More carboot tools

[tombear]

Went for a bimble on Thursday, mainly to visit the flea at Accrington and to poke my nose around Ramsbottom and Bacup since my little old ladies in the various charity shops hadn't seen me for a couple of weeks.

Any road apart from the odd bit of Denby to keep herself sweet and 4 sable brushes and a couple of palette knives for a couple of quid the lot I did get some useful stuff .

3 quid got me a pair of button hole scissors, a packet of 6 size 7 crewel Millwards gold seal needles ( can't get enough of these ) and 5 x 20 packs of Coats size 7 Betweens from back when they were still made in the UK.

Best of all I picked up a hanging girdle/ Bakestone as well as what the guy claimed was the the suspension gear for it ( looks more like what you get in a old stable for hanging tack on the wife says ) . There's some cosmetic rust that I will clean off and I will season it from scratch.

I've a perfectly good huge girdle already, kindly given by a member of this forum, but I wanted one that was small enough to fit inside the 15" Aussie camp oven and that had a slight rim so it could be used for a wider range of things than the rimless one I use. Also if I dropped the big one and broke it outside I'd cry.

The new one has the diamond inside club mark cast into the base used by Matthew Swain of Manchester well into the 1960s. I've not been able to find much out about the company but they are digging up stuff made by them in Canada that were active in the 1880s and 1890s and back in the late 1850s a chap called Matthew Swain along side another guy who was a iron Founder were letting patents lapse after 6 years of not paying the fees, based in Cheshire. They also produced cast iron stuff under the Albatross brand that was popular in the U.S. and Australia. Part of the problem is I think it was a family business and only went limited in the 1950s.

Anyroad, it should clean up well!

ATB

Tom

 

[Herbalist1]

Another good haul Tom - especially like the griddle but agree that the suspension gear doesn't look like it has anything to do with it not that that distracts from a nice bit of kit.

 

[tombear]

Cheers! It came free with it so why not? I am thinking about modifying it to be the head piece of a tripod. Something that can be stuck into the ends of three wooden sticks that have had holes awled into one end. I know you can bind them together etc etc but if I have it already.... A fold flat mini grapnel would be easier to store but this will do nicely.

ATB

Tom

 

[tombear]

Double post, oops!

 

[tombear]

Cleaned the 12" girdle / hanging bakestone up today, completely de rusted, wire brushed bare/shiny, washed and then seasoned. First off I heated it up on the wok ring and scrubbed the surface with salt and veg oil until the kitchen paper consistently came away clean, then repeated with just the oil three times with the plate smoking hot. I'll probably do it a few more times to build it up a bit more by plonking it in the oven with oil on it when I'm cooking something at 350 C anyway.

I'm rather chuffed with it anyway, not as nice as the other one which is 15" and slightly domed with no rim, but more portable and I can do bacon on it without the risk of it sliding off into the ashes! The burned in oil has made it gratifyingly black again.

Oh I found out why I hardly ever find kitchen iron ware in the valleys junk and antique shops. A chap who trades at the Romany and horse fairs buys it all as soon as they get it, the girdle I got had just come in the day before otherwise that would have gone too.

ATB

Tom

 

[Mesquite]

That came up a real treat Tom

 

[tombear]

Cheers! I get a lot of satisfaction getting stuff back into working order and using it as intended. Glad to have my hand back to almost normal now as well . I'll avoid hammering for a few days just so I won't set myself back ( that's happened before ) but at least I can start on the 10 file handles I need for blades already restored before things went mams skywards.

Anyroad will get some buttermilk when I go shopping and do some griddle cakes. The wife and her diet are off to Brum for five days training so I won't have her howling in frustration if I bake owt sweet!

ATB

Tom

 

[tombear]

Well, my wrist is a hell of a lot better after my C.R.I., I'm still leary of hammering but it was good enough to get some turning done. I'm whittling down my stockpile of rough carboot beech rolling pins to make 10 file handles, 7 for the ones I've cleaned up for someone else and three for myself. Done the first 6, need to do one extra large one for a comedy sized rasp and the rest normal sized.

I'm trying to keep them roughly alike but not busting a gut about it, developing how I'm doing them as I go on, each pairs better than the last I reckon. The worst bit will be sawing the 10 half inch high steel collars, I think Mr. Powersaw will be coming out to play for that!.

The drill with a No. 1 morse taper shank has made drilling the holes for the tangs a doddle.

