Tool Score

[Bill Houghton]

Thinking about John K's comment...I went to a yard sale once, and found a sweet little Disston saw (20" handsaw, as I recall, but my forgettory's better than my memory, so I could be wrong).  I was talking with the husband of the family doing the selling, and wound up convincing him that he should hold on to it for the grandkids.  That's OK; it's not like I'm lacking for saws, and it still stings how many of my grandfather's tools got sold off by a cousin while I was living out of state.

But maybe, by now, the descendants have cleared out what they care about.  Or maybe* they're just not tool users, leaving more for us!

*I can never type that kind of sentence without shaking my head and wondering about people like that.  Isn't tool use part of what's supposed to separate us from other species (even though it's become increasingly clear in recent years that the distinction is, to a degree, a false one)?

[Aunt Phil]

Bill it's a dangerous mindset fostered by people with degrees that they are superior to people who can and do work with their hands.  Even a high percentage of people working with their hands today are little more than single task performing technicians.

Old school mechanics have very small place in the world of replace rather than repair.  Fortunately the remaining mechanics have lost any sense of mercy and charge accordingly.

[john k]

Aunt Phil, I resemble that remark, and just gritting my teeth til retirement, don't worry, part of them are storebought. 

[ron darner]

In at least some fields, such as mechanical engineer, it has been my experience that the people who KNOW how to use their hands do a better job at the tasks that required a degree.  I read a great essay some years ago, in which someone who supervised engineers stated that the best ones he saw had one thing in common: they'd been raised on a farm, and had learned to use, maintain, and to repair equipment.  Their "hands-on" background hugely improved their design skills.

I wasn't exactly raised on a farm, but we did our own car repairs, plumbing, wiring, carpentry, and masonry work.  When we moved to the countryside (when I was 12), I worked for local farmers through several summers, and gained some additional skills.  I think that that background was in part responsible for my interest in physics (my degree), and for my becoming an engineer-by-title (Design Engineer, Mechanical Engineer, and Manufacturing Engineer were typical) during my career.  I never took an engineering course - but have always claimed that all REAL engineering is based upon physics, anyhow . . .

A buddy & I filled his Chevy Venture minivan (all seats removed except driver & passenger) to overloaded today.  We've removed less than 1/3rd of what needs to go.  Oh - and the power drill count has risen to 13 on this score.

[oldtools]

The lathe wasn't part of the deal, but what about the others? table saw, drill press, tool boxes, tables, vice, etc...

[ron darner]

The big bench vise is already home with me.  So are two drill-press vises, a little clamp-on portable vise, and a good-sized vise that appears suited to use with a mill, with maybe 5" jaws, and about 10" of opening (could have been made in an advanced shop class: no markings that I can see).  The drill press is unbolted from its cabinet, ready to move.  The table saw will also come home, cabinet & all.
All the cabinets are part of the deal, and the table if I can cart it off.  We have taken both machinists chests and the two larger tool boxes beneath them, plus several other tool boxes full of stuff, and they're in my buddy's van, at his house.  The Drill Doctor, and its blow-molded case, instructions, etc., are there, too  All of the crates from the floor (one picture) are in the van, but there are several more that weren't in the shot, that we'll get on another trip.  The garage has two pegboard walls full of stuff, garden tools, and so on.  There's  a 1-1/2 ton hydraulic jack, one of the old monsters that service stations [remember those?] used, with the 4-foot or so handle.  There are several crates of raw steel, aluminum, and miscellaneous.  All for additional trips.  Even the paint, lube, and other chemicals from the corner shelves and elsewhere, are included.
There is an attachment with the lathe for doing smallish mill jobs.  The lathe has a number starting with 101.xxxx, so it was made by Atlas.

[oldtools]

WOW!!! you should be awarded the "Hoover's Suck Big time" award... or something...  (so jealous, I 'am drooling..  ;}~

[ron darner]

  We're being thanked for clearing out the basement & garage (logistics would suck for bringing in an auctioneer, and it's unlikely that any ad for a rummage sale, no matter how well written & descriptive, would bring in enough buyers to make a real dent).  I told my buddy that I felt like a first-time porn star: "They're PAYING me to do this?"  The folks DO know that stuff will go to a good home, and know that I mean what I said: any sales income will be split back with givers.

[oldtools]

Way to go!!!  sounds like a Win-Win situation....

[scottg]

OK Ron
  This is pulling even me out of the shadows. damn
Delighted to see it.
Or at least this miserly tease of dark and dingy pictures so far.
I expect you will be shooting pix from now till next Halloween over this!! I am waiting for this one.
     yours Scott

[ron darner]

I've got a few more photos showing our first haul, with an overloaded mini-van as the main subject.  I won't be doing much on this for over a week, due to Oshkosh / AirVenture; then I'll be back at it big-time.

[ron darner]

Update: my buddy & I spent 10.5 hours on-site last Saturday loading up tools and such, into his big trailer.  It's a full-size car hauler, dual axle and 8' x 16', with stake pockets to permit use of tall wooden sides.  My son also spent 3 hours (that's 24 man-hours for just this trip).  We FILLED the trailer, and have it covered with a very large tarp to keep out the weather.  We also had a few items in the Jeep that we used to tow [thank god for electric brakes!  we NEEDED them to return home].  I did take some photos, but haven't downloaded yet.  This got everything except the lathe, its stand / cabinet, and tooling seen up behind it in early shots.

Please: anyone who has a good idea of the value of a 12" Craftsman metal lathe with long bed, milling attachment, 3- and 4-jaw chucks, and a decent amount of tooling, PM me!  It's in very good condition, can't feel any play, and bed rails are excellent.  Runs fine (though I didn't have any material chucked, nor did I take a cut with it, just ran it, changed lead-screw speed, engaged drive right & left, spun some knobs & wheels to feel how well things moved).

Oh - and the final count on power drills is 14.

[Chillylulu]

Update: my buddy & I spent 10.5 hours on-site last Saturday loading up tools and such, into his big trailer.  It's a full-size car hauler, dual axle and 8' x 16', with stake pockets to permit use of tall wooden sides.  My son also spent 3 hours (that's 24 man-hours for just this trip).  We FILLED the trailer, and have it covered with a very large tarp to keep out the weather.  We also had a few items in the Jeep that we used to tow [thank god for electric brakes!  we NEEDED them to return home].  I did take some photos, but haven't downloaded yet.  This got everything except the lathe, its stand / cabinet, and tooling seen up behind it in early shots.

Please: anyone who has a good idea of the value of a 12" Craftsman metal lathe with long bed, milling attachment, 3- and 4-jaw chucks, and a decent amount of tooling, PM me!  It's in very good condition, can't feel any play, and bed rails are excellent.  Runs fine (though I didn't have any material chucked, nor did I take a cut with it, just ran it, changed lead-screw speed, engaged drive right & left, spun some knobs & wheels to feel how well things moved).

Oh - and the final count on power drills is 14.

What is the spindle bore?

[ron darner]

Sorry; I didn't even think to measure it.  My bad; I am well aware of why it's important (capability of the lathe) but never even thought to look.  I do expect to see it again, soon, and will try to check.

[lbgradwell]

Holy crap! Just saw this now...

What a score!





Additionally, I hereby bestow the much-coveted LG Approved Award!