Flamone LaChaud
07-24-2018, 10:03 AM
I was wandering through some posts last week trying to jog my memory regarding places to get good older tools for not a lot of money. Of course the normal places emerged - the Auction Site, Hyperkitten, Roy Underhill's School, etc.... but I caught something Steven Newman said regarding Mid-West Tool Collectors Association. Being nosy, I looked it up online and browsed the site - and lo and behold the quarterly meeting for NC was 5 minutes from where I used to live. It was a sign that I was supposed to be there (or something).
Anyway. As this was a last minute thing, it wasn't like I had too many pennies saved up to go and do any major buying, but I figured it would at least be an education. Ed Hobbs was the speaker, and his specialty is foot powered woodworking equipment - so his talk was about restoring equipment when there aren't any examples left to scavenge replacement parts from. His foot powered bandsaw was nearly 8 years in getting rebuilt back to exactly the way it was when it first rolled off the line back in 1889. I could appreciate the work and the labour of love it took to restore that (and other) tools to exactly the way they were 130 years ago (having more than a passing interest in history myself), but that's not the crux of the story I want to share.
When I went, I had a couple of specific needs in mind - a couple of planes, or a dovetail saw (as it's difficult to do dovetailing with a D-8). Well if I needed any moulding planes, or hollows and rounds - I had it made. But the people who brought items to swap/sell were firmly in two categories - collectors ($$$) and 'please buy the items in my junk drawer'. Wasn't much of a middle ground.
There was a box of saws that had a 12" saw in it that I was drawn too, but the sign on the box said "box of saws - $75", and it had 6 saws in it. A pretty good deal, but I didn't have $75 in cash on me. Anyway after the meeting the guy who was responsible for the box saw me looking at that 12" saw, and I was going to make an offer for it independent of the box - and he said "make me an offer on the box - someone gave it to me to sell, and said anything I didn't sell throw into the trash, so I'm open to anything."
So . . . I now own the box of saws for less than half of what the sign was asking. What was in the box specifically?
Family portrait: 390253
1. Keen Cutter 18" rip filed panel saw - 11ppi.
390254
2. Ulmia Sliding dovetail saw/stair saw, coarse - looks to be 5ppi
390255
3. Very thin saw like a keyhole saw/drywall saw - only identification mark is Newark NJ and 77. Blade is about 15" long, and 1-1/4" at the widest point, also about 5ppi
390256
4. 8" Pax flush cut saw - 16ppi
390257
5. 14" Sash saw, can't tell if it's rip or crosscut filed, but it has zero set to it. Steel back, and someone very helpfully wrote in sharpie Sash XC on both sides - no other identification markings. 14ppi
390258
6. And the saw that caught my eye that prompted all of this -- 12" W. Tyzack, Sons & Turner Ltd No 120 saw. Brass back, good etch, 11ppi. But this saw needs some repair from a former owner. As an aside - anyone know/have any saw nuts that would work on this saw? Handle at this point has a good bit of play in it due to it's most recent 'upgrade'.....
390259
So, I think it was a good day all around, and indirectly I can say thanks to Steven for his unknowing assistance . . .
Anyway. As this was a last minute thing, it wasn't like I had too many pennies saved up to go and do any major buying, but I figured it would at least be an education. Ed Hobbs was the speaker, and his specialty is foot powered woodworking equipment - so his talk was about restoring equipment when there aren't any examples left to scavenge replacement parts from. His foot powered bandsaw was nearly 8 years in getting rebuilt back to exactly the way it was when it first rolled off the line back in 1889. I could appreciate the work and the labour of love it took to restore that (and other) tools to exactly the way they were 130 years ago (having more than a passing interest in history myself), but that's not the crux of the story I want to share.
When I went, I had a couple of specific needs in mind - a couple of planes, or a dovetail saw (as it's difficult to do dovetailing with a D-8). Well if I needed any moulding planes, or hollows and rounds - I had it made. But the people who brought items to swap/sell were firmly in two categories - collectors ($$$) and 'please buy the items in my junk drawer'. Wasn't much of a middle ground.
There was a box of saws that had a 12" saw in it that I was drawn too, but the sign on the box said "box of saws - $75", and it had 6 saws in it. A pretty good deal, but I didn't have $75 in cash on me. Anyway after the meeting the guy who was responsible for the box saw me looking at that 12" saw, and I was going to make an offer for it independent of the box - and he said "make me an offer on the box - someone gave it to me to sell, and said anything I didn't sell throw into the trash, so I'm open to anything."
So . . . I now own the box of saws for less than half of what the sign was asking. What was in the box specifically?
Family portrait: 390253
1. Keen Cutter 18" rip filed panel saw - 11ppi.
390254
2. Ulmia Sliding dovetail saw/stair saw, coarse - looks to be 5ppi
390255
3. Very thin saw like a keyhole saw/drywall saw - only identification mark is Newark NJ and 77. Blade is about 15" long, and 1-1/4" at the widest point, also about 5ppi
390256
4. 8" Pax flush cut saw - 16ppi
390257
5. 14" Sash saw, can't tell if it's rip or crosscut filed, but it has zero set to it. Steel back, and someone very helpfully wrote in sharpie Sash XC on both sides - no other identification markings. 14ppi
390258
6. And the saw that caught my eye that prompted all of this -- 12" W. Tyzack, Sons & Turner Ltd No 120 saw. Brass back, good etch, 11ppi. But this saw needs some repair from a former owner. As an aside - anyone know/have any saw nuts that would work on this saw? Handle at this point has a good bit of play in it due to it's most recent 'upgrade'.....
390259
So, I think it was a good day all around, and indirectly I can say thanks to Steven for his unknowing assistance . . .