For Those Interested in Old Tools

[PatB]

Borrowing shamelessly the idea of the "For Those Interested in..." threads, I thought I'd start one for those with an interest in the manual arts and the associated gear. 

 

I'll kick off with a nice little find from a sweep of a few charity shops earlier in the week. 

Not a particularly rare item, or even especially old (I'm guessing maybe 1960s) but, when I had a look at it, it has an air of decent quality about it. The crown wheel appears to be cast iron, rather than the mazak on some cheaper drills. The frame is sturdy, all the bearings feel tight but smooth, and the chuck operates very smoothly and closes up nicely. It does feel as if all the lubricants have fossilised in there. The working parts show almost no signs of use, so I do wonder if the oil/grease is that applied at the factory. 

 

Where that factory was is open to question. There appears to be no country of origin marking. The branding is restricted to a sticker on the crown wheel proclaiming Black Jack Quality Tools. I suspect it's Australian, from the days when we made stuff. Did Mr Brabham have a spin-off tool brand. Canny businessman that he was, it wouldn't surprise me. 

 

Anyway, all up, not too bad for $20. Probably a bit much, but it's a nice bit of kit, and at least I avoided Ebay postage rates. 

[Joseph_Pestell]

A good idea. I love old tools, if only to look at. Where my parents lived in France, one comes across some real gems in the "vide-greniers".

[BernardTPM]

I've got a boxful of old tools:

 

[eastglosmog]

Think this is a great idea for a thread.  I've got one of those types of hand drill (made by Stanley) which I still use occasionally,  though it isn't quite that ancient (I bought it new in the late 70s).  As my contribution, here is a picture of a pair of dividers I inherited from my paternal grandfather:

 

[PatB]

1 hour ago, eastglosmog said:

Think this is a great idea for a thread.  I've got one of those types of hand drill (made by Stanley) which I still use occasionally,  though it isn't quite that ancient (I bought it new in the late 70s).  As my contribution, here is a picture of a pair of dividers I inherited from my paternal grandfather:

 

Stanley still make them, or, at least, apply their name to a generic Chinese one.

[J. S. Bach]

Saw these in an antique mall but did not buy one:

Edited March 14, 2020 by J. S. Bach

[PatB]

24 minutes ago, J. S. Bach said:

Saw these in an antique mall but did not bay one:

That's a goodly selection of hand braces. I've got a rusty one on the way from Ebay at the moment. As you may be able to tell, I've suddenly developed an interest in means of making holes without electricity. Mind you, the hand brace purchase was actually prompted by a boat building article, pointing out what a useful tool it is for driving or removing really big screws that would suck a power drill's battery dry in moments. 

 

Speaking of which, I think my next target is a "yankee" screwdriver or two. 

 

I could get into this stuff. Thanks to the current prevalence of astoundingly cheap power tools, hand tools, that aren't old/rare enough to have any real collectable value, seem to be almost worthless secondhand. Given the often superb quality of materials and engineering (but let's not kid ourselves that Britain, the USA, Australia etc. didn't also make rubbish for the cheap end of the market) I'd say that there are bargains to be had if you want tools that will do a useful and enjoyable job of work. 

Edited March 14, 2020 by PatB

[Platform 1]

5 minutes ago, PatB said:

what a useful tool it is for driving or removing really big screws

 

Together with other old tools, I have one of those hand braces.  It was so good it sheared the screw!

 

As long as you have the large bore bits, they're also really good for making large holes in wood.

 

 

[Joseph_Pestell]

I did not know that they could be used to remove recalcitrant screws. Very useful.

[eastglosmog]

1 hour ago, PatB said:

Stanley still make them, or, at least, apply their name to a generic Chinese one.

I suspect your 60s version and my 70s version will still be going strong when the modern versions fall apart!

[PatB]

2 hours ago, Joseph_Pestell said:

I did not know that they could be used to remove recalcitrant screws. Very useful.

Indeed. I now remember my brother using one for just such a purpose, and I recently picked up a big driver bit for one, which added to my desire to obtain one. I've only seen flat blade bits available commercially. Crosshead and other patterns could be improvised by brazing/welding modern bits to shanks salvaged from knackered auger bits. A suitable socket or chuck could also be attached to such a shank, allowing modern quick-change bit ability. 

 

I do realise that a decent hand brace chuck should hold a hex shank fairly well, but I would see it as still having a less secure hold than the traditional square taper. A significant consideration given the immense torque it should be possible to exert. 

Edited March 15, 2020 by PatB

[TheSignalEngineer]

I'm still using a Stanