Rust Hunting in Georgia 2013.01.17

Both the sales and the local finds on rusty tools have rather dried-up for me as of late so I've been slow to post. The items today are actually from a couple of sources, both a local sale and a nearby junk shop - as usual the prices were extremely cheap as I'm truly a bottom-feeder (as I've noted before).

In the photo above you'll see two files at the top along with an awl in the lower left and a small flat file. I picked all those up at an estate sale. I really got them for the handles more than anything - something about a brass ferrule and old-fashioned turning that does it for me. Also, I've found that you can never have too many handles. Less than $5 bucks so super cheap.

The rest was found at my favorite junk shop and probably most of you would have passed on the bulk, especially the mechanic's tools.

The Husky 1/2" ratchet caught my eye as it was so well made - I've found you can never have too many of these - seems like I lay them down and can't remember where I've left it, so having extras is a good thing. This one has an interesting rotating direction lock - not sure of the era but before they were available at Home Depot for sure.

I'm a sucker for good quality Craftsman tools (interestingly, it's my understanding that much of the mechanics tools marked and sold by Sears as Craftsman were produced by Husky so there's a theme here) - these box-end wrenches are great for tight areas and were too cheap to pass up. The nut driver at the top is MAC and the little punches are great for tiny pins or nails - also too cheap to pass up.

The last thing I found was the Millers Falls tempered rule - it has a little edge corrosion but should clean up fine - this is another one of those things you can't have too many of - a good accurate rule with easy-to-read marks - invaluable in the shop.

I've found just a handful of other things which I'll roll forward into another post.

-- John

Rust Hunting in Georgia 2012.05.12

I have a few weekends of tool finds I need to get caught up with - the oldest is from May 12, 2012. This is an interesting collection of tools found at a yard sale. I noticed a couple of folding rules and asked the guy if he had any other tools - he said he had a box that an old roommate had left in the garage. When he pulled it out and I saw a caliper and a few other machinists tools in there I asked how much for the box. He readily accepted my $30 offer. Now just from rooting around in the box I realized that there weren't many of the better brands, but I figured that the Brown and Sharpe dial caliper was worth at least $30 (with modern versions going for $150+). Most of the tools are Craftsman, Lufkin or other similar (the few Starretts and B&S you can see in the photos). First time I've seen 4 working speed indicators - actually the first time I've seen any at a yard sale - go figure. 3 are Starretts and one unmarked with a brass dial).

In all, there's a bit of rust buy everything turns freely (if it's supposed to). There are a few parts and broken bits. I like the Alvin beam compass, the angle center-finder (wish it was a a Stanley but beggars can't be choosers) and various plumb bobs the best. When I asked about the roommate the seller told me that he (roommate) had inherited these tools from his father and didn't want them. OK by me.

-- John

Rust Hunting in Georgia 2011.11.12

Just a few things from a sale I hit on Saturday - this one was well advertised and apparently quite a bit had already been sold by the time I got there. I did miss out on a nice body vixen body file mounted in a tension handle (already have one but you never know). Everything that was left was fairly cheap - actually the stuff I bought was dirt cheap - most of what you see was in the quarter pile.

The larger of these hammers was the most expensive item I bought at $3 - guess no one wanted it. I think it's a useful size - about 2 pounds. The ball pein with a broken handle was a quarter and seems pretty well made - it's marked but hard to read.

I was hoping the micrometer was a Starrett - but no it's a Craftsman and the only one left that wasn't rusty that still worked (I left two others that were basket cases) - for a dollar I couldn't complain. I also got the Craftsman thread chaser for a buck.

I threw in the fret saw which I actually purchased at another sale for $5 - it's not as good as my old Millers Falls but I figured it would work as a backup. The real prize from the sale was this Atlas Steady Rest:

This was in the quarter pile. That's right, I found an Atlas steady rest that fits my 6" Craftsman-branded Atlas metal lathe for a quarter. Never would I have imagined ever, EVER finding such an odd-ball item that I can actually use so cheap. If you look you'll see that one of the "fingers" is missing. I believe I can find a replacement relatively easy (or fab one up if need be). I checked it on my lathe and it fits perfectly.

I asked about the lathe while I was at the sale - the guy said it was long gone and in really rough shape. The buyer claimed everything would need to be rebuilt (going from this part it just looks very dirty). No telling what it went for but I would have liked to seen it. Funny that the buyer missed this part.

Well, that's it for me - fairly slim pickings but I've had so much luck so far this year it's probably time for things to settle down (running out of space!).

