Gotta love old tools

[oldbrownhat]

Finally getting around to finishing some long-overdue window moulding and brushed the dust off this old Stanley 100 mitre saw which I picked up ages ago. Has two cutting channels at 45º to each other. The table can be rotated and angled up and down. Apparently these were originally made by Marsh, bought out by Stanley in 1924 and produced until 1994. Built like the proverbial brick outhouse and weighs about 30 lbs.

Did a little cleaning up and lubricating and it now runs "STOS"
(See post #5 in this link if you don't know the supposed explanation of Ponsness-Warren's lube!)

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

We had hit some hard times in the late 60's and laid off all our carpenters. Dad decided to trim a spec. house that my brother and I did our apprenticeships on. 4 BR, 3.5 baths, formal DR and 2 huge family rooms trimmed with hand powered miter saws and 16-ounce trim hammers.

I saw some 30 year later remodeling, next to dad trim job. The new work was so crude, I think my 7th grad wood shop class would have been much carpentry!

I found that I could cut small rabbits and mortises with a sharp wood chisel faster than with a drill or router. I would rebuild door jambs that had been kicked in. People would complain they wanted it replaced. I would marry in Dutchmen that were stronger than a current replacement door jamb! But people look at you funny when your tools a all worn, and none are from Harbor Freight. I'm glad I'm retired.

What's funny is I never owned floor model table saw, but since I retired I have bought a table saw, a band saw, I still have a 36" tall drill press from almost 50 years ago. And I bought a 12" compound miter saw to replace dad's hand powered saw (the blade was worn so thin it wouldn't cut straight any longer and a replacement back saw would be about double the cost of the 12" DeWalt! I got the DeWalt Used for $250, [a little less than half price] from a remodeler moving to Florida.)

I still help out people from church and they don't know what good tools are or how to care for them! Of course, neither do most of the people selling tools!

Ivan

 

[oldbrownhat]

Scored another monkey wrench

GF & I were nosing around one of our fav. antique stores yesterday and this caught my eye. A monkey wrench (not "pipe"!) for $12.00? SOLD!

Turns out this is an original Coes. Some internet searching came up with a pic of one with identical markings with the comment "Probably c.1890". The patent was filed in the 1880s and the company changed hands in 1928.

The head has obviously been used as a hammer (as was frequently done) and has some peening, which I'll clean up but otherwise is mechanically just fine.

Pretty much identical to my Atco Tool Works one, which I'm guessing my grandfather may have bought in the 1930's. Both are 8 1/2" long when closed.

They were made in a number of sizes, including "hernia-size"

 

[notsofast]

New to me cordless drill

 

[JohnRippert]

I have all Dad's old tools, of which a large portion are Craftsman. Remember the Craftsman section at Sears? Also have a lot of his father's tools. Grandad was a carpenter who made a few of the cabinets in our garage, the HUGE toolcase he carried his stuff to work in, as well as a plethora of small knick knacks like the hardwood dominos and case that is one of my prized family possesions.

 

[oldbrownhat]

...as well as a plethora of small knick knacks...

I was wondering what the collective term for knick knacks was


My mother's dad did a lot of woodworking, although I don't think he did it professionally. I remember a solid oak sideboard he made, as well as a few small tables with inlay on them. I still have a few of his Stanley planes including a #239 grooving plane/router I used a few years ago to cut a slot in some molding for a piece of plexiglass and some Disston saws.

Here's the #239

 

[oldbrownhat]

It's got some miles on it. Ya just never know when you'll need to do some impromptu soldering.

OMG! Not the dreaded "assault-style alligator clip!" Think of the children!

 

[Rustyt1953]

^^^^ roach control device.

 

[Skeet 028]

my Grandfather was a wood butcher par excellence. He made all kinds od stff. I still have things he made in the 30's...THEN my uncle...his only son became VP pf Black and Decker tool Co. in the early 50s. He gave ol G dad about every tool they made...and he became the darling of every local lumber co. I still have some of his old wooden planes. he even made trim with tools like above. Most of his were wooden though. I on the other hand made a lot of beautiful trim from pine, cherry, walnut and some salvaged chestnut...But I used power tools. LOL...I too like the old tools

 

[JohnRippert]

^^^^ roach control device.

