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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My word, if that’s not a hidden gloat :). Nice score though.  Try neatsfoot
oil on the leather.  It will darken it slightly, but will give the leather
back it’s suppleness.



On Sat, Oct 24, 2020 at 7:06 PM Erik Levin via OldTools <
oldtools@s...> wrote:

You are correct. I just peeled back the plastic wrap and took a good look. I
think the actual leather bits were the remains of the handle wrap, or ended up
stuck to the top from another source entirely. I registered on those bits, and
moved so quickly into a quick vacuum out, mothball, and plastic wrap that I
jumped past an actual close examination. I have a number of cases, small and
large, that are true leather and my mind went there.


Thanks for the other follow up information, as well.



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 On Saturday, October 24, 2020, 11:02:33 PM EDT, Mike Rock  wrote: 





Erik,
Check very closely.......  that 'leather' is cloth with a leather 
pattern printed on it in most cases.  I have one at my feet now and 
another in the shop, both the fake leatherette.

And continuing the dumb luck of the season, I had to drive up to Rutgers this
morning to pick up a side job (machining job) I'm doing for a researcher in the
department I used to work for.

I saw a sign. Garage sale. 

The next sign said Estate sale

I had to stop. I just had to. I didn't want to.

But it's a disease.

I tried to resist.

But stop I did.

It was `week n' of an estate sale, apparently the last. The realtor running it
wanted the rest of the stuff gone, and most of the good stuff went the first few
weeks. What remained at the end of the day was going to a dumpster.

If the good stuff was gone, I missed out.It could have been bad, but I was
pressed for time, and didn't want to go into the house. By the sales agent, the
guy was the type who would just buy another rather than look for something if he
couldn't find it right away. Other than the big stuff and a few likely holdouts,
he was letting it go for free. Books. Tools. furniture. There was a lot of stuff
without going past the garage, and apparently more in the house.

I walked away with a 2 cubic foot recycle container about half full. 120# (60
litres and 55Kg, Jeff) Plus some loose items and about a dozen books.


The items I glommed that are of interest here include some measuring tools-
small scales, gages, depth probes, and calipers- as well as scrapers, files,
some square socket tee wrenches, and an assortment of other items.

https://postimg.cc/dZQLxd9r

A couple tachometers were buried in the mess, as well.

https://postimg.cc/YhnmTXZ9

The large set of boxes in the middle is Clipper belt lacing. I already have a
tool for this, but there was one here, as well. For free.

https://postimg.cc/hJxzzKjz

But this wasn't it. Also of interest

https://postimg.cc/XrtBYrV6

I have not catalogued these yet, and I think there are more still in the bin,
but this comprises about 40, most Starrett, B&S, and union. A missing scriber
here, a missing bow spring there, but most complete, with several having the
quick adjust nut, and at least one larger with the fine adjust.

There is more. Stones. A veritable pile of sharpening stones. These are the
wedge shape with rounded edges (I can't recall the proper name.) I grabbed five,
one in each grade that was there, but there were maybe another 25 in assorted
grits

https://postimg.cc/wyQ12FD9

I passed on the planes, as they were nothing special, though priced ok ($10 for
a later #5 jack plane in user condition doesn't grab me anymore, and I have no
need for another #102 block plane, for example), the remaining chisels were
nothing of interest, and the only interesting items were incomplete. The saw
vise was tempting, though. I almost bit on that.

The guy was a machinist, and I apparently missed the best of that stuff, as
well, but maybe 1/3 of the weight was lathe tooling of various types. Would've
loved to see the basement, but I had to go.




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An inventory:


(7) union - 2 12" inside, 1 8" sprung divider, 4 4" inside https://postimg.cc/yJG4Dpnk">https://postimg.cc/yJG4Dpnk

(15) Starrett- 37-12 12" inside transfer, 10" inside w/ fine, 26-12 firm joint
outside, (2) 26-6 firm joint, (2) 243 hermaphrodite, 27-6 firm joint inside, 8
inch yankee-style divider, 4: yankee style divider, then we get to the type
study of the split-nut quick adjust. With two inside, an outside, and a divider,
there are four different versions of the nut, two of which I have never seen. I
think the one on the 6" divider is the original patent https://postimg.cc/2VYpLZdF">https://postimg.cc/2VYpLZdF

