OldTools Archive

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265810 Joshua Clark <jclark@h...> 2018‑05‑14 The Toolbox of America
Galoots,

I was driving through New Britain this afternoon with my family,
returning home from a fun 9 hours at my daughter's softball
tournament, when I saw a billboard for a PBS documentary on New
Britain, CT called "The Toolbox of America" on PBS. I was quite
surprised to see a billboard-sized Stanley no. 4 along I-84. It's
airing on our local PBS this Thursday but I also found it available on
Vimeo right now. https://vimeo.com/253882614 I took a quick look at it
just now and it looks pretty interesting. I thought some of you might
be interested as well.

Josh
265811 Jim O'Brien <jimob@c...> 2018‑05‑14 Re: The Toolbox of America
Must watch. It is very well produced by Connecticut Public Television 
and fairly comprehensive, considering the odyssey the Stanley operation. 
It is by turns, sentimental and nostalgic, but includes object lessons 
and cautionary tales. It is well told with a good mix of informed 
narration and employee interviews.

Thanks for posting Josh.
265812 John Ruth <johnrruth@h...> 2018‑05‑14 Re: The Toolbox of America
Josh,
Thanks for the “heads up” on this one!  I enjoyed the comments by the people
whom I took to be anthropologists or sociologists; they gave a perspective that
I’d not thought of on my own.
Especially liked the discussion of the fundamental definition of a machine tool.
John R.

Sent from my iPhone
265814 Paul Honore <lawnguy44@g...> 2018‑05‑14 Re: The Toolbox of America
Thats the good news but sorry to report the main Stanley plant in New 
Britain was torn about two months ago after being abandoned for decades, 
according to this article. 
http://www.courant.com/community/new-britain/hc-news-new-britain-
stanley-demolition-20180319-story.html">http://www.courant.com/community/new-
britain/hc-news-new-britain-stanley-demolition-20180319-story.html


Paul H.
265817 Ed Minch <ruby1638@a...> 2018‑05‑14 Re: Whatsit
Bill 

Looks like a file handle or a pad saw handle.  

Ed Minch
265818 bridger@b... 2018‑05‑14 Re: Whatsit
On 2018-05-14 11:18, Bill Webber wrote:
> GGs
> 
> I don't know if this is a tool or just a part.  An iron handle has a
> knurled thumb wheel that turns a slotted brass axle.  There is a slot
> in the end.  overall, it looks like something flat could be fitted
> through the slot on the end and then wound on the axle. Whatever might
> be wound on it would not make many turns.
> 
> http://billwebber.galootcentral.com/1805-014.JPG
> http://billwebber.galootcentral.com/1805-015.JPG
> http://billwebber.galootcentral.com/1805-016.JPG
> 
> Many thanks,
> 
> Bill W.
> Nottingham, PA
> Woodworkers visit me at http://billwebber.galootcentral.com/
> 

it looks like the slot extends out the top and down into the body. if 
the knurled knob is threaded I'd say it's a handle for some narrow 
blade. might fit a hacksaw blade or a keyhole blade.
265820 Bill Webber <ol2lrus@v...> 2018‑05‑14 Re: Whatsit
Point for Mr. Minch!� I didn't see the threads.� Works OK with a sawzall 
blade...

http://billwebber.galootcentral.com/1805-017.JPG

Bill W.
Nottingham, PA
Woodworkers visit me at http://billwebber.galootcentral.com/
265823 Ed Minch <ruby1638@a...> 2018‑05‑14 Re: Whatsit
That and six dollars will get me a cup of coffee

Ed Minch
265821 Kirk Eppler <eppler.kirk@g...> 2018‑05‑14 Re: Whatsit
On Mon, May 14, 2018 at 9:18 AM, Bill Webber  wrote:

> GGs
>
> I don't know if this is a tool or just a part.  An iron handle has a
> knurled thumb wheel that turns a slotted brass axle.  There is a slot in
> the end.  overall, it looks like something flat could be fitted through the
> slot on the end and then wound on the axle. Whatever might be wound on it
> would not make many turns.
>
> http://billwebber.galootcentral.com/1805-014.JPG
> http://billwebber.galootcentral.com/1805-015.JPG
> http://billwebber.galootcentral.com/1805-016.JPG
>
>
> So the axle turns one revolution for each turn of the knurled nut?  Seems
like it would be very difficult to get any tension on anything poking
through the axle above the frame.

