Rust Hunting For Awhile...

[Jim Koepke]

LOML and I are going to be looking for a retirement home out of state.

Hopefully we will make it a slow trip back so we can stop at all the yard sales and where ever else we might find those hidden treasures.

Be leaving tomorrow morn.

Not likely to have a chance to get on line to check what's up here, so play nice.

jim

[Ray Sheley]

Have a good trip Jim. Good luck for both, finding the right retirement spot, and for a succesful rust hunt. Let us know how you make out.

[Hank Knight]

Where y'all lookin', Jim?

[Mark Engel]

Hey Jim. The Wife and I are putting our homestead on the market starting next Monday morning, if all goes as planned. New Hampshire is a beautiful place to live. :D ;)

[Jim Koepke]

Too tired to even gloat.

We found about 5.4 acres in south west Washington. We are currently in negotiations.

Also found some tools and met some interesting individuals.

Will try to have pictures tomorrow.

jim

[Jim Koepke]

The old saying is a journey of 10,000 miles starts with a single foot step. Actually, the starting is well before the first foot step. There is the getting the camper packed and planing on what to take. There was the running to the bank to get some cash and transfer some money into the checking account to pay for gas along the way with the debt card. This is a new branch close to my home. Little did I know they have metal detectors in the entry to the tellers. I wear steel toed shoes. This took a little while. Then there was the surprise. After my son in law and I had gone to buy a couple of books and do the banking, when we got home, the mail had been delivered and the lets go into debt to stimulate the economy check was in the mail. Back to the bank and deposit this in the ATM. The grandkids love all this activity. They love to run around and play in the camper. Jacob, the two year old likes to stand on the driver seat and pretend he is driving.

The day to take off came. Since this is a camper my dad bought and left at one of my brother's homes for us all to use, I am not always aware of any of the changes that my brother Dave may make while doing maintenance. I put the key in the ignition with the door open and thought there should be a sound from the warning buzzer. Didn't think much of it until after buckling up and closing the door, turning the key did nothing. After a moment of the LOML telling me maybe the key needs to be jiggled and such, I tried turning on the headlights to see if there was any battery. After checking this, no lights, and checking the switch, it became apparent the lights were already on. They had been left on by Jacob playing with everything within his reach while "driving" the day before. A quick jump and away we went. We stopped for breakfast a few miles from home. The place where we usually get coffee was opening a new store in this location. We were not sure if it was open yet, but we decided to have breakfast where we did just incase. If the new store was not open, we had enough coffee to make it to their stores in Portland.

When we pulled in, we could see the new Peet's was open. I told Candy to order for me and I would go get the coffee. When I was paying for the Coffee, I noticed my debt card was not in my wallet. Major panic. I had cash to pay for the coffee. Went back to the restaurant and got the phone number from Candy's card. Got stuck in the voice mail jail and hit 0 just to try. It worked, I got a human and explained that I think I left my card in the ATM the day before. They said they would transfer me to the branch. Of course, the transfer disconnected me. That was the most anxiety ridden breakfast I can ever recall eating. There was one that came close, but we ain't going there. After downing breakfast, we went to the bank, Candy went in first and explained that I had on steel toed shoes. Then when I told the teller what happened, he said to let him see my drivers license and that the machines would capture the card if it was left in the machine. A few minutes later, he came out and handed me my card. We took that as a good omen.

Though, we didn't find a lot of rust on this trip. There was more effort spent finding the home where we want to spend our retirement years.

We did take a side trip into Aurora Oregon. Bought a newspaper and in the weekly home section there was an ad for all the antique shops in "Historic Aurora." It seems every town is "Historic" for one reason or another.

Before this trip, I never realized how challenged the LOML is at reading a map. So we got off of the main highway miles before necessary to get into Aurora. Candy said at least we got to see some scenery. There were a few other places where we "got to see the scenery". It was about then we passed a sign that said something about the Literate Collector. A lot of signs have too much lettering that is too small to read when driving by even at 35 or 40 mph. For some reason it caught my eye and I could read a little of the sign, about books, as it disappeared in the rear view mirror. Less than a mile further down the road there was a shop on the other side of the road. We pulled in there, but it was closed. I decided we should go back and look at the other shop.
It did not seem much different than all the other antique shops. Looked like a converted second house on a property with a main house next to it of the craftsman style.

When we went inside, one of the first things I noticed was a shiney Stanley 90 Bull Nose Rabbet plane in the display case by the door. Then I noticed what looked like a 220. I said something to Candy about their being at least a few tools here. The woman behind the counter said that there were more in the back and offered to show me. She guided me to a room toward the back and gestured to some shelves. Wow, there was a nice No. 7 & No. 8 on one shelf and a lot of other planes and gauges and such. She left me to look for a while.

