On Saturday 15 October 2005 04:47, Gary Katsanis wrote:
> Where you draw the line is based on your own personal 
> choice.  I might not have redone Alan's example to the 
> degree that was done
> 
> http://img434.imageshack.us/img434/9587/new57dd.jpg
> 
> but I wouldn't preserve the dirt and shavings in a nitrogen
> atmosphere just because they might have come from 
> McKinley's presidency (a contemporary of Queen Victoria, 
> Jeff).  

Gary,

I think Scott really hit it on the head, when he said that it's always 
exacgerated of how people invision the old tool before it was refurbished. It 
is being refurbished that really irritates the collectors, it's not that fact 
that they get tuned. tuning doesn't involve refinishing the piece, or 
shouldn't.

I like to collect things as much as everyone else and made a living selling 
vintage guitars for more than 10 years. Same situation, and people would be 
offended if someone replaced unusable crappy tuners on an old guitar because 
they wanted to play it. Because of this, I've always been of the persuasion 
that if someone wants to use a piece for what it was intended, even if they 
hurt the collectable value, or even make it impossible to restore to original 
in the future, it's their right. To me a tool is the same. If you have an old 
tool and you want to use it, that is after all what tools were designed to be 
done with, to be used.

I know people are touchy on this issue, and I should stay out of it I 'spose. 
On WoodNet some folks took exception to an old Disston split-nut saw that had 
decent etch on it, which I stated I would use had I wanted to purchase it. 
The price of a saw is so small, what does it matter? Yes, it's true that the 
collectable value would go down if it was used and the etch was worn down 
like most others, but what's the difference?

The picture of Damon's grandfather is a case in point. How can you blame a 
guy for spraying his plane yellow, when he turns around and make incredible 
furniture with it? And especially, how can someone that doesn't use their 
tools very often except to collect have the nerve to do so?

Back to Scott point which I completely agree with. Nobody is taking great old 
tools and re-japanning them, or doing things to them intentionally. The tools 
that JohnnyK refurbishes are for the most part in such bad need of work, 
nobody would use them in the state he finds them in, often a giant rust 
bucket that needs to sit in the electrolisys tank and ends up with no 
japanning when it comes out anyway.

My suggestion. If you have old tools, worry about the next cool project 
you're gonna make with it rather than how to preserve it. What would you 
rather your family have to remember you by, a great old tool that is very 
collectable, or a great piece of furniture that will get passed down in the 
family for generations? I know what I want for my family.

-- 

Alan DuBoff
Software Orchestration
GPG: 1024D/B7A9EBEE 5E00 57CD 5336 5E0B 288B 4126 0D49 0D99 B7A9 EBEE

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