All,

Nowhere near the size of Kirk's haul and less on topic but hopefully of
some interest.
I tried telling telling some coworkers and friends about it a couple
days ago and got nothing but blank stares and amazement that veneering
applied to something other than teeth....

The NAWCC (National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors) has a
national show that is in a different city every year and local Regionals
put on by Chapters in each state. The Florida Regional is usually pretty
good and this year was close to home. For various reasons I haven't
attended any of these functions for the last five years.

These shows will have clocks, watches, tools, and books. All sorts of stuff.
This year they had an early morning tailgate event for the first time.
Predawn rooting in boxes of stuff has taught me that holding your cell
phone as a flash light while digging is not so great. Especially when
one of the boxes has two X-ACTO knives and one scalpel with exposed
blades. The first guy in the box got a minor cut and we were all more
careful after that.  We have small LED lights attached to headbands in
our hurricane kit and while a bit silly looking they are handy and will
be just the thing for these predawn excursions.
Fortunately the weather was perfect.

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I ended up with a small pile consisting of a fair number of small drill
bits and some unusual tweezers. I buy the small bits whenever they are
affordable as they are so darn easy to break. Also there are a lot of
specialty tweezers that are handy but horribly expensive when purchased
new. Forget the splinter removal kits sold in stores. A proper pointy
set of watchmaker's tweezers is far more effective and less damaging.

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A little silly but I had to buy this set of Brown & Sharpe straight
edges. I have a machinist made straight edge that I have used perhaps
three times in the last decade but this set was in perfect condition. At
least it doesn't weigh much.

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One of my best purchases is this amazing Stubbs screwplate. At 18 1/2
inches long it is by far the largest I have ever seen. I buy old
screwplates and odd sized taps and dies whenever I can get them
affordably. In clock repair the rule is to make the repair part fit the
clock not the other way around. So these old tools can be really handy.

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It far too frantic for photographs in the morning, this is at the end of
the day after things settled down. Yes, many people have packed up and
left at this point.
Most of the sales occur in the first few hours and many leave at this point.
In recent years they have been allowing non members to come in and if
you decide to attend keep this in mind. On the last day hardly any
tables will be set up with many folks coming in just to pack up and go.
Still there are advantages.

The hall was very nice and I like the venue even if the food was really
expensive and not so good. Cooler next time.

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I did buy a couple clocks (insert head slap emoji thing).
The first an Eli Terry & Sons 8 day wood works clock circa mid 1830's.
Eight day clocks were more expensive and were a tiny fraction of
production. Most were 30 hour. The eight day clocks really didn't hold
up as well as the weights needed to run them are a lot heavier.
This one is unusual in that it has a seconds hand and has mahogany plates.

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The next one is a fairly ordinary clock by Charles Alvah Smith, an
interesting character who made over 600 wood works clocks of his own
design between 1931 and 1946. They are all signed, dated, numbered, and
well crafted, so have become collectable. Especially, after the book was
written. There are some numbers missing from his records and I stumbled
across one of these missing number clocks. It is of unusual design and I
had thought about writing up a comparison of this clock with one made
about the same time.
Now I can compare it with the very next clock he made. This one gives me
a pair of consecutive numbered clocks.

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Some old tools from the Bulova factory. If you ever see a machine or
accessory painted that odd green odds are it came from Bulova.

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A couple of Stubbs vises,one a common pin vise but the only Stubbs
marked one I have and an unusual one that clamps onto a bench. Yes,
vises are one of my vices.
Also an eccentric collet set and quick change tool post for a
watchmaker's lathe. Note I didn't say jeweler's lathe, many do and it is
a pet peeve. These lathes were invented by watchmakers for watchmaking
and the only jeweler I ever saw with one used it to hold a polishing
mop. While I have known jewelers with great talent for shaping precious
metals, none had a clue about machining parts. Different skill sets.


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If you want to drill a hole in metal and are only moderately concerned
with the size and shape of the hole you use a drill bit. If you are more
concerned you drill it undersized and finish with a reamer. If you
really want it right then you need a boring head and this is the
smallest I have ever seen. So far I haven't found much on it, might be a
factory made tool.

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There are advantages to walking around on the last day. I got a book
press at a price I couldn't refuse and the guy even gave me two lathe
treadles. It took me ten years to find my first one, now I seem to be a
collector.

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When I commented that MLW would be so impressed by all that cast iron in
the back of the car he threw in some flowers from the hotel. Seriously,
she is a good sport, has to be, and this photo is her favorite part of
the story.

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This ended up longer than planned and if anyone actually reached this
point. Sorry for the sort of off topic content and thanks for humoring
me. The growth on the wall looks I got from coworkers the other night
were a bit disconcerting and it is nice to have the opportunity to share
my story with folks who are similarly afflicted.

Troy

On Feb 25, 2023, at 8:55 AM, Troy Livingston via groups.io
 wrote:


All the goodie tales and photos clipped - Highly recommend everyone read the
original post and follow the photo links.

This ended up longer than planned and if anyone actually reached this
point. Sorry for the sort of off topic content and thanks for humoring
me. The growth on the wall looks I got from coworkers the other night
were a bit disconcerting and it is nice to have the opportunity to share
my story with folks who are similarly afflicted.

Troy

Nothing off topic whatsoever.  Looked exactly like a MWTCA meet except I didn’t
recognize any of the tools exept for the mini post vice pin vises.  Really
drooled over the one that clamps to a bench.  Saw a few of them on a trade table
in one of the photos.

Major haul Troy - lots of stuff I know nothing about, but still was awed.  Great
post.

—Scott

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

A lot of gizmosity manifesting in that post and photos! Thanks!

But I want to know why you need to burn lava (since you seem to have purchased
Lava Burners.

-Mark

Mark,

Alas the box was empty, I had it off to the side with other stuff 
destined to be dubbed leather working tools and forgotten. Your email 
made me do some digging and I've made a positive identification. The 
burner is for early automotive lamps. There were shorter ones for 
motorcycles. My search turned up some magazine advertisements from 1906 
and 1916 on ebay and a duplicate of my box on a Model T forum.

A photo of the other side of the box and a few burners that were in my 
pile of loot.
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In the predawn frenzy I didn't spend much time investigating the bags 
and boxes. Just made a quick determination that the contents I could see 
were of interest and value. There was some junk and a few unexpected 
treasures.

Thanks for asking.

Troy
Now all I need is a Model T with a bad headlight...