I may get shot for this --- garage sale find

[Dave Beauchesne]

While driving home with the LOML, I saw a YARD SALE sign near home and said ' nah ' it was later afternoon.
But, I did a U turn and went in.
The fellow greeted me and I asked if he had any old tools or axe heads; he said there was a box over there that may have something.
LO and behold, an old Mathieson infill was sitting there. Grabbed it, a weird Japanese tool ( another thread ) and a tack hammer.
The straight sided smoother with Mathieson faintly stamped upside down in the rosewood bun has a 2-1/4" blade, 3/16" tapered , James Howarth Cast Steel, a Mathieson chip breaker, and a de laminated tote, but the first infill I have ever found in the wild.
A Mr. Dewar owned this at one point; though a bit rusty and rough, I am pretty confident it can be revived.
Any hints to getting the tote off for a refurb?
The bun is perfect, the bed looks real good.
BTW, ten bucks ( Canadian ) for all three. Sorry, but I suck!

[Jim Koepke]

Sorry, but I suck!

Let me be the first to say +1 on that.

Great find.

jtk

[Stew Denton]

Hi Dave,

Yep, you already said it.

Cool!

Stew

[Frederick Skelly]

Cool find!

[Chuck Hart]

You suck!!!

[Roger Rettenmeier]

I'll offer you $15 plus shipping if you want to make a quick 50 % return ; )

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Wow, never heard of anyone finding an infill at a garage sale before, nice!

[Wakahisa Shinta]

Excuse my ignorance, but why is this tool a big deal? Someone educates me please.

[Archie England]

THAT,....is so majorly fanatastic!!!!! Hearty congrats on the "you suck"

Wow!!!!!

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Excuse my ignorance, but why is this tool a big deal? Someone educates me please.

It looks a little rough, I understand your suprise��

Infill smoother planes have near mythical status for hand tool guys. Some of the hype is even deserved, they can be great planes. They sell for many times more usually, and while this specimen is a little rough, it'll clean up very nicely.

[Frederick Skelly]

Excuse my ignorance, but why is this tool a big deal? Someone educates me please.

I can only say why I think it would be a big deal for me personally, Wakahisa. Its an infill, which are supposed to be rather exotic. New, such planes are expensive - I think the very cheapest Ive seen starts at $800 and they often range into the thousands. I cant justify buying one as a hobbyist. So finding an old one like this - from a well known maker - and for just a few dollars is sort of a treasure hunter's dream.

Edit: Steve, looks like you and I tried to respond at the same time. Sorry sir! I like "mythical" better than "exotic" :)

[Alfred Kraemer]

Let us see it again after you have cleaned it up. The rust on the plane body looks to be superficial. I wonder if those planes came with a laminated handle, or if that may be a later replacement?
What a find!

Al

[Steve Rozmiarek]

I can only say why I think it would be a big deal for me personally, Wakahisa. Its an infill, which are supposed to be rather exotic. New, such planes are expensive - I think the very cheapest Ive seen starts at $800 and they often range into the thousands. I cant justify buying one as a hobbyist. So finding an old one like this - from a well known maker - and for just a few dollars is sort of a treasure hunter's dream.

Edit: Steve, looks like you and I tried to respond at the same time. Sorry sir! I like "mythical" better than "exotic" :)

Lol, and I was liking the exotic!

[Hilton Ralphs]

Sorry sir! I like "mythical" better than "exotic" :)

Yes, that does look at a lot more wife friendly on the credit card statement.

[Claus Keller]

Nice find, David, congratulations!

There seems to be a dovel across at the end of the body. Perhaps it can be removed to separate iron and wooden parts and the tote?

Claus

[george wilson]

I didn't know the handles were glued up like that. I need to closely examine my old infills. they are so dark it is hard to see how their handles might be made. Good luck getting the handle tightly reglued. and,be sure to use a DARK glue,like liquid hide glue,at least.

You don't want a white or yellow glue line .

Once I was asked to fix an antique EBONY sword cane. It had been shattered,and some genius had re glued it with WHITE epoxy!!!! I had to soak it for several days in a chemical that loosens epoxy. The white epoxy came loose in one clean piece,fortunately. Then,I mixed up some epoxy mixed with lamp black and reglued/filled in the missing wood. After filing and sanding it down,I went over the cane with fine steel wool. The repair was completely invisible. The "sword" was a 12" square stob that you wouldn't want to get skewered with! You'd probably die of an infection.

[Dave Beauchesne]

Nice find, David, congratulations!

There seems to be a dovel across at the end of the body. Perhaps it can be removed to separate iron and wooden parts and the tote?

Claus

Claus:

Good question - can the pin be driven out? Would it be a through pin, or two separate pins?

Thanks George for wading in - the tote being laminated looks very nicely fit, but that is how the old school boyz did it decades ago. Regardless, If I could remove the tote / bed, I am sure I could do it proud. As for the metal side of things, I am sire that can be handled by myself as well.

