The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Tool Chest Old Tools Still Working

I had several hundred dollars in tools I had stored away in my fathers barn when I moved from New England to Florida back in the 1980's. I had left the body repair business and never gave them much thought until I bought a 1957 3200 to restore in December. Well, I had a death in the family last Thursday so I flew up North for the funeral.I stayed with my mom & dad and remembered the tools were there. I asked my dad if they were still in the barn so he went out & dug them out. I could not believe they all still worked. They have been sitting un-used & un-oiled for over 20 years. I had a Snap-on hand held grinder & air chissel, a Matco air file(air board) and DA sander plus some assorted socket wrench sets & wrenches that just needed a little oil. Thats $$$$$ I can save on tools now. I just wonder how well they would have worked if I got them in todays market, imported from China.

They don't make em like they used to, I have an old cast irn electric drill that belonged to my grandad when he was younger and it still works. This was back when you didn't throw amything away you just fixed it and kept on working.
It is always great to make a good find like that.

Ed

I have one that is still working too.. it is a wonder for sure

I like the looks of old tools.... not that i have many of them... my best one is an old drill press that was put in storage in 1942, and unpacked around the late 90's...

Most of the Wong Fu stuff like drill presses don't work as well as their time worn US counterparts. The oldest tool in my shop is from the 1890's up to brand new. The beauty of the old big tools like drill presses and lathes most can be bought for not much more than scrap prices and generally restored for very little extra. My latest buy was a Sibley camel back press built in the 40's for $125. It weights in at about 1000 lbs has auto feed, quill speeds from 50 to 2500 rpm and can handle up to a 2 " bit with ease. Try a 2" bit in a China press.

My dad found a Black and Decker 1/2-inch heavy duty drill in an Illinois snow bank in 1956...the tag says "Model 1" 300rpm.
He never used it, and gave it to me in 1987 with the cord cut off. I took it to a B&D service center, and they put new brushes in it and a new cord.
It's drilled many, many 3/4-inch holes through 6x6 pressure treated timbers with a 12-inch long auger bit. I stack 2 6x6 timbers up and drill through them both, then sink in a length of rebar to hold them together when I'm doing landscape projects.
I can't imagine doing that with a modern drill.

-Brad

My dad has am old stick welder that was built in 1969 and it still works. He has a new millermatic 175 but he does bette with the old welder

I recently gave my new carpenter son-in-law some hand and power tools the were my Grandfather's and Father's later on. He was so happy to have them it made me very pleased.His comment;"You just can't buy tools of this quality much anymore."

Being 70 yrs. old and collecting tools all of my life I have some older stuff.I still have most of the original set of Craftsman hand tools I bought in 1957.All of the ratchets still work just like new.I have lost or loaned out a few screwdrivers over the yrs. I still buy Craftsman hand tools,sockets,wrenches,etc. and the quality is still there. However their power tools are a different story.No longer will I buy Craftsman power tools. I bought a new Craftsman table saw in 1998,for about $750. and I never could keep it lined up right.Finally invested in a Delta Unisaw for $1500.that works just fine.I have an old 1950 Craftsman wood lathe,and Scrollsaw that I bought used a couple of yrs. ago.They work just fine.I bought the pair of them for $200.There are still good quality tools on the market,but they are expensive.Of course back in the old days good tools were expensive too.Bought a new Porter Cable circular saw about 3 yrs. ago,it cost me $225. but it is one nice saw.

I worked in a shop during the 70s and kept by 5-inch grinder. When I bought my 51 I dug the grinder out and it was froze up solid. I took the motor assembly out and soaked it in WD 40 until I could turn it. More WD40 and more turning freed it up to the point where I thought it would run on air. I put a fitting on it and it gradually got up to some speed.

I took the motor out again and submerged it in mineral spirits and got a ton of rusty sediment in the pan just by rinsing it. I filled the handle up with mineral spirits and ran it a couple times until the solvent ran clear. A few drops of oil and it works like new.

I'm sure the bearings wouldn't pass QC even in China but she works like new. No idea what brand it is but I bought it around 1970 and it has Made in Japan stamped on the handle.

