The Tool Thread

Nice pick today at an estate sale. All the big tools were sold. I managed to find a cast iron pan in the basement in a box.

The metal box of bins is full of copper steel and aluminum rivets. It was behind a beat up cardboard box. Maybe close to $75.00 in rivets is my guess. The large cylinder is a lead dishing bowl for hammering sheet metal. Next to it, the thin cylinder looks it is meant for hammering sheet metal. I can mount it to my work bench for brass and copper work.

The gentleman that owned all this was quite a tinkerer. He had a lot of tools, and the guys buying were very happy to be putting them to use. The local vocational school was able to get a bunch too.

 

America is loosing many who have any skill or ability to do or make anything. I think that many of us who are on forums and many who are not are the last ones that have ability to do things and don't just "call someomeone"

 

No doubt clem. There is some resurgence of skills out there. Reality shows are contributing to thus bringing the lost arts back around.

We have a few "makers shops" out here where the public can sign up to make a project in a well supplied shop. Going home and taking it to the next level in a home shop is a tripping point. Money, time and space are all needed. Many don't have much of this.

 

I will help quite a bit. I was forging small rivets for projects. These will help finished pieces look cleaner and there is quite a variety of sizes to work with.

 

I grabbed this from a re-store today. I believe it is a rail spike driver. I don't think the handle is original. It is about 24" long. Nice wall hanger for the collection. Scotty Overkill any ideas on this one?

 

You are spot on with that assessment.
I am a professional auto mechanic by trade and it is sad to see the decline in the skill level of people who own cars that don't know what basic care is for the vehicle that they depend on every day to go to work etc.

 

I'd say pretty much a std. BFH, but with a pointed side.

 

I'd like to meet the guy who could swing it one handed. Then again, I'd rather not.

 

If some of these old tools could talk….
Your new BFH has seen some work with both ends starting to round over. Nice hammer!

 

Picked up this 1hp craftsman motor at a flea market. Needs a switch and a new cord.

 

Everything here was given to me by friends that have passed away.

 

I bought both of these a couple weeks ago for $50. the guy told me that the complete one ran kinda and that the other one was for parts. Well I cleaned them up and killed a couple of black widows that were living in them and now both engines run great....... I call that a good deal!

 

I bought all this for $75., I have only 4 more years before I retire and yes I've seen the decline in knowledge of the trade. There are only a few of us in the shop that can single point thread on an engine lathe or that can make a square block on a milling machine. It's really sad that most company's now are so reliant on C.N.C's

 

We had a new apprentice that asked me if I owned some calipers to measure a break rotor. When I brought my calipers out of my tool box he asked if I had digital calipers because he didn't know how to use the analog ones. His words not mine. I laughed a little and then I taught him how to measure with my calipers.

 

Haha, that's a good one. I can read them but I prefer digital.

 

A young engineer at work asked to use my calculator...I gave him my abacus...Technology

 

I got this one today. A Brown and Sharpe caliper. Anyone why this is doubled?

 

It's for some spealized application. We just have to figure out what. You have my interest now.