Marking sockets

IA Roy

Well-known Member
Most of my newer sockets are very hard to read the size. I was thinking about filling the depressions with a contrasting color. Any suggestions on what to use that would be able to read and would stay on the socket? Thanks, Roy
 
There are sticker sets available to label your sockets, look online, ebay, etc. I plan to try them.
 
Its a bigger problem with the sockets that are laser etched or whatever they want to call it, especially impact sockets . Those are easy to read until you use them awhile and the etching disappears . I have painted a few and it really doesn't last long either. Try to find a socket organizer strip or tray that has the labeling built onto the tray.
 
I don't know if they still have/sell them, but SEARS used to sell Socket Label Strips. Each Socket Strip had the size repeated several times along the strip. You peeled off the backing paper and wrapped the strip around the socket, cutting off the excess. You repeated the process for each size of socket. These strips were VERY DURABLE; I've got some on my sockets that are over 35 years old and are still clearly readable.

Doc
 
I have no solution but I share your peeve. Older ones were marked better, Craftsman seems the worse offender and SK so small it is hard to read.
 
try your wife's nail polish
ask her for one she doesn't like the color of
then give then a clear coat cover over that
that can also be a nail polish as its made in clear too
any dollar sells it cheap as well
bet part is its water proof
but solvents can wash it off but will take a bit
but it can be re applied as needed
one bottle will do hundreds
paint it on wipe off the excess
 
i used small pieces duct tape with numbers marked on last for several years so far,if not having fancy looking sockets does not bother you.
 
I have some organizer trays from Harbor Freight. they are plastic with posts and are marked so you can read them well.
They have two rows of posts and hold deep sockets in the back and shallow ones in the front.
 
after fighting with poor markings and lousy vision, a few weeks ago I spent an afternoon with my engraving tool remarking about 400 sockets. Now I can see the size again, and don't have to guess.
 
You know what gets me? My new impact sockets are marked so well, and look so good I hate to use them and get them marked up. Funny that the cheapies are great.
 
Go to the craft section of anyBB store. Ask for "Puffy Pints". It's a 1 ox flexible bottle with pointed tube on the cap. Buy white or yellow.
When you get the sockets done you will be "labeling" everything in the shop and then your caps and jackets and gun cases. They are fun to work with.
 
I use mine enough so I don't need to read the size. They fit or they don't. Metrics can be a bit of hassel if thrown in the socket drawer though.
Loren
 
Thanks for all the suggestions. I wear transition lens safety glasses whenever I am in the shop and still have to hold some of them "just right" to read. As you say the impact sockets and the 40 year old SK are no problem. Mostly just the newer 1/4" drive metric and 1/4" drive deep metric and SAE
 
Worrying about the printed socket size is kind of a waste of time in my opinion.

If you can look at a nut and know it's a 3/4 - then it's just as easy to look at a socket and know it's going to fit that 3/4 nut without reading what size it is.

If you can't tell the size of a nut, you're guessing on the socket anyways, so it doesn't matter what the printed size says, you're going to pick it based on whether or not the size looks right.

So either way it doesn't matter.

Storing sockets is easy too without reading them, just small to large, hard to go wrong.
 

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