Wrong side of the pond......or, today's finds!

[Thomas Schneider]

It's not every day that I come across English woodworking tools here on Long Island. Outside of those ubiquitous blue handled chisels and the occasional carving or bench chisel, I don't usually find many tools made in the Commonwealth. About a month ago I purchased (auction) an open handled brass backed dovetail saw hoping it was made in the good old USofA but Sheffield born it was. Other than that, not too much. Today the wife and I decide to go kayaking and forgo my regular Saturday morning ritual of going to garage sales. To make a long story short, a wrong turn by me, just happened to put us on a road with a garage sale in sight! With permission from my better half, we stopped. Looking around, there's not much more the the usual crap, but the old man hosting this sale is kind and friendly. Just as I was about to wish him a nice day, I spot a box of tools at his feet. Looking in the box revealed nothing but 1980's power tools, disappointed as I usually am after looking in once hopeful places, I ask the gentleman if by chance he has any old hand tools "you know like hand saws, planes or chisels". No saws he says, but what kind of chisels am I looking for? Well just about any kind I reply, as long as they're made for woodworking. He tells me he has a woodworking tool chest he hasn't looked into in over ten years and goes into the garage. Once inside he motions me to the workbench and starts to pull out what looks to me. to be a miniature version of a jointer's tool chest on coasters. Said he has had offers of five hundred dollars just for the box! The chest is very well made, looks to me like white oak, has three sliding tills and a small well in the bottom. The first till is mostly writing implements, pads, pencils and the like as well as some machinist tools. The second till has lots of pinch dogs and clamps, and some tools I'm not familiar with. The last till has some obvious pattern makers planes, all of which are made of some kind of brass alloy, router planes of various designs, small finger planes, and a block plane missing it's blade and lever cap. The bottom of the box held a Stanley Bailey No 7, a Stanley No 20 and a wooden box full of chisels! After a way too short conversation about the chest's contents due to the appearance of other customers, he says he's willing to part with 4 chisels at $10 apiece, my choice. Well I choose six and ask him if he would accept $50 (all the money I had with me) for all ( much to the consternation of my wife! ) He says ok, takes the money and moves on. After bringing my chisels to the car, I return and hand him my name and phone number asking him to call me if he's ever willing to sell the chest or it's contents. I think I'm going to go back tomorrow, after all it's my Birthday! Sorry for the long rant, I was board! https://forums.woodnet.net/images/graemlins/yellowwink.gif

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These things are huge! The largest being over 15" long!

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The first "Cranked" chisel I've ever come across in the wild!

Thanks for looking
Tom.

[Jim Koepke]

Great find,

jtk

[Stew Denton]

Tom,

Ya did good!

Stew

[Bill McNiel]

There used to be a very description exclamation used here for your excellent find Tom. I just can't seem to bring it to mind, something melodically akin to a fortunate waterfowl.

[Jim Koepke]

There used to be a very description exclamation used here for your excellent find Tom. I just can't seem to bring it to mind, something melodically akin to a fortunate waterfowl.

You must be thinking of NEW DUCK!

Didn't Hewy Lewis write a song about that... I'm looking for a new duck...

jtk

[george wilson]

A great find. When I was last in the flea markets of Pennsylvania,I came across very few tools(or anything else desirable!). This crazy dealer had a dozen of those crank handle jobs. He wanted $875.00 !!!! I DOUBT that he ever sold them. The chisels even had had their handles sprayed red with a spray can. And,not a decent shade of red at that. But,things like that always affect the collectability of tools,and it would be a LOT of trouble getting the stuff off-along with the original patina.

[Jerry Olexa]

Good for you!!!! Nice find!!

[Thomas Schneider]

Thanks everyone! I went back and spent over an hour talking to the gentleman who own's the chest. I wasn't able to convince him into parting with it yet But we found two more chisels that were part of the set I bought from him before. I was able to get him to part with them, bringing the total to 4 chisels and 4 gouges 1/4', 1/2', 3/4", 1" each. I'll take a group photo when I get them all sharpened up but first I need to learn how to sharpen an in-canal gouge!

[Jim Koepke]

I'll take a group photo when I get them all sharpened up but first I need to learn how to sharpen an in-canal gouge!

You will need a slip stone for that. Preferably you will have at least two, one soft/coarse and one hard/smooth. (thinking oil here)

Lot of different shapes here:

http://www.danswhetstone.com/arkansas_files.htm

If you prefer water stones Lee Valley has a good selection. These are what I use:

http://www.leevalley.com/US/Wood/page.aspx?p=33013&cat=1,43072,43071&ap=1

Some soft leather strops that can be bent over pieces of wood or dowels are also useful.

jtk

[Patrick Chase]

Didn't Hewy Lewis write a song about that... I'm looking for a new duck...


I'm trying to decide if that's intentional or unintentional humor...

"I Want a New Duck" is a Weird Al Yankovic parody of the Huey Lewis song in question, "I Want a New Drug".

[Thomas Schneider]

You will need a slip stone for that. Preferably you will have at least two, one soft/coarse and one hard/smooth. (thinking oil here)

Lot of different shapes here:

http://www.danswhetstone.com/arkansas_files.htm

If you prefer water stones Lee Valley has a good selection. These are what I use:

http://www.leevalley.com/US/Wood/page.aspx?p=33013&cat=1,43072,43071&ap=1

Some soft leather strops that can be bent over pieces of wood or dowels are also useful.

jtk

Jim,
Some of the bevels will need to be re-ground as they'r in bad shape. Is that done with slip stones as well?

[Jim Koepke]

Jim,
Some of the bevels will need to be re-ground as they'r in bad shape. Is that done with slip stones as well?

If you do not have a grinder with wheels shaped to the various radii, then it might be easier to use pieces of wood or dowel shaped to the proper radius for each tool.

One way of doing this is to touch up the edge and then use the gouge to shape a piece of scrap. Then this can be used with some 80-360 grit sandpaper to work the bevel. As the bevel gets formed the wood piece can be refined/improved. When done you will have a form to use with a strop or to fix nicks in the future.

Many of mine have a round on one side and a cove on the other. They can be used on both inside and outside beveled gouges.

If the gouges have the same radius, it may only be necessary to make a small stick to work all of the gouges. Mine are about 6 to 8" long.

jtk