Old tools

[john fish]

I’m a bit of an Old Tool myself but I’ll admit to a fondness for old tools that can actually be used. I’ve been using these two lately.





That’s an old compact Black and Decker that belonged to a friend’s Father. 1.3 amps at 2250 rpm. No reverse, nothing fancy.





My Dad’s folding ruler complete with little brass extendable insert. These seem to have gone out of fashion but I wouldn’t be without one.

Both of those gentlemen are gone now (Dad almost 40 years) and I just like using this old quality stuff that has a bit of history to it.

Anyone else?

[delrod]

Don't get me started. Check out this site for old wrenches etc www.alloy-artifacts.org

[Ncdan]

I’ve got that exact cordless drill John that I’ve had for 15 years and the battery is still good.

[Tom H]

I thought the metal drill might have been a Sunbeam.

Tom

[Huzo]

Don't get me started. Check out this site for old wrenches etc www.alloy-artifacts.org

I Googled old wenches at your suggestion and got a 19th century adult site...

[fotoguzzi]

My old chain hoist is one of my favorite tools, lifted a lot of bikes and other stuff.

[Chuck in Indiana]

Pffft. Most of my tools are old. How could that be? I bought em new.. <shrug>
Just remembered.. you need to see my heat gun that I bought at an auction when I was a kid.. I'll get a picture when I go to the shop today.

[Chuck in Indiana]

Here's an oldie but goodie..  A heat gun that I bought at an auction when I was a kid. The switch is a contactor on canvas bakelite.. easily rebuildable. Screams like a banshee..

Much like the operator of it, it's an "old tool.."

[Two Checks]

I think I have an old Craftsman drill motor from the 70s and a Makita drill motor from around 1980 or so in the pile in the basement.
Got an old Skil circular saw from the 70s, also. Makes a horrible sound, but that's okay, all the blades are shot.

[s1120]

So vary much of my stuff is real old. I have a hand saw from the 1860's. A old single speed B&D 1/2" drill that I still use off and on. Plenty of hand tools that are 50+ years old.

[cliffrod]

I've got few "new" tools and it's hard to choose a favorite from the old ones.  These are two of the most central old tools in my possession.  These are called Pointing Machines, used to measure a 3D model for accurate 1:1 scale reproduction.  For the tech folks, this is the basis of a Faro Arm used to digitize a 3D object.

The one on the left came from my inlaw Uncle Dario, purchased with his tools when I started my studio.  It's probably older.  Dario said it was 100 yrs old when he got in the late 60's, but ?  It has greater adjustability but with more joints is slower to use.  The tube chassis makes it better for access for certain jobs like the one pictured.  I rarely use it compared to the other one. 

The one on the right was given to me by one of my Masters, Angelo Ambrosini, because he was proud of my work to preserve and extend this heritage.  His Master Sculptor gave it to him in 62.  Angelo used it for his entire career.  He gave it to me in 07.  Instead of using a tube chassis, it clamps via C-clamp to a wooden chassis that's made for the specific job.  With fewer joints and adjustments, it is much faster to use. 













Right now I'm carving a memorial with lamb & cross with floral using Angelo's machine, but have no handy pics of pointing machine on this job. The red pencil marks on the plaster represent a measured point that's been cut on the job.  Each of these points is located at the bottom of each hole on job.

















A pointing machine does no carving. It's simply a 3D measuring tool.  The pointing machine is located/installed using three permanent foundation points, identically produced on both model and job.  The arm and stylus is adjusted to touch the model at one point, stop is set, stylus is retracted and machine moved to job.  Then the stone is carved away by hand until the stylus fits to reproduce that one measurement in 3D.  Repeat, repeat, repeat as needed until done to produce a portrait quality reproduction.  It only does 1:1 scale work.  Enlargement, reduction or reverse work is done with compasses to accurately measure and reproduce intersecting radii.

Pretty great to regularly use Angelo's pointing machine to produce work. 

[tris]

Most of the tools you can see on my Silversmith bench were my Grandfathers that he used to repair clocks





I always gives me pleasure to use his tools

The other end not so much given that its my - Office at home for the foreseeable future!

