Miniature Tools

[bear_man]

     From my shop journal, I'd add that the British Museum found that in preserving leather (as, for instance, in conjunction with metal armor), do not treat leather with neatsfoot oil, even over-coated with wax.  "The main cause of leather deterioration [of leather] is Sulfur Dioxide from the air.  Lacquer, Cellulose and Acrylic finishes… cannot arrest decay….  Neatsfoot does NOT arrest leather decay.  Leather [develops] Sulfuric Acid from Sulfur Dioxide [in the air] and only Potassium Lactate [in a 7% solution] arrests this rot."  I'm pretty sure I found this note/quote in a Dover (re)publication about working with vintage harness/horse gear, but I didn't jot down the source in my journal.
     I realize that with Art's work preserving leather isn't an issue, but Renaissance Wax's suggestion that one use it for leather jumped out at me — having worked with vintage leather-work off and on for quite awhile.

[Branson]

Although Neat's Foot oil has been around and a standard for over a hundred years, basically it sucks.  In addition to not protecting the leather, it has a real tendency to rot out the linen thread used in stitching leather together.

As for Renaissance Wax, it's an inorganic microcrystaline wax, and microcrystaline waxes are used by museum conservators -- not for restoration, but for preservation.

[oldtools]

Heard Mink oil was good for leather & don't use mineral oil?

[Art Rafael]

Hi, guys.  And thanks.  I have recently discovered on this forum methods, manner and material that I have needed.
Thanks, again.

I did notice that some of my stuff (brass) has been darkening / toning over time, and didn't know how to feel about it.

I had heard it said toning was desirable and could denote antiquity.
Then I heard it said that bright and shiny was best.

Where do we stand on that?

Ralph 

[john k]

I feel it depends up on how old one is.  It seems that men now over the age of 70 + some years feel shiny is the only way.   Over-restoration, wire brush the day lights out of it, then shellac or varnish.   See this in antique shops too often.   I am just over 60, around antiques for years, and feel, clean it up, remove mold, and decay, rust,  seal it if necessary, but don't remove detail by polishing the item to death.  It has been around 75 or a hundred years, sometimes more, let it show signs of use. 

[turnnut]

over 70 ???   oops, I am over 70, but I still like what I call PATINA, it is like grey/white hair,
it adds class.

you still see people making items out of brass or copper and then they try to give it the
old age look.  I believe that most of you have noticed this in shops today.

only my opinion, Frank

[Papaw]

Art, I think that your creations should retain the natural look of the metal used. Patina is desirable on vintage and antiques.

[Art Rafael]

Thanks, gents.  I do like "shiny".  That makes me over 70 at heart, and I am darn close to it chronologically.     

After some diversions, I'm back to building miniature tools and thought that some might find this new shiny thing interesting.
This is a sterling silver plane with Ebony tote and knob, brass turn knob and a sharp steel blade.
It was a challenging build in that polished silver reveals highlights as well as every little imperfection.
The Ebony parts carved like brittle stone but polished up like glass.  Ralph

[turnnut]

Ralph,  that is a very nice plane,  I am glad to see that you are still making masterpieces.
that is interesting info on carving ebony.

have a good day, Frank

[john k]

Nice looking plane, good lines.  Never knew that about ebony.   

[couchspring]

That's a nice looking plane. I am a little disappointed that there's no drawing.
I tried the soldering on burnt wood works well,do you have any more low-buck
tips for me? Thanks

[Chillylulu]

Sorry, I was off thread for quite awhile.

I think patina is good to a point, I even add it, although sparingly, to many of my creations (except glass.)  It brings out highlites and can help define a piece.

It wouldn't improve that plane any, though. I think it looks beautiful polished. And it is hard to get silver perfect on a flat plane on such a small scale, especially cast, without sophisticated vacuum machinery. Silver is, after all, the most highly reflective surface there is

I don't personally care for wire brushing and other methods of patina removal where material is removed. I think brass can look great when brown. And for those tools that have been varnished after being aggressively cleaned, its not my thing.  I don't care for much of the obvious aging, either. Faux aged and painted highlites to give the appearance of age is usually to obvious.

So I am on the fence. When is enough cleaning enough? Usually I proceed slowly, using cleaning oils on wood and weak acids on metal. While cleaning a level recently the brass plate was hard to clean evenly around the screws. I had to unscrew the plate and do the screw heads seperately. Took some time. But, I am not in this to resell. For me, it is done when it looks right. Sometimes I have to put something aside for a bit until I feel good about going forward. But, I always eventually like the result.

And that result, for me, is that I like it to look aged, but like it was very well cared for and has never had damaging use or abuse.

[Art Rafael]

Thanks for your thoughts, Chilly.  What you have conveyed is most profound - all of it, especially " it is done when it looks right." 
Thanks for your informed insight. 

By the way, I've missed your thoughts generally on the forum.  I hope that you have you been well and will continue to share your thoughts and awareness.  Ralph

[BillS]

Ralph,

Superb craftsmanship sir. What metal do you cast tools such as the hammers from? I saw earlier in this thread or another thread where you were cutting metal on a scroll saw and soldering it together. What type of metal was that?

Bill

[Art Rafael]

Thanks, Couchspring.  I tend to include pictures of drawings of  new projects so that viewers can get the full story behind the piece and be aware that careful planning is a crucial part of the project And so that I can visualize the piece in three dimensional space before I do any cutting.  It also gives me an idea of sequencing and helps avoid costly errors in process.  Once I can see something in my mind's eye and have a good notion of what is to be done first, next, and next after that, etc., I jump in and just do it - often without further need to consult the initial plan / drawing.


Remember this one?  It was in the planning stages for days (actually, I thought about it for weeks), and I needed multi view scale drawings to implant images dimensionally in my mind's eye before I realized that I could build it.  That was a mouth full, but your reference to "no drawing" indicates that you understand the complexities of my fabrication style from idea to unveiling.  Thank you.  But with this latest project I already had a firm mental image, having built many like it in the past.  I think that I could do this model with my eyes closed by now.





I do often use a charcoal (burnt) block or a ceramic pad to solder on because they help hold parts pinned or wired in place together and to provide good insulation so that heat is not sunk away from the parts being soldered and to protect my bench top.