The wrong side of the pond....or today's finds

[tshiker]

It's not every day that I come across English woodworking tools here on Long Island. Outside of those ubiquitous blue handled chisels and the occasional carving or bench chisel, I don't usually find many tools made in the Commonwealth. About a month ago I purchased (auction) an open handled brass backed dovetail saw hoping it was made in the good old USofA but Sheffield born it was. Other than that, not too much. Today the wife and I decide to go kayaking and forgo my regular Saturday morning ritual of going to garage sales. To make a long story short, a wrong turn by me, just happened to put us on a road with a garage sale in sight! With permission from my better half, we stopped. Looking around, there's not much more the the usual crap, but the old man hosting this sale is kind and friendly. Just as I was about to wish him a nice day, I spot a box of tools at his feet. Looking in the box revealed nothing but 1980's power tools, disappointed as I usually am after looking in once hopeful places, I ask the gentleman if by chance he has any old hand tools "you know like hand saws, planes or chisels". No saws he says, but what kind of chisels am I looking for? Well just about any kind I reply, as long as they're made for woodworking. He tells me he has a woodworking tool chest he hasn't looked into in over ten years and goes into the garage. Once inside he motions me to the workbench and starts to pull out what looks to me. to be a miniature version of a jointer's tool chest on coasters. Said he has had offers of five hundred dollars just for the box! The chest is very well made, looks to me like white oak, has three sliding tills and a small well in the bottom. The first till is mostly writing implements, pads, pencils and the like as well as some machinist tools. The second till has lots of pinch dogs and clamps, and some tools I'm not familiar with. The last till has some obvious pattern makers planes, all of which are made of some kind of brass alloy, router planes of various designs, small finger planes, and a block plane missing it's blade and lever cap. The bottom of the box held a Stanley Bailey No 7, a Stanley No 20 and a wooden box full of chisels! After a way too short conversation about the chest's contents due to the appearance of other customers, he says he's willing to part with 4 chisels at $10 apiece, my choice. Well I choose six and ask him if he would accept $50 (all the money I had with me) for all ( much to the consternation of my wife! ) He says ok, takes the money and moves on. After bringing my chisels to the car, I return and hand him my name and phone number asking him to call me if he's ever willing to sell the chest or it's contents. I think I'm going to go back tomorrow, after all it's my Birthday! Sorry for the long rant, I was board! 



These things are huge! The largest being over 15" long!







The first "Cranked" chisel I've ever come across in the wild!

Thanks for looking
Tom.

[DaveParkis]

You suck!!!! That's a seriously nice score. If there are any more of those pattern makers tools, you should grab them all.

[Downwindtracker2]

Shamrocks  are good.

[tshiker]

Thanks Dave! I went back and spent over an hour talking to the gentleman who own's the chest. I wasn't able to convince him into parting with it yet But we found two more chisels that were part of the set I bought from him before. I was able to get him to part with them, bringing the total to 4 chisels and 4 gouges 1/4', 1/2', 3/4", 1" each. I'll take a group photo when I get them all sharpened up but first I need to learn how to sharpen an in-canal gouge!

[Downwindtracker2]

I  purchased a patternmaker's chest. I haven't yet sharpened my William Marple & Sons in-channel gouges ,and they do need it. I'm thinking a Dremel/Foredom with a either a Cratex point and or a sanding drum for initial shape, then a slips. The back has to remain flat and the bevel square. The English call them scribing gouges.BTW

[DaveParkis]

Nice!! For sharpening the incannel gouges, I would just get a few dowels and wrap various grits of wet/dry sand paper around them. I hope you left your contact info with the guy or at least asked if you could check again in 6 or 8 months. I don't know how many times I've gotten a phone call after someone said they weren't ready to sell their tools.

[Bill_Houghton]

...I need to learn how to sharpen an in-canal gouge!

I understand there are some very nice Italian slipstones, mined from a quarry in Venice, that will do the job.

As a friend of mine pointed out (thanks, Bruce!), these should be lubricated with water, usually readily available.

[Bibliophile 13]

Get some Arkansas slipstones and go to town. Leather glued to a dowel works well for stropping.