Cobra Tool Kit - redux

[Armrer]

In the works. Art is done, just taking time to size it properly before water slide production.

[legenmetals]

Thanks Armrer,

[Armrer]

Originally Posted by legenmetals

Thanks Armrer,

My pleasure!

[legenmetals]

OK aficionado's ! I have two BDS pliers, which one is correct for a tool kit?

Note: One is larger than the other and is painted red as the screwdriver handle.

The Draper catalog shows the motor pliers as the one with the round side cut opening. But then what does "motor" actually refer to?

And the saga continues.

[BLACKJACK]

The Bottom Pair appear to be identical to my "King Dick" pliers which appear to be identical to everyone else's BDS pliers.

Jack

[BLACKJACK]

Incidentally, One of my engineers was working on a method to "recover" the King Dick logo on my pliers.

His answer was to laser print the "KING DICK MADE IN ENGLAND", then reverse the image onto "prep paper" (???). When I get the pliers back from the plating shop - hopefully this week - we will Oven Heat the pliers, lay the reversed image onto the pliers, press heat it into place with a flat iron and - when cooled - peel off the Prep Paper and have a perfect image permanently on the pliers. Thats the Game Plan anyway.

Now - - - He has given me two sheets of Prep Paper with SIXTY-FIVE images. I asked him why so many? "In case you 'screw it up' a couple of times". "Just how many times do you think I'm going to 'screw it up' ". "You can do it, Coach, you can do it - you're very talented that way".

At any rate - - assuming that I don't 'screw it up' more than fifty or so times - - I'll have quite a few left over. If the system works as it should I'll let you know and if anyone needs to 'authenticate' any King Dick stuff I'll be happy to send you a few.

BLACKJACK

[LMH]

Originally Posted by legenmetals

Attachment 26473

OK aficionado's ! I have two BDS pliers, which one is correct for a tool kit?

Note: One is larger than the other and is painted red as the screwdriver handle.

The Draper catalog shows the motor pliers as the one with the round side cut opening. But then what does "motor" actually refer to?

And the saga continues.

The bottom pliers are the predominate ones used in the tool kit. I'm going to stop short of saying "all" tool kits though as there have been differences found in the kits.
Larry

[legenmetals]

A few more. The King Dick and Shelley have wrinkle finish on the handles and they are slightly longer and more pointed.

[BLACKJACK]

I just can't help wondering - - - -

EXACTLY how many of the tool kits had EXACTLY the same components from EXACTLY the same manufacturers ??? Any guesses ???

I can just 'picture' old Carroll shouting out - - - "Hey, Phil - - you can't ship that blue Cobra out to the dealer yet; it has King Dick pliers instead of BDS pliers in the tool kit".

OR: "Hold up on that red Cobra, guys. The grease gun is the wrong color".

How about: "Hold up production, Y'all. None of our screwdrivers are 'stamped ' with 'FOREIGN' or 'MADE IN ITALY' "

I can't imagine that they gave a "rat's butt" what went into the tool kits. They likely 'grabbed' whatever was available at the moment - - no science to it at all.

Given all of the Creativity, Genius, and "Cowboy Engineering" that went into the design, production and racing of the Cobras I'll bet that a fair number of the cars left the factory WITHOUT a tool kit. Not to mention a certain number of them meeting their fate at the hands of guys like my buddy with the Grease Plunger.

Having said all that - - I'm having a GREAT TIME "pretending" that I know what the hell I'm doing.

JES THINKIN' AHT LOUD.

BLACKJACK

[legenmetals]

I know what your saying. I agree, but it's still fun bantering back and forth. I just can't help myself, I like to collect junk.

[BLACKJACK]

Thanks, Legenmetals.

Great picture. The King Dick pliers (second from the left) are exactly like mine. I cannot tell from my pliers whether they ever had the Black Wrinkle Finish shown on yours. Initially, I thought the handles might have originally been black. Not having seen black handles on any pliers on this forum I thought I must be mistaken. Well - - - Off to Home Depot to find some black wrinkle finish paint.

Y'all have a really great day.

BLACKJACK

[BLACKJACK]

YUP - - - - Its kinda like "Target Fixation". I go to bed at night thinking about this stuff.

I began this adventure about six weeks ago. I thought - What the heck - I'll spend a few bucks and a few hours doing this and be done with it. YEAH - RIGHT - - - - Its become an obsession. A half dozen projects are on the shelf and they're being ignored - - - BUT - - I'm having a ball.

Have a great day - - - And - - - THANKS FOR ALL OF YOUR HELP. You guys have made this trip really exciting for me.

BLACKJACK-21, Out

[legenmetals]

That's so funny that you go to bed thinking about a trivial project. I say that because I do the same thing. The screwdriver. That I uses was new and out of Greece. It was manufactured by a company called Wera. The dimensions were the same as the 10.5 inch sscrewdrivers described in this thread. I still want to put a rivet in it with the water slide and maybe put it in the lathe and cut a "crimp" in it. Why? Who cares? I do because it's a distraction. If you Paint a screwdriver after cleanng the wood, spray clear on it first before you mask and Paint it Red. Don't mask with blue tape. Use thin pinstriping tape. The edges will not pull the Red Paint. Works on striping cars also. The wrinkle Paint look on the king Dick pliers is more of a camera case finish. Sorry bout the run on, I'm using my cell phone.

[LMH]

Mine are like the BDS pliers in the center, with the three circles and a triangle. They do have remnants of some kind of black finish on the handles but I don't know what it is.
I suspect that the pliers may have been made by another company and bought by BDS or made by BDS and wholesaled to other companies for sale as their own. It's a common practice that continues to this day. I have a pair of pliers from a British motorcycle tool kit that are very close to my BDS pliers.
Larry

[LMH]

So the Shelley jack is finished and here's the final photo's.







Larry

[legenmetals]

Looks good. Nice work.

[my427cobra]

You guys have turned this into a fantastic subject posting. Your restoration work and contributions with info is outstanding

It may become the go to thread for tool kit info.

Thanks.

Cheers
Greg

[legenmetals]

I have also seen BDS pliers marked West Germany on the back side of the pliers. Stands to reason as stated earlier that Draper uses multiple suppliers.

[BLACKJACK]

Still waiting for the spanners and pliers to come back from the plating shop.

I've been 'practicing' with the King Dick reverse image media and it (so far) has been looking GREAT. I put a light coat of Varathane over it (for added protection). After 30 minutes the Varathane is "Invisible".

Two questions for the "Board of Experts":

1. Is there a consensus - general opinion - or gut feeling among the group as to whether the handles of the pliers are painted?? Wrinkle finish black ??

2. What is the "height" of the letters in the word "FOREIGN" on some of the BDS screwdrivers ?? Also the 'length' of the word ??

Thanks, Guys, for all the great info.

Y'all have a really great weekend.

BLACKJACK

[LMH]

In the photo above that legenmetals posted showing the pliers, the King Dick and Shelley versions look to have a nice finish on the handles. I would shoot for that look if you want to have a coating on the handles. As for what the coating is... I don' know for sure. My guess is they are Parkerized but it's just a guess.

I can't give you a measurement of the "FOREGIN" stamping on my screwdriver at the moment. My screwdriver is being used for decal sizing and not in my possession right now. It's pretty small though. Definitely a stamping.
Larry