diy wood

Okay, so this tool of the month isn't exactly a woodworking tool. It was made for "linemen", and as such was designed for cutting and twisting wires. But it's still plenty useful around the shop, but its function is not the reason I picked it for Tool of the Month - its form is.
Here are some shots, but I don't think they will do it justice.











I think the condition of these pliers, after almost 100 years, is a testament to their quality. I also love the art deco grips. Kraeuter called these the "Don't Slip" pattern and began using it in 1914. Here is the patent on that design.






The "Kraeuter, U.S.A." on the inside of the grips wasn't started until 1924, so mine obviously dates from that year or later.




There is something incredibly pleasing, at least to me, about a tool that was created with pride, by a company that cared not only about how a tool performed, but how it felt and looked. It doesn't seem like there are many tools being made this way anymore - which is sad.

So first, this is late and is actually December's Tool of the Month (sorry), and second, this is really two tools, but there's a connection so I'm breaking my own rule (not sorry).

Here's the deal, I was frantically trying to get Clara's play kitchen finished in time for Christmas (that's another post...) and worked myself into a bit of a corner (so to speak). I was ready to install the bottom, which was going to be screwed down to cleats on the sides, but I needed to drill pilot holes to keep the cleat from splitting. On one side that was not a problem, but on the other the cleat for the bottom of the oven was just a few inches above the bottom cleat, and there was not much room to work. My hand drill was out, and even my cobbler's awl couldn't fit in there. Hmm.

I was just resigning myself to removing the upper cleat, which I really didn't want to mess with as it was glued in the middle (but not the ends to allow the sides to move) and I was not looking forward to dealing with that. Then, inspiration struck and less than two minutes later the holes were bored - sweet!

Here's the setup for tool #1:


The awl is a finish nail sharpened on a file and I think you can see what the handle is. It worked well with one hand applying pressure up near the awl, and the other working the handle back and forth. I love it when a problem can be solved by improvising with what's on hand!

So after solving that problem, I faced the second problem of driving screws in the same location. This one was solved by drawing on my deep reserve of tools. As you've probably noticed, I love old tools and will frequently acquire tools that I don't technically "need" but know will come in handy someday. This was one of those days.

The tool is a Mayhew 18" auger bit extension. I'm not sure, but I think this may be the same Mayhew Tools that is still around today. They started back in 1856 in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts. If I had to guess the age, I say this was from the early 20th century - somewhere around the 1920's. But that's only a guess, and of course, I could be wrong.

What I really like about this extension is the very simple locking mechanism it uses. Basically, there is an inner cylinder with a tapered socket for the auger's square-tapered tang. That's the inner square you can see in the image below. The outer cylinder has a larger square opening rotated 45 degrees to the inner square. This outer square opening is larger than the tapered tang of the bit, but will lock down across the shoulders of the tang due to its rotation. In use, the outer cylinder is raised by means of a threaded collar, the bit tang inserted through the outer square, rotated, then dropped into the inner socket. All that remains is to screw the outer cylinder down until the bit is locked in tight. Very simple, and much easier to do than explain.

Here's the extension with both squares visible - the Lee Valley brace hex driver adapter I use is on the bench in the background:



Here's a shot of the adapter locked in the extension with a square drive bit fitted in the adapter:



And finally, the point of using this extension - it allowed me to use a much shallower angle of approach on the screw by moving the brace further away from the cramped location:



Here's a closer shot which should make it pretty clear:

With the brace set to ratchet, I had no problem driving the screws home. I love it when a problem can be solved by having just the right tool when you need it!

This was a pretty cool evening in the shop - hitting two of the things I love about woodworking, improvising tools and techniques and getting to use a special old tool, all in the space of about five minutes! A good evening indeed.

The "Teasers":












 



The "Full Bore":















Now the only thing left is to see how fast it sands its way around our wood rack, and for that we'll hand it over to our tame racing sander.

Some say, he polishes his teeth with a Nagura stone; that he keeps his chisels sharp by storing them inside a crystal pyramid; and that he once claimed to have invented the "nib" on hand saws as a way to pick up girls. All we know, is he's called The Twig!

Umm....Sorry....got carried away there for a bit...

Okay, first the title is probably way to optimistic for my reality - but I will try.

In case you didn't already know, I love tools - especially old tools with stories to tell and skills to teach. I've shared some of these in past posts, but will now be attempting to be more regular about it.

The idea is I will pick one tool a month and post about it. I'll share its story if I know it, how I use it, any unique features, any questions I have about it, and what I love about it. So, that's the idea - let's get started.


"Worth" 16oz Bell Faced Claw Hammer

I picked this up with a broken off handle on one of my early tool hunting expeditions back East - probably Maine or New Hampshire, but I can't remember exactly. I punched out the remaining part of the handle, salvaged the wedges and made a new handle from local Alaskan birch.

I had never done that before, and at first I was rather intimidated by the idea. But, like so many other things I have learned on this hand tool adventure, it's really just a matter of getting started and figuring it out as you go along. As I worked on the shavehorse with drawknife and spokeshaves, I just kept holding the handle and pretending to hammer with it, and my hand told me what to do - thinner, longer, more flair, etc. In my mind it was going to be a round handle, but as I worked on it, the flattened octagon shape just felt right. In the end, I had a handle that was custom made to fit my hand. There are some pretty big dividends to NOT having a plan sometimes - in fact, in my experience, this is true most of the time. So if you've ever thought about rehandling a tool - I say do it!



In this shot you can see the "Worth" logo and also some marks that show a previous owner did some hammering with the side of the adze eye. Hmm. I wonder how this little guy ended up with that broken handle? (Not that the side hammering would do that, but I think it shows a level of disrespect for the tool.)


Worth was a house brand sold by the large hardware company of Bigelow & Dowse located in Boston, MA. From what I can find, this brand was made for B&D by Pexto, and sold between 1925-1945, which makes this hammer at least 67 years old. Cool. It also has a "REG US PATT OFF" imprint, which I find a bit unusual, as I don't see anything unique and patentable about it. Curious.

I also have a drawknife with the Worth mark on it (and strangley enough it is my "go to" drawknife, just like this is my "go to" hammer) but it also has an asterisk or star stamp as well, which I think I recall seeing elsewhere as being a symbol that Worth used. I'd love to learn more about this stuff.

Another thing I really appreciate about this hammer is the smooth, slightly convex face. I can consistently sink nails to just below the surface without leaving the so-called "French marks" - an old English term I rather expect.


And a shot of my initials - I'm not sure why I didn't brand this one - maybe because I was thinking of it more as an "owner's mark" rather than a "maker's" mark? Of course, I did make the handle...


I think hammers are under appreciated - but this one makes me happy every time I pick it up.