More carboot tools

[demographic]

I must admit to having a real weakness for Makita now, the B&Ds, deWalts Etc I've had have all failed me sooner rather than later so now when I replace I stick with what I trust. I was pleasantly surprised when I found on my Jigsaw "Made in England" the rest seem to be made in the parent country, Japan.

After a good while of buying tools you realise that most manufacturer makes full on pro use tools (often with larger amp hour capacity batteries and all metal 1/2" chucks) as well as a DIY range* with (with cordlesses) 1.5 amp hour batteries and 3/8ths" chucks with plastic outer sleeves, and often advertised on the front page of the Screwfix catalogue. Buy the DIY range stuff and they don't last anything as long as the full on pro gear. No single manufacturer produces the best of gear across the entire range.

Pretty much the best jigsaw blades I get to use are Bosch Progressors.


*Some manufacturers that don't seem to do a cheapo DIY range and stick to very high end (read, Expensive) are Festool, Mafell and Hilti.

 

[tombear]

I'm lucky in that I have a excellent supplier who has taken pity on me and taken me under his wing, he only stocks the high end stuff but that's not so bad as he has so far never charged me VAT. I'm not quiet sure how he rationalises that ( and I'm not going to rock the boat by asking him ) but I also make sure I'm very polite and thank him, and the kids always behave when they are with me, a novelty it would seam. I'm not a huge customer , maybe get a new power tool every year or two and most of my hand stuff come off car boots or second hand.

Thanks for the tip on drills, I will admit I got my rechargeable drill cheap from screw fix during one of their promotions ( cheap, came with 3 batteries ) and after 8 or 9 years it is showing its age, more the batteries than owt else, but that has the plastic sleave and only 10 mm chuck.

One thing, I've really hammered my Creusen Powerline bench grinder over the last 2 or 3 years, it wasn't cheap. I've a inch wide wire wheel almost permanently on the right side of it, swapping on a 2 inch cloth buffing wheel as needed. Over the last few months I've noticed a increased tendency for it to slow down, stall I suppose, in use when pressure is applied which I'd didn't do before. Now have I worn out the motor or is the inch or so reduction in the dia of the stone on the left side, which I guess acts as a fly wheel, a factor? I've really used it a lot but I'd heard they were a good brand and it has lasted 4 times as long as the cheapo ones I've had before.

atb

tom

 

[tombear]

Here's another that's taken a while to get around to, a large hammer head ( for whacking fence posts? ) that I got to turn into a small anvil. On closer inspection the steel doesn't seam much good so I didn't bust a gut removing the deep pits.

The badly chipped edge I've rounded off and I used the electric file to put in a inch wide 90 degree flat edge to bend stuff over. It should be ok for light work.

atb

Tom

 

[Everything Mac]

I think those are cast iron Tom. As you say, a bit soft, and liable to chip if it is cast iron. It would be fine for light stuff, just don't go mad on it.

Andy

 

[Grebby]

That (sledge head) looks very similar to one dad has on the farm for fencing. It's probably OK for post bashing but that's it. I has a big chunk cracked off one edge from when they hit something else with it.

 

[tombear]

Yeah it was very easy to work the scratches out of it and the Sparks the electric file and wire wheel made where not impressive, if you know what I mean. What I'll probably use it for is copper rivets and forging annealed brass, stuff like that. After all I've a good old sledge head mounted in a lump of seasoned plum to use as a small anvil and the 1cwt anvil that's still cluttering up the hall half cleaned up, oops.

atb

tom

 

[ozzy1977]

The proper name for that sledge head is a mel and it's used for knocking in posts

 

[tombear]

Cheers, I do like to know the proper names of things. If push comes to shove I can always put a handle on it and use it for driving fence posts in. I will have to do some next year as the fruit hedge will have grown enough to need something to train some of the plants over. I'll keep my eye out for cheap wire and score me Sen some 4 by 4 to make some Cross of Lorraine type posts.

I did did have a bit of luck today in a charity shop as new heavier fleece for one of the kids who insists on growing and for £4.95 a just about new David Potter easel

http://www.davidpotter.co.uk/portable.htm

Much sturdier and me proof for carrying out into the sticks than the wooden ones I'd picked up previously. Last week I'd acquired a bunch of watercolour pads from another charity shop for peanuts and some sketch pads to start practicing my drawing on, no point wasting the good stuff. I guess I should shift on the first wooden easel I got and restored, I can't see me being able to persuade two of the kids to join me.

ATB

Tom

 

[Robson Valley]

For maybe a decade, I painted w/c for the money, which was better than I expected.
Quickly learned that technical effects that I liked could not be done on cheap w/c paper.
d'Arches was my favorite, Winsor & Newton was really good and different.
I even painted on paper from Wookey Hole.
Would stretch a dozen 1/4 sheets at a time.
Same can be said for brushes.

 

[Mesquite]

The proper name for that sledge head is a mel and it's used for knocking in posts

Now I've always known it as a fencing maul since I was introduced to using it by an old gardener in my first job. In his 60's and he could out swing everyone on the team

 

[tombear]

The paper I picked up is old WHSmiths and Daler Rowney Bockingford made 300gm stuff. There's also some Crimson and Blake stuff I regret buying ( it was dirt cheap ) as I've since heard it's not much cop.

Because I used to do, Well still do, some modelling I've picked up brushes when I've come across them cheap, I've a few Series 7s and ok sables as well as a few of the better synthetics, the odd big squirrel. If I get into it again I will invest in some good brushes.

atb

tom

 

[Robson Valley]

Well, you are on your way. Painted on Bockingford a very long time ago. Liked it for washes, it seemed to dry very slowly (d'Arches was far faster.)
But, I'm always a sucker for the Cold Pressed papers.