Well ya would have ta get me goin’ guys, that is, by talking bout the old tools.
I’m a couple of years younger than you Dale, but like you, in the mid 50’s I would stop by the Sears store in town a couple of times a week on my way home from high school. I tried to pick up one or two Craftsman wrenches every week. I still have and use all of them.
Dad was a mechanic back in the 20’s & 30’s and I still have and use his body tools, dollies, hammers and spoons. He left me his Thor 1/2” drill from the 30’s that has so much torque that it will spin you around if the drill bit catches in the hole.
I’ve restored a 16” Lodge & Shiply engine lathe and a round ram Bridgeport from the 40’s that are the mainstay of the machine shop. Also a 6” Logan lathe from the 50’s that gets used most every week. There’s a big old Buffalo drill press with a #3 taper out in the barn from WWII area.
My wood working machines are all restored equipment from the 50’s, “cast iron rules” as the younger generation says. I just finished a Delta wood lathe last year from the mid 50’s that I have been using for spinning metal. I use a Craftsman drill press that pop bought in the 50’s down in the basement for wood working along side a 60 year old Delta band saw.
I collected and use hand wood planes, some of which are over 100 years old, and I still use some of my grandfather’s wood working tools that he brought from Ireland when he immigrated at the turn of the century.
Not only are these tools better made than the new ones, it is actually faster to grab one of them and do a small job than bother setting up the router or other power equipment. Lots of old chisels in the drawer and for a one time dovetail it’s easier to cut it with the old hand tools than set up the dovetail jug.
Hell, I still gas weld stuff from time to time. I bought some RG45 rod at Weldstar last week and the counterman said, “we don’t sell much of that any more,” to which I commented, well when ya quit handling it, I guess I’ll just have to use coat hangers!
There is also the bond with the past when you lay your hands on an old tool. Something that ties us to a simpler time when people took the time to “do it right.”
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Denny,

You got it right! One of my most valuable tools is a Yankee Screw Driver. I just got a bit holder from Mc Feelys to solve the tip issue.

The old stuff is definitely better and the connection to the past is always there.

On the old wooden planes, my brother sent me a box of them he found somewhere. As you probably know,the owner usually stamped his name in the end. These had M. Egan stamped in them. This somewhat scared the crap out of me at first but I now look at it as a sign to keep on building good cabinets.

I always look for old before I even think about buying new hand tools. Otherwise I get Porter Cable.

I still have a Yankee screwdriver which I affectionately call my scar maker.
My lathe and my milling machine were built in Taiwan in the early 70's, and the 12 inch engine lathe is as good as new after 37 years. The mill is a 24 inch vertical mill ( brand name Jet ) and it is also an excellent home machine. I have purchased top of the line and also no-name power and air tools starting in the fifties and I can only think of two 3/8 drills that I have worn out.
I have a 12 inch Craftsman table saw (1970 ), and 10 inch radial arm saw (1966) that get used weekly and both are still in excellent working condition. I have a Craftsman ( plastic body ) 10 inch side grinder that has seen so much use that the switch had worn out and needed replacing, but it still works well.
The one thing I make sure to do, is keep the tools properly serviced. As one example, I have re-packed the gearcase in the side grinder twice in the last 30 years, and check it at least once a year.
I am certain that some of my no-name stuff would not stand up to the daily use in a pro shop, but they have been excellent for my home/hobby use.
Just out of curiosity, does anyone have, or has anyone ever used a Westingarc wire feed welding attachment. I have one and need to find some literature on it.
Bob

In the late 60s I went to one of the big tool sales at the local Holiday Inn.I purchased a set of box end wrenches for about $5.They are stamped forged in India.I have used these wrenches ever since and they are still just fine.Most of the stuff at that sale was just pure junk,but I hit it lucky,it was $5 well spent.And no, I am not reccomending that anyone got to these type of sales.

Yeah,Denny Graham,I definitly like the older tools,maybe cause I am old. Yeah they were built to last a lifetime and more.There are still good tools on the market,but however they are very expensive.In my woodshop is a Delta Unisaw,a Delta jointer,a couple of Delta sanders,all purchased new within the last 10 years. I also have a Jet bandsaw which is very good along with Porter Cable routers and a biscuit joiner.All these tools work very well.And yeah I also have the older stuff mixed in.What I have found over the tears is when buying tools,buy the best,and they will last you for a lifetime.Before I purchased my Unisaw I was at a garage sale,where the guy had an old 1950 Unisaw,he wanted to part with.As we were taking about the saw,his wife stuck her head out the door and said oh,so and so wants to buy that saw. He was just feeling me out and trying to get me involved in a bidding war with someone else,which I refused to get into.I left him my phone no. and told him to call me when he was tired of playing games.Naturally I never heard from him.Found out later his neighbor had made him an offer on it,and he was looking for more money.He eventually sold it to his neighbor.Anyway I laid out the $1500.for the new Unisaw,and it is one nice saw.

