Another US company still working

[Branson]

A reasonable day at the dump.  I'd picked up two shop vacs for $10, a really nice leather back pack/book bag and a few books for another $5.  I looked in one of the skips and saw a Ryobi weed eater, asked about it and was told, "Jump in and take it if you want.  Doesn't work."  Maybe I can fix it, but I got the two extension cords that were attached.

Then somebody pulled in with a trailer full of stuff.  There were about 6 boxes labeled "shop."  The guy was complaining, "How could anybody get so many tools!"  Said that several times, sounding disgusted (obviously not our kind!).  I bought one whole box that had some useful stuff in it for $10.  Odds and ends, probably the left overs from a yard sale.

One thing in the box was a tool I can't figure out (picture will follow later), some kind of scale.  It was made by Woodworker's Tool Wks, Chicago.

Woodworker's Tool Works, I found, has been in business since 1907, and is now being run by the sixth generation of the founder's family!  Whatever I have is something they don't make anymore, but it looks like a solid company still making good tools in the US.

[Branson]

And now for the pictures.

First, picture, the manufacturer's mark.
Second, the bottom, with movable hooks at each end.
 Third, the front, with grid marks and numbers from 1 to 8, with 9th inch not marked.

Any idea what this is?

[Papaw]

Part of a pantograph maybe? WAG of course.

[Branson]

Not a pantograph.  It looks like it measures something.  Those are 1/8 inch squares on the grid.  The ends of the  scale are marked in 1/4 inch increments, and the long way is marked 1 through 8 inches, both from right to left, and from left to right.  There's a similar grid on the other side of the plate as well.  The hook on either end can be swung out, and also adjusted to the right or left about 3/8 of an inch.

One side of the grid plate is marked 4, and the other side is marked 3 1/4.  One this side, the longitudinal marks are 1/8 apart, but the cross lines are 5/32. 

Makes me think of a tri-scale, but I still can't think how it works. 

[rusty]

The company made, among other things, planer blades. Could it be a sharpening or setup guide ?

[Neals]

I seen something that looked similar on a drafting table once. There were 2 horizontal bars with something like this one verically at a bit of an angle connecting them.

[Branson]

I seen something that looked similar on a drafting table once. There were 2 horizontal bars with something like this one verically at a bit of an angle connecting them.

That sounds like a parallel rule.  You can extend a straight line for just about ever with one.   It does look like something that belongs on a drafting table, except that seems more sturdy than such tools.

[Branson]

The company made, among other things, planer blades. Could it be a sharpening or setup guide ?

Hmmm... The section between the hooks is only 10 inches wide, so I don't see how it could be used in that capacity.  I'm still scratching my head.  It looks something akin to a board foot measure crossed with a tri-scale.  It's hefty -- weighs half a pound.

[Branson]

We'll see what happens.  I checked the Woodworker's Tool Wks website, found a contact us button, and asked about it.  Not easy to describe in words, but maybe enough for them to recognize it.  Maybe they'll reply.

[Stoney]

Branson, we used a heavyweight parallel ruler on a layout table for tacking and fabricating back in the 70's.

[Branson]

I can't believe it!   Woodworker's Tool Works didn't just reply.  They gave me a phone call!  I just got off the phone with a fellow, and he knew exactly what it was, though it is a tool from before his time. 

It's a gauge for setting the blades in the old square head stickers. 

For those who don't know what a sticker is, it's a monster machine for producing mill work.  Back when I was working with the Phoenix Planing Mill, we had two stickers that we used for making window sash stock (we made wood sash windows).  The little one weighed 1300 pounds and the big  one weighed over 1800 pounds.  The "baby" had four heads, but momma had five of those old square heads.  Basically, with momma, you tossed a piece of wood in one end, and a perfect piece of 1 3/8, 1 1/2, or 2" stock came out the other end.  The heads ran top and bottom, front and back, and the fifth head jointed and sized the stock.  They ran on 10 horse, 3 phase electric motors.  What a blast from the past for me!  I knew I'd seen the thing before, and now I remember Dave and Kevin setting the blades with one of these.

I'm posting the URL for these folks.  American manufacturer, run by the same family that started it in 1907, and they have taken customer service to a step I haven't seen in a very long time.   I don't know just what I will buy from them, but I'm gonna buy something.  Maybe an 8" blade for my ShopSmith.   I think they deserve whatever I can afford.

http://www.woodworkerstoolworks.com/

[Stoney]

Link Bookmarked Thanks Branson.

[Papaw]

Like this-

http://boatsafe.com/navigation/rules1.htm