My first machine with a family connection

[Richard Coers]

For the first time in 50 years of woodworking, I bought a family owned machine. My Grandfather's oldest brother bought into a lumber yard in Emden, IL in 1903. It passed to his son, and then the sons sister's husband. He will be 92 this year and the lumber yard is now closed. I had asked him about buying the Foley saw filer about 6 years ago, but he didn't want to part with it. So I have been talking to his daughter (my cousin) about it for months. We agree on a price a few weeks ago and now it is a real treasure for me. Original manual, original parts ordering forms, files new in boxes, and 2 saw sets in the original boxes. Time to tune up the saws I bought from a great friend that passed away a year ago!
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[Maurice Mcmurry]

That is wonderful! Sure would be fun to see it operate.

[Stew Denton]

Hi Richard,

+1 on the comment by Maurice. When you get it fired up please post a photo of it with a saw and file in place. That is a neat story!

The family connection is something that money can't buy, in my humble opinion. I have my dads table saw, and a small number of his other tools, mostly hand tools, and also a very small number of my grandfathers hand tools. They definitely have a personal connection to me.

Congratulations on having the family tool!

Regards,

Stew

[Maurice Mcmurry]

I keep looking at the machine trying to figure out where the saw goes. It appears to be in amazing condition.

[Richard Coers]

I keep looking at the machine trying to figure out where the saw goes. It appears to be in amazing condition.

It is in amazing condition. There are little oil cups all over the machine, so as the oil worked it's way out of the slides and sleeve bearings. the cast iron had a coat of oil on it too. Here's a more modern version, but gives you a good view of how it works. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Svt5IJkwG4

[Maurice Mcmurry]

Thanks. Yours is a real time capsule.

[Dave Zellers]

My goodness that is awesome. What a beautiful piece of precision machinery.

[Tom Bussey]

I love to read stories like this. My grandfather, apprenticed as a carpenter, in the late 1800 hundreds. He lived well into his 90s, and has been gone for 50 years or so. But I have his wooden box he carried to the different job sights and his 4 hand saws hang on our living room wall along with his brace.. The bits are over at my shop.

Thank you for the information, it is great to bring ones gone on, back into remembrance.