Being wound makes it harder to decipher, the file handles make sense, but
don't seem like they would work wll.

The handle looks like my saw punch, but I got nothing else right now.

To the catalogs!

-- 
Kirk Eppler in HMB, where the tools deities didn't shine on me too much
this weekend.
265829 Ed Minch <ruby1638@a...> 2018‑05‑15 Re: How big is your try square?
Perhaps 10 years ago, Roy Underhill demonstrated how those spikey recesses were
made.  He clamped on a metal plate with a cutout shaped like that in it, then he
had a tool with cutters at the two ends of what looked like a flexible tuning
fork and it was spun with a bow drill and raced all around within the metal
plate and cut the recess.  It is called a Parser Drill:

https://makezine.com/2015/08/05/old-tech-drills-any-shaped-hole/

Mesmerizing to watch

Ed Minch
265831 Peter McBride <peter_mcbride@b...> 2018‑05‑15 Re: How big is your try square?
Bill,
The ones with the diamonds are described in the Mathieson Catalogues as 
"Diamond Plated Square"
The clover leaf style described  as "Best Plated Square" and are a 
little more expensive...the maximum size listed as 24 inch.

Ed,

I made myself one of those two legged passer drills back in 2008 after 
seeing his show...great fun!
http://www.petermcbride.com/parser/

Peter
265833 Ed Minch <ruby1638@a...> 2018‑05‑15 Re: How big is your try square?
thanks for the link - looks like fun.

Ed Minch
265836 Ed Minch <ruby1638@a...> 2018‑05‑15 Re: Parsers (was Re: How big is your try square?)
I saw Todd at our local hardwares store last Saturday - first time I have ever
seen him purchase an item that was new

( guess I have seen him purchase some cool stuff New-Old-Stock)

Ed Minch
265857 John Holladay <docholladay0820@g...> 2018‑05‑17 Re: How big is your try square?
This is almost evolving into something like that Big Deck sketch they do on
Blue Collar Comedy Tour.

On Thu, May 17, 2018 at 2:02 PM, Ken Shepard  wrote:

> Here is a photo of my largest try squares, both 20", with a metal framing
> square for comparison.  These are the largest factory-made woodworking
> squares I have seen.  One was found in Clinton, TN and the other in Bethel,
> ME.
>
> https://www.dropbox.com/s/2vv3ct6f5nqjrmo/Big%20try%20squares.jpg?dl=0
>
> Ken
>
> On Mon, May 14, 2018 at 12:10 PM Bill Webber  wrote:
>
> > GGs
> >
> > What is the biggest try square you have ever seen?  The Hilton tool
> > chest has place for a try square that could have a blade up to 32-inches
> > long.  The handle would look like the top one in this picture:
> >
> > http://billwebber.galootcentral.com/1805-013.JPG
> >
> > Any ideas as to how long the blades were on these things?  The blade on
> > the big one in the picture is nearly 18-inches.
> >
> > Bill W.
> > Nottingham, PA
> > Woodworkers visit me at http://billwebber.galootcentral.com/
> >
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------------------
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> aficionados, both collectors and users, to discuss the history, usage,
> value, location, availability, collectibility, and restoration of
> traditional handtools, especially woodworking tools.
>
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>



-- 
John Holladay
DocHolladay0820@g...
205-229-8484
265859 Mike Lynd 2018‑05‑17 Re: How big is your try square?
And if we include T-squares in this competition?

https://www.screwfix.com/p/stanley-drywall-t-square-48-1220mm-/5826K?kp
id=5826K&ds_kid=92700022885043144&ds_rl=1249796&ds_rl=1245250&ds_rl=1249481&gcli
d=EAIaIQobChMIw4Dij76N2wIVAUTTCh1n1Af8EAQYASABEgKNAPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid
=CLLLlZe-jdsCFXce0wodQhMJWw">https://www.screwfix.com/p/stanley-drywall-t-square
-48-1220mm-/5826K?kpid=5826K&ds_kid=92700022885043144&ds_rl=1249796&ds_rl=124525
0&ds_rl=1249481&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIw4Dij76N2wIVAUTTCh1n1Af8EAQYASABEgKNAPD_BwE&gc
lsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CLLLlZe-jdsCFXce0wodQhMJWw

best wishes,

Mike L.

Recent Bios FAQ