First thing that crossed my mind, but I decided to keep my mouth shut and just grin.

 

[jeffrefrig]

OMG! Not the dreaded "assault-style alligator clip!" Think of the children!

This is called "honest wear."

 

[oldbrownhat]

First thing that crossed my mind, but I decided to keep my mouth shut and just grin.

LOL. I was wondering whether "roach" had the same connotation south of 49 as it does here

 

[DWalt]

I still have two of the old Ford adjustable wrenches. I once ran into a job that I couldn't have done without using a Ford wrench due to size and space restrictions and also because the jaws could open so widely. There must have been millions of them made, as I think they were included in a tool kit supplied with all old Ford cars, but I have never run across any others. My grandfather owned the two I have. The jaws were somewhat battered but I dressed them with a file. Not too easy to do as the steel they used is fairly hard. The Ford wrench seems to be a practical design, maybe it should be revived. [ame]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Sn8iLbQCZc0[/ame]

 

[6518John]

A Crescent wrench is an adjustable spanner.

A Crescent wrench is an "Arkansas Speed Wrench."

Arkansas Credit Card in use:

 

[DWalt]

A Crescent wrench is an "Arkansas Speed Wrench."

Arkansas Credit Card in use:

In Texas, a pair of pliers is called a Mexican speed wrench.

 

[Imissedagain]

Two old tools and two newer ones.
Used for marking guitar/bass fret boards.

 

[Protocall_Design]

Two old tools and two newer ones.
Used for marking guitar/bass fret boards.

Yeah but like the Ford wrench, you can't get much leverage with it wide open. Could use a cheater bar, I guess...

 

[oldbrownhat]

Scored another one yesterday. I'm fixing a gate in my neighbout's fence and realized when I saw these in a seconhand store that I'd probably need a pair of fence pliers but had no idea if I still had a pair. Marked "Utica Tool Company", they had a little surface rust but looked serviceable and figured $15.00 was fair.

A little online research turned up some info on Alloy Artifacts (a really useful site for old tool info) indicating they were probably made in the 1940's. And they did the job just fine. I found listings on eBay for $37.50 so I figure I made out OK.

 

[30-30remchester]

I found these In my grandfather's basement when we cleaned out their house in the early 80s. Two smaller ones are Moore Drop Forging Co., Springfield MA. The shiny one says Billings, USA. Red handled one says Dunlap, USA. I used one of them to remove the top off an old barrel trap. They look like they could use some love!
Neat old tools.

For a collector and user of antique metal working- automotive tools, these are different tools for different uses. The 2 smaller wrenches were known as automotive wrenches and were factory accessories in many new car tool sets in the early 1900's. Then there are two earlier Stilson wrenches aka pipe wrenches used to work on round pipe. The last wrench and the one from the OP's first picture is known as a railroad wrench as they were used by mechanics on railroad engines and used on square nuts. In my career I will bet a steak dinner that I have used and worn out more actual pipe wrenches than any other member here. It was not uncommon to have handled a pipe wrench 50 to 75 times per day. Ours ranged from 6" to 60" in length and Ridgid was the only brand we would use. This company has a "If you break it, we will replace it for free" policy. When one of their salesmen came by one day we asked about this policy. He reassured us this was the case. We sent him out back to view the pallet of broken wrenches. Seems the guarantee was they would warranty any wrench broken when used by hand and not wrenches that were used as backup wrenches involving a 425 HP Caterpillar engine or 8' cheater pipes. Go figure. Next time I am at our remote yard I will have to photograph our older larger wrenches. These are 6' long and weigh 175# apiece. Thank the powers that be that we no longer have to use those.

 

[Kinman]

I've got a complete set of "railroad" wrenches. I have others but these are my favorites, I only get to use them when working on a friend's tractor, I do have a smaller set that I use in my reloading area. I love using old tools whenever I can. I was using a little hand plane today while working on target frames at the club. I like to knock the edge off the 2 x 2 uprights so they fit into the square metal supports easier. Someone asked me if there was an easier way, easy ain't always better.