I keep looking for a old UK made chuck with a No. 1 morse taper but no joy so far, got a nice No. 4 sized one by mistake, but no No. 1.

More when I've finished the lot unless someone wants a tutorial.

ATB

Tom

Finally had a chance to derust some stuff today, mainly a bunch of files I got in a job lot for steel stock but some we're too good. For me to wreck. Many apologies to the person I'm doing them for, just need to turn the handles now. Unfortunately the coarse ones had big chips in them when I got the cement and glue etc off them so they got chucked back in the to forge pile

Unmarked 12" round 2nd cut file
10" flat 2nd Bedford Sheffield Made in England
10" half round 2nd cut Sheffield Steel Products Ltd Sheffield England
12" flat smooth Sanderson Bros & Newbould Sheffield Sandblast England
unmarked 14"round 1st/ rough ( I can never remember the proper names for files!)
14" flat smooth Despatch Sheffield England
14" flat 2nd cut John Baker and Sons Sheffield

also did some bits for myself, 10" Elliot Lucas Cannock England Elect Ultra Tensile pliers
really narrow 7" cobbler ( I think ) nail pullers, unmarked.
10" scissors, Champion Sheffield England, need new bolt as turn screw slot chavelled and sharpening. Rest need the wood work sorting and in the case of the little gouge sharpening.

ATB

Tom

 

[tombear]

Finished the turning part, now need to let the dust settle so we can take the cover off the pool table. That's enough for today anyway. Next I will top and tail them, touch up the sawn ends on the belt sander or if they come out quite neat the Permagrit block. Then it's the wire wheel to remove the red paint on the steel tube and then cut that into 1/2 inch sections, clean them up, hammer them on, drill out the pilot hole to size for the various tangs and tap them on. Then it's just soak the wood in double boiled linseed oil and jobs a good un.

I'll probably have to sand the end a bit to get a good fit as I erred on the side of caution.

i took the basic dimensions from a commercial file handle, top right, just left a bit more meat on in places . Easier to remove wood than put it back on says I!


ATB

Tom

 

[tombear]

Got the 10 files handled, here's the 3 that I'm keeping. I'm chuffed with the half round 14" rasp, it's a beast.

ATB

Tom

 

[johnbaz]

I went this morning and bought a few bits! I bought a large garden plant pot to stick another of my Acers in next spring, Also bought some piano music for the wife but she can't be bothered playing any more! I bought her a nice old Vox electric piano years ago, It now resides in the loft! (May get it out and try to teach myself!! )

These bits were 50p each, I gave the chap £3 and was happy!!

I only wated the Milbro catty as I had one as a kid, Every other shot hit me on the thumb!! Lost count of how many times I threew that ol;d catty away only to go and retrieve it again!! No idea what eventually happened to it!!

The spanners cleaned up OK..

Here's a pic with some others that came from the bootsale (y)

John

 

[MartiniDave]

That Milbro catty certainly brings the memories back to me. I shudder to think how many times I hit my thumb using one of those! Great find!

Dave

 

[johnbaz]

That Milbro catty certainly brings the memories back to me. I shudder to think how many times I hit my thumb using one of those! Great find!

Dave

Heehee!!

As a kid with a big red sore thumb, I must have thrown that catty away a hundred times!!, Always went and retrieved it though!! Must have been a glutton for punishment!!


John

 

[tombear]

Been a bit busy for hunting but got out today, got some as new outdoors clothes for the lads and a few bits and bobs. this thing has me puzzled. a folding forced entry or rescue tool. no markings, very well made, rigger made pouch,

Anybody know where its from? Could be base workshop made, it has that fdeel to it? I only paid a few quid for it so no biggy, may clean it up and leave it in the car if I ever need to break a window ( or the zombies rise ).

Will apply some releasing oil to it before I try and close it, dont fancy forcing it. it was closed when the guy set it out for sale but someone ( not me for once ) fiddled with it. The tops knurled so it probably turns. Theres a sprung clip to hold it closed.

bemused of East Lancs

 

[tombear]

A bit of releasing oil and the knurled end simply pulls out to release the blade which folds down and clicks closed. Release the catch at the blades tip and a quick flick of the wrist and the blade locks open. The finish inside the groove is a bit rougher than I first thought, after I'd removed some of the dirt. The crow bar end and blade were originally blackened.

Not a commercial item I'm thinking.