My dad and I use a lathe from that late 1800s early 1900s. My great uncles used it to turn down driveshafts and other parts for their tractors. Seems a little over kill to use something that can hold a 10 foot long pipe for the small little we use it for.

Well it seems that we all agree that we not only love our old trucks but old tools as well. For me old tools are cheap and quality made. In todays modern world of mass production nothing is cooler than walking into a garage with antique cars only to find yourself surrounded with antique tools, its kinda like decorating the garage to match the vehicle. My house also has antique furniture that I restored along with my victorian home...Seems I like anything old...anyone else suffering from the modern blues?

Yup old tools are great, The neighbor passed away and his brother was throwing away stuff so he could go back home and not deal with it.Got the following tools-jigsaw,hammerdrill,skillsaw,regular drill,couple handsaw's,brace type drill,old socket set,splitting maul.All the tools are older, metal jacket powertools, and everything works.Even found his brothers dog tag's from ww1 in the dumpster{I gave them back to him}I'll use the tools at my cabin as we didn't have alot of tools there.I expect to get lot's of use from them.

I've got some pretty old wrenches and such, but nothing like what you guys have. I do, however, also suffer from loving old stuff. My house is full of antiques ranging anywhere from old trucks from the 1800s to a 1940 Zenith radio, and so forth. They may not always work as well as todays stuff, but they DO work and look so much better in appearance.

I've got an old 2hp unisaw as well, its great. I did have to put a new fence on it, the old one finally wore out. I also have several 1920's vintage hand planes, and an old axe that has probably had 3 new handles and 2 new irons. I buy old tools before new as long as they are in good condition, but there comes a point where I have to just suck it up and buy new stuff.

I picked up a 70's Uni not so long ago. Still reconditioning it. Waiting on some fence pieces for the Beis from Delta. Wish it were an older version!!!

My dad work for Continental Air Lines and gave me some tools of his before he died. One is a Proto brand vise grip marked

CAL
6-3-57 ACC shop
for door cyl newsletter 397
CAL

It's basically a vice grip gound into a point to reach a landing gear door hydraulic cylinder. My favorite tool. Ed

Proto!
I still have a 1/2-9/16 box end, that is the only wrench I have remaining from my tool box that was stolen from me in 1961. It was full of SK 3/8 and 1/2 inch sockets and wrenches. (sniff )
The wrench has had a lot of use and is still in great condition. They don't build them like that any more.
Bob

My dad had an old cast iron electric drill made by Wolf in England. Then the 'fuzzy-wuzzies' realized that you could get a shock from the case if it ever shorted out so they banned metal cased electric tools.
When I first started wrenching my dad bought me a set of Husky sockets and I still have them. They are made in USA but the Husky brand I see today at Home Depot is made offshore.
Same be said about Craftsman in Canada. All made offshore.
A few years back I came across some old rusty Snap-On wrenches at a swap meet but they were in sizes I had so I bypassed them. One of my numerous dumb moves!

I have quite a few hand tools that were my fathers, grandfathers, and even my mother's, but my favorites have to be my Craftsman wrenches from WWII. When my Dad bought them he engraved his initials on them and the date "6/43". Instead of Chromium plating they are raw steel and stamped "War Finish".

I also have a great 1/4 drive socket set made by Plomb Tools. My mother bought it during the war when she worked for Lockheed building P-38 fighters. I still use all these tools on a regular basis. It's a legacy, man!

I have an old Milwaukee 1/2" drill that I bought at an auction in the early 70's. We use it for putting in the big lag screws. It will take your arm off if you aren't careful.

4 onthe floor,Im guessing that 2 HP Unisaw is probably from the 60s or 70s. I know the 1950 models had 1 HP motors on them.My new one bought 2 years ago is a 3 HP saw.And although the motor is made in Brazil it is still a top notch saw.