Recent content by jamesicus

Stanley No. 203 circa. 1937 James

I discuss this here -- a caveat, many of my notes are based on long ago remembrances. Here is an example of a WD marked chisel (broad arrow) from the WWII years: James

James P. -- Folding Boxwood & Steel Rules

When I first took woodworking class at school (1940) I remember our teacher (Mr. Lord) saying to use "light machine oil" (whatever that was) on oil stones. When I worked at Tillotson's (Burnley 1947-1950) it seemed everyone had a squirt can of some kind of light oil (?) in their toolbox for that...

Thanks for posting those pics, Andy. I especially like the cover page photo - reminds of the old craftsmen I worked for long ago. Although I have owned and used numerous Marples tools (mostly "Shamrock" brand) over the years I have never owned a Marples bench plane. I have mostly owned and used...

That is pretty much the way I considered it, Jacob.

Thanks Corneel. Your observations are pretty much correct - as I remember. As I remember, we only "freshed up" the bevel on subsequent grindstone treatments - but I am not dead certain about that -I haven't used a grindstone in this manner for many years.

Thanks.

Where I worked in the late 1940s apprentices were taught how to sharpen their edged tools (chisels and plane irons) under the tutelage of the older craftsmen and thereafter were supposed to properly maintain them. A communal foot pedal operated water trough grindstone was used for major bevel...

Some of you may remember how I set about to assemble a North Bros. Yankee No. 106 boxed Tool Set, as depicted in the following 1925 advertisement, after buying an empty No. 106 Tool Set box in an online auction: Well, I now own three sets! Check here to see After accumulating all of the...

Original factory grind on Sorby Kangaroo brand sash mortice chisel (top): and Butcher heavy duty ("Pigsticker") mortice chisel (bottom) James

Then we have the lighter sash mortice chisels, Eric, with the traditional British boxwood handles. Here are two typical ones: William Marples & Sons (1/4"): Robert Sorby (1/4"): James

My James Cam (3/8") heavy duty mortice chisel: I don't think this is the original handle - I believe the handles on many of these chisels were replaced one or more times during their life time due to the heavy pounding they were subjected too. I also think most of the replacement handles...

Same here. When I first started my apprenticeship I took some of my father's and grandfather's old tools - hammers, saws, chisels, pincers, etc. - to work with me in an old tin tool box. Eventually I took them back home after I had stocked my hand built tool box (the company supplied the wood...