Gary Maze wrote:

	I have been curious the last few weeks, does anyone know of any type of
	list of equipment Bell linemen were issued? Obviously the Yankee brace,
	but I have also seen a Yankee 130 push drill and a 6 foot zigzag rule
	(don't remember who made that one, ironically given the Galootaclaus
	postings, I gave it to my good little galoot 2 years ago) all marked  
"Bell
	System". I would guess some auger bits,wrenches and screwdrivers were
	included, but not sure what else would have been in the kit, and if all
	the pieces were marked.

Amidst the collection of hand tools inherited from my dad (by the  
time I went to work for Ma Bell they weren't so generous with the  
tooling) are several types of Stanley bit braces (among these the  
2101A model which is one of my favorites, actually) and about which  
the only unfortunate thing I can say about it is that your last  
opportunity to get one relatively inexpensively just passed through  
the Old Tools list the other day at the start of the "Yankee Braces"  
thread. These things command ludicrous prices on that big auction  
site.  I saw a web site somewhere on the Net that described in great  
detail how to disassemble, clean and rebuild one. I don't have the  
link just now but will google for it a little later.

As to the other tools, the folding rulers were boxwood, some are  
marked Lufkin and others Stanley, and there were cloth ones on a reel  
by Lufkin as well,

numerous needle nose and diagonal pliers by Klein,

there's an assortment of files, the ones that seem to have survived  
their ordeal were Simonds, the others have no discernible markings at  
this point,

Stanley (again) - tack hammers, lineman's hammers (the pole-stepping  
variety had a hole drilled in the head - it was used to screw/twist  
phone pole rungs), a lovely all stainless hacksaw (but it's  
unpleasant to hold it in cold weather), the 41Y push drill,  
screwdrivers.  The 41Y push drill btw is also my favorite type of  
hand drill because you use it one-handed and it absolutely does not  
wobble like those push-type screwdrivers seem to do.

I have no idea about the corporate histories of these tool makers  
(other than that they're mostly either dead or off-shored) but it's  
my understanding that Ma Bell bought heavily from all of them when  
they were alive and kicking here in the States. Doubtless there are  
many more than have been passed on to me.

Nevertheless, having used the tools both at home and on the job I can  
say without hesitation that Ma Bell bought some of the best quality  
tools of the day. Granted tools were manufactured to much better  
standards back then as well, so even the "cheap" tools were superior  
to much of what can be bought new today. But that's why we're all  
here on the Old Tools List, I suppose.

JL
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi, Gary and Others
	The funny thing about the Bell System hatchets is that they are never  
sharp. Why not?
					Trevor
------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Western Electric Co. was part of the mega-giant telephone monopoly.
We installed the switching equipment for the Bell System in the central
offices (switching centers). I worked for Western for a few years in the
1970s. All the manufacturers listed previously were also used by
Western. You'll find their tools stamped . I was always grateful
that they purchased first rate tools. It lent to a sense of pride in
craftsmanship. Regards,

Lee Ireland -------------- Original message --------------From: John
Leyden 
> Gary Maze wrote:>> I have been curious the last few weeks, does anyone
> know of any type of> list of equipment Bell linemen were issued?
> Obviously the Yankee brace,> but I have also seen a Yankee 130 push
> drill and a 6 foot zigzag rule> (don't remember who made that one,
> ironically given the Galootaclaus> postings, I gave it to my good
> little galoot 2 years ago) all marked> "Bell> System". I would guess
> some auger bits,wrenches and screwdrivers were> included, but not sure
> what else would have been in the kit, and if all> the pieces were
> marked.>>>snip snip
------------------------------------------------------------------------

I don't know. The one I have was sharp once upon a time. Its cutting  
edge is beveled on one side, in the manner of a broad axe. The only  
time I ever saw it used was as a kid when my dad and I were putting  
together a pole-style structure using small diameter trees that were  
cut for the purpose. The hatchet made nice flats on the otherwise  
curved surfaces of the log members so that they'd rest squarely  
against one another. My secondhand understanding of its utility to  
telco linemen was that it was a combination hammer, wrench, prying  
and cleaving tool, apparently used by construction crews when setting  
new phone poles. That was not something I ever did for Ma so I can't  
speak from direct experience. But I will see whether or not I can  
interrupt the old man's golf game and/or 19th hole activities to  
determine what he recollects about it.

