Cool Old Tools

[Reverand]

I am traveling out of state for work this week, and ran across this in an Antique store. The tag said that it was a "Corn Husker". I have no idea if it can really be used to husk corn or not (by the way, it is known as "shucking corn" in Alabama!)
I thought that it looked more like some kind of punch, but it was definitely designed for the leather handle: it has two deep grooves that the leather sits into.
Anyway, it was worth the $4 just for a conversation piece.

[Unk]

Reverend fast forward to the 11 minute mark, where he shows how to use the tool to shuck corn.

[youtube]https://youtu.be/xf0howt5bf0[/youtube]

[Ridgegrass]

Thanks all. Japanese was my first guess. I know they make some pretty cool "pull" saws. I really don't know. Absolutely no markings makes me suspect a copy or a less expensive model. Its hanging open in the "cave" now for a conversation piece. O'.

[bighomer]

Looking good unk nothing cheap looking about that saw ridgegrass looks to be well made, probably had a sticker on the handle when new.

[Reverand]

Reverend fast forward to the 11 minute mark, where he shows how to use the tool to shuck corn.

[youtube]https://youtu.be/xf0howt5bf0[/youtube]

My word, I could have worn one out when I was a kid! I'll bet we shucked and shelled a barn full of corn some days. Dad had a corn sheller that had a hand crank, and one would use it while the other kids would shell by hand.
I had just never heard of a corn shucker before.

Thanks Unk!!!

[Unk]

You are most welcome, Reverend!

I finished up the lathe tonight. Everything went back together relatively smoothly, with only a minimum of cuss words. I didn't even have to throw any tools and I didn't have any parts left over.

Fresh paint, new belts and bearings - everything waxed and oiled. She runs very smooth. Glad to be done with it, and I think I am going to enjoy having it. I was initially thinking this was made circa 1960s, but I think this one was made after 1978. I had to include a "before" pic as well, of what it looked like when I bought it home last month.

[doglegg]

You did good Mike.

[Open Range-19]

Good work on the lathe.

[edgy46]

Looks like new

[FRJ]

What a nice job on that lathe, Mike.
A good deal of work and time. I'm sure you are glad to have it setting pretty.

[Unk]

Thanks guys. I found a website today with the Delta serial number dates on it. This lathe was made in 1980, the same year I graduated high school.

[bighomer]

Looks real good x10
Dang Unk graduated 1980 no wonder you can do all that work you're just a kid.

[Unk]

Looks real good x10
Dang Unk graduated 1980 no wonder you can do all that work you're just a kid.

Thanks Homer! I'll turn 62 in a couple of months. I can still do most of the things I want to do, I just do them a lot slower than I used to!

[Unk]

One last update on the lathe, and my feat of Southern Engineering.

The lathe was missing the outboard spindle nut (left-hand thread) when I got it. It had the in-board / right handed spindle nut. I searched on line and the left-handed spindle nuts only show up occasionally on e-bay. I did find one on Renovoparts.com, but they want $87.32 for it. Yeah - not gonna pay that.

At first I thought I might not even need it, but there was a little wobble in the spindle after I restored it, even with the new bearings. The spindle nuts keep the bearings "cinched up" on either side, and keeps everything tight and aligned. Yep, I needed a left-handed spindle nut.

Found the correct Inside Diameter left-hand nut on Amazon for $6, so I ordered 2 of them (an extra in case I screwed one up). When I got them, I used the OEM right-hand spindle nut to lay out how much I needed to carve off the new left-handed one. About 3/4 of the nut has to be smaller diameter and smooth to go through the bearing cover plate and push up against the inner race of the bearing. I put it in the nut in a vise (never put your nuts in a vise ) and took the angle grinder and a cut-off wheel to it to get it kind of rounded out and rough-shaped. Then I took it to the out-board side of the lathe and screwed it on backwards, about half-way on, and used a piece of safety wire as a jam-nut to keep it from spinning off the spindle. I turned on the lathe and used the angle grinder to finish shaping the nut. The lathe was spinning vertically, the angle grinder was spinning horizontally - sparks flying everywhere. Definitely not an OSHA approved procedure! (I used the lowest speed on the lathe, and face shield, etc) I continued using the angle grinder, files, and finally sandpaper to get the nut down to the dimensions I wanted.

Anyway, it worked out great - I now have both a right-hand and left-hand spindle nut, I saved about $80, and the spindle has zero wobble in it.

In the first pic below, the nut on the left is what I started with. The nut in the middle is the one I am working on. The nut on the right is the OEM right-handed nut I am trying to emulate.

[FRJ]

I, for one, am impressed. Good job, Mike.

Good ol' mechanical ingenuity.

[Unk]

I, for one, am impressed. Good job, Mike.

Good ol' mechanical ingenuity.

Thanks Joe. Wasn't sure how that was going to work out. I'm not much of a metal worker.

[GSPTOPDOG]

I finished up the lathe tonight. Everything went back together relatively smoothly, with only a minimum of cuss words. I didn't even have to throw any tools and I didn't have any parts left over.

Wow! looks amazing!

[Reverand]

I, for one, am impressed. Good job, Mike.

Good ol' mechanical ingenuity.

Thanks Joe. Wasn't sure how that was going to work out. I'm not much of a metal worker.

Correction: you were not much of a metal worker.
Now, you are!

[Unk]

Some estate sale finds this weekend. A set of Marples Chisels, made in Sheffield, England. A set of WoodRiver Chisels with bubinga wood handles. Three Swiss-made Pfeil carving chisels. A set of Bahco card scrapers made in Sweden. And a little 3 jaw chuck for the lathe. This will make it easier to chuck up small pieces of wood, as well as accessories like sanding discs, sanding drums, wire wheels, polishing wheels, etc, in the lathe.

[Dan In MI]

Those are some neat old chisels, Mike. No doubt they're still getting the job done, too!

[FRJ]

Nice tools, Mike.
I have a set of Marples chisels.

[FRJ]

Here's a pair of pliers that you may have seen before.

Eifel Plierench.

Patented 1916. Design has chanced slightly over the years. Produced from mid 20s to 2016. According to Scout Crafter.

Needed very little cleaning. No scratches hardly, and came with a snap closed canvas bag.

I'm giddy!

[GSPTOPDOG]

Eifel Plierench. Patented 1916. Design has chanced slightly over the years. Produced from mid 20s to 2016. According to Scout Crafter.

Sweet find RJR! they look to be in great shape

[GSPTOPDOG]

DOES THE $5.00 PRICE NARROW DONE THE AGE OF THE TOOL?

[FRJ]

Thank you, GSPTOPDOG.
I think this is an early production.