Cool Old Tools

[eveled]

Check out this cool little hammer. It looks like it was made from a crow bar? Yet it doesn’t look home made at all. I can’t really see a use for it the handle is too light for prying.

[steve99f]

If not purpose made, I could see that being a railroad spike once upon a time. If the face is very flat, it could have been intended for flattening small pins and such. Very cool old hammer!

[1967redrider]

That does look like the chisel end of a pry bar. Pictures borrowed from Home Depot, for educational purposes.

[zoogirl]

One of the perks of moving is finding all your missing stuff! I’ve dug out the vintage tool box. As soon as I can, I’ll lay out the good stuff and post pics. I’ve got my Dad’s old 1927 box hammer from his first job and several items that I know are pre-1944. Besides the family stuff, I’ve been picking up what oldies I can. I scored a ‘heart’ Stanley screwdriver not long ago.
I should post the work machinery too. Our ring bender runs off a Model A tranny!

[Unk]

Went to an Estate sale this week and picked up three old planes. A little no-name block plane (red and blue) along with a Stanley No. 5 Jack Plane and a Stanley No. 7 Jointer Plane.

The No. 5 is a Type 19 and dates to 1948 - 1961.
The larger No. 7 is a type type 15, and dates to 1931-32.

The other planes pictured is a Miller Falls 75B low angle block plane I was given on my birthday back in the early 1970s. I have used this wonderful little plane for around 50 years.

The middle plane is a Par Plus plane. This was my grandfather's, and was passed down to me by my dad about 10 years ago.

The wooden plane was given to me by my sister a few years ago, and actually is a decent working plane.

I will do a very gentle cleaning and restoration on the Stanley planes, and post some "after" pictures.

[cudgee]

Went to an Estate sale this week and picked up three old planes. A little no-name block plane (red and blue) along with a Stanley No. 5 Jack Plane and a Stanley No. 7 Jointer Plane.

The No. 5 is a Type 19 and dates to 1948 - 1961.
The larger No. 7 is a type type 15, and dates to 1931-32.

The other planes pictured is a Miller Falls 75B low angle block plane I was given on my birthday back in the early 1970s. I have used this wonderful little plane for around 50 years.

The middle plane is a Par Plus plane. This was my grandfather's, and was passed down to me by my dad about 10 years ago.

The wooden plane was given to me by my sister a few years ago, and actually is a decent working plane.

I will do a very gentle cleaning and restoration on the Stanley planes, and post some "after" pictures.

Brilliant, love all those sorts of old tools. Sadly many have been lost or thrown out over time.

[Unk]

I got sidetracked on the restoration of the hand planes I bought, as my friend gave me his G-Grandfather's plane to restore. It's a Stanley #3, dating from 1910 to 1918. It's coming along.

[TripleF]

Went to an Estate sale this week and picked up three old planes. A little no-name block plane (red and blue) along with a Stanley No. 5 Jack Plane and a Stanley No. 7 Jointer Plane.

The No. 5 is a Type 19 and dates to 1948 - 1961.
The larger No. 7 is a type type 15, and dates to 1931-32.

The other planes pictured is a Miller Falls 75B low angle block plane I was given on my birthday back in the early 1970s. I have used this wonderful little plane for around 50 years.

The middle plane is a Par Plus plane. This was my grandfather's, and was passed down to me by my dad about 10 years ago.

The wooden plane was given to me by my sister a few years ago, and actually is a decent working plane.

I will do a very gentle cleaning and restoration on the Stanley planes, and post some "after" pictures.

Soooooooooooooooo cool!!

[FRJ]

A very nice transformation, Mike.
That low mushroom knob is an across the room giveaway on those old Stanley hand planes; as to an early plane.

[Unk]

Thanks Joe!

Yes, I think they added the tall knob in 1919. My friends plane is a type 11 (1910-1918), based on this flowchart:

https://www.popularwoodworking.com/wp-c ... echart.pdf

My friend is not a woodworker - he pulled this and some other old rusty tools out of a couple of 5 gallon buckets that he inherited when his grandmother passed. After I sharpened It, it actually takes a very nice slice of wood (the wood shavings beside it were cut with it). But this one will probably sit on his shelf as a conversation piece, and be passed down to his boys someday.

[FRJ]

Thanks, Mike, it's nice to have that flowchart.

[Louisville.Boy1947]

I got sidetracked on the restoration of the hand planes I bought, as my friend gave me his G-Grandfather's plane to restore. It's a Stanley #3, dating from 1910 to 1918. It's coming along.

Looks like you are bringing another old boy back to life. If I did not know better I would say that you have the 'disease' that many old tool collectors develop. Looks like you are doing a fine job. I would venture to say that you get a lot of pleasure bringing these old planes back to life. 15 years ago I started collecting handplanes (I have well over 100 now) and various old tools and handsaws. If you have not checked out Patrick Gore's website, http://www.supertool.com/StanleyBG/stan0a.html then it is well worth your time to make use of this website. If you are into handsaws, then the website on Disston saws,
http://www.disstonianinstitute.com/ , has been invaluable to many.
Be sure and post pictures of your work once you are finished we are interested in seeing the restored plane.

[cody6268]

I posted this vise on here last year, when I took it out and cleaned it up a bit. It was passed down to me by one of my cousins, and belonged to my gg-grandfather. I can't find any information on ""Temp-R-ite", so I am not sure who made it. It has 3" jaws, looks to be similar to a Dunlap and a Craftsman 5210. In searching through the old Sears Catalogs on ancestry.com, it looks like the started adding the hardy around the late 1930s, so I am assuming the vise dates to around late 30s to early 40s. The page below dates is from the 1939 catalog.

