Saturday was a rare visit to Truro Cattle Market and the sale there. Used to go there a lot, but they started to charge for entry and the atmosphere went right down. Not sure I went there at all last year. This time was no exception - everyone's busy trying to justify their entrance costs and all the good sellers aren't there any more because the pitch charge went up too. Hardly a tool to be seen from one end of the place to the other, but eventually a rummage in amongst rusty spanners produced two oddities. One, a bevel gauge of some sort. The other marked The GreenWatt Plane, with patent number; evidentally some sort of scraper. Naturally they didn't look quite like this when the cost was negotiated to 50p.
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To my delight cleaning the bevel revealed it to be a Starrett and some research actually reveals it to be a #47 Improved Bevel. A bit of Googling and I find it retailing now for $75. Phew! Okay, so this one isn't it its first youth, but it works a treat. Cool.
Sunday saw a plethora of car boot sales, all rather sparsely populated. At the first one, for some unknown reason, I found myself asking "how much" on a grubby canvas tool roll of rusty auger bits. When I countered the £3 with £2 and he said yes, I was stuck with them. Most are of the Irwin/Solid Centre variety, which are exactly the sort I'm not short of. D'oh. Not even the Expansion Bit fills a void - I already have two of the blasted things, and complete what's more. Oh well, they've cleaned up okay at any rate.
The TS may not have found the chisel, but he did have a #03. A Record #03. A rosewood-handled, pre-war Record #03. Okay, yes, there's pitting, but the iron is original and plenty of length. My only prior exposure to the #3 size plane is a Stanley that I got in its box. The reason it was in its box is 'cos the frog bedding was ground all to pot and it's practically impossible to use. So I've not been a fan of #3s in consequence but here's an opportunity to rectify that unfortunate state of affairs. I told myself I didn't need any more planes, I certainly don't need another smoother, however small. I asked the fateful question. I know there are fortunate folks out there who probably pick up #3s in better condition than this as freebies or something, but the required tenner seemed reasonable to me. I succumbed.
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Anyway, the whole haul for the long weekend. Pretty poor, but still a record breaker. First time for years I've got everything cleaned from a weekend's rust hunting within a week of the purchase...
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Finally, in the post this morning, a pressie from my woodworking internet-less chum, C. We'd had some discussion about inshaves and travishers and he couldn't place them so I sent him a pic or two and a few spare PWW mags and a copy of The Axe Book (also spare) 'cos I thought he might find them interesting. Today I got this in unexpected return; a "heel shave" I believe. One of those tools that confirms the galoot saying "if you can't identify it, it's a leather-working tool".
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Hey Alf, good haul!
ReplyDeleteThat shave sure does look like an S&A. Works as well I bet even if it isn't.
Take care, Mike
virtually shaveless these days--and feeling the need...
Like the #3, cleaned up well!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good weekend (especially if you can't remember what you did Friday! ;) )
Cheers
Philly
I know there are fortunate folks out there who probably pick up #3s in better condition than this as freebies or something, but the required tenner seemed reasonable to me.
ReplyDeleteI've been looking for a Record #03 for years (in good nick and cheap, that is ;-)
Ya did good.
BugBear
Hi Alf,
ReplyDeleteThe numbers on the Travisher may, (I said may), relate to the graduation of the curve.
No 1 being straight, up to 6 being almost semicircular.
Charles Stirling at Bristol Design sold DIY travisher blades like this some years ago and I suspect the old style travishers used the same nomenclature.
Just an idea
Good Luck
Howard
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