ATB

Tom

 

[tombear]

Well, its been awhile since my last post on this thread, what with the weather and life in general ive not been finding much or had the time to do what ive found up.

Anyroad I found a small batch last thursday at the Accy flea and yesterday I did it up to usable condition, where required.

Top, a decent condition convex Surform, there was some rust on the blade so that bit got a half hour in the oxcilic acid solution a rinse and a quick touch up wiith a diamond stone. I'll take it to a bit of scrap pine to remove any black residue from the blade before I use it on a proper job. (£2)

2nd row down left, A interior/exterior compass, no makers mark but nicely made, was very rusty, more so than i'd normally touch but its a type i have a use for. Next a perfect little Moore and Wright square, real high quality stuff. It just needed the muck cleaning off.
The awl holder just needed a bit of TLC and a overnight soak in the linseed bath, the small turnscrew needed a deep sand with the permagrits and a finish with fine paper before soaking. I tidied up the blade with a diamond stone. No makers marks.

3rd row is a heavy US made 12" ruler, THE L.S.S.Co ATHOL MASS U.S.A. No. 4 HARDENED. theres a groove on the back so it is off some sort of mount. I got it as a semi expendable straight edge to save my proper ones from the rougher tasks.

Next down is a a almost new Rabone Chesterman No. 1642 ruler that had unfortunately had the end snapped off. I trimmed it down to a neat 50 inches.

Best of all was a lovely near new, except the case is battered, set of 12 Stubbs swiss files, beautifully made and with just some surface rust on the handles that came off with a brass wheel on the Dremel. Apart from the Surform the lot cost me £10 as a job lot.

ATB

Tom

 

[Muddypaws]

Great score on those tools! The US made rule would be by L. S. Starrett, a good make, and still in business I think. The groove in the back means it was part of a combination set, with a separate square head, protractor head, and centre finding head, each of which could be slid up and down the rule.

 

[Macaroon]

Good haul there, Tom; I've missed the thread these past weeks, always something worth gawking at. Unfortunately there's not much chance of finding good or interesting stuff down this way..... I suppose it's the industrial history of the place, just mining and steel hereabouts. When you do see things they want an arm and a leg for them.........

 

[tombear]

Hah ha! Yes Combination tool! I'd forgotten the name of that. I vaguely remember having a cast part of one of those in the junk to do up/ job lot box. Ok it's fairly unlikely it would fit but I'll have to see if it's still there. I think I have a lovely wire gauge by the same folk.

its been a bit lean on the finding stuff front, even my tool guy in Colne hasn't had much for me the last two visits, lots of nice stuff but nowt I don't have or would use. One problems been the successes had finding stuff for herself, three recent trips out by public transport have been truncated by me finding stuff I've been forced to take home straight away as they had filled my carrying capacity and been too fragile to carry about, to whit two loads of Denby stoneware that filled a 45 litre back pack each and one load of kilner jars with new lids that again filled my bag. At 18.5p a pop I couldn't turn my nose up at them.

i shouldn't moan, I've had some remarkable lucky finding books which I don't normally list. From Charity shops, swaps, flea markets and those internet shops you pay a penny a book but they charge extra postage for I've got in the "to read"pile
Power before Steam by John Vince,
The Country House by John Vince ( covers estate work )
The Lore of the Land by John Seymour
The Countryside Explained by John Seymour
The backyard blacksmith by Lorelei Sims
Blacksmithing basics for the homestead by Joe DeLaRonde
Visual Guide to Blacksmithing by Susan Bove
the resourceful woodworker by Robert Wearing
the Bandsaw Handbook by Mark Duginske ( nay be a duplicate of a hardback copy, I haven't checked yet )
Craft of wood turning by John Sainsbury
More Proven Shop a Tips from Fine woodworking
Woodcarving by Ron Butterfield
Woodcarving techniques by Rod Naylor
Woodworking Tools you can Make from Wood
Lost Crafts by Una McGoven
Woodland craft by Ben Law.

in fact very few of the craft related books I have, I guess 15 to 20 foot of book casing, were bought new plus 5 or six foot I've got for the rest of the family on spinning, weaving etc. I think I must feed off other people's abandoned hobbies!

if you have the time it's really worth trawling the alternative sources of books. Several local charity shops do three for a pound

ATB

Tom

 

[Robson Valley]

To me, a reference library is a very welcome sight. I recognize quite a few of the author's names.