-- John

Rust Hunting in Georgia 2011.11.06

I hit the aftermath of a huge tool sale - sounds like the guy just picked up everything he could find and then left it to his widow to deal with (hopefully the same won't happen to me!). In any case, the sale started on Thursday so by the time I hit it Saturday morning, most of the better items were gone. Being the consummate bottom-feeder I still managed to find a few items - I spent a little over $30 for everything (it was discounted being the last day, plus I got some off for buying so much). Many of these items were marked $1 with I think $3 being the top price I paid (less discount).

First up a saw jointer, some new Stihl chainsaw blade files and a holder for same.

Next are some of my favorite "vixen" cut files:

And then some later Buck Chisels (they look crappy but I cleaned one up - stained but not pitted), a tiny press, brick chisel and a tap handle:

Here's a group of handled tools, an awl, dental pic, flat-blades for a brace, Marples driver, putty knife, some sharpening stones and a couple of utility knives (sucker for those - seems you can never find one when you need one):

A whole slew of replacement hammer handles, mostly in hickory or ash:

4 small cross-pein or ball-pein hammers (red-handled one marked Plumb):

A bunch of micro-Pony clamps:

A Starrett Horizontal Gage Holding Rod in box and a Starrett 6" rule with cover (incidentally, someone stole an expensive micrometer from the sale):

Here's a close-up of the saw jointer - marked Disston:

And that tiny press (like to call it an arbor press but I think it's for pressing circuit pins - in any case too "cute" to pass up):

The tap handle is marked "Morse" and "Made in USA"

And here are some detail shots:

Guess that about wraps it up - there were still a lot of tools at the sale - mostly junk or stuff I already had a lot of - One very decent Stanley #12 scraper with rosewood handles for $20 (decent deal) but it was missing the scraper blade.

-- John

Rust Hunting in Georgia - August 6, 2011

Another delayed posting - this one should have been made last week, as these photos are the results of my search on 8/6. I was buried this past weekend so it's just as well, since I wasn't able to do anything other than hit a couple of small yard sales, which didn't amount to anything (I did pick up a stack of James Bond movie soundtrack albums for a $1 each but this is the wrong blog for that). In any case, there were some interesting finds from my previous weekend - enjoy!

I hit two sales, the first was an advertised sale near Brookhaven that showed a few photos of tools in a garage - nothing real noteworthy in the photos but I did see a brace so I was at least hopeful - got there around 11:00 so anything really good would probably be gone, but that still fits into my "bottom feeder" mentality. The items were fairly cheap and included the small Stanley Sureform, a handle for an end vise, a small flat pry bar (these are my favorites for installing and removing trim), a Brown Brothers wrench, Craftsman wet chisel and some auger bits - most appear to be unused (one has the tip broken off). I also found a scribe for a Stanley (I think) combination square - since these are always missing I was glad to find a loose one. I gave up $10 for the small pile.

I didn't recognize the end vise but I think it's US made - only mark is a "BS1" with what appears to be a maple handle.

The second sale I went to was a bit more unusual - this was a sale in my own neighborhood where a retired widow was trying to clean out the basement before the moving trucks appeared the next day - people were scrambling around and I soon found out why - the $1 per long-handled-tool prices should have proved a clue. While I was there they opened her deceased husband's workshop - I was lucky to get the items I found as people were grabbing up things in droves. The first thing of interest were these two West-German-made metal-working hammers - they were hanging above a small post-vise mounted to the floor - it looked like I already missed out on one hammer as there was an empty nail on the left. Got these for a buck each!

I also managed to grab this Pexto 925 "Beakhorn" forming anvil - I hesitate to call it a hardy but in a way that's what it is, or perhaps it was originally sold as a portable anvil? I could see the shaft being slipped into a small slot in the back of a step bumper. I believe the former owner used it in the post-vise as he liked to work metal a bit as a hobby.

I also found this red pulley - no telling what he used it for - looks like something from a barn's hayloft door. It's marked "Durbin-Durco St. L. MO." and it's about 9" in diameter.

And finally, the best thing I found was this small propane forge - for $10 complete with regulator and gauge, I couldn't pass it up. NC Tool Company is still in business - they call this one the "Whisper Baby" - can't wait to give it a try! I think it'll work for the light tool work I like to do, plus I'd like to try making some knives...

I probably should have bought the post-vise but it was a small 2 1/2" version. I own a 6" so I talked myself out of it and by the time I thought someone else might want it, somebody else there had claimed it.

Anyway, I felt it was a pretty successful day - I think I spent less than $30 for everything so it was all way cheap - I like cheap!

-- John