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 2011.11.06

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 - June 3, 2011

Hit a couple of sales over the weekend - picked up a lot of small items very cheap at one, then a few items at an estate sale on my street.

Nothing really special here - the pick-axe is a bit unusual. It's marked "Collins" and appears to be for mining? At least it doesn't have the wide spade bit on the back like most you see, rather a thinner point on one end. The haft is hickory I believe. That was found with the two saws. The rest I got at one sale.

The smaller, dovetail saw is unmarked and missing a screw so I'm not sure about the maker - I think it'll clean up but I mostly got it for the nice grip - it's covered in orange and green paint so I suspect it came from a school.

The handsaw has very little blade left and is a bit bent to boot. I got it for the nicely carved apple grip - it's also the first "The Simonds Saw" I've found in the wild (pretty much invariably they're either Disston or Warranted Superior).

Of the small items, there was this rubber 60's era Craftsman mallet (the head is still soft enough to stand an impact, no cracking at all) and this container of bear spray, which beats the heck out of that cheap pepper spray for home defence.

The trowel was a rather nicely handled one, the Stanley Handyman "Yankee Screwdriver" a bit different from my others in that it has a Phillips bit, while the mini driver is just marked "Made in USA" but appears to be Starrett by the knurl and red box.

I also got this trio of scrapers (one marked Sargent and another Red Devil - both hardly used) plus this nice Stanley Sureform.

The last few items include a trio of files (one with a great handle), a metal straight edge and a very nice condition Stanley "Handyman" metal level. (those things to the left are wire ties, used to attached cables to buildings and poles - they come in handy).

Nothing really special in the lot but still worth saving from the dump. It's funny, I've "lost" my crappy pick axe - one of those plastic-handled jobs you get at Home Depot so I just started looking around for a replacement, and now I've found two in two weeks. When it rains, it pours I guess.

-- John

Rust Hunting in Georgia - March 31, 2011

Spotted a sale this morning and made a quick flyby based on the photos. The sale was marked "Mid Century Modern" yada yada and that drew me to the photos. Looking at them the garage full of tools showed some promise. By the time I got there this afternoon it was fairly picked over - just missed a metal welding table with an enormous vise that sold to a guy for $60 - I don't think he even knew what he got with that deal - the vise alone was probably worth $100-200 so he got the vise cheap and the table for free. I did find a small group of files - seller wanted $30 for the lot but I decided to get picky (I've currently got a 5 gallon bucket of old files that keep getting in my way and didn't want to add too much to the pile) and only picked up the vixen files - I have a soft-spot for those - he told me $3 each. I kept walking around and found a Sears marked soft-bristle brass brush and a Starrett 12" combination square. Got the whole group for $17.

This is the newest Starrett I own with a smoth (non pebbly) slide

Mostly Nicholson

I went inside and the only thing I saw that was interesting was an old wood-topped work table - but at $60 I passed. It was at least 2 1/2" thick made from maple I think - very worn. The last I bought like that I managed to purchase for way less so I guess I'm spoiled. I did another pass in the garage and started looking at this old roll-away tool box. It's a bit rough - the previous owner was an auto mechanic. After pointing out some of the flaws in the boxes (the top is a Kennedy style machinist box) I haggled down to $35 for the top and bottom.

I've never heard of Huot

Seems fairly well-made

As a bonus I got the contents of the top

Both Course and Fine tins of Clover Compound

Now the bottom I recognized as I've occasionally found tools marked Proto Tools - especially wood handled hammers and wrenches. My understanding is that this manufacturer was more popular on the west coast rather than in the South East. Also, I believe the company was bought by Stanley at some point.

Box No. 9941

I may pick up some locks so the upper and lower will match the same key - if you've every accidentally locked one of these you'll understand why I'm considering it. In all, not a bad haul for a 15 minute drive. I swung by another sale that was nearby but didn't find anything at that one. Wonder if finding this now means the weekend will be extra fruitful or dead? No telling...

-- John