I will not claim the same nobility as those who rescue animals but because of my love for woodworking I do my share of rescuing old hand tools from neglect and rust. I avoid power tools because those would be beyond my abilities. But there is something about hand tools. They can actually be restored back to where they will perform as they were intended when brand new. I cannot say the same for power tools. The most common place I go to are the flea markets. They are like the nursing homes of old tools, or worst, they are the potter's field for these tools if not found and restored. Remember that the iron from whence the steel came to make these tools from is at least 4-5 billion years old - forged originally in the belly of an exploding star or supernova even.
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| Most recently on a trip to Boston I went back to the same place where they have an open market every summer. 99% of the stuff there and in most of these places like it, the pickings are not very good. But once in a while, if one is patient, there are nuggets that can be had for very little money. That is part of the thrill. Except for the cabinet scraper which priced at $2.00, everything else was for fifty cents. |
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| This cabinet scraper was a major find. The seller wanted $2.00 and I was ashamed to even haggle, which I did because that's what you do at the flea market. The seller did not budge so I bought it. I paid for one four years ago for $40.00 - the modern version of it - made in England while this one is U.S. made. It's a Stanley 80 but there is a subtle difference as you shall see. |
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| This trowel, $.50, has a wooden handle, its main attraction even though the metal was rusted. But I knew I can restore it. |
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| These two pliers, also fifty cents each, did not seem like much. The big pliers wouldn't even open - rusted shut. |
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| The wooden handle on this one had the same attraction to me. |
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| Brushes, sand paper and mineral spirits and the joy of working with these gems are all one need. |
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| A rust reformer for the metal part after brushing off and sanding the lose rust did wonders to the metal. |
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| A primer over the metal does the trick of keeping anymore oxidation from taking hold. |
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| A diamond sharpener is a must to flatten the sole of the scraper |
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| The previous owner did not flatten it and was likely the reason he or she did not get good results from this tool. |
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| Here is the tale of two knobs. The new version (made in England) has a different, more modern knurled knobs for holding the blade. Compare with the older version - note the knobs have holes in them. Also note that the old one had two holes by its handle. |
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| This is what I mean. The tool performs as it was intended. Excellent for evening out glue joints, leveling the work piece flat. |
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| Restored and ready for use, except for the one little hammer head that is still looking for a handle - a project by itself for later. |
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| Over the years, these are some of the rescued tools and very much capable of performing what they were designed for. |
