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271940 Erik Levin 2020‑10‑24 If it weren't for dumb luck, I'd have no luck at all
It was an interesting Saturday. 

I started the day trying to not be distracted, as I am on call for an
engineering job. So, as the weather was nice, and it isn't likely to stay so for
much longer, I took a bit of a ride to the botanical garden in Hamilton, NJ.
Highly recommended if you are in the region, by the way. Lovely even this time
of year, though sprig is quite spectacular.

Apparently, many people thought the same I did today. Not about visiting the
botanical garden (I actually didn't make it there due to the following, and went
for a walk in the woods, instead. I'll go tomorrow, maybe) but about the weather
in general, and it was yard sales everywhere I looked.

I tried to resist. Really. I tried. Then I saw it. From my truck, maybe at a
range of 30 meters, I saw it.

The box.

A Gerstner. Leather bound. 

Unmistakable.

I had to stop. 

The condition is decent, not great. 

https://postimg.cc/DS28DKKc

I have no idea who Joe is, as it was not the seller. It had been in the seller
hands for a few years, awaiting a reconditioning that never happened. I know the
seller didn't buy from the first owner, but maybe the second. I think I am
number four. I think I know who the first owner was.

https://postimg.cc/LYZXf9zm

The first owner was, I think, the name on the drawer: George Kenneth Hullfish,
of Hopewell, NJ (1920-1979,  WW-II veteran, machinist mate stationed at Pearl
Harbor). I recognized the name when I pulled the cover before buying, but only
in the general sense of it being an older name in Hopewell Valley, and tied to
the Appleby's. Yup. I'm that kind of nerd. I gotta know. After discharge, he was
apparently a machinist and/or toolmaker for Rockwell and Mobil oil.

General condition is not bad for what is likely a 70 to 80 year old chest. The
drawers, after a quick vacuum, are ok, but a few in need of felt replacement

https://postimg.cc/PvW53S3c


The only major problems are the missing locking hasp, the broken drawer,

https://postimg.cc/4K0ym7H8

and wear in the guide grooves for the cover

https://postimg.cc/QF0HZn8Z

What did I pay for this gem? The princely sum of $10. That is what the seller
asked. I told her it was probably worth more, but she was more interested in
getting things out. The sale was a HUGE collection of, shall we say, stuff.

But the chest wasn't all.

I also got a few other lesser items, including a Starrett 491 protractor head-
the style that works from either side

https://postimg.cc/4KYNkf2p

a caliper (of course. Of course. It is me, after all)

https://postimg.cc/McgZzCgN

Imperial one side, metric the other. A. W. Niemeyer, Hamburg, being the maker.
Not great user condition, but a nice wall hanger,

and a Sargent knuckle cap block plane in less than stellar condition

https://postimg.cc/ppvThtyt


Interestingly, this has a lateral adjustment attached to the iron. I have not
seen this before, and am curious how this is intended to work as the iron gets
shorter


https://postimg.cc/RN3WxT3W



But that isn't all. It was a banner day. Another stop, further up the road:

Two Langdon-style miter boxes. As far as I can ID them (neither has a complete
label), a Goodell 1303 and  Millers Falls 1124.

https://postimg.cc/06jrkdjM

With saws

https://postimg.cc/jDdScQzg

One of  the back saws is Disston, another Millers falls, stamped for the Langdon
miter box

https://postimg.cc/w7kBDbsR

and the third is "Disston-Porter". Several other lesser saws in the lot, as
well, that are going to the stockpile.

What price, you ask? $20 for the lot. A steal? Maybe. The saws are all sharp and
straight, only one rusty. The Disston has a fine tote and excellent hang (is it
hang for a miter box back saw?) and is clean. The millers falls is clean, but
has a laminated veneer handle, matching the vintage of the miter box.


So, my question: Advice on the leather repair on the Gerstner? I want to
preserve the character and history. Hide glue, maybe? Any suggestions for a
leather dressing? Or just wax? I plan to repair the guide groove for the cover
by plowing the groove  and installing a piece of brass angle.

Any advice on the felt repair/replacement? Wool has advantages and
disadvantages, as does synthetic. This is likely a few months down the road, as
I have little time these days, and right now, the chest is full of moth balls
and bagged, just to be sure no critters are lurking where I can't see them. I
hate the smell, but it is effective, and the space is ventilated.


I hope you all have had a nice weekend thus far. Now, back to paper work for me.



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Recent Bios FAQ