A great place to start is HERE*: A retrospective of links to SNL and RAPD scans from ALL of the known “Wartime GMTK” (Motor Vehicle and General Mechanics Tool-Sets) manuals, from the beginning of the war to the end.
*Links within the 'retrospective' thread are currently not functioning, I've fixed the links and posted them here for ease of use.
MVMTS 1 - Pre-War to September 1942
MVMTS 2 - October 1942 to February 1944
Dec 43 TM 10-475
GMTS 1 (?) - March 1944 to June 1944 - Not currently available/found
GMTS 2 - July 1944 to September 1944
GMTS 3 - October 1944 to December 1945
GMTS 4 - January 1945 to March 1945 - Not currently available/found
GMTS 5 - April 1945 to June 1945
GMTS 6 - July 1945 to End of War
To see how the GMTK changed throughout the course of the war years, user Pjones has put together a 'visual evolution' based off the various SNLs listed in the Retrospective thread.
From the MVMTS to the GMTK...A Visual Evolution
Wingnutt has graciously provided some excerpts from the 1939 Federal Standard Stock Catalog Specifications which 'contains an alphabetical list (Part Ia) of everything the Treasury Department Procurement Division considered a standard stock item, from Acetone (O-A-51) to Zinc-Oxide; leaded, dry, and paste-in-oil (TT-Z-321), for all branches of the federal government, to include the Army, and the specifications for each item, grouped by category (Part 5).'
1939 Federal Standard Stock Catalog Specifications
Again, credit to Wingnutt for doing the research and putting together the lists of Verified, Questionable, and No Contracts supplier lists found here:
WARTIME SUPPLIERS: LIST A (VERIFIED QMC & ORD)
WARTIME SUPPLIERS: LIST B (QUESTIONABLE)
WARTIME SUPPLIERS: LIST C (NO CONTRACTS)
The ORD 5 Ordnance Supply Catalog is a great resource to identify which suppliers (brands) were used as a spec for any given tool. 'ORD 5 Section 1 contains “common tools and equipment which appear in current tool lists and tool sets authorized for procurement, storage, and issue.” '
ORD 5 Ordnance Supply Catalog
The Toolboxes thread is a great place to immerse yourself into all things GMTK box related. Some great reading HERE.
Twertsy has a great tool for uploading images of specific tools on his tool archive site HERE. I know Don and I (and Todd) uploaded a bunch of examples for each tool. Check it out if you haven't already.
Many of the individual tools in the kit had dedicated threads that have been added over time and are a good place to see some of the brands/brand marks that members here have collected:
GMTK electrician's knife HERE and HERE
Files HERE
File Cleaners HERE
Ignition wrench sets HERE and HERE.
Close Quarter (Stubby) screwdriver HERE and HERE.
GMTK Electricians screwdrivers HERE and HERE.
Offset screwdriver HERE
Pipe Wrenches HERE.
Chisels and Punches... ... HERE.
Feeler gauge HERE.
Hacksaw HERE and HERE
Saw Blades HERE
Putty knife HERE
GMTK side-cutting pliers (dykes) HERE
GMTK long nose side cutting pliers 41-P-1991 HERE
GMTK water pump pliers 41-P-2100 HERE
Speeders HERE
Ell (double L, el, ect...) handle HERE
GMTK Long DBEs HERE
GMTK Short DBEs HERE
Midget 1/4" drive socket set HERE and HERE
4oz hammer HERE
Drag link bits HERE
Member toolkits:
Lucakiki
Silly's MB
HartofOak
Wingnutt (Living History)
D42jeep
Pjones
mudbox
In 2014, a veteran's toolkit was purchased at an estate sale by user/wynmkr. Many of the tools contained therein appear to be of wartime manufacture. This kit was well documented and later sold.
The sale thread contains pictures and a list of the tools in the box (41 pieces).
wynmkr kit
Period catalogs are a useful tool to identify what was available and the styles of tools for the time. There's pitfalls with using catalogs since sometimes the tool images were slow to catch up with actual production changes, but it's a good place to research what was available or not available (wartime production/limitations).
A Cornucopia of Catalogs
(This thread includes not only links to various catalogs that have been posted here, but to to catalogs posted on other sites.)
Period photos are few and far between, but members here have located and posted a few for our analysis/enjoyment.
Index thread for National Archives Tool-Set photos
Tool Layout, November 1942 Original Photo
MVMTS Layout 1942 Original Photo
Another Tool Layout Original Photo
GMTK Layout 1945 Original Photo.
Tool Layout NARA Photo
Camera Repair Tool Kit. Original Photo
Second Echelon Set 3 Layout, 1942 Original Photo
*******************************************
Wartime tool production research topics
Silly's MB has done some fantastic research around wartime tool production and restrictions.
The following links will explain what restrictions were put on wartime tool manufacturing and for what purpose. Also helps to understand why wartime tools look different and why some tools are found in different quantities.
Wartime Alloy Restrictions
General Preference Order E-6 12th June 1942
Limitation order L-216 May 29th 1943
Whew! Well, that should keep someone reading for a while!
Let me know if I made any double links or broken links, etc. I'll go back and fix them.
-Jason
"GMTK" (MVMTS/GMTS) Gen. Mech. Tool Kit
- mudbox
- G-Colonel
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"GMTK" (MVMTS/GMTS) Gen. Mech. Tool Kit
Last edited by mudbox on Sat Oct 26, 2019 10:40 am, edited 24 times in total.
- lt.luke
- G-General
- Posts: 9899
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- Location: Oklahoma
- Contact:
Re: GMTK/S Stickie
Yeah! Thank you Jon!
Luke Sparks
MAJ (R), USA
GPW 12078 http://g503.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=95&t=102532
https://www.homesteadersfinest.com/
MAJ (R), USA
GPW 12078 http://g503.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=95&t=102532
https://www.homesteadersfinest.com/
- Nikko
- G-Brigadier General
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Re: "GMTK" (MVMTS/GMTS) Gen. Mech. Tool Kit
HI
Thanks alot for this info regaredng GMTK tool sets
wery helpful inndeed
Cheers From The Cold North
Nikko
Thanks alot for this info regaredng GMTK tool sets
wery helpful inndeed
Cheers From The Cold North
Nikko
1943 GPW 135099
1949 Spen 1/4 t trailer S/N 158
and a lot of nuts and bolts
1949 Spen 1/4 t trailer S/N 158
and a lot of nuts and bolts
- mudbox
- G-Colonel
- Posts: 1526
- Joined: Wed Oct 27, 2010 3:09 pm
- Location:
Re: "GMTK" (MVMTS/GMTS) Gen. Mech. Tool Kit
I guess the last update to the site broke all the links.
The old links were 'g503.com/forums'... and now they all need to be 'forums.g503.com'...
So, I just finished going through this post and updating all the links. All of the links in this post should be working now, but I've noticed old links throughout the site that are hosed up.
Please let me know if you find that any of these links are still broken.
-Jason
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