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Thread: Braced for a Rust Hunt

  1. #1
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    Braced for a Rust Hunt

    Candy and I took a trip to Costco today. We got a late start so went to the closest Costco in Vancouver, Washington, about 45 miles away.

    On the way home we decided to stop in one of our favorite antique malls/stores.

    Their inventory is always changing. A few of the vendors always have tools of various kinds.

    This one called out to me:

    Stanley #923-6%22 Brace.jpg

    It is a Stanley #923-3X 6" swing brace.

    On the shell it has the Stanley Rule & Level Co New Briton Conn on two lines.

    Candy found a couple of things. She was real excited when we walked in the door. There was a TEPCO Green Magnolia serving plate in the first booth. Most people in the U.S. have likely had coffee or dinner served off of TEPCO dinnerware if they have ever eaten in a cafe, restaurant, Navy or Army Mess Hall.

    We lived not far from where The Technical Porcelain and Chinaware Company was located in El Cerrito, California.

    The cashier in the store was amazed when I told here about TEPCO Beach. When she looked it up online she was even more amazed.

    https://www.510families.com/tepco-beach-in-richmond/

    https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/tepco-beach

    I have actually found unbroken cups there or sometimes mugs with a broken handle. They used to do things different 80 and 90 years ago when it came to getting rid of industrial waste. Now after a good storm stuff washes up on the beach.

    For more (long .pdf) history > http://www.elcerritohistoricalsociet...les/Tepco1.pdf

    It was a good day.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  2. #2
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    Nice find, 6" braces don't seem to show up that often but they can be pretty handy in tight spaces.

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bob Betker View Post
    Nice find, 6" braces don't seem to show up that often but they can be pretty handy in tight spaces.
    They are also good with a couple of bit extenders when working on a deck. Two extenders means no bending over to give a twist to a loose deck screw.

    A short throw brace is also handy with countersinks and other tools that can benefit from a faster turn rate.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  4. #4
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    Seems that the shorter the "sweep" the higher the "rpms", while the bigger the sweep, the more torque can be applied.

    Try spinning a 12" sweep as fast as a 6" sweep goes...

    Seems that a 10" sweep is about the right size for driving screws.....have a Goodell Pratt Co. 10" set up with a driver bit all the time....and a 6" sweep Stanley set up with a counter sink bit...

    They do come in handy, don't they...
    A Planer? I'm the Planer, and this is what I use

  5. #5
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    Seems that the shorter the "sweep" the higher the "rpms", while the bigger the sweep, the more torque can be applied.

    Try spinning a 12" sweep as fast as a 6" sweep goes...

    Seems that a 10" sweep is about the right size for driving screws...
    Many folks with experience with car engines refer to this concept as over square vs under square.

    For me a 6" sweep is fine for driving even the bigger screws. Many of the 3/4" dog holes on my bench were drilled with an 8" sweep brace. Of course that was a few years ago when me and my arms were younger and stronger.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  6. #6
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    On Mother's day one of our daughters and her hubby wanted to take us to breakfast. No one was taking reservations. One of our favorite places in Rainier, OR had a line outside. We decided to see if there was anything available in Clatskanie, a short drive west of Raineir.

    After having breakfast we decided to checkout the antique and junk shops in town. This seems to be the speciality of small towns that have lost their industrial base. One of the stores where we have often stopped in the past has changed owners. It was in a bit of disarray from the transition. There was a box of drill bits with a few auger bits. There were actually a couple not yet in my collection and one that is in short supply.

    Rust Hunt Finds 5•8•22.jpg

    Two are marked Irwin. One has an unreadable mark. The #6 is for a spare.

    The long one is a #11 and the other is a #17, neither of which were in my current accumulation.

    They didn't have a price on them. The shop owner what I thought they were worth. There was a hole saw without the bit hardware with a 50¢ price tag on it in my hand with the bits. After showing hime a little bow in the long bit and the short spurs, my reply, "how about $2 for all of this." He agreed, and since it was in Oregon, no sales tax. Fifty cents apiece for auger bits is a good day.

    The round pieces were bought at another store. They will fit over 3/4" pipe for holding spools from sliding on a rack.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  7. #7
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    I was in Rochester, NY last weekend and there was an artist who made things out of old tools and such. He had at least a dozen hand braces and one Stanley hand plane that he had welded into various sculptures.
    Lee Schierer
    USNA '71
    Go Navy!

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  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lee Schierer View Post
    I was in Rochester, NY last weekend and there was an artist who made things out of old tools and such. He had at least a dozen hand braces and one Stanley hand plane that he had welded into various sculptures.
    I did a job in Portland OR. and saw a fence made out of very big wrenches, welded together. I think it is out side of the "Rebuilding Center". I have mixed feelings about the concept, I think I am leaning towards hating it.
    Best Regards, Maurice

  9. #9
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    "Trophy" for today..
    saw vise #3, 3.JPG
    No.3 Saw Vise...$5...
    A Planer? I'm the Planer, and this is what I use

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by steven c newman View Post
    "Trophy" for today..
    saw vise #3, 3.JPG
    No.3 Saw Vise...$5...
    Very nice! there is a similar one in the loft of the in-laws summer camp (an old sugar house in the White Mountain area of NH.) I have both of my eyes on it!
    Best Regards, Maurice

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