Aunt Katherine died recently at the age of 94. Her father built the home she lived in, and she was 12 when they moved in. Her father was a cabinet maker and had apprenticed in Hungary before coming to the US. The suites of furniture he made for his daughters is gorgeous stuff.
As we clean out the basement, we find more of the tools he made the furniture with:
Various hand saws, 12 different planes, two scrapers, some chisels, 2 bevel gauges, 8 long wooden screw “bar” clamps which I suspect he made, a dozen short wooden screw clamps, a box of beautiful brushes, a horsehair dust brush, a copper hand operated air blower, two sharpening stones, several home made marking knives, a small bench with a tail vise, several screwdrivers, two awls, a home built, wooden construction table (?) saw with an ancient motor, and what seems to be a home built shaper of the same construction.
I am puzzled by one tool. It is a five foot wooden device which may be adjustable for more length. It is probably made by him. It seems designed to mount a work piece, as a lathe does, but there is no obvious method of powering it. Anyway….
It is interesting to contemplate the work which came out of this humble, row house basement. Certainly, you would be hard pressed to find better craftsmanship.
Replies
Patrick,
I just had to pinch myself...make sure I'm not dreaming. My Aunt Kathrine will be 92 next month and was showing me what a wonderful shop her basement would make not so long ago. She wants my wife and I to move into her house. My grandfather was a boiler maker with the railroad...His left over tools are a bit less romantic...lol.
Aunt Katherine was a blessing; sounds as if you are likewise blessed.
How about a photo of the mystery tool, so that we can all scratch ourselves where we keep our brains (differant locations for some folks) and make pompous sounding guesses
I'm beginning to feel like the last person in the country without a digital camera. This may be the incentive to leave 35mm behind.......
Hi Patrick... From your brief description, the mystery tool may be a 'stock-carvers vise'. A piece of wood that will be made into a leg for a piece of furniture is mounted between the two points. As you are shaping the wood, it can be rotated so a new surface is in a position to be worked on. You can use it with a draw knife, files or any wood removing tool. It's handy for holding wood for sanding as you don't have to open the vise, reposition the wood and re-tighten the vise. Just a twist of the wrist and you are ready to work on a new surface.
SawdustSteve
I like this answer too!
Pat.. Now you have to make a nice tool box for all those tools...
Edited 5/25/2005 3:53 pm ET by Will George
You're absolutely right about the box. What is the best way to store a plane? Blade drawn up into the throat? On a wooden surface? Or cushioned?
I have my planes in holders to be safe
I take a board as wide as the plane, cut to length of plane, mark where the blade is on bottom of plane then transfer that line to the board, make a dado 2 inches wide by 3/8 in deep. take some hardboard and attach to the front and rear of the board so that it is 1 1/2" - 2" taller than the board and also front and rear 1/3rd of length on both sides but no matter what, I make sure that the dado is exposed so I can see the blade area. When I put my plane down I put in there, at then end of the day I put the plance and its rest on the shelf. This prevents the blade from getting nicked and also allows for air flow ( know a guy who has piece of carpet pad that he puts his on, if left toolong seemd to get more than normal rust on the blade)
I do this for each of my planes. IF there is a rare tim I put the plane down NOT in the holder, I lay it on its side1 - measure the board twice, 2 - cut it once, 3 - measure the space where it is supposed to go 4 - get a new board and go back to step 1
I think you are right. Thanks!
It is a five foot wooden device which may be adjustable for more length..
No picture so I'll just guess some kind of story stick to check square of case work or whatever...
Seems too complicated a device for that.
Patrick,
I think Sawduststeve has the right idea. Sounds like what I'd call a handlemaker's vise, as illustrated in Mercer's "Ancient Carpenters Tools". For axe handles and the like, or legs, as suggested earlier.
Regards,
Ray
I belive Steve is correct - Especially since his furniture legs are all carved or fluted or otherwise fancy.
What an amazing experience. Soak it up...let that place seep into you and inspire you...try to feel his presence, and his approval that you are there and you understand and honor him...
Charlie
The amount of stuff that accumulated in that basement in 82 years was astounding. Cleaning it out, getting rid of junk and passing on "heirlooms" has been going on for 2 months, and it has been like peeling an onion.
The more we got rid of, the more we could see and appreciate his shop. To look at a piece of his furniture and think that it was made from raw, undimensiond planks in that small dim space with that small collection of tools is humbling.
Yes, I do honor him.
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