious, always wore a heavy leather apron, gloves, safety glasses, steel toe boots and a DUST MASK with ear protection. The back of the axes or hatchet had to be "flash" grinded by hand as well as the curved and uneven undersides. There were other operations such as "face and chamfer", "grind bit" or "grind slot", "grind neck"...all manual work, done by HAND. Steel tubs with the bottom having hinges were raised up to my stand, placed at the top and then dropped. The bottom would open up and from 300 to 600+ tools would drop down into the tray bottom. An 8" or so sized piece of PVC pipe formed a "chute" to drop the grinded tool down into a waiting empty steel tub.

One quickly became an EXPERT at wheel dressing and learning to shape a grinding wheel a certain way to better work on a particular type of axe/hatchet. As you might expect, this was the grueling part and very time consuming, especially when you have to "bring a wheel back" or "break it down" as we used to say. Cutter wheels and dressing tools were like gold in that plant. Sought after, prized possessions! (With the belt machine experience I also had, I had a little side business grinding and sharpening everybody's lawn mower blades in the plant LOL). Once these tools made their way through various processes, they would come back around where I would use a 60 grit contact wheel to "face and chamfer" and "grind bit" yet again. This was right before final treating, painting and POLISHING. That "department" was part of our overall department and put the final finishing touches on the tools. ENTIRELY BY HAND (80 grit and up plus polishing cloth wheels). These ladies and gentlemen, once seasoned (more than a year minimum experience), could really crank out some beautiful looking finished products....and FAST. There were 8-10 of us at any given time in the grinding department and on the same floor right next to us were another 8-12 folks polishing. These were the manual jobs. Then there was an aisle with I believe 6 automatic machines where you loaded tools in clamping jigs and "ran production" operations. Note that there was a constant production mix of all Plumb Striking Tools as WIP (Work In Process) based on sales demand.

Okay, if this is not too boring, I will check back in and add more later. Just trying to paint a picture of sorts and hope am not rambling too much.
 
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My claim to fame (haha) is the Wiss logo's position on Wiss metal snips. When I ran the EDM sinker machines (Elox, Charmilles Technology and Sodick), there literally was no blueprint to show how to locate the logo into the die so I played around a few times "burning" the logo into the die until the location was approved.

(I just sent a friend a message to gather more info on the tool stamping) The stamping was done near the end of the process.
 
Walt Bell said:
Most of the steel came out of Finkl Steel in Chicago as bar stock of various makeups pending on tools. It may take me a bit of time, but I have old colleagues still around that maybe can answer the steel specific questions.
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Yes, any details your buddies might recall would be greatly appreciated. They should be recorded here for posterity.
 
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