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

My shop is filled with my father's tools, from the '50s Craftsman stuff (drill press, bandsaw, bench grinder), '46 Montgomery-Wards/Logan lathe and the huge unknown age or make "big lathe", to the monster drill that spun me around like a top when I was 10 and a bunch of old wrenches, sockets, etc. My brother took some stuff with him when he moved to Oregon a few years ago, but there's still a lot of good memories left here.

[Chuck in Indiana]

These are called Pointing Machines, used to measure a 3D model for accurate 1:1 scale reproduction.

I wondered how that was done..thanks for the tutorial.

[cliffrod]

I wondered how that was done..thanks for the tutorial.

Glad to share.  Figured some here would enjoy the trivia.

Pointing is traditionally done by an accurate but lower skill/pay employee.  They accurately duplicate the provided model to rough it into stone.  Then the Master Sculptor finishes the job.  For 1:1 work, the pointing machine is the fastest method.

More old tools I use for similar work-

Compasses (sometimes called calipers, but not like a machinist caliper) are used for all other enlargement.  For whole number factors, they're just walked along a line to calculate 2x, 3x, etc.  for values between 0-1 and 1-2, the apex angle of an isoceles or right triangle is used to calculate the enlarged or reduced value.  Three measurements are taken from the model, then enlarged, captured with new compasses and then applied to the job.  (6 compasses used)  No pencil & paper math or calculations beyond building the initial triangle on a wall. A totally illiterate worker can do all the work.   

See pic-  on right are  Dario's wrought iron very old and newer Italian compasses, typically used for smaller initial dimensions on a model. On left is one of my two sets of beam compasses that I made for enlarged dimensions to apply to the job.  These are homemade.  traditionally, worn out stone shed carpenters squares are cut up and drilled for the arms and old crate lumber is used for the beams.  The differ configuration allows better reach in some spots than old Italian calipers.  There's several spare pointing machine crosses/frames/chassis that I've made and used with Angelo's pointing machine on various projects hanging just above & over the beam compasses.





Seeing the common pic of an artist measuring a head or ?? With a big compass like a caliper to compare to the job they're sculpting is total crap bs.  That's not how it's done.

It's common to do a large stone statue by pointing up the overall figure with compasses from a smaler scale model and then indexing a portrait-quality 1:1 scale face/head model onto the statute with a pointing machine.

Pointing machine work is tedious beyond tedious... Swinging compasses 8 hrs a day is a different state of mind, almost like the perfect road & perfect weather on your favorite bike.

But, today's just boring pointing machine stuff....  Back to studio.

[GeorgiaGuzzi]

I Googled old wenches at your suggestion and got a 19th century adult site...

You lucked out. When I googled that I got pics of “hot grandma’s”!!!! Now to gouge out my eyes!

[Muzz]

Pffft. Most of my tools are old. How could that be? I bought em new.. <shrug>

  You crack me up Chuck.

I have a few new tools like that too.....or not.

[s1120]

You crack me up Chuck.

I have a few new tools like that too.....or not.

LOL  Ya I have some from the late 70's and early 80's when I first started going to school for auto mech. Most got stolen in the late 80's but I still have some. Lots from my step father, and my dad that are MUCH older.

[Ncdan]

I Googled old wenches at your suggestion and got a 19th century adult site...

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[ccoli]

Have a set of 5/8" drive SnapOn sockets that were my wife's grandfather's
He also made a lot of his own stuff. All kept in his radio cabinet turned tool chest with the Old Thompson label still on it. She was Judi Thompson before she became Judi Collins.
Also got a 3/4" corded drill with no ground that'll still spin me in circles. Great for mixing concrete.

[dguzzi]

I have a Winchester pipe wrench, I thought it was quite unique; so I hang it on the wall now.
Also what my dad called a "monkey wrench"  an adjustable with a S curve handle.

Some other thing that I don't know what it is, looks like an adjustable T-square for drafting (maybe)

[frozengoose]

While I have some old tools from my grandpa and father, the best one is a Black and Decker jig saw I got from my neighbor after her husband died. Don't know how old it is, '50's maybe, but it just has an off/on switch, not a trigger. The first time I used it I almost cut my hand, so used to the tool stopping when you let go of the trigger on modern tools, it takes some practice to flip the toggle switch off each time you stop cutting.
Here's grandpa's tools...



You can read about it here...
http://smilesfromnowherre.blogspot.com/2020/06/grampa-was-carpenter.html
I'll post a pic of the jig saw when I get out to workshop.
Here's Black and Deckers finest...



