New shop

[gibsontool]

Given the name connection,you definitely needed to have that. Several years back I saw an old iron that was made in Australia by a company called Gibson tool so I had to buy it. Never did find out any info on the Company, I went as far as asking Batz our Australian forum member but he had never heard of them.

[EVILDR235]

Nice display of tools. A good way to show history of a tool company. Back in the early 1980's I worked for a company that sold Duro Chrome tools. We had about 6 Duro Chrome tools display boards in our showroom. Sometime in about the late 1980's they took all the tools down gave them to the mechanics in our shop. They took the tool boards and tossed them in the dumpster. If I had only had the foresight. I still have a few of the tools in my hoard. I may still have a few of the catalogs in my computer room somewhere.

EvilDr235

[gibsontool]

Hey guys. p-toad was asking about some levels which appeared in a recent post of mine,they were in the pic because that's where I keep them. They are nothing unusual but I think this one is. I got it 2 weekends ago at our semi annual antique fair. It's marked as
     THE AMERICAN COMBINED LEVEL AND GRADE FINDER
       PATENTED AND MANUFACTUREDBY
        EDWARD HELB  RAILROAD PA.

US Pat 764809 July 12 1904
Canadian Pat 90643 Dec 20 1904

The first pic is a side view, second is a top view, third is a view of the bottom showing the viewing tunnel and the fourth is a close up of the gravity angle indicator, I'm thinking the way it works is; you first determine the grade or angle you want and prop up or shim the level until you reach the required degree. If you look at the top view you will see a site glass to the right of the compass, when you look down thru that site glass there is a mirror at a 45 % angle which projects your view out thru the tunnel.I had a look on DATAMP and gives some clearer info on the level. I don't know what all the other marking are for on the angle indicator. Need to do some more research.

[gibsontool]

oops! #rd picture is not correct I try again.

[gibsontool]

This is the picture I was talking about

[gibsontool]

Damn. Still not the correct pic. I'll have to go take another picture, I must have screwed up somehow when I down Loaded them. I have taken off the bottom brass strip to access the mirror as you could no longer see thru it. A buddy of mine has a glass shop and probably has some mirrors kicking around, I'll go see him today and cut a new one.

[EVILDR235]

I am getting a picture of a Chinese vacuum cleaner on my screen ?

XXXXXX

[gibsontool]

That's not the right picture either.

[p_toad]

Nice looking device.   Thanks for those pictures.   I've never seen one like that before.   

http://www.datamp.org/patents/displayPatent.php?id=12693

and a nice write-up on LeeValley

http://www.leevalley.com/newsletters/Woodworking/1/3/patents.htm

Hope i'm allowed to post those here.

[bill300d]

That's quite the contraption Gibson. That's one I have not seen before.

[Lewill2]

They come up now and then probably a $350 level, they always seem to bring good money for as many of them as I have seen. Nice find hope you got a deal on it.

[gibsontool]

OK I'll try this again and i hope the picture shows up this time.
  This pic shows the viewing tunnel in the bottom of the level, the little piece of mirror slides down an angular grove on the left end of the level. I did find the Lee Valley article yesterday and it answered  several question that I had. The article doesn't give a complete explanation but says that you can determine the height of objects by using the complex scale on the cardboard disc behind the gravity angle indicator.
 I noticed on my level that one portion of the disc is slightly warped and the weighted indicator rubs on it  so it is probably giving it a false reading. It looks to me like there was originally 3 small pins or nails holding the disc flat against the wood body. these pins or nails are missing on mine so I'll talk to a  watch repair guy or maybe a jewellery shop to see if they could make me 3 little brass pins.
 To Lewill2 thanks for the info on value, sounds a little high to me but that is probably for one that is in the original box with the paperwork telling you how to read the scale. I paid $55 Canadian which is about $45 USD but regardless I'm happy with what I paid. 

[Lewill2]

No that is typical auction price from what I have seen. No box no instructions just what you have some in better shape and some in worse shape.

[gibsontool]

WOW  That is a good price, someday I'm going to have to start thinning down my collection but it's something I just can't bring myself to do.