Monday, July 13, 2015

Anyone ever heard of Trojan blades?


As my reunion is nearing, next WE, I am not about to start any projects right now, but...
While I am cleaning this wall, may as well gut the top spaces for something else I have in mind for later

Started cleaning this wall in prevision for...

As the small built in shelves came down, I came across this small package.

Parker Manufacturing Co. Worcester 1, Mass., USA

Never knew it was there all along. It still contained two blades. I have never seen such blade, so intrigued I started to look it up. As there are no Zip codes on the package company address, they must be pre-1963 or thereabout. This house was built in 1976, so must be old stock?

The blades have a hook/loop formed on each ends.
Not sure how it will work but I am gonna have to try it :-)

The brand name of the blades is Trojan.
Never seen such a hook loop on blades before.
Did any of you ever tried these?

Googling did not brought up much info on it.
The company seems to still exist  under a slightly different name and has now outsourced its hardware components in China, oh surprises!!
There was a few Ebay auctions that I came across, with some surprising prices being asked !?



They also made coping saw frame, presumably to hold their blades. It look like a regular coping saw blade frame to me, Will have to try in my frames.

Saw came in a box with a small samples on blades.
Pic from EBay.

Close up inside box cover.
Pic from EBay.

A nice assortment in a metal box. Likely a dealer display case.
Pic from EBay.

Lots of blades inside.
Pic from EBay.

Not sure of the blade quality or how these mounted/fit in my coping saw frames, but will give it a go. If any of you ever heard of such animals or knew something more about them, I would love to hear from you.

While I have the shop somewhat back in shape for my upcoming visitors, I thought I'll give you a small overview. It will help to see just how small my area is, and why I keep re-arranging things around.

The view straight ahead when you walk in from the current laundry room.

And looking back. To the left near the corner shelves there is
 another door to the storage side of the house.

These two doors somewhat take away some storage areas but are practical.
Down the road I will probably put a window in the door facing the Laundry room
which goes straight to the outside basement entrance.

The free standing cabinet I had near my saw bench has been relegated back to a wall, It was convenient to carry some supplies at hand near the my benches, but it also was often in the way. That meant that I temporarily lost my spot to hang my crosscut fence and the two saws I used on the saw bench the most. Will have to find them a new home.

Where I used to hang my saws in use on the saw bench

I like having my temporarily sharpening bench right behind me, no more excuses for not touching up that edge as I work!
My original plans for a larger one are now being revisited. I think the best solution to my dilemmas is to do something like Ken and have two: One in the power tool garage and one strictly for my hand tools. That way my current setup is big enough and compact enough. I just have to find the best height for it and my poor back... And perhaps put on wheel so I can move it around? If so it would need to have some locking wheels.

Currently its drawer is well stuck, I restarted the dehumidifier it first read 64%, it is now down to 47% and steady, I can now open the drawer, go figure :-)
Will need some more tweaking with a handplane...


Once this reunion is in the books, I will start in earnest on my bottom tool chest cabinet, meanwhile I'm on cleaning duties all over the house, inside and out :-) 

Bob, whistling and running through some plans in my head while cleaning.



6 comments:

  1. Your shop is a lot smaller than I thought. I assumed you had the whole cellar, sans the laundry room.

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  2. No, only a space roughly a bedroom size. It is about 17 long by 12 wide.
    Plenty for my hand tools needs. In theory, If I can figured out everything in this small spaces to my liking, with a much more minimalist tool kit...(good luck with that :-) I should be able to keep a shop when we move into our next phase of life: (retirement community by the sea somewhere) minus my power tools shop. I can always used the base shop or...do without.

    Bob, forever planing ahead

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  3. That's a nice looking shop. Plus, you have a power tool shop? It sure would be nice to have so much space!

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  4. Hi Brian
    Thanks for the comments about my little space :-) yes, the power tool shop is in my garage, but it is more a storage room than a shop lately...
    Bob

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  5. When I was a teenager in the 60s I got a saber saw for Christmas. The best cutting blades I ever found were Trojan blades. All of the rest I tried, seemed dull in comparison. I found this site while trying to find some more.

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  6. Thank you orwhut. I had never heard of these blades prior to finding some in my shop, left behind by previous owner. They are indeed fine blade, but I suspect that the company disappeared long ago (?)

    Bob

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