Note the "deadmans switch" on the handle and, while it's kind of hard to see, the ground plug is cut off. Apparently the neighbors didn't have ground receptacles, so rather that buying a few adapters, he cut off all the ground plugs. Amazing!

[larrys]

Here's some of my favorites..
Drill motors came in many odd shapes before they kind of standardized them in the '50's. The right angle is a Shorty, middle is a Cummins, top is a Mall.



Sanders. Left is a Mall, right is a Skil. The Mall is a marvel of casting work, but is not sturdy and easily damaged.



Skil saws. B+D is sandcast, the two Craftsmans are diecast.



My 8" jointer. Late 1930's, probably a furniture makers jointer, hence the wide but short bed. Still has the original direct drive motor. Lots o' power! Weighs 300+ lbs.




Larry

[wymple]

Posting a picture of a battery operated tool and thinking it's old? 

[TheHungarian]

I found this old saw in my grandpa’s basement after he passed. It’s about 6’ long. It’s my second favorite thing in my garage. 

[AZRider]

I have a small box of tools that my step-grandfather brought with him when he and my grandmother moved into assisted living. Mostly cheap junk, but he had kept the wrenches he modified for getting into tight spots on B-24 Liberators. Those are cool just to hold even though I don’t use them.

[SED]

Cliffrod - I had no idea.  Amazing combination of tenacity and artistry!  Thanks.

Old tools are a sliding scale.  Bought a set of Snap-On wrenches in the early '80s and a (younger) friend said " wow, those are old!"       He's not THAT much younger!   

My favorites are my paternal grandfather's old micrometers (no date on the Starret, but was a machinist in early '40s. He must've bought the Slocum used).  And my maternal grandfather's 1944 Craftsman hobby lathe.  (Also have an old metric micrometer a friend's father picked up in Germany at the end of WWII)

      


 
Somehow I got an old pair of pliers that became a favorite.  Finally cleaned the crud off - Billings & Spencer and 3 patent dates - newest 1902?   




A friend sold valve grinding equip that was in his father's repair shop.  The Black & Decker valve grinder is 1926. The Souix seat grinder is newer but 100% rebuildable (and AC or DC capable).  I've not tried to get the B&D lapping machine to work, but patent is 1917.

         


Bought a set of old reamers  - one is labeled "Buick pin" - from back when Buick wristpins were a standard size?




Old tools are great. 

[mobiker]

I’m a bit of an Old Tool myself but I’ll admit to a fondness for old tools that can actually be used. I’ve been using these two lately.





That’s an old compact Black and Decker that belonged to a friend’s Father. 1.3 amps at 2250 rpm. No reverse, nothing fancy.





My Dad’s folding ruler complete with little brass extendable insert. These seem to have gone out of fashion but I wouldn’t be without one.

Both of those gentlemen are gone now (Dad almost 40 years) and I just like using this old quality stuff that has a bit of history to it.

Anyone else?

Do you mean folding rules are out of fashion, or ones with the extendable insert? Folding rules are still widely available. I bought this Lufkin at Lowes a couple of years ago.



 

I've been cleaning pout my Mom and Dad's place. Here's an old, metal, folding rule. Its a Lufkin. I found it in an old wooden tool chest Dad used to have at work (he was a millwright). I didn't know he had it. If anybody has any idea when these were made, I'd be interested in knowing. I'm guessing 50's or 60's, but it could have been later. I've been using folding rules since the '80's and I've never seen one like it. A retired carpenter friend of mine has never seen one  like it either.

[bacongrease]

A tool.  I use this a lot.  Well, actually, not this one. 

BTW, I am searching for a relatively cheep laptop, mainly to connect guzzitec.
I had one of the very first PCs, and first models of laptop.
    Remember Gateway 2000?
okay, I am old.
I now use a desktop, a notebook and phone,andt wore out a few laptops (usually work related ) over the years.

so, any recommendations for a inexpensive laptop?  Just to diagnose. ? ?
thanks,

[Ncdan]

My Grandpa gave me this finish hammer when I was 6 years old, now I’m 67. The chip pictured in the head almost cost me an eye. I thought whacking on his anvil was a good idea, wrong!!! That chip Of steel lodged in my cheek just under my eye.....lesson learned 👍