 

[British Red]

Now I've always known it as a fencing maul since I was introduced to using it by an old gardener in my first job. In his 60's and he could out swing everyone on the team

Fencing maul to me as well

 

[tombear]

I thought I'd have to go cold turkey and work on some of the low priority backlog of tools over the holidays but today, under a ( at times ) cloudless blue skies herself took me over to Colne to do the tool stalls and charity shops.

Heres the before shot

The shears are 13 inch Frank Turtons, Sheffield , hardly used with some cosmetic dirt on them, a beautiful action. I'll just clean the dirt off and polish the outside of the blades as the 2inch cotton buffing wheel is already set up on the bench grinder anyway. He had two pairs in great nick and herself had to decide for me which ones to get. The firms gone now but Ernest Wrights ( who did his apprenticeship at Turtons ) still make some Turrton pattern scissors . Their 13 inch tailors are a bit lighter weight and cost £125 a pair. Normally I wouldn't pay £10 for shears but these are worth it. I'm rather chuffed with them.

The book looks well worth the fiver herself paid for it, once the scanner is set up with the replacement computer we have yet to buy I'm tempted to scan it in, unless I find it's been done already.

The he two packaged pliers are new old stock, he has a box of CK pliers and mixed in are some Sheffield and Birmingham made ones, all for three quid a pop. The bare handled ones are H Brindley Ltd Birmingham and the just marked Sheffield England 52. I assume Toolmarkt was a retailer rather than a maker.

The three rusty jobs were 50p a pop and should clean up well, the cutter are marked Elliot Lucas 19arrow49 and a unreadable at present parts code. The small ones have no visible markings and the larger ones , well the only visible marking is GOVERNOR and there are two cut outs in the jaws each side for crimping something.

I'll do after pics to show the jaws when they are done.

atb

tom

 

[tombear]

And done.

Polished the outside of the scissor blades with some grey paste on the cotton wheel ( lost the label on the block long ago ) and carefully cleaned away from the edge on the insides with a garyflex block. Polished the bare metal parts of the new old stock pliers on the wheel as there was some storage marks. The bottom three had 30 mins in the hot citric acid bath, then 10 seconds in fresh boiling water to heat them up before drying on rags, then a quick go on a wire wheel to knock the residue off, a bit of file work and a a good oiling. Note the two sizes of groove inside the big pair jaws

ATB

Tom

 

[British Red]

Love those shears. Bargain!

 

[tombear]

Oh, aye! It's hard not to walk about randomly snipping things to see what they will cut cleanly!.

For anyone in striking distance of Colne he had a identical second pair also for 10. When it's not Xmas he is open Wednesday's and Saturdays , first stall on the left as you you in the left hand entrance of the covered market. He had in a beautiful scraper plane for £60 which I just wouldn't use or merit at my skill level, looked as new. Seeing me admiring it herself got that wild gleam in her eye and I had to forceable restrain her from buying it as my Xmas present. It really would have been a drawer queen.

atb

tom

 

[tombear]

I got out for a bimble yesterday, well two since after the second charity shop were I picked up 32 pieces of Denby for 15 quid I had to come home to dump it or risk it breaking and or crippling me! Anyroad I'm glad I went out again as I picked up, and it will probably clean up very nicely, a 12 inch saw for £2. It's marked ABBEYDALE SHEFFIELD, which was the budget line for Tyzaks back in the day. The lack of made in England mark and overall patina lead me to believe it's pre WW 2 and possible 19th C. The teeth are good and sharp and I couldn't detect any warping in blade. When it's restored I'll put up a after pic.

The other two tools were £3 each in a antique shop in Bacup ( incidentally they had a nice old draw knife for £20, had crude replacement wooden handles but the steels sound, I couldn't merit a fourth. The shop next door has about a dozen rusty scotch eye augers for about £3 a pop ex a local narrow boat builder. Various sizes. ) I've derusted them, the wood didn't need anything doing bar a wipe with linseed. The edge beveller/shave thing has a makers name stamped into the wood, unfortunately I can't make out the first two or three letter. It reads ???ATHER&SON . I polished the flat back of it on diamond stones down to superfine ( what ever that is in grit terms I'm not sure but it does me ) and tested on some thick veg tan scraps it's pretty damn sharp! The other tool is unmarked, I've clean forgot its proper name. Could anyone advise the correct surface condition on the working faces? Currently it's quite rough but I can easily polish it smooth ( I do love my power file! With a worn belt fitted there's a area where it's unsupported and is great for cleaning up slightly curved hammer faces. You just need the bit of slack you get with a well used belt. ).

Not shown but possibly my best buy for £1 is a full packet of old Millwards Gold Seal nickel plated Crewel Embroidery 7 Needles, my absolute favourite general use needles. On that vague note the shop next door had a amazing pre war fold out box thing of unopened packets of needles, I'd guess more than 20 packets of different sizes but it was £40 as a collectors item.

Anyroad, the youngest is off school with the first cold of the season so I better think about feeding the brute.

ATB

Tom

 

[MickG]

Log dogs/slaters
Are they used to trim the edge of the slate
It would be knocked into an upright log. a slate would be placed on it and the overhanging edge would be trimmed off with a chopping action using a straight edged blade
Mick

 

[Monikieman]

It's a closers hammer for cobblers going for well between £10 and £30 on the bay depending which one you look at.