Old try squares

[Sheffield Tony]

I picked up a couple of old try squares the other day. A large one that I wanted, and a small one that came with it. both had the steel blade convex on both sides presumably from wear. The big one (branded "Comet") was otherwise OK, so with a bit of judicious filing and emery cloth, I have it back at 90 degrees and with a straight blade. The other one looks like scrap to me; the stock is not square in cross section, it has lost some of the washers from under the rivets, and is a tiny bit loose.

Does anyone bother to repair/restore these things ? Or are new ones cheap enough / easy enough to make that it is not worth the bother ? And is it possible, in a domestic setting, to renew that rather nice blue finish to the steel ?

 

[Trafalgar]

Cold blue:

http://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-tools ... d1072.aspx

 

[bugbear]

I picked up a couple of old try squares the other day. A large one that I wanted, and a small one that came with it. both had the steel blade convex on both sides presumably from wear.

Concave, I assume you meant.

I've even seen concavity on the hardened rule of a M&W combo set.

BugBear

 

[Tony Zaffuto]

I've picked up a few here in the states, and there doesn't seem to be much collector interest or value in them. For example, I got a rosewood w/brass wear strips 12" try square (can't remember the maker) for about $15.00 at an antique mall. Got more than a few dings in it, but I checked it for square before I bought it and it is spot on. From an internet dealer, I bought a 6" Stanley try square, in nice shape (appears to be made well before WWII as marked "Sweethart") for less than $10.00.

Don't understand lack of collector interest. As Charlie said, cold blue will make the blade look nice, but mine, I just cleaned & waxed and use them!

 

[RogerP]

......
Does anyone bother to repair/restore these things ? Or are new ones cheap enough / easy enough to make that it is not worth the bother ?..........

Old tools if they are of good quality are nearly always worth restoring if only for the satisfaction of returning something back to use that otherwise would have been disposed of. However, there was as much junk made in previous times as there is now. If it was a low grade tool then it will be now and isn't worth the effort needed to restore it.

 

[Sheffield Tony]

Concave, I assume you meant.

Yes. Brain not working too well earlier. I blame the weather !

Thanks for the pointer on the cold blue. I was considering recycling the blade of he smaller one to make an adjustable one like someone posted a few days ago.

 

[custard]

Cold blue:

http://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-tools ... d1072.aspx

I've always bought screwdriver bits from Brownells, as I've never found anything that fits slotted screws better. Anyhow, a few weeks after my latest order arrived the police knocked on my door saying I'd received a package from an overseas gunsmith and they wanted to know what it was! I invited them into the workshop for a cup of tea and I showed them the screwdriver bits and the receipt, they were very apologetic and said it's a sorry sign of the times that they have to be so vigilant.

 

[Trafalgar]

Quality outfit for sure.

 

[rafezetter]

Cold blue:

http://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-tools ... d1072.aspx

I've always bought screwdriver bits from Brownells, as I've never found anything that fits slotted screws better. Anyhow, a few weeks after my latest order arrived the police knocked on my door saying I'd received a package from an overseas gunsmith and they wanted to know what it was! I invited them into the workshop for a cup of tea and I showed them the screwdriver bits and the receipt, they were very apologetic and said it's a sorry sign of the times that they have to be so vigilant.

How on earth did they even know? Does the mail system now snoop on "sender" info and report it? I would have asked them to be honest, big brother is fine... to a point but if they thought it was suspicious why not just xray it?

Problem now is almost all of these sorts of visits are going to be false, so the one time it's real, they don't bother.

 

[Racers]

I have also sorted out a few, as you say they are common so I wouldn't worry about the other one.
I used the blade from a knackered one to make a tapered ream, so don't throw it away.
I have also got a once nice Ebony one that the blade is nearly rusted away but for 20p its a good source of Ebony.

Pete

 

[Tony Zaffuto]

Cold blue:

http://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-tools ... d1072.aspx

I've always bought screwdriver bits from Brownells, as I've never found anything that fits slotted screws better. Anyhow, a few weeks after my latest order arrived the police knocked on my door saying I'd received a package from an overseas gunsmith and they wanted to know what it was! I invited them into the workshop for a cup of tea and I showed them the screwdriver bits and the receipt, they were very apologetic and said it's a sorry sign of the times that they have to be so vigilant.

How on earth did they even know? Does the mail system now snoop on "sender" info and report it? I would have asked them to be honest, big brother is fine... to a point but if they thought it was suspicious why not just xray it?

Problem now is almost all of these sorts of visits are going to be false, so the one time it's real, they don't bother.

Here in the States (and Brownell is a US based company), most shipping labels are bar-coded, and depending upon who you ship with, have the shipper's name printed (I use UPS for small shipments, and they stop in twice per day for pick ups & deliveries). We print the labels, using their formatted software, including barcode and our name as shipper. Driver scans everything. When exporting, detailed information is included.

I would suspect that since Brownell is a "gunsmithing" supplier, their name may be on a list of a supplier of stuff that could be used for "nefarious" applications and may customarily kick out for inspection. I guess this is what we have to live with, if we want our respective governments to "offer" protection from Boris Badanov and other n'er do wells.

 

[AndyT]

I agree that try squares do seem to be so common that they are largely disregarded, as are marking gauges. Therefore they are cheap and there is little point rescuing a really bad one rather than just buying a better one.

But they were not all created equal! There was always a choice of price points so the buyer could choose to pay more for ebony or rosewood or for decorative mounts, set in with the ingenious passer drill.

So it's worth looking through any boxes or piles of them to find the gems.

 

[John15]

I've got a 300mm Marples square that I love but it's now a full millimetre out over its length. I don't know how it happened and I can't bring myself to chuck it away - I wish I knew of a way of bringing it back to true.

John

 

[Racers]

Get a file and file it back to square.

A fine second cut file is best and go slowly and keep checking

Pete

 

[AndyT]

I've got a 300mm Marples square that I love but it's now a full millimetre out over its length. I don't know how it happened and I can't bring myself to chuck it away - I wish I knew of a way of bringing it back to true.

John

Basically, the answer is to file it carefully until it's square again!

For a longer, methodical answer, try this video from Mitch Peacock

https://youtu.be/tyIgII7QMdw

 

[Tony Zaffuto]

I agree that try squares do seem to be so common that they are largely disregarded, as are marking gauges. Therefore they are cheap and there is little point rescuing a really bad one rather than just buying a better one.

But they were not all created equal! There was always a choice of price points so the buyer could choose to pay more for ebony or rosewood or for decorative mounts, set in with the ingenious passer drill.

So it's worth looking through any boxes or piles of them to find the gems.

That's absolutely correct here in the States! Further, there is a bi of differentiation in pricing between the fancier ones and the plain Jane ones, but it is not very much at all. For all the tools I've accumulated through the decades, the ones that seem to be used, regardless of how many I have, are the various knives, try squares, chisels in the ranges of 1/2" and 1" to 1-1/2", block planes, rules and panel saws. I seem to have a number of these tools spread out everywhere between my basement shop and a larger shop I have about a mile away in an industrial building I own.

Many of the tools I have, have been in my possession for over 40 years, and used. Yet their condition, for the most part is still excellent. I puzzled with the abuse that some vintage tools exhibit and almost wonder if the tools were not owned personally, but provided by shop owners for a number of workers, that wouldn't necessarily take care of them as they would their own.