(6) Sampson (Newark, NJ), one 4" inside, one sprung divider, and four dividers
with lockscrew and fine adjust https://postimg.cc/gX698yB4">https://postimg.cc/gX698yB4

(3) Goodell-pratt- 2 4" inside, 1 6" outside https://postimg.cc/BjZdMfVj

one Lufkin hermaphrodite https://postimg.cc/nMBbLkmh

one B&S 802 inside (I really like the look of these, the feel of these, but they
are not my favourite to use) https://postimg.cc/0KpLHkvw">https://postimg.cc/0KpLHkvw

and one "Mass tool co, Greenfield Mass" 4" inside friction. Never seen one of
these before, and it looks to be absolutely virginal. https://postimg.cc/vxRJz1Jy">https://postimg.cc/vxRJz1Jy

And about eight more that are unmarked, several of which appear to be user made.


The more I dig through this pile, the more I think I should have made more time
today. But regrets never help, so I hope that some other galoot stopped by and
found more treasure.


I think that, soon, I shall be divesting myself of some calipers and dividers. I
think my total count now is well over 100, with a LOT of duplicates. I use about
a dozen of them in practice.



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Well done. Have not looked at the pix in the other email, but the inventory
is impressive.

Ya could done Galootaclaus big time w the excess.

Kirk

On Sat, Nov 28, 2020 at 10:52 AM Erik Levin via OldTools <
oldtools@s...> wrote:

>
> And continuing the dumb luck of the season, I had to drive up to Rutgers
> this morning to pick up a side job (machining job) I'm doing for a
> researcher in the department I used to work for.
>
> I saw a sign. Garage sale.
>
> The next sign said Estate sale
>
> I had to stop. I just had to. I didn't want to.
>
> But it's a disease.
>
> I tried to resist.
>
> But stop I did.
>
> It was `week n' of an estate sale, apparently the last. The realtor
> running it wanted the rest of the stuff gone, and most of the good stuff
> went the first few weeks. What remained at the end of the day was going to
> a dumpster.
>
> If the good stuff was gone, I missed out.It could have been bad, but I was
> pressed for time, and didn't want to go into the house. By the sales agent,
> the guy was the type who would just buy another rather than look for
> something if he couldn't find it right away. Other than the big stuff and a
> few likely holdouts, he was letting it go for free. Books. Tools.
> furniture. There was a lot of stuff without going past the garage, and
> apparently more in the house.
>
> I walked away with a 2 cubic foot recycle container about half full. 120#
> (60 litres and 55Kg, Jeff) Plus some loose items and about a dozen books.
>
>
> The items I glommed that are of interest here include some measuring
> tools- small scales, gages, depth probes, and calipers- as well as
> scrapers, files, some square socket tee wrenches, and an assortment of
> other items.
>
> https://postimg.cc/dZQLxd9r
>
> A couple tachometers were buried in the mess, as well.
>
> https://postimg.cc/YhnmTXZ9
>
> The large set of boxes in the middle is Clipper belt lacing. I already
> have a tool for this, but there was one here, as well. For free.
>
> https://postimg.cc/hJxzzKjz
>
> But this wasn't it. Also of interest
>
> https://postimg.cc/XrtBYrV6
>
> I have not catalogued these yet, and I think there are more still in the
> bin, but this comprises about 40, most Starrett, B&S, and union. A missing
> scriber here, a missing bow spring there, but most complete, with several
> having the quick adjust nut, and at least one larger with the fine adjust.
>
> There is more. Stones. A veritable pile of sharpening stones. These are
> the wedge shape with rounded edges (I can't recall the proper name.) I
> grabbed five, one in each grade that was there, but there were maybe
> another 25 in assorted grits
>
> https://postimg.cc/wyQ12FD9
>
> I passed on the planes, as they were nothing special, though priced ok
> ($10 for a later #5 jack plane in user condition doesn't grab me anymore,
> and I have no need for another #102 block plane, for example), the
> remaining chisels were nothing of interest, and the only interesting items
> were incomplete. The saw vise was tempting, though. I almost bit on that.
>
> The guy was a machinist, and I apparently missed the best of that stuff,
> as well, but maybe 1/3 of the weight was lathe tooling of various types.
> Would've loved to see the basement, but I had to go.
>
>
>
>
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> address(es) may not match the originating address
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-- 
Sent from my iPad, apologies for the Auto Correct errors. Kirk