Millers Falls brace

[condeesteso]

I've had an old Stanley brace for ages, but recently saw a MF on eBay and couldn't resist. I am a fan of Millers Falls tools, could be verging on a collector. It's a real cracker and I suppose they are not common in the UK but it's a really well made thing.

That's the ebay pic, it's better in real life, the top bun looks a bit shabby there but it's very clean indeed, the whole brace looks virtually unused with perfect heavy nickel plate, and that special MF red wood they used, glowing nicely. I particularly like the red wood - not to be confused with the more common redwood. I believe red wood was native to Green Fields, Mass. and is now extinct. That's the main reason MF ceased trading, they ran out of red wood.
The ratchet is excellent, chuck very precise, bearings all really smooth. Top marks to good old Millers Falls.

 

[John15]

I'd love to own a MF egg beater but looking on ebay they all seem to go for big money. I'll keep watching.

John

 

[marcros]

I am a fan too, Douglas. Millers Falls and Inca. I could quite happily full my workshop with just those two.

Have you any MF hand planes? How do they compare with their stanley or record peers?

 

[condeesteso]

don't have a Millers handplane yet Mark. Quite a few egg beaters John, what size do you want, I'm sure I could spare just the one. Here's a restored one (might have come via Wiktor Kuc) which has the c'sink in permanently. Another has a small pilot in, and I keep a few more for Ron.

I can start assembling things now, they go together like this:

It's like K'nex - the only limit is your imagination. There's a bloke in Ohio who built a... I'll stop now

p.s. see what you mean re prices, seem higher generally these days. A nice No1 on ebay but over-restored, and the cigar spokeshave... think I paid 40 for mine. The bargains come up though.

 

[John15]

Hi Douglas,

I've PM'd you

John

 

[AndyT]

Very nice. I only have five MF tools but they do all have an extra something about them. I can see why they were worth importing to the UK for so long.

(The 1953 Buck and Hickman catalogue had a frustrating appendix listing popular American tools which they were not able to supply while post war dollar restrictions were still in place. It included three pages of desirable Millers Falls tools.)

[Edit: Five not four. I forgot the spokeshave.]

 

[condeesteso]

Thought I'd be able to draw you out with this one Andy. You'll recognise the shank mount bit thing... as you made it =D>
The cigar spokeshave (quite seasonal, that) is very good too - i have 2 Veritas but always reach for the MF first. Given the post-War currency issues, does this mean Russian tools will be hard to come by now? [Technically the opposite I suppose, as the pound buys loads of roubles and roubles equates to fine handplanes.]

 

[AndyT]

Hmm... are there old Soviet planes out there, the woodworking equivalent of the Zenith photo gear of the 70s? I know Paul Chapman has a nice copy of the Record 043...

 

[condeesteso]

There are Andy, but they hold their price well. I found this one:

It's a Mig 29UB. But they're asking $4.65M for it.

 

[AndyT]

:lol: :lol: :lol: