Timeless Tools and Treasures

Frequently people call me to sell their old tools, so I go to see them hoping there will be a few special items. Last week I was invited to a well-established farm with several outbuildings. It took two hours to go through all the barns, cellars and storage areas. What a treasure-trove of antique car parts and tools, machining tools and equipment, carpentry tools, tool chests and more! Many of these items had been in the family for several generations, so he wasn’t ready to part with some of the things I really wanted, but I did manage to fill up my car. One tool chest has several drawers in the front with inset pulls and it was filled with large spiral reamers. There is the usual collection of chisels, wrenches and other hand tools. My favorite item is this lovely cam and ratchet wood and cast steel vise.

The paper label is so worn, the maker name is no longer legible. I would love to know the maker of this item.

This week we acquired the largest post drill we have had so far. It’s 52″ long; has a 14′ wheel and 9″ table, plus another work surface under the table. There is no maker information cast into it; nor any numbers. I have not been able to find a photo of any other post drill like this.

It has tapered gears and an unusual ratchet gear perched on the top supported by three small arms instead of  the usual solid core. The large round table swings to the side to reveal another bracket for holding whatever you want to drill into. Any ideas about the origin of this machine are welcome.

Yesterday we set up our “tool emporium” at the weekly Peterborough Antique Show and one of my favorite customers brought me an interesting gift. Certainly not the sort of gift a man would usually offer a woman, but very appropriate from one tool collector to another.

It’s actually very similar to the umbrella-style yarn swift I use for large skeins, but this one is for winding wire for electric motors. The diameter of the arms is regulated by compressing the length of the spindle so that the wire can be removed after winding.

So, now I have a most interesting device for my collection that very few other tool enthusiasts can claim to own. It’s also more fun than the static tools like rules and levels. Thank you, Peter!