What I brought back and update

If I told you I did not brought back any tool, would you believed me? Probably not... :-)

But like I said earlier, while I shop for woodworking related tools and products in the States, I tend to stick to stuff I don't see here back home in Canada or a good sale. I find that on average there are no big price differences, after accounting for the exchange rate. Power tools are a different story, but I'm a Galoot...

So truly, the only WW things I brought back from Buffalo was a wood steam bending kit from Rockler and a Fine Woodworking DVD, from Michael Fortune on making a garden chair.

My only WW related purchases in the States

I quickly look for flea markets in the Buffalo area but it was on Week End only and we arrived and left on a Sunday. I had plans to drive thru the Eastern sea board and hit the Tool barn and others mecca, but changes of plans to accommodate visits took precedence's.

But fear not, I made up for it, upon our return came across a few find in my regular local flea markets places this past Week End.

This past week end finds

Mind you my tool budget right now is severely crippled by my high taxes bill this year Grrr...
So will have to cool it off for a while...

We Canadian Veterans are currently in a fight with our government over benefits owe us for our injuries suffered while serving. Not all injuries are visible... After more than 10 years in Afghanistan we have LOTS of injured veterans...
A visibly frustrated Prime Minister Trudeau was quoted saying to a vet during a Town hall discussion this past February, that Quote  Veterans are asking for more than we can give right now  Unquote.
So I send a partial payment to the more than $4,000 I owe in taxes (over some benefits) with a short note: You are asking me more than I can give you right now... :-(

That comment from our PM as really touched a raw nerve with us vets

End of Canadian Political rant, we now return to our normal woodworking blogging in progress

So what about these new to me antiques I picked up?
2 Chisels:

A pair of Stanley 750s, one (1) inch and half (1/2) inch

for $5

Yes the one inch has a greatly damaged handle,

but Heh, it's wood, I can make a new one :-)

1 plane:

A Record No 3 with a replacement front knob and a make shift bolt/nut

for $8. Blade is full length

Good solid bones

Original Rosewood tote

Complete water transfer decal on top 

Sticker on one sidewall says something like:

Canadian Mar... Company.

Guessing a distributor marks?

And yes, the ubiquitous white paint droppings on the tool.

Never understood why white seems to be the preferred color splotches on tools :-)

and 3 saws:

A St-Catherine On (Smith?) back saw, precursors to what became Shurley-Dietrich & Atkins in the 1930s. I paid $20 for it, my most expensive purchase :-)

The seller had a date of 1887 on it, but that is for the patent date

for the Grover saw nut patent (Like a Chicago bolt)

The tooth line is in remarkable order, not messed up

Fits my hand like a glove (The first thing I always check when buying a saw)

It is a 12 inch saw, small tenon saw

Another back saw, this time a more modern Disston, 14 inch backsaw guessing roughly 50s, 60s (?)

Solid saw, will make a good user. Pretty blocky handle, may make a new one someday (??)

Not bad for $4, I'm happy

And lastly, an older Disston hand saw, for $1, who could resist, and no I did not haggle over the asking price :-)

It is a rather small saw at 22 inch long, complete with the original saw nib still present

The handle shows signs of wind/rain erosion, the way the wood grain is worn off.

And yes, fit my hand just right. Probably another candidate for a re-handle job.

Tooth line is straight and in remarkable good shape

Meanwhile, we transplanted some trees on our property. Some ornamental "bushes" are growing too big, too fast too close to foundation, so out they went.

One tree, now out on front

The other, flowering on the right was also moved in this location

The new garden plot were I dumped the extra top soil from my fire pit installation

has now been rototilled (ouch my back)

Found the time for a quick get away to the woodshop to finally made progress on my infamous Boring till project. Got my two hardwood dividers cut to size and drilled all the holes on the drill press. Now just need to cut the slots, apply a finish on them then screw them in, attach till to wall on its French cleats, load it with tools and Tada, almost done I'll say :-)

While we were away we had two frost warnings texts, and since coming back, we keep getting frost at night,  most night lately it seems... It is murder on our gardens. Turned furnace back on yesterday to drive the chill out in the house. Daytime temps reach high teens sometimes low 20s.

That poor tree did not took to the chill easily... 

The cherry tomatoes plant that we started this winter inside, was doing fine

transplanted outside until all these frost came. There are signs of green shoots in the middle, so not quite dead yet (??) The Cana plants are also severely damaged, sigh.

So there you go, you are now catch up on our happenings around the Casa Chaos :-)

Bob, who should start dividing my tools into separate piles for my son's tool kits, to see what I have and still need (?)