The Night Mail

[AndyID]

16 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

I see that Douglas is indulging in flights of fancy. Surely that can't be a real workbench? You can see uncovered parts of the work surface, tools hung on hooks, drawers with items in their proper place, jars with the tops screwed on, no tubes without tops leaking all over everything. It must be out of the pages of Ideal Workshop or something, not anything to do with the real world.

 

In amazement and admiration....

 

Dave

 

I'll not be posting any pics of my workbench

 

This is the tool to drive those bits. I still use it occasionally for boring holes in wood. It's called a drill brace and you can still buy them.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 15, 2021 by AndyID
Moinfo

[Dave Hunt]

I can foresee a raiding party from over Oklahoma way coming for that driver, Andy.

 

Dave

[Florence Locomotive Works]

23 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

I see that Douglas is indulging in flights of fancy. Surely that can't be a real workbench? You can see uncovered parts of the work surface, tools hung on hooks, drawers with items in their proper place, jars with the tops screwed on, no tubes without tops leaking all over everything. It must be out of the pages of Ideal Workshop or something, not anything to do with the real world.

 

In amazement and admiration....

 

Dave

What you can’t see is the pile of sawdust under the worktop…

 

 

Edited November 15, 2021 by Florence Locomotive Works

[AndyID]

4 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

I can foresee a raiding party from over Oklahoma way coming for that driver, Andy.

 

Dave

 

I doubt it. The headbanger neighbor just along the street has a shooting range.

[Florence Locomotive Works]

4 minutes ago, AndyID said:

 

I doubt it. The headbanger neighbor just along the street has a shooting range.

That’s why you befriend the forums resident wing commander and parahippo…

Edited November 15, 2021 by Florence Locomotive Works

[pH]

59 minutes ago, AndyID said:

This is the tool to drive those bits. I still use it occasionally for boring holes in wood. It's called a drill brace and you can still buy them.

 

 

 

That looks remarkably like mine, right down to the colour of the wooden parts. I got it from the local ‘junk’ store - a great source of ‘occasional use’ tools - now unfortunately closed. It was initially for boring holes in landscaping timbers, having already ‘pretzeled’ a bit in an electric drill. People passing in the street would stop to watch me using it!

 

Edited November 15, 2021 by pH

[J. S. Bach]

57 minutes ago, Florence Locomotive Works said:

What you can’t see is the pile of sawdust under the worktop…

Save it, it makes good scenery or hopper loads, especially if they are woodchip hoppers.

[J. S. Bach]

19 hours ago, Florence Locomotive Works said:

That’s why you befriend the forums resident wing commander and parahippo…

I'll supply the aircraft carrier although I am not sure if Air Vice Marshall Hunt has passed his carquals yet. As for parahippos; well, that chopper ........................... 

 

Edited November 15, 2021 by J. S. Bach
To add some forgotten information.

[J. S. Bach]

1 hour ago, AndyID said:

 

I'll not be posting any pics of my workbench

 

This is the tool to drive those bits. I still use it occasionally for boring holes in wood. It's called a drill brace and you can still buy them.

 

I am amazed at the variety of those bits and braces that have been made over the years. I have two (if they survived my move) that  are probably older than dirt but work(ed) just like they were new.

[BR60103]

I just checked the book Gresley's Coaches.  For two of the classes of full brake it notes "Guard's ducket RH side".

 

 

Edited November 15, 2021 by BR60103

[J. S. Bach]

Trying rmweb on my phone/Wi-Fi

EDIT: It seems to work. 

 

Edited November 15, 2021 by J. S. Bach

[polybear]

 

Bear has his Chrimbo prezzie all sorted:

Airworthy English Electric Lightning T5 for sale

https://www.historicandclassicaircraftsales.com/lightning-t5-zu-bbd

Oh look, it's a two seater too.  You too could have a ride (on production of oodles and oodles of cake), safe in the knowledge that Bear is driving....

Or perhaps an airworthy Vampire?  £100K, to you, sir....

