On Fri, 27 Dec 2013 16:10:55 -0700, "Bob La Londe"
wrote:
Its pretty common for us to give each other new gimicky tools for Christmas.
Round knob sockets, quick grip wrenches... whatever new and interesting tool
that basically does the same old thing catches our eye. My dad did not
disappoint this year. He gave me an open thru bolt socket set. The ratchet
engages the outside of the socket instead of the inside so it can go over
studs of any length. That was interesting, and I am sure there are times
when it will come in handy, but after the festivities of the morning were
over we wandered out to his truck and he gave me a truly good Christmas
present. One that can't be beat by any new gimicky tool.
My grandfather (my mom's dad) had given him a bunch of machinists tools some
time in the past. He (my grandfather) was a job setup machinist. My mom
told me for every hour of hour of overtime he worked over the years (way
back when) he would put away 10¢ to be used to buy tools for himself. Many
he bought new. Others he got from other machinists. There were a number of
right angle blocks, some gages and standards for certain things. Double
angle bars for measuring hole diameters with a regular micrometer,
micrometers, dial indicators, dial test indicators, v-blocks, and sine bars.
At today's prices it would take thousands of dollars to replace, but in the
prices of the day they were thousands of hours of overtime worked. Maybe
tens of thousands. Many of the wooden boxes are falling apart, and because
they were stored in a building that lost a roof at one time some things are
made nearly worthless from rust. (Both sine bars are rust damaged sadly.)
Not a single thing is a cheap tool. They all carry names like Starrett and
Brown & Sharp. It might seem like a small thing to some folks but it is
something to me. At the time I refused to carry the tools into the shop
(would have been a couple huge armloads). I went and got a tool cart to
carry them. Two days later I am still thinking about it. Many of these
tools were used during WWII. Some may have been used during WWI. A couple
have patent dates from before the turn of the last century.
I am torn on some of them. The wooden boxes are falling apart, and I want
to make new boxes for them, but I hate to throw away the old boxes that may
be 80 years old or more. Many of them I plan to check and use in my own
shop.
Thanks Dad, and thank you Grampa John Klements. (1899 - 1986 (I think))
I'll post a picture or picture link of some of them later.
Most..not all..but most wooden boxes can be restored. A bit of fine
sandpaper..a set of clamps, some Gorilla glue and some brads..and
voila. Shellac or Varathane is cheap enough.
Water damaged...not so easily..but even many of them can be smooth
sanded, a badly warped or damaged side can be either straigthened or
replaced and matched and replaced.
You may wish to invest or make a cheap dado rig and do it one box at a
time.
Buy felt at your local material shop..and pretty soon..they will be
good enough to pass on to your grandchildren..or great grandchildren.
But..you have to interest at least one of them in metalworking..so you
ahve someone to pass the stuff along to. Or a neighbor kid who is
worth a **** and will someday appreciate them.
Gunner
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