Chris Hachet
08-02-2013, 4:07 PM
So this is the thread to brag about all of the tools that you have that are ugly and work well. We had a nasty debate about LV vs LN here recently, and everyone is braging about their shiny new tools. Heck, I just sent money off to Rob for that LV Router plane and some skew chisels. Rob should be happy...but I digress.
Ugly tools I love.
My #5 Stanly jack, type 13. Blade is the third blade or so in this thing, it dates to the first quarter of 1939 (same age as my father, I think of him every time I use this plane) Thinking of getting a PMV 111 blade for it....but it cost $15 and it has worked well for 25 years.
My even uglier #4 Stanly, type 17-Nice thick WW II sole, holds an adjustment perfectly. I keep trying to kill this thing, seriously. It just won't die. I use it to plane doors, fix decks, plane mailbox posts, strip paint off of barnwood, trim plywood for drawer bottoms in furniture that I am fixing for people-and it's dumb enough to keep coming back for more.
My Miefer chisels. They are of a very ahrd steel, and a pain to get sharpened. But again,I have been using them for 25 years. I have done demolition work with them with framing hammers on old houses that I have restored, used them to open paint cans and lift old linoleunm, and pretty much tried to destroy them. I've even done the 16 ounche framing hammer thing with them. The backs are still flat, and with a fresh hollow grind, they cut hard maple flawlessly. But they are ugly.
My workbench. Embarassingly ugly, but ungodly heavy and stable. Works well, but been beaten on and it shows.
Anceint small back saw that's ugly but still cuts well, useful for tennons but worthless on dovetails. Again, used 20 plus years. Thankfully, I've gotten several nicer old back saws lately.
My Stanly Block planes. I just got a nice Stanley 220 off of another wood worker, but I ahve two older uglier ones, one belonged to my paternal grandfather, one belonged to my maternal grandfather. Maternal grandfather used his in his flooring business for 40 years, it rolled around in the back of his work vehicles with the rest of his tools....but the sole is still flat and it still cuts really well.
But enough of me...what Ugly tools do you have and love? I'd like to know.
Ugly tools I love.
My #5 Stanly jack, type 13. Blade is the third blade or so in this thing, it dates to the first quarter of 1939 (same age as my father, I think of him every time I use this plane) Thinking of getting a PMV 111 blade for it....but it cost $15 and it has worked well for 25 years.
My even uglier #4 Stanly, type 17-Nice thick WW II sole, holds an adjustment perfectly. I keep trying to kill this thing, seriously. It just won't die. I use it to plane doors, fix decks, plane mailbox posts, strip paint off of barnwood, trim plywood for drawer bottoms in furniture that I am fixing for people-and it's dumb enough to keep coming back for more.
My Miefer chisels. They are of a very ahrd steel, and a pain to get sharpened. But again,I have been using them for 25 years. I have done demolition work with them with framing hammers on old houses that I have restored, used them to open paint cans and lift old linoleunm, and pretty much tried to destroy them. I've even done the 16 ounche framing hammer thing with them. The backs are still flat, and with a fresh hollow grind, they cut hard maple flawlessly. But they are ugly.
My workbench. Embarassingly ugly, but ungodly heavy and stable. Works well, but been beaten on and it shows.
Anceint small back saw that's ugly but still cuts well, useful for tennons but worthless on dovetails. Again, used 20 plus years. Thankfully, I've gotten several nicer old back saws lately.
My Stanly Block planes. I just got a nice Stanley 220 off of another wood worker, but I ahve two older uglier ones, one belonged to my paternal grandfather, one belonged to my maternal grandfather. Maternal grandfather used his in his flooring business for 40 years, it rolled around in the back of his work vehicles with the rest of his tools....but the sole is still flat and it still cuts really well.
But enough of me...what Ugly tools do you have and love? I'd like to know.