Airworthy de Havilland Vampire T11 for sale

https://www.historicandclassicaircraftsales.com/vampire-t11

 

7 hours ago, Tony_S said:

I had a Victorian era brace that took those bits. Are there retro woodworkers who don’t use electric tools in the US? I am sure I read  about such people once. 
I may still have the brace and bits. I can’t remember if my brother had it. I have a large wooden Jack plane from the same era. My mother was going to chuck a lot of Dad’s tools out to tidy the shed. We rescued a lot of them. The tools had originally been my great grandfathers. 
Tony

 

Bear has a brace and bits that were Grandpa Bear's, though the bits have seen much better days (and are of a somewhat strange design that don't lend themselves to easy sharpening).  Bear built numerous go-karts with the aid of those (not a thing you see anymore - I can't remember the last time I saw one).

 

6 hours ago, Florence Locomotive Works said:

What you can’t see is the pile of sawdust under the worktop…

 

 

 

Woodworm?

[Mike Bellamy]

 

I haven't seen Lemon Drizzle Cake mentioned for a day or two - so let's change that, as I can announce that a local Derbyshire Farm Shop make and bake the best LDC in the country . . . . . . . . . 

 

Click Here for Link to Local News Article

 

. . . . . . and it's available by mail order Click Here for Link to the Sales Page

[Happy Hippo]

In no particular order:

 

We never had 'go karts' in S Wales.  They were always referred to as 'bogies'.  'Bogies at 10 o'clock' was not a referral to the Luftwaffe, but to the start of the next race meeting at the top of Dan Y Graig on the Pantmawr estate. (Danemouth should know where I mean.)  The T junction at the bottom of the hill required unofficial traffic control to ensure there were no collisions with real cars as the bogie squadron swept into Ardwyn.

 

Although I have retained a number of older hand tools, I disposed of my more ancient items, such as the hand braces about 18 months ago.  I had no suitable bits for them and they had remained in a box for a number of years without seeing the light of day.  One of the problem with some tools is the necessity to 'remain current' in their use.  I have a very nice Stanley rebate plane which was my father's, but although I can use it, it takes time to set up properly and re-sharpening the shaped cutters is time consuming.  As a result my various routers get far more use; being quicker and probably give better repeatable accuracy.  

 

that being said, I am not totally reliant on power tools and I find it very easy to sharpen and use chisels and especially hand planes, where the ability to shave off a sliver of wood is sometimes required.

 

Tidy work benches are the fantasy often seen in the likes of Homes and Garden magazine and their ilk.  The only time anything is moved is so the proud householder can clean the dust off.

 

I have pictures of my workbench in such a posed mode, but the reality is more like Steptoe and Son's scrap bin.

 

[jamie92208]

8 hours ago, Florence Locomotive Works said:

Evening all,

 

This afternoon @AndyID and I were supposed to have a zoom call, which sort of worked but we ended up just chatting over the phone which was very interesting. 
 

This evening was spent doing the yearly I’ve-updated-the-workbench-now-it-needs-cleaning cleaning and reorganization. I think this new setup should work pretty well as now I have my taps and dies to hand. 
 

 

 

 

I also need to find a drill (or chuck) that will take the drill bits pictured above.
 

These are late 1890s square shank ones, the metal cutting ones on the upper level appear to have never been used. The same can not be said for wooden auger bits on the bottom sliding drawer. The whole box came out of a farm in southeastern Washington State, along with my oil can and an ancient cast iron washer cutter. If anybody knows if you can just buy a new square shank chuck do say.

 

 

Douglas

As mentioned above a brace is what you need. I have one that was my great uncles, probably bought in Liverpool in the 1890's. A brace and bit was the favourite tool of the well to do burglar when I was a young bobby in the 70's.  One very famous pne called the Black Panther was a brace and bit man before he started using a sawn off shotgun.

 

Jamie

[Dave Hunt]

11 minutes ago, Mike Bellamy said:

..........I can announce that a local Derbyshire Farm Shop make and bake the best LDC in the country . . . . . . . . . 

 

As the maker of the country's finest LDC, I will shortly be instructing my legal team to initiate proceedings to counter this calumny.

 

You have been warned.

 

Dave

[Dave Hunt]

9 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

A brace and bit was the favourite tool of the well to do burglar when I was a young bobby in the 70's.  One very famous pne called the Black Panther was a brace and bit man before he started using a sawn off shotgun.