Alas, I have a WW project that is going to take up all my time before May 1/ 15, and being a HVAC guy, my busy season is starting sooner than that, so the Mathieson will have to wait - thanks for the input so far.

Dave B

[lowell holmes]

George,

Did you ever hear the spent coffee grounds could be used in epoxy to darken it? I wouldn't know where to find carbon black.

[Bill Houghton]

Shot? Not at all. I do, however, want to start going to garage sales with you!

I hope the love of your life forgave you for turning around to go to the sale, after you bubbled about your find all the way home.

[Jim Wheeler]

George,

Did you ever hear the spent coffee grounds could be used in epoxy to darken it? I wouldn't know where to find carbon black.


I would be afraid the coffee grounds might have residual oil in them that might interfere with the epoxy setting up properly. A better substance might be some ordinary lump charcoal finely pulverized in a glass dish with a stainless steel spoon.

As for lampblack - that can be made easily enough in small quantities. The yellow flame from an acetylene or other torch, without the air or oxygen turned on, will deposit a fluffy coating of lampblack or pure carbon on a smooth, cool surface such as glass or metal. Then you just scrape off the coating and store in a small container for future use.

Jim

He who welds steel with flaming pine cones may accomplish anything!​

[Jim Koepke]

For me, sawdust from a piece of similar wood works well with clear epoxy.

There are a few envelopes of various colors of sawdust in my shop. Though where they might be has slipped my memory. :confused:

jtk

[John Sanford]

George,

Did you ever hear the spent coffee grounds could be used in epoxy to darken it? I wouldn't know where to find carbon black.

Mason's supply houses will have it. You should also be able to find it at reasonably well equipped art supply houses.

[george wilson]

Clear epoxy would dry quite dark and would work fine. Coffee grounds would be too coarse for the joint to clamp up closed. Charcoal? That'd have to be carefully ground mighty fine to work. You could use some black Rit cloth dye for black mixed with epoxy. I'm sure it would make a royal mess if you got it on your hands!! Might try it on something else first to make sure it drys,and to check the color. Most black dyes seem to be extra dark green or blue.

[Kala Raymond]

WOW nice one! You might consider trying to reglue that tote before disassembling it. I think I'd try cleaning it best I could, pinching a little 220 or 300 grit sandpaper in the cracks and pulling it out a few times to get a decent glue surface. A good quality 1 hour epoxy and some crafty clamping might just save the day. Replacing the tote with a new one could be a tedious project and would certainly lower the value of the plane.

Congrats on a great find, I don't think I coulda poker faced well enough to score that for $10

[Dave Beauchesne]

I took it to our Woodworker Guild meeting last night and got called a few names that cannot be mentioned here.

I will get to it at some point; I never thought I would own an infill..

Thanks for the advice everyone.

[george wilson]

Unless the interior surfaces need sanding,I would not pull sandpaper through it. It would no doubt bell mouth the wood some,causing a less that tight glue line,which is the last thing you'd want. If you glue it properly,it can be made so good that the laminations will not be visible.

Was that a joke,Dave? WHY should you be called names for finding and restoring a nice old infill?

[Dave Beauchesne]

Yes George, a joke. Lucky SOB, etc.

I have a reputation of being able to sniff out some pretty neat stuff at Garage Sales; but out here on the west coast, decent stuff is hard to come by at all. Less ( 1/10 the number of people ) population, and about 100 years ' younger ' than the eastern seaboard makes for slim pickings. I have started into axes now, something I should have started years ago.
You really have to work at it and there is stiff competition, plus, an element of luck is involved.

[Stewie Simpson]

It may be difficult to identify, the craftsman would have alternated the grain direction on each of layers of laminate. By doing so, it reinforces areas of potential short grain weakness within the rear totes natural shape. As an example, 9 o'clock, 12 o'clock, 3 o'clock.

In relation to re gluing the laminates, the following information within (Glues) may be of some assistance to you. http://antiquerestorers.com/Articles/jeff/repairing_furniture_joints.htm


Stewie;

[Frederick Skelly]

It may be difficult to identify, the craftsman would have alternated the grain direction on each of layers of laminate. By doing so, it reinforces areas of potential short grain weakness within the rear totes natural shape. As an example, 9 o'clock, 12 o'clock, 3 o'clock.

In relation to re gluing the laminates, the following information within (Glues) may be of some assistance to you. http://antiquerestorers.com/Articles/jeff/repairing_furniture_joints.htm

Stewie;

Thanks for posting this Stewie. That site will be handy for me too.
Fred

[Stewie Simpson]

Hi Fred. To be of some help is always good news.

regards Stewie;

[Dave Beauchesne]

+ 1 to Fred's reply Stewie - appreciate the link.

Dave B

[Harold Burrell]

I'm sorry, but there simply not enough "You suck's" in the world for this.