I ran across the Old Tool list about three weeks ago while doing some
on-line research trying to date one of my planes, and have been lurking
since. I was amazed, shocked, perhaps even disturbed to discover a group
completely dedicated to what I thought was my own unique brand of
eccentricity, so I guess I have to join in. A bit about me: I live in
the Great Arid Metropolis of Phoenix, Arizona (that's a large city in
the middle of the God-forsaken desert, east of Los Angeles and north of
Mexico for those of you overseas). My Father's people, carpenters and
machinists from England, Scotland and Germany, came to Arizona around
1912 to work in the copper mines. They loved their hand tools. In fact,
my Grandmother remembers evenings in her youth spent wiping down tools
with oily rags to prevent them from rusting after a day's work. That was
their idea of family fun, I guess. By the time I came along, all that
was left of those ancestors were their tools and some amusing family
stories about English eccentricity. I spent many happy hours in my youth
with hand saws, braces and bits turning pieces of scrap wood into
smaller pieces of scrap wood. My Dad was and is a dedicated tool
accumulator, though a bit of a Normite. (He can't help it he's an
electrical engineer by training). I razz him periodically about why he
doesn't have a dedicated mortise machine or a biscuit joinah. He
threatens to go buy them. The upside of all this is that I've inherited
most of the hand tools. (Neither my brothers nor my cousins were
interested in them. I wonder if we're really related. . . .?) My
interest in things neanderthal way really began in college. I started a
(very) small business manufacturing reproduction 19th century military
equipment. In the interests of authenticity, I tried to use tools
production techniques as close to the original as possible. This was not
good for my bottom line, but hooked me forever on hand tools. After
college, I decided to ruin my life and go to law school. In between
torts and civil procedure, I managed to take a few breaks from the
filling of my head with mush to get a good look at a few collections of
18th and 19th century furniture and tools. The hook sunk deeper, and I
began the long, slow descent. Most of the tools I inherited were of the
1890- 1930 era, and were the remnants of a fairly complete carpenter's
and joiner's workshop. Over the years, about half of them must have
disappeared, but the combination of a dry climate and meticulous care
left me with some beautiful specimens. For most of the 1990's I took a
hiatus from hand tools and virtually everything else, and set out to
find personal fulfillment in the practice of divorce law. After 9 years
of 60 hour weeks spent representing deadbeat sociopaths who refused to
pay me, I realized that I was not having fun, and if I wanted to reach
my 50th birthday without having a heart attack, I should probably do
something different. I also began to compile an extensive list of
reasons why hand tools are better than people. I quit doing divorces and
restructured my practice to give myself some actual free time, and while
I won't get rich, I NOW HAVE TIME FOR MY TOOLS! My principal interest is
to fill in the gaps in my neanderthal tool inheritance. I've picked up a
few pieces on *bay, and periodically look for more. A couple of years
ago, a distant cousin gave me a wood plow plane that my ggggrandfather
used in his cabinet shop in Germany ca. 1850. None of her kids were
interested in it. (These people are relatives?!?) So I decided, "what
the hell." Clearly, I need to complete a collection of the tools ggggf
would have used, and down I slid. . . I call this my "Proto-neanderthal"
collection. It includes a treadle lathe a la Roy Underhill (a great
project everyone should build one). I've also thought about assembling
an 18th century collection, ca. 1760 or so. What would I call it?
Perhaps "Ante-proto-neanderthal?"
Too much about me-- verbosity is a professional hazzard. My question: I
inherited a Stanley #81 (a cast iron cabinet scraper, Jeff) with a
broken handle (see it here: http://www.msnusers.com/ThingsIputonline/sh-
oebox.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=1 ) . My inner Scotsman says it's
worth fixing. My internet research tells me that it can be gas welded,
but this is a skill I have no interest in acquiring.
1) Where would I take it to get it welded? A gun smith? Does anyone
know of anybody in the Phoenix area who can do this, or is there
anyone out there I can send it to?
2) Someone once tried to reattach the handle with epoxy. Will this
interfere with the weld? If so, how can I clean off the dried epoxy?
3) What about replating it once it's fixed? I have no interest
in selling
it. It's just that the thing is so pretty. . .
4) What would be a reasonable price for this kind of repair?
DISCLAIMER: "someone," in the above context, was not me.
Regards to all on The Porch.
Ernest Shaver
Why hand tools are better than people, reason #74: My #5 will never be
jealous of my #4 (those are bench planes, Jeff).
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