 

I have a strange mental image of a bloke in a striped jersey and face mask pointing a brace and bit at a couple with their hands in the air saying, "Hand over the jewellery or get drilled."

 

Dave

[Happy Hippo]

7 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

 

As the maker of the country's finest LDC, I will shortly be instructing my legal team to initiate proceedings to counter this calumny.

 

You have been warned.

 

Dave

An elite sampling team has just been scrambled in order to make a surprise quality control inspection at your manufacturing establishment.

 

You have been warned.

[jamie92208]

15 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

 

I have a strange mental image of a bloke in a striped jersey and face mask pointing a brace and bit at a couple with their hands in the air saying, "Hand over the jewellery or get drilled."

 

Dave

Strangely enough it was a very effective and silent method of opening wooden framed window casements.  I won't go too far into the details.  When UPVC arrived a garden spade was often the tool of choice, also very quiet if used properly.   I did recover one burglars brace and bit one night after chasing  him along an old railway line.

 

Jamie

[Tony_S]

1 hour ago, jamie92208 said:

o too far into the details.  When UPVC arrived a garden spade was often the tool of choice, also very quiet if used properly.   I did recover one burglars brace and bit one night after chasing  him along an old railway line.

Was there some crime called something like going equipped for burglary? Many years ago a friend was once stopped by police while driving home late at night just after the “Welcome to Southend “ sign. The police officer asked him to open his boot and found hammers, crow bars etc. There was a set of small step ladders too. The policeman asked him what he did for a living and he truthfully answered ‘biology teacher”. The next remark was something like “what do you dissect with those then?”  He explained the tools had been used to help a friend install a washing machine. 

Edited November 15, 2021 by Tony_S
Missing punctuation

[Compound2632]

1 hour ago, Tony_S said:

He explained the tools had been used to help a friend install a washing machine. 

 

A likely tale. I wouldn't want to see the state of the washing machine after it had been hammered and crowbar'd into place. The lack of PTFE tape was a sure sign his story didn't hold water.

Edited November 15, 2021 by Compound2632
Changed "didn't hang together" to "didn't hold water" in pursuit of wit.

[jamie92208]

30 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

Was there some crime called something like going equipped for burglary? Many years ago a friend was once stopped by police while driving home late at night just after the “Welcome to Southend “ sign. The police officer asked him to open his boot and found hammers, crow bars etc. There was a set of small step ladders too. The policeman asked him what he did for a living and he truthfully answered ‘biology teacher”. The next remark was something like “what do you dissect with those then?”  He explained the tools had been used to help a friend install a washing machine. 

Yes you are indeed correct Tony.  The offence is known as Going Equipped, IIRC for stealing or cheating but there was a third category.  I once locked a kid up for that, he had a matchbox full of bits of broken ceramic from a spark plug.  They could be used to break car windows.

 

Jamie

[Danemouth]

4 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

We never had 'go karts' in S Wales.  They were always referred to as 'bogies'.  'Bogies at 10 o'clock' was not a referral to the Luftwaffe, but to the start of the next race meeting at the top of Dan Y Graig on the Pantmawr estate. (Danemouth should know where I mean.)  The T junction at the bottom of the hill required unofficial traffic control to ensure there were no collisions with real cars as the bogie squadron swept into Ardwyn.

 

Indeed I do Colonel Hippo Sir!  SWMBO was brought up in Caer Wenaullt

 

Dave

[Tony_S]

1 hour ago, Compound2632 said:

 

A likely tale. I wouldn't want to see the state of the washing machine after it had been hammered and crowbar'd into place. The lack of PTFE tape was a sure sign his story didn't hold water.

As we heard the story we all said similar things but it appears that a wall had needed to be removed. 

Edited November 15, 2021 by Tony_S
Too many letters

[Happy Hippo]

35 minutes ago, Danemouth said:

 

Indeed I do Colonel Hippo Sir!  SWMBO was brought up in Caer Wenaullt

 

Dave

The top end of Dan Y Graig, down Caer Wenallt past the Ardwyn turn and all the way down to the bus stop by the flats was tried once, but we were banned from a second attempt as it was deemed too steep and busy.

 

You do realise that there is a slight chance that your poor wife might know of me or the family.

 

(I was a very quiet, polite and studious boy.)