My latest loots :-)

As usual when the going get tough, the tough goes shopping... for tools.

I've been keeping an eye on Kijiji (sort of on line flea market list) for tools around here, except that I enlarged my territory, I now see all listings province wide :-) Car trip!

There is also a local business (Bargain Harley in Berwick NS) which has lots of liquidation stocks from past business, which means when foraging thru I sometimes find New Old Stock (NOS) Stanley tools and bits from various eras.
They have a similar well stocked (NOS) hardware section, so it is also a good place to check for your project's hardware first. That is where I usually buy screw's by the bucket and piano hinges etc.

I have been looking for a long time to complete my set of Irwin's brace bits. I have 3 missing from a complete set of 13, and I could never find them, or they want a fortune... Saw my Lincoln coming from afar :-)

As mentioned above, I often rummage thru the drill bits section at Bargain Harley, you'll find some pretty good find, including most sizes of auger bits NOS. So I bite the bullet and paid about CDN $8 each. Sizes 13 (13/16) 14 (7/8) 15 (15/16).

My three missing sizes... in good shape :-)

NOS made in 1995 (21 years old) and the remainders 2003 (13 years)

Notice they are all made in Brazil?

Today I got the call to go visit someone garage from an ad I responded on Kijiji.
This gentleman was selling a bunch of handsaw for CDN $3 each, about 70 or so in all. Some D12, D7, D8 etc.  I just had to go...

This is what I found.

The saw pile is getting smaller it has been picked 

at least twice before my turn.

I went thru it, picked a few while talking to the gentleman. I explained to him that I surely did not wanted the whole pile just a few, I already have 67 do I really need more?? He said OK, but when I tallied up my saws he said the $3 ea was if I bought the whole lot, the six I had would be $50. Nah, way too much, so I pare it  back to 3 and asked if he had anything else to sale. Braces and planes was his answer. Oh, my eyes must have perk up, cause he made me a deal I could not pass, CDN $5 for any braces, picked the only plated Sheffield brace.
I passed on the usual Stanley No 5 and etc, but found this Chiv or Howel plane, mine for CDN $20, so I gave him CDN $25 for his three saws and everyone is happy :-)

Yes, $25 is too much for these 3 saws, but i got a heck of a good deal on the rest so, I don't mind and we both shook on it.

Now remember me not to wear black denim the next time I go rust hunting in a dusty wood shop, I was kind of gray when I got back to Rudy waiting for me in the car.

So what was so special about these 3 saws that I was willing to pay $9 ea (45/5 = 9).

That one has a rarely seen H Smith St-Catherines Ontario medallion.

This will later become Shurley Dietrich in Galt Ontario, 

then in the 1930s Shurley-Dietrich-Atkins

Disston, warranted superior. 

Not quite what I thought, but I'll take it.

The carving on the handle threw me off :-)

That handle is not stained it is some sort of dark hardwood.

That one has nothing special... except; it is my all time favorite comfortable handle, AND it has three medallions. Doubt very much it came with three and look how wrong the handle hang angle look on that saw plate.

Our thrust line is going up, not toward the tooth line!!!

Can you say, replacement? Don't care I am after the three donor medallions :-)

But here are my prized $9 scoop:

A Chiv or Howell (not to be confused with the similar looking Croz or Groove plane)

They don't always have a side handle and 

that one has a wooden cap iron screw in, older's have a wedge

look at that gaping mouth...

This tool was designed for dry cooperage or sometimes small wet casks. The differences? Wet cooperage is made principally of white oak a hard wood, dry cooperage used softer cedar, pine etc.

This make sense given its location, in the middle of what was once one of the biggest exporting region of apples (dry cooperage) in the British Empire; the Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia. Today more and more apple orchards are turning into vineyards instead. More money into wine than apples I suppose...

And then this sad looking British Sheffield plated brace. So called because it has brass plates on both sides held by steel screws (never brass) which of course caused corrosion. It look sad because the wood is dry and dirty, it will clean up just fine.

Push button chuck.

There is some play (too much) in the head, but that is an easy fix.

I'll show you how later.

See the markings between the chuck end and the button?

Hard to read but once clean should be clear.

  I am happy, Rudy is happy, seen more doggies and peoples today. We went out for supper at a friend's place. Great food great company, we are now both tired :-)

Good nite