The vise had one jaw missing, and both screw heads were broke off. I figured it was going to be a bear to get those screws out, but I picked up an Irwin screw extractor, and was able to drill a hole in each of the broken screws on the drill press, and then use my hand drill to back them out. This was done much easier than expected, with no damage to the threads in the vise.

Now the problem is the stub of the hardie broken off in the anvil. I tried drilling it out with the drill press, but no-go. That broken off stub is hardened steel, and I made no progress other than dulling a couple of my drill bits. It may have to go to my buddy with who owns a machine shop to get that out. Then I will have to find a replacement hardie.

I have ordered a donor vise from e-bay to replace the swivel base (it was missing) and hopefully I can scavenge a jaw and some screws from it as well.

Nice job! I have one that was my great-granddad's, and I'm facing a lot of the same problems--the one pad that's still on has the screw heads worn off, and the one that's gone may need some welding work to fill in holes, as the existing screw holes have no threads, are out of round, and have been reamed to way bigger than they should be.

[Unk]

Nice old vise, Cody. And nice to have your ancestors tools. Keep working on it, you will get there.

Thanks Scott, Joe, and thanks Louisville for the links. I had not seen those. You will have to post some pics of your old saws and planes.

[OLDE CUTLER]

General Tools have been around for a long time, and are still in business. I have a lot of stainless rules, wire gauges, drill gauges, sheet metal gauges, angle measuring devices, and screw pitch gauges that belonged to my dad. I found this one in a box of stuff I recently acquired. First rule I have seen with graduations in hundredths of an inch (between 2 and 3 inch marks on the bottom edge). I am going to have to get my pencil mighty sharp to mark from that one. lol The back is graduated in millimeters and 1/2 millimeters.

[FRJ]

Amazing 100th inch graduations.
I have never seen that before either and I have many of the tools you have described.
I would need to use one of my special lenses for that.

[OLDE CUTLER]

Amazing 100th inch graduations.
I have never seen that before either and I have many of the tools you have described.
I would need to use one of my special lenses for that.

With it having 1/16, 1/32, 1/64, 1/10, 1/20, 1/50, 1/100 inch as well as 1/2 and 1 millimeter markings do you think it was for a specific job like modelmaking? That 1/100" scale is the eye test for the day.

[FRJ]

Perhaps used for modelmaking or some specific production of some kind.

It must have been a very desirable rule to have in your tools for some folks.

[Dan In MI]

First rule I have seen with graduations in hundredths of an inch (between 2 and 3 inch marks on the bottom edge).

That's a first for me, too. Sometimes I have a hard enough time measuring when using a rule that's graduated in 32nds of an inch!

[treefarmer]

General Tools have been around for a long time, and are still in business. I have a lot of stainless rules, wire gauges, drill gauges, sheet metal gauges, angle measuring devices, and screw pitch gauges that belonged to my dad. I found this one in a box of stuff I recently acquired. First rule I have seen with graduations in hundredths of an inch (between 2 and 3 inch marks on the bottom edge). I am going to have to get my pencil mighty sharp to mark from that one. lol The back is graduated in millimeters and 1/2 millimeters.
IMG_4788.JPG
IMG_4789.JPG

This made me think back many moons ago when I worked for a land surveying company in central Florida. We measured in feet and tenths of a foot which was then reduced to hundredths of a foot. Another thing that comes to mind was turning angles with an old time transit, we had to view the scale with a loupe.
My dad was a sheet metal mechanic and had had all sorts of scales but I don’t remember seeing one graduated in 100ths of an inch.
That would be some mighty close work.
Thanks for showing us something “new”.
Treefarmer

[doglegg]

General Tools have been around for a long time, and are still in business. I have a lot of stainless rules, wire gauges, drill gauges, sheet metal gauges, angle measuring devices, and screw pitch gauges that belonged to my dad. I found this one in a box of stuff I recently acquired. First rule I have seen with graduations in hundredths of an inch (between 2 and 3 inch marks on the bottom edge). I am going to have to get my pencil mighty sharp to mark from that one. lol The back is graduated in millimeters and 1/2 millimeters.
IMG_4788.JPG
IMG_4789.JPG

This made me think back many moons ago when I worked for a land surveying company in central Florida. We measured in feet and tenths of a foot which was then reduced to hundredths of a foot. Another thing that comes to mind was turning angles with an old time transit, we had to view the scale with a loupe.
My dad was a sheet metal mechanic and had had all sorts of scales but I don’t remember seeing one graduated in 100ths of an inch.
That would be some mighty close work.
Thanks for showing us something “new”.
Treefarmer

I worked on an excavation crew as a teenager and we cut rough grade to 1/10 of a foot. I used a string line and level to check it. Amazing equipment operators. One had been a tank cheif under Patton and two other had been Sea Bees. What great stories at lunch.

[Ridgegrass]

Found this at a roadside house sale near Pocomoke City, MD. $2. No markings but feels very heavy and well made, 3/8 and 1/2 drive ratchets, hammer and claw and spud. 12-1/8" long.Looks like some kind of specialty item?? Had to buy it! J.O'.

[Dan In MI]

I have no idea what such a tool would be used for, or if it was modified at some point in its life. Upon enlarging the photos, I couldn't see any obvious evidence that it was modified. You got a very neat tool at an excellent price!

[Ridgegrass]

Thanks Dan. It's not modified. At first I thought it may be an import but it's too well made. Thinking it may have been included with a larger piece of equipment for assembly or a machinist/fabricator's item, but a nail puller, spud and ratchets just make it a head-scratcher ???? Somebody on here might know. J.O'.

[Unk]

Maybe a rope or fencing tool? The ratchet could be to drive a tightening device? Very interesting.