JL

On Oct 10, 2008, at 11:08 AM, Trevor Robinson wrote:

> Hi, Gary and Others
> 	The funny thing about the Bell System hatchets is that they are  
> never sharp. Why not?
> 					Trevor

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ed Minch quoted Todd:

        Remember the little steps that used to protrude from utility
        poles? A piece of galvanized iron rod, threaded on one and and
        bent at 90=B0 on the other for about 2" - to keep your foot from
        slipping off sideways. To install these steps, apparently the
        installer would drill a hole with his sticky-ratcheted Bell
        Systems Yankee brace (no doubt using the ratchet mechanism so he
        only had o push down on the handle while held to the pole with
        his belt and pole stickers), then put the threaded end of the
        new step into the hole, put the bent 2" section of the step into
        the hole in the hammer head, and using the hammer as a wrench,
        turn the step into the pole. Maybe they never had to use these
        things cause my example is minty new.

Ed, Todd is correct but for the fact that back in the day the Yankee
brace wasn't sticky. The lineman's hammer was a beast, and after
stepping a pole with it all week long the lineman in question "had no
waist". Apparently that's why some of the rest of us are so overweight
these days...

The old man reports from the 19th hole that once those steps went in
they didn't come out so easily. "We just beat the sh*t out of most of
them until they broke off" when trying to remove them, he said.

Note to sawyers: old phone poles are a clear and present danger to
bandsaw blades!

JL
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi,

The old man reports back that in his experience the hatchets were  
used to set ceramic insulators on phone pole cross arms. He is also  
quite sure that this was not the definitive use of the tool, but  
merely one adaptation in the geographic area in which he worked. This  
was apparently in the days when in certain rural areas bare copper  
wires were used to bring party line service to the farmers. The  
square hole in the head was to grasp and align the pegs on which the  
insulators were mounted, as well as for the lag screws that attached  
the crossarms to the pole. The back of the hatchet head was used as a  
hammer to drive the pegs into the crossarm, as well as any galvanized  
nails that would have been necessary for other types of wooden braces  
to which said insulators were also affixed. He owned that the hatchet  
bequeathed to me had been reground by him in accordance with  
instructions passed along by an old timer with whom he had worked  
when he was a line gang newbie, in the one-facet bevel style  
previously mentioned. Apparently some nameless, genuinely ancient  
galoot knew how to hew a log into a beam. Getting a crossarm to lay  
flat against a section of phone pole was not an altogether different  
operation, and building a pole shed was, in retrospect I guess,  
"child's play."  :-)

Whether or not such hewing conformed to established BSP practice was,  
of course, such an irrelevant idea that no one dared ask.  ;->

On another note he also mentioned that the hole in the head of the 3  
lb lineman's hammer is reputed to be the idea of yet another nameless  
lineman, whose suggestion was passed up the line to management and  
thence to the tool-ordering folk.

Does anybody work for such a responsive, can-do organization today?

Ma Bell gave out dull hatchets and big ass hammers, but boy, did she  
put holes in them when asked for!

Go figure,

JL

On Oct 10, 2008, at 11:08 AM, Trevor Robinson wrote:

> Hi, Gary and Others
> 	The funny thing about the Bell System hatchets is that they are  
> never sharp. Why not?
> 					Trevor

------------------------------------------------------------------------

I bought a very compact maul marked "Bell System" at a flea a few years
ago. It has a 2 lb. head and is only 10" long OA. Nice little tool that
packs a whollop. I may be in the minotiy, but I like the braces. I have
all of them except the rare 6" and whimble style. -wayne

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gary Maze wrote:

	I have been curious the last few weeks, does anyone know of any type of
	list of equipment Bell linemen were issued?