I saw a few items that interested me with prices that were decent, but seemed like maybe they could be a little better. When the woman came back, I had a question about one item. She said, well let me get the man, he's around today.

While waiting, it came to me to look at the No. 8 just to see how it felt.

This was neat, getting to hold a No. 8 and compare it to the No. 7.

That was when Terry came in and asked if I was interested in the No. 8.

I explained that I was just comparing it to the No. 7 that is already in my shop. Then I asked him about the dial gauge and the extra parts. Also asked about a Steel Cased No. 90 Rabbet plane. He said the 90 was priced low because it had been altered, like so many of their ilk. There was also a wood bodied 1-7/8 inch skewed rabbet plane. After talking a while and making the deal, he said he doesn't usually invite people in to see his collection, but if we would like to, we were welcome. We went into the house next to the shop and he lead me into what would be the dining area. There were shelves on one wall just full of metal bodied planes of all types. He had a few in original boxes in mint and almost mint condition. There were shelves on another wall with nothing but transitional planes of all sizes. After looking at these for awhile, he and I went upstairs while Candy and the woman from the shop sat and talked. Probably about us guys going on about planes and such.

Upstairs is where he had all the woodies. Many of these were specialty planes. He had them in different sections for the different categories. He had a lot of ship wright planes, a few were made of rose wood. He had a lot of coopers planes. I was amazed. Back down stairs, he showed me a few more tools and we also looked up some information in his reference books to answer some questions. He wrote down some information for the Pacific Northwest Tool Collectors for me to check out once we are settled in the area. A very rewarding stop.

When we finally did get to Aurora, I noticed it was getting a bit late. Candy said, "well gee, you spent about three hours talking tools back there in Woodburn. It sure didn't seem that long. I didn't really see much in the first shop we stopped in. I went out and walked around. Found out later the shop that has most of the tools was closed because the owner was on vacation.

There was an architectural recycling business across one street, so I thought they may be worth a look. Inside there was one display case with some tools in and on it. I noticed most were pretty high priced. There was one Charles Buck chisel that was not too bad and was able to get them to knock a couple bucks off the price. I wonder if that is the tipping point of me becoming a collector. It is a size I already have, but this is a different length. Yeah, that's the ticket, it's a different length.

That was pretty much it for a few days. The next few days we looked at properties and did not have much time to do much shopping. After looking at properties the first day, we found out we had enough time to catch a ferry to Oregon. So we decided to venture across the river. My thoughts of ferries are of the ones from my childhood on San Francisco Bay. Then there is the one we took from Edmonton to the Olympic Peninsula a few years ago. These would hold lots of cars and had waiting rooms and dining on board. The ferry from Washington to Oregon was not what I expected. By my reconning, that thing could only hold twelve cars. The operator had us wait a minute or two just incase another car came along because our camper would block their entry. We made it across the river. On the way back to our campsite we got to see some more scenery. I also got to explain to my wife that a bypass is not something to avoid going where one wants to go, but a way to get around what one does not want to go through.

We did return to one shop that I thought was where I bought something one time, but it was the wrong store. The proprietor did know what shop I was looking for so even the stops that seem wasted may have something to help on the hunt.

We spent the next day again looking at houses. We found the one that we want and made an offer.
The next day, we went on down the coast and stopped and shopped. Didn't have as much luck as in past trips. Did find a good deal on some molding planes and a gouge in Coos Bay. The Antique Mall has one seller that always has an impressive display of tools. His prices are mostly high. Occasionally, he is just trying to clear some inventory and there might be some good deals. Bought a pair of molding planes for $4 each. They both need some blade work, but not real bad. Also bought a 1 inch skew rabbet for $10.

No real great finds for tools, but we did find a real nice place that hopefully will become our home.

It has lots of potential.

jim

[James Mittlefehldt]

Just out of curiosity Jim what did the guy want for the no. 8.

I had a similar experience at an antique store on hwy 11 in northern Ontario. When the owmer saw I liked and knew tools he invited me into his living quarters to see his private collection. I couldn't believe the stuff he had being where he was.

[Jim Koepke]

Just out of curiosity Jim what did the guy want for the no. 8.

I didn't look at the price tag. I did see the No. 7 was $75.

Both were in very good condition.

jim

[Mark Engel]

Are you absolutely sure you want to stay out west? You would really like it out here in New Hampshire. :)

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=86418