Tool Talk
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: scottg on September 24, 2012, 12:50:58 PM
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Hi Guys
So, I got a surprise package the other day. It was from Rob (Brophy). You should have seen me light up in the post office when I got a glimpse of the return address!! A heavy box from Rob???? Holy Mackerel!!
When someone knows you and knows what you like?? Its better that birthday and Christmas rolled into one!! Rob said he just started a box by the door and dropped yard sale extras in as they were coming into the shop. This would be a 10 year hunt or longer with as few yard sales as I get here.
Here is the LOOT!!
I had asked about a 180-190 series plane some time back. I like a simple rabbit plane Collectors don't like these at all. As they don't have as many bells and whistles as the dado planes, for instance. But I don't cut a lot of rabbits with just a plane. Takes too long unless they are very small. I usually rough out the waste with something else.
But when it comes to the final fitting?? Nothing is as accurate and controllable as a rabbit plane. Grab it and go to. So I love them. I hadn't been able to find any of the "1's" 181, 191. These are 1 1/4" wide.
So what does he find?? A 181!! And Stanley Rule and Level period model too!!
And on top of that? A ---first-- period #78!!
In case you didn't know, Stanley planes hardly improved with age. Most of them started out as really elegant tools and kept getting simpler, plainer and more fragile as time went on. The early models are just "plane" better!
He finds an Excelsior pattern block plane. I really like the swoopy side plates of the early Excelsior pattern block planes. Iron block planes are mostly same same same. So there is little to be excited about as far as style. But once again, the early pattern had some class, so I always look for these.
Is it a common Stanley?? Noooooooooooooooo
Its a Union, the only one I ever saw!
He knows I like Willaims tools, and one day just finds 2 identical 1/4" ratchets. Are they the most common Williams?? No way, the scarce M-52 model!! Not like a standard 1/4" round head ratchet with its wimpy ratchet action. These things snap like a bear trap!
He knows I like older yellow and orange handle screwdrivers.
He knows I like looooooong bench chisels.
He knows I like 6" adjustable wrenches, and I never had an angled Ridgid pipe wrench in my life!! 6 inches!!!
See that hacksaw looking saw?? Not a hacksaw. Its thin and light. The blade is thin. Its got a hand forged wingnut and it has a very old, very high grade, boxwood handle on it.
Its an ivory workers saw!! Probably from the 1840's!!
Some spare knurl sets for my lathe, a wood handle screwdriver project, a great book.
And a rough cast pipe/hawk head project! A pipe hawk for heavens sake!!
It gets no better than this. Good friends, great tools? Cheers!!
yours Scott
PS I started cleaning some already. I gave the rabbit planes and ivory saw the "10 minute restoration". This mean Galoot Wax scrubbed on with a green pot scrubber, and wiped. 2 or 3 times each. Takes off all the surface crud and rust. Blackens nekked iron and makes missing japanning much less noticeable.
I polished up the yellow handle drivers, cleaned and polished the ratchet and rubbed down the chisels.
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Sounds a little like Scott got excited! Who wouldn't be to find some rare tools in a box, with your name on it. An ivory workers saw, how much digging did it take to deduce that? Looks like the things I was sitting aside to send to Happy Camp will just go back in the shed, that leaks.
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Nothing better than early Christmas and birthday presents Scott. You will have to show us some after photos, I especially would like to see what you do to the wooden handle turn screw and the hammer hatchet. Are those long chisels "Pattern Maker's chisels"? I have a couple of Lancashire pattern hacksaws with the 'top' handle, but I have not seem a saw like that before, how long is blade? It's hard to tell from the photo if it is forged, but I guess it must be?
Graeme
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Looks like the things I was sitting aside to send to Happy Camp will just go back in the shed, that leaks.
Hey Now.............Yo!! Wait-a-minute!! Yikes !!
heh heheheh
The chisels are regular professional cabinetmakers bench chisels. 6" of business, not counting the socket or anything else.
This was standard before people forget and started thinking of stubby little chisels (called Gent's in the old days, meaning wussy) as real chisels.
Notice Lie-Neilsens 4" chisels, at $90 a stem!! Gulp
I think Lee Valley just released some fairly respectable 5" chisels, at about 1/2 that.
and look at this cutie in the modern world, perfect handle!!
http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=67735&cat=1,41504 (http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=67735&cat=1,41504)
4" is a Gent's chisel, 3" is the lowest grocery store quality chisel
2" is a butt chisel made for special close quarter jobs and these really were made in the old days.
Paring chisels are another 2" longer still than bench chisels. At least they started out that way.
Most you see have been shortened some by now. And they are -really- thin! No way you are even tapping a real paring chisel with a soft mallet! Hand push only. Patternmakers and others who use these kept them brrrrrrr-razor sharp!!
Mortice chisels came ~ 6" long most times. The main thing with them was, they are at least 4 times as thick as they are wide. Massive bruisers made for pounding nearly straight into the wood with wild abandon.
There are shipwright/millwright chisels too. These are super thick rugged chisels often with what has been dubbed "beer mug" sockets for the handles. They call them this because a regular socket chisel handles can literally swim around and never touch the sides!
Picture 1
are my bench chisels. These all used to be 6" long and all have been shortened over the years but none all the way down near 4" or anything! If you squint to the back you can see a single paring chisel shortened down to a 7" blade, and 2 large size regular bench chisels.
Picture 2, left to right
shows a carving chisel (bent gouge), a lock mortise chisel (for prying chips from the bottom of a deep hole), a mortise chisel (or pigsticker), 4 regular bench chisels and last a corner chisel (90degree edge)
Picture 3
a timber frame chisel (nearly as thick as shipwright), a true shipwright chisel, very thick very large socket for 1/2" wide), another ship's chisel fairly worn down but still over 5" of blade left,
a regular 1/4" butt chisel
and 2 barn sized, framers corner chisels. Needless to say these are all bruisers except the butt.
yours Scott
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Very nice tools, you got a great friend
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Nice stuff
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I could fall in love with that hammer/hatchet is there any markings on it ? bob w.
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You must be in Hog Heaven! That saw! Wow! The planes, the chisels.... Did the Eric Sloane book come with the lot as well? Good stuff!
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Far out! Really glad you liked the loot.
Wish we could get you here to live the full 'garage sale' experience! Forty or fifty sales on a Saturday morning is average, no map, no plan, just grab a couple coffees at Tim Hortons and wander.
...Rob