What was at the flea market

[Branson]

On the way back from the Fort Ross living history event (I was invited to interpret Russian coopering) my wife and I stopped for breakfast in Guerneville.  I couldn't help but notice a small flea market as we drove in.  So after eating, we walked over to look.  The first thing I had to take home is a weird little tool, probably cheap, but it had an interesting gizmocity -- it looked like a tiny speeder.  I'll have to try to get a picture (the one I took was way too fuzzy).  Yellow plastic handles, and when I got home it turned out that the brace portion can be detached so that you have a ratchet screwdriver.  Close by was a later Stanley 118 low angle block plane in very good shape.  The seller asked $6 for the two of them. 

Looking around his other stuff I saw a hand crank bench grinder with a 7 inch red sandstone wheel.  Fully functional.  He said he had been asking $35, but didn't want to pack it back up, and would take $20.  I hadn't thought much of these, but I remembered John talking about using them a lot, so I whipped out my wallet.  It seems a little sluggish to me so I wonder if it should get disassembled, the gears cleaned and lubed.  John?  Anybody?  It was made by the Keystone Grinder Co. and is also marked Iron City.

[Twilight Fenrir]

I picked up a few hand crank grinders once I started blacksmithing.... I haven't actually put them to use yet, but I did take them appart, and lube them up, and boy does it make a difference!

The stone should keep spinning long after you stop cranking, just like a powered bench grinder when you turn it off.

[Bill Houghton]

Good thing you weren't visiting from farther away, or that would be considered poaching - you bought those about 30 minutes away from me.

Looking forward to pictures of the little speeder jobbie.  Sounds interesting.

[Branson]

Good thing you weren't visiting from farther away, or that would be considered poaching - you bought those about 30 minutes away from me.

Hmm.  I better not talk about what I have found at Recycle Town and Garbage Reincarnations.  I definitely won't mention the 4# straight pein hammer made by a SF based ship's smith circa 1915 that was at a garage sale in Santa Rosa for a buck...  Heh!

[Branson]

I picked up a few hand crank grinders once I started blacksmithing.... I haven't actually put them to use yet, but I did take them appart, and lube them up, and boy does it make a difference!
The stone should keep spinning long after you stop cranking, just like a powered bench grinder when you turn it off.

Thanks!  That's just what I needed to know.

[Bill Houghton]

Good thing you weren't visiting from farther away, or that would be considered poaching - you bought those about 30 minutes away from me.

Hmm.  I better not talk about what I have found at Recycle Town and Garbage Reincarnations.  I definitely won't mention the 4# straight pein hammer made by a SF based ship's smith circa 1915 that was at a garage sale in Santa Rosa for a buck...  Heh!

No, best not mention those things.

[john k]

Ah another convert.   On the grinder body there should be 2-3 pinholes for adding oil.  They may be full of dirt or paint.  Not really a need to disassemble it as the body on most of these are tight enough to keep dirt out.  A few drops of oil, keep turning the crank and they improve rapidly.  Give mine another shot of oil every time I clamp one to the bench.  You didn't steal it but with that stone you did good.  Still finding one here in the 3-5 dollar range.  But am a long way from your area.   Garage sales this year have been kind to me.

[Branson]

Thanks John.  I'll take a look for the oil holes, but there is a plate just over the crank handle that looks like it will give access to the whole mechanism.  Maybe next week I can con my stepson into taking some photos.  He just left to visit his grandparents in Maine.

[Branson]

  You didn't steal it but with that stone you did good.  Still finding one here in the 3-5 dollar range. 

Looks like someone would think I stole it.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/171913732782?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2648&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

This is what I have, marked Keystone and Iron City in the casting.   I doubt the eBay grinder's handle is original because of the hex nut in its end.  One guy really wants it bad!  But another put $100 on it.  Could be a fluke, but I'm feeling better and better about the $20 I spent. 
I did open it up, and it looked pretty clean.  I oiled it a bit anyway, and that has helped a lot.

[Twilight Fenrir]

  You didn't steal it but with that stone you did good.  Still finding one here in the 3-5 dollar range. 

Looks like someone would think I stole it.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/171913732782?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2648&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

This is what I have, marked Keystone and Iron City in the casting.   I doubt the eBay grinder's handle is original because of the hex nut in its end.  One guy really wants it bad!  But another put $100 on it.  Could be a fluke, but I'm feeling better and better about the $20 I spent. 
I did open it up, and it looked pretty clean.  I oiled it a bit anyway, and that has helped a lot.

Wow, that baby is nice and clean! Maybe I should clean up and sell one of mine ¬¬

Mine was full of gunk, and that old grease that turns to rock :P My crank wouldn't even turn, so I HAD to take mine appart. But it works like butter now.

[EVILDR235]

I use to live in the Napa / Vallejo area and use to know all the good flea markets and junk stores. I stopped in a town on the Russian River and bought a one ton truck load of old car parts that was mostly model A Ford parts. I use to go to the Napa / Vallejo flea market every Sunday. Poe's Trading Post in Vallejo always had good stuff. Brain's Salvage and Junk by the flea market on Green Island Road was always getting new stuff in all the time and the best part was i worked there. The Napa steel mill was one of the best places of all. I once bought a 1964 409 Chevy engine for $15.00 and a WWII Cadillac tank engine for another $15.00. Lots of old car stuff there. This was 35 years ago. There was lots of car swap meets to go to and peddle the old car stuff. I remember selling a bunch of comic books at one swap meet and the buyer gave me a roll of pre 1965 silvers quarters to pay for them. My brother lives in Fort Bragg and i spent a weekend in the Santa Rosa jail for being a minor with a trunk load of beer in my car. I worked at the Butter Cream Bakery in Napa in the early 1970s and that's when i discovered garage sales. The man who delivered the milk to the bakery always had a of of tools on his milk truck to sell that he picked up while making deliveries. I still have a Yale & Towne 1/2 ton chain hoist i bought from him 45 years ago. Those were the days my friend, we thought ----------------------------------------------------------.

EvilDr235