While googling for info on the hatchet I stumbled upon a site that  
contains scanned copies of old Bell System BSP publications relating  
specifically to tools. This is a good resource for those of you who  
have odd wrenches and things whose purpose has been forgotten  
rattling around the bottom of an old tool box.

	http://xy3.com/bsp/

A propos to Gary's question, depending on the employee's job function  
he or she would carry around only a specific subset of the tools  
described on the above site.

As to the hatchet, take a look at the guy just right of center in  
this photo:

		http://www.porticus.org/bell/images/pc-placingpoles.jpg

While the tool he's holding certainly predates the ones Trevor  
mentions it's clearly similar (absent the square hole). As for  
sharpness or the lack thereof, I dunno, my guess is that those old  
timers don't look like the sort of guys who'd have let a dull edge  
stay that way very long.

JL
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wayne Anderson said:

 I may be in the minotiy, but I like the braces. I have
all of them except the rare 6" and whimble style. -wayne

Bruce sez:

I have to agree.  I like the Yankee braces.  But then, I also like the 
Millers Falls and Stanley braces.  Shucks, I just like 'em all.  They're 
fun and each has its own strong points.  And so what's the problem with 
liking more than one?......We are Galoots, not so?

Bruce Z.
Kearney, MO 

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wayne, Bruce, Gentlepersons and Galoots,

You speak my mind on this matter!  I was wondering when someone was  
going to get around to saying this or I was going to volunteer to take  
all those old nasty Yankees and put them in my retirement home for  
wayward wood braces! Sometimes it matters which brace I use for a  
particular task and sometimes it is just fun to grab one that has been  
gathering dust for awhile.

Had a good day today on a scenic drive in western Illinois today. Got  
a very nice Millers Falls Model 1950 of early vintage in pretty much  
unused condition with only a little rust under the pad for $5 And a  
very old forged ram's horn claw hammer with a damaged, but perhaps  
original handle and something really unusual for me--a big chunk of  
aluminum that turned out to be a two-piece mold for casting a bell-- 
again $5.  Now let it be known that I have never cast anything besides  
lead fishing weights, but this thing called to me---and my wife didn't  
give me THAT look, so it came home with me.

A good day and a good time was had by all.  Paul in Normal

On Oct 11, 2008, at 8:33 PM, genfurn wrote:

>
> Wayne Anderson said:
>
> I may be in the minotiy, but I like the braces. I have
> all of them except the rare 6" and whimble style. -wayne
>
> Bruce sez:
>
> I have to agree.  I like the Yankee braces.  But then, I also like the
> Millers Falls and Stanley braces.  Shucks, I just like 'em all.   
> They're
> fun and each has its own strong points.  And so what's the problem  
> with
> liking more than one?......We are Galoots, not so?
>
> Bruce Z.
> Kearney, MO
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> OldTools is a mailing list catering to the interests of hand tool
> aficionados, both collectors and users, to discuss the history, usage,
> value, location, availability, collectibility, and restoration of
> traditional handtools, especially woodworking tools.
>
> To change your subscription options:
> http://ruckus.law.cornell.edu/mailman/listinfo/oldtools
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------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi, Paul and All
	I'm puzzled by an aluminum mold for casing bells. Most bells would e  
made of
a metal or alloy with a higher melting point than aluminum. Lead bells?
			Trevor
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Well, ya' know I knever thought that matter through to a logical  
conclusion.  Now I'm curious about the thing.  I can get a picture to  
you in the text or as an attachment, but I am not conversant with  
Galoot Image Central. This mold appears as if it were meant to make a  
bell in one fashion or another and it is a serious sorta chunk of  
metal, but that is as far as I have gotten.  I should have asked aome  
questions, but for $5 I wasn't too  concerned.  I never worked out ,  
if it was a bell, hou you get it hollow; otherwise it appears that  
your bell was going to also be solid---maybe it is for heavy-class  
choclate!.  I'm kidding, but who knows?  I like the lead bell idea  
myself.  Paul in Normal

