Gerstner tool box and misc. tools

[Michael Hammers]

I purchased a lot of power tools and hand tools this weekend. I have nooo idea what some of these machinist tools are. The chisels are all Buck Bros. and appear to be somewhat old. I posted the rest of the tools I got up in the power tools section under Parks Machinery if you are interested.

[Michael Hammers]

heres a few other tools...

[Alan DuBoff]

Wow, those are nice tools. Many are useful for working wood, but a decent assortment for working metal also. Nice protractor gauge, height gage, calipers, radius gages, dividers (also good for working wood), outside calipers, inside calipers, etc...

The boxes are nice also. Great acqusition!

As mentioned in another thread, you can use the small mics to measure handsaw plates.

[Johnny Kleso]

The double verner caliper on the tool box lid is a Gear Tooth Verner used for checking gear teeth

Hight Gauge Verner, Depth Mic, 12" VernerCaliper with angle gauge in box? and another Angle Gauge in its own box

The Double Combination Square with built in Protractor is RARE as I have never seen one before in 35+ years working several different shop..

I would sell the gear tooth verner on eBay as it has not many uses execpt for a gear shop..



eBay catagory below
Business & Industrial> Manufacturing & Metalworking> Metalworking Tooling> Inspection & Measurement> Calipers

How much did you spend??
The box would cost you $300

[Bruce Page]

Very nice haul. Looks like they’re all quality tools. Who’s the maker of the double head protractor thingy…(I don’t even know what it is called.) It might be rare and worth some money – (in almost 40 yrs around machine shops I have never seen one.)

[Shannon Vincent]

[quote=Johnny Kleso;927827]

The Double Combination Square with built in Protractor is RARE as I have never seen one before in 35+ years working several different shop..


Me either.That is cool.I like the large radius gauges in the old leather pouch too.(I have the little set to the left,pretty common set.)

[Johnny Kleso]

[quote=Shannon Vincent;927849

Me either.That is cool.I like the large radius gauges in the old leather pouch too.(I have the little set to the left,pretty common set.)[/quote]


I have the same big Lufkin set as well as a small set hehehe

[Dave Anderson NH]

I'm going to bet that what you have scored is a patternmaker's tool box. There are undoubtedly more tools in the set, but with the radius gages, the paring chisels, and the cranked neck paring chisels I doubt if I'm wrong. VERY, very nice score.

[Michael Hammers]

Wow, thanks y'all....I suppose ignorance is bliss because I had no idea what I had gotten. I was origionally jazzed about getting the big 19" bandsaw and the 12" joiner/planer as I had been lacking these tools for the completion of my shop set up. When the lady (these were her late husband's) showed me the stuff she asked if I would be interested in taking these tools to get rid of them. She told me I could have everything for 200.00. I gave her 1,000.00. My friends have called me a big dummy and fundamentally incapable of haggling. However I could not in good conscience do that.
I think you are right he was a patternmaker. I found some rough cast brass molded pieces (paratrooper wings) and a few booklets on patternmakers, plus some Mason's paraphenalia. I also got a Stanley jack and joiner that are corrugated bottoms. I did not picture them as they are a mess with dirt. All the little stanleys were a neat find. I also have a whole slew of small files and end mills and more combination squares I can handle. I lost count of how many rules he has i. A real nice 24" Starret rule that go in the combination head.
All the pieces are either Starret or Lufkin. I have never put anything on Ebay before so I might. I may see if anyone here would be interested first.
Does anyone know if those old Buck Bros. chisels are any good?

[Alan DuBoff]

Dave could be right, could be from a pattern maker, as there are gouges and hand planes.

I have bought 2 different lots of machinists' tools, and they were without a doubt one of the best investments I made. The first lot was from a retired tool and die maker that worked at the Caterpillar factory for about 25-30 years...lots of interesting things in that lot...if tools could tell stories...:) More tools than would fit in 2 Kennedy boxes.

The other lot I bought from a guy that had them from his father, 2 Kennedy boxes with less, but still decent tools. One of the Kennedy boxes is a really old one. Your Gerstner box is nicer, and the fact you have some woodworking tools is goodness.

I find it interesting that it's rarer to find woodworking tools in lots like that, and I surmise that it's because machinists often take their tools with them from job to job, and like mechanics tend to keep them in boxes to tote around with them. Pattern makers were similar, as I understand.

In the first lot, from the tool and die maker, I got one of those fancy protractor gages, like the one in the blue velvet lined box in the right most pic on the bottom right. Mine has a little magnifier viewer on it, which I marvel over from time to time...those are handy if you need to setup a taper, on a metal lathe for instance. Most all the tools from the tool and die maker were calibrated by a certified technician when he was last working at the CAT factory a few years ago. I sometimes wonder how many of the tools he bought, and how many came from the CAT factory...but they were the tools he used for his job, for most of his career I guess. I could not believe he sold them to me, and I told him I didn't think I would every sell them and would pass them on to my son even if he didn't use them.

[Dave Anderson NH]

Big Warning Michael. If the toolbox has all those rules it is almost certain he was a patternmaker. Patternmakers often used Shrink Rules of different sizes to allow for the shrinkage of a metal in a mold. Your danger is that these are really easy to mix with your normal 1"=1" rules and rulers. Take every rule that came out of that nice score you made and measure it against one of your own rulers. There is likely to be a difference. Mark the shrink rules with colored tape, magic marker, or in some way so you don't confuse them with the regular rules. If you don't do this you could have a really aggravating time on your next project when 12"parts end up being 11.625" or some such other measurement. I've seen it happen to guys who unknowingly bought shrink rules at auctions and flea markets.

[Ryan Cathey]

I'm in the process of building a machinist chest EXACTLY like that one. If you could get a few more pictures I would be eternally greatful. Stuff like the drawer slides, the top compartment, how the sliding front panel works. Things like that. No big hurry though.

You totally and completely suck over that score. I LOVE machinist tools!

[Michael Hammers]

Ryan, I would be more than happy to get some better shots and give you dimensions. I hope to see what you come up with. I wish the drawers had just a touch more depth as most my woodworking tools are a tad to big. just a thought.
I will try and do that by the weekend.
Cheers,
MSH

[Ryan Cathey]

Thanks Michael. Again, no rush. Also, I'll keep that suggestion in mind. I've already roughed out the lumber but I think I can swing an extra 1/2-3/4" in depth.