Tool Gathering Galoots,

I'd like to reiterate all that Don said about the St.
Louis meet(except the part about buying three Stanley
46's, skewed plough plane, Jeff).  It is a great place
to go to buy tools and meet friendly, talkative,
like-minded people.

I didn't really expect to attend this meet because of
work and distance constraints so it was an unexpected
pleasure to be able to go.  I really wasn't looking
for any particular tools but still ended up buying a
Yankee bit extension in the box, and W. B. Sears split
nut backsaw, several books and a Clark and Williams
"Dominy" style smoother.  I've been using a lot of
wooden planes lately and couldn't pass up the
opportunity to buy the smoother after talking to Bill
Clark and listening to Ralph Brendler wax poetically
about using the small Clark and Williams coffin
smoother he had just acquired.

The highlight of the show for me was talking to all of
the people demonstrating and viewing the displays. 
The demonstrators were very well represented by
Galoots.  Ralph Brendler made Shaker boxes, Tom Volpe
showed the fine points of veneering, Samual Peterson
built a workbench before our eyes, and Bill Clark and
Larry Williams answered any and all questions about
planemaking in the 18th Century style.  Outside during
the Thursday tailgating session, Scott Stager had a
forge set up and spent the day pounding away at hot
metal.  All of the demonstrators were very skilled and
knowledgable about what they were doing.

The displays at these meets just seem to keep getting
better and better, too.  There were several about
different boring tools, Cliff Fales had a nice display
about Yankee screwdriver inventor, Zachary Furbush,
several good displays about planes including one
showing the use of special purpose Stanley planes, and
a display by Phil Baker about Jackson, Richardson, and
Harvey Peace backsaws.

The backsaw display reopened the can of worms about
Jackson backsaws that was discussed on the Porch last
spring or so.  Phil had several Jackson saws on
display that he thought were made in the early 19th
Century before the Disston Jackson line.  These saws
had English looking handles with brass backs and were
quality saws, definitely not 2nd line.  The J in
Jackson was also just a little different then the
Disston Jacksons.  There was also one saw marked
Jackson and Co.  From the saws on display, I think it
is safe to say that there were probably two different
companies marking saws with the name Jackson before
Henry Disston started using that moniker.

All in all it was a great way to spend a couple of
days and I would like to echo what Don said, join
MWTCA(even if you are not a collector) and attend any
meetings in your area, you will have a ball.

Jim Crammond  

		
_______________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Declare Yourself - Register online to vote today!
http://vote.yahoo.com