Doug Hobkirk
05-03-2014, 11:23 PM
I went Saling today - Garage Saling. I should take a camera. I found, but did not buy, a drill with an auger bit that was housed in a wooden assembly that held the auger vertical to the flat base. About 8" wide, the bottom board about 12-15" long, and the vertical board about 24" high. There were guides (wood, I was surprised to see) on both sides to keep the carriage square as it went up or down. There were two cranks: one turned the auger and one raised or lowered the carriage.
The seller said it was designed for drilling holes (for mortises, I assume) in large timbers, I think he said that this was early 1800's, that they sold for at least $150 on eBay. His bottom price was $75, although he did not really commit. I passed because I already have vastly too many projects.
His description triggered my curiosity, so I checked eBay.
This one (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Boring-Machine-Barn-Beam-Post-Hand-Drill-Brace-Bit-Wood-Auger-Tool-c-FR-SHIP-USA-/111335558276?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19ec1dcc84) is obviously much newer.
This one (http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-LATE-1800S-BARN-BEAM-BORING-AUGER-/161292562104?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item258dc92eb8) looks very similar.
I hope some of you found this interesting. Garage sales take time but I've chosen to regard it as entertainment rather than a chore.
Today I got
An amazingly quiet and well-built air pump (maybe a vacuum pump) that the seller knew nothing about - I thought it might be an airbrush painting motor or something - not a scratch, no dust - $5 - I think it will turn out to be from a water filtration system. It's small - 2.1 A at 115V. I know I'll find some use for it.
A bunch of casters. 5 new ones from Fautless, plate mount, 400# each rating, swivel, brakes. A 5 gallon bucket (30? 50?) of used casters of an unknown brand, HD, swivel, brakes, designed to go into a 1.5" hole that's 2" high. They can be cinched up by tightening the top knurled nut which will compress the rubber spacer that fits over the bolt shaft. Or the mounting shaft/bolt could be inserted into a bolt hole. I am curious to do a comparison. (I have too many projects already!) Plus 3 grinding wheels, 6", new 36 grit, new 60 grit, used unknown grit. $14 for all.
A couple of junk block planes, $2 each. A Stanley 60 1/2 (if I remember correctly - 1 3/8" wide blade), adjustable mouth, 12 degree bed, some rust but doesn't look much different than it would in plastic packaging at Home Depot. A Craftsman something-or-other (7" long, 2" wide, 1 5/8" blade, Micky-Mouse "frog"). I bought the latter plane in part because I had found a new Stanley blade for it when I cleaned out a pile of misc. tools last week.
Plus a bunch of stuff for the garden ($14) and a new roll of upholstery fabric (5' W, 25-30' L) free (will probably go to Household Goods Recycling of Mass. where I work 3-10 hours most weeks).
I met several interesting people, learned stuff, saw some interesting houses, while listening to Car Talk as I drove around. I spent under $40, which I may be able to recoup by selling the 5 Faultless casters. The bucket of casters should have some value. I will definitely use the grinding wheels, air pump, and garden stuff (path lighting, decoration, wheelbarrow that needs a handle).
The seller said it was designed for drilling holes (for mortises, I assume) in large timbers, I think he said that this was early 1800's, that they sold for at least $150 on eBay. His bottom price was $75, although he did not really commit. I passed because I already have vastly too many projects.
His description triggered my curiosity, so I checked eBay.
This one (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Boring-Machine-Barn-Beam-Post-Hand-Drill-Brace-Bit-Wood-Auger-Tool-c-FR-SHIP-USA-/111335558276?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19ec1dcc84) is obviously much newer.
This one (http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-LATE-1800S-BARN-BEAM-BORING-AUGER-/161292562104?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item258dc92eb8) looks very similar.
I hope some of you found this interesting. Garage sales take time but I've chosen to regard it as entertainment rather than a chore.
Today I got
An amazingly quiet and well-built air pump (maybe a vacuum pump) that the seller knew nothing about - I thought it might be an airbrush painting motor or something - not a scratch, no dust - $5 - I think it will turn out to be from a water filtration system. It's small - 2.1 A at 115V. I know I'll find some use for it.
A bunch of casters. 5 new ones from Fautless, plate mount, 400# each rating, swivel, brakes. A 5 gallon bucket (30? 50?) of used casters of an unknown brand, HD, swivel, brakes, designed to go into a 1.5" hole that's 2" high. They can be cinched up by tightening the top knurled nut which will compress the rubber spacer that fits over the bolt shaft. Or the mounting shaft/bolt could be inserted into a bolt hole. I am curious to do a comparison. (I have too many projects already!) Plus 3 grinding wheels, 6", new 36 grit, new 60 grit, used unknown grit. $14 for all.
A couple of junk block planes, $2 each. A Stanley 60 1/2 (if I remember correctly - 1 3/8" wide blade), adjustable mouth, 12 degree bed, some rust but doesn't look much different than it would in plastic packaging at Home Depot. A Craftsman something-or-other (7" long, 2" wide, 1 5/8" blade, Micky-Mouse "frog"). I bought the latter plane in part because I had found a new Stanley blade for it when I cleaned out a pile of misc. tools last week.
Plus a bunch of stuff for the garden ($14) and a new roll of upholstery fabric (5' W, 25-30' L) free (will probably go to Household Goods Recycling of Mass. where I work 3-10 hours most weeks).
I met several interesting people, learned stuff, saw some interesting houses, while listening to Car Talk as I drove around. I spent under $40, which I may be able to recoup by selling the 5 Faultless casters. The bucket of casters should have some value. I will definitely use the grinding wheels, air pump, and garden stuff (path lighting, decoration, wheelbarrow that needs a handle).