Car boot report (becoming a tradition!)

[Scouse]

I think I might be developing a problem. There was a time I wouldn't have gone near a car boot sale, but now... this week I had what could be described as a withdrawal symptom when they were rained off last weekend, and today I was up at 5.30.
I wonder if car boots have wained a bit in popularity with toolies (with the exception of Jimi!); I seem to remember reading a lot more posts last year illustrating interesting finds, maybe I just have a dodgy memory. Anyway...

Abingdon wrench and Leytool drill, or as her-indoors calls them, 'Yetanotherleytool' drill. I can't help it, they are sooooooo cute. Lol . Sorry, bit girly that... moving on...

Old drill, bears more than a passing resemblance to a Millers Falls, in fact the casting of the frame is very similar in detail to a couple of other early ones I've got, but no makers name. The type study site has a few near matches, but nothing identical.

Finally, a WS No.4, because I simply haven't got enough number 4s to renovate, and I needed another one. :roll: . I think it's a bitsa plane this one though, the frog, blade, cap iron and lever cap are all WS, but the body is, I fear, a made in England Stanley Bailey.
BUT, look what happened with a small dose of fairy dust from the bottom of a bottle of Brasso...

Mmm, shiny. Surely, WS lever caps are the most fantastic looking items on any mass produced planes.

So that was the haul for this week. Apparently there is a small sale on Wednesday, but I've decided to lock myself in my room with ten tins of chicken soup and a copy of the 'Trainspotting' soundtrack. I hope a Norris infill doesn't crawl across the ceiling and try to get me.

It's not a problem...I could stop...if I wanted too... 8-[

 

[RogerP]

Here's a couple from this morning - £1.50 the pair.

tiny 6" coffin plane

Tesa dial gauge

 

[DTR]

That's a nice looking dial gauge. Isn't it about time we had an official boot sale thread? It seems there's a new one started every week.

Anyhow, here's today's baggings. Actually they are SWMBO's on my behalf as I was recovering from a night shift.

A complete (as far as I can tell) Record 071, rust free:

A 5" hand brace, not sure of the brand. My 10" brace will take on most of the jobs but I wanted a smaller sweep for countersinking.

A rusty Stanley #5, I guess 1950s vintage. I already have a #5 so Doris intends to take this one for herself.

Finally a 26" crosscut saw, apparently owned by the Late & Never Early Railway. There's some light rust on the blade, a split nut is missing and one of the horns is damaged. It cuts pretty well without a sharpen. I'm surprised how thin and flexible the saw plate is though, measurement to follow if anyone is interested.

The 071 cost me £8. The #5 was £2 and the brace and saw were a pound each.

 

[Racers]

Hi,

You lot did better than me, the field was full of stalls but no tools, I came away with 3 CDs one was a Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan one that I haven't got.

Pete

 

[bugbear]

Here's a couple from this morning - £1.50 the pair.

Tesa dial gauge

If the dial gauge is OK (*) that's a great bargain.

BygBear

* once they get sticky and insensitive, they're expensive to repair.

 

[RogerP]

If the dial gauge is OK (*) that's a great bargain.

BygBear

* once they get sticky and insensitive, they're expensive to repair.

It works fine, not at all sticky or insensitive. What will need sorting is the "glass" (plastic actually). You can just see a wire which is out of place. It's about two thirds of a full circle and wavy as if it's supposed to be a sprung clip/spacer. I've taken the glass off (easy) and had a look but can't make up my mind how its supposed to be fitted. It doesn't interfere with the needle and it's not problem in anyway - but it's untidy

 

[Richard T]

Better late than never.....

M&W square and Sorby paring gouge ... still long enough to work well :shock:

Flat soled spoke shave to go with the curved one I got previously and most importantly ...

Ten bars of Swiss chocolate (a smidge out of date) for £5. Ok there are only nine there ... there are even less now.

 

[bugbear]

Better late than never.....

M&W square and Sorby paring gouge ... still long enough to work well :shock:

I use my old M&W combo square a lot. Whilst even a new combo square has rather wide tolerances for accuracy (*), the egonomics and versatility of a nice, old one are a joy, and the tolerances are good enough for a wide range of WW activities.

BugBear

* the reference points are small and close together, AND subject to wear.

 

[Richard T]

Yup BB, it is an old one and I'm very impressed with it.

 

[jimi43]

Some wonderful hauls there guys! We have had a bit of a disaster down in Kent recently...what with the inclement weather.

I feel a major find coming on!

Of the above...my favourites are the WS plane...lovely lever cap on those...should be a gem cleaned up a bit...a prime candidate for black cold Japanning if ever I saw one! (It is black under all that crud isn't it?)

I have a growing collection of Mercer dial gauges...I can't walk past those things! Always handy for one job or another...and if you get enough of them...you can just leave them in situ!

Only this week I regretted the sale of my old 71. I think I shall be looking out for an ancient one of those pretty soon in a field near me!

Also on the list is a curved bottom spokeshave...I have the restored flat Stanley and it is so good...I simply have to modify a curved one and insert one of those Veritas blade!

But the find of the week for me has to be the M&W combi-square. Me and Messrs Moore and Wright have a love affair going way back...down the road...I have one of their lovely tool chests on my shopping list...until then...just to prove that you can get what you want at bootfairs....anyone remember this £3 find from a few weeks back?

Well...M&W it ain't and the wood is still battered and bruised and has hundreds of holes in it from previous lives as a file cabinet and Lord knows what else....is now going to humbly house my collection of precision tools...

...especially with the handcut crude dovetails...and old floorboards....

....some scrap rosewood for some hastily turned up knobs....

Not the most attractive toolbox in the litter...but for £3 bootfair find and a few scraps....some bits of old hardware......

.....and a few hours with an axe....probably the cheapest!

Jim