On Oct 14, 2008, at 8:07 PM, Trevor Robinson wrote:

> Hi, Paul and All
> 	I'm puzzled by an aluminum mold for casing bells. Most bells would  
> e made of
> a metal or alloy with a higher melting point than aluminum. Lead  
> bells?
> 			Trevor

------------------------------------------------------------------------

On Oct 14, 2008, at 10:13 PM, Paul Schobernd wrote:

> Well, ya' know I knever thought that matter through to a logical  
> conclusion.  Now I'm curious about the thing.  I can get a picture  
> to you in the text or as an attachment, but I am not conversant  
> with Galoot Image Central. This mold appears as if it were meant to  
> make a bell in one fashion or another and it is a serious sorta  
> chunk of metal, but that is as far as I have gotten.  I should have  
> asked aome questions, but for $5 I wasn't too  concerned.  I never  
> worked out , if it was a bell, hou you get it hollow; otherwise it  
> appears that your bell was going to also be solid---maybe it is for  
> heavy-class choclate!.

Actually, I would suspect that is indeed what it is meant for.  I  
have seen numerous aluminum molds for chocolate.  If the chocolate  
piece is to be large (like a solid bell), it wold take the mass of  
aluminum rather than the thin stuff used for hollow things like bunnies.

--Scott

> I'm kidding, but who knows?  I like the lead bell idea myself.   
> Paul in Normal
>
>
>
> On Oct 14, 2008, at 8:07 PM, Trevor Robinson wrote:
>
>> Hi, Paul and All
>> 	I'm puzzled by an aluminum mold for casing bells. Most bells  
>> would e made of
>> a metal or alloy with a higher melting point than aluminum. Lead  
>> bells?
>> 			Trevor
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 
> --
> OldTools is a mailing list catering to the interests of hand tool
> aficionados, both collectors and users, to discuss the history, usage,
> value, location, availability, collectibility, and restoration of
> traditional handtools, especially woodworking tools.
>
> To change your subscription options:
> http://ruckus.law.cornell.edu/mailman/listinfo/oldtools
>
> To read the FAQ:
> http://swingleydev.com/archive/faq.html
>
> OldTools archive: http://swingleydev.com/archive/
>
> OldTools@r...
> http://ruckus.law.cornell.edu/mailman/listinfo/oldtools

-------------------------------------------------
Scott Stager
Columbia Missouri

------------------------------------------------------------------------

A sideline discussion on chocolate!

With a metal mould, of course, you can pour in an amount of liquid 
chocolate, then roll it around the mould, and it clings and sets as it 
goes. 

Someone never had enough Cadbury's hollow chocolate eggs as a child!

Richard Wilson
Yorkshireman Galoot
in Northumberland

Scott Stager wrote:
>
> On Oct 14, 2008, at 10:13 PM, Paul Schobernd wrote:
>
>> Well, ya' know I knever thought that matter through to a logical 
>> conclusion.  Now I'm curious about the thing.  I can get a picture to 
>> you in the text or as an attachment, but I am not conversant with 
>> Galoot Image Central. This mold appears as if it were meant to make a 
>> bell in one fashion or another and it is a serious sorta chunk of 
>> metal, but that is as far as I have gotten.  I should have asked aome 
>> questions, but for $5 I wasn't too  concerned.  I never worked out , 
>> if it was a bell, hou you get it hollow; otherwise it appears that 
>> your bell was going to also be solid---maybe it is for heavy-class 
>> choclate!.
>
> Actually, I would suspect that is indeed what it is meant for.  I have 
> seen numerous aluminum molds for chocolate.  If the chocolate piece is 
> to be large (like a solid bell), it wold take the mass of aluminum 
> rather than the thin stuff used for hollow things like bunnies.
>
> --Scott
>
>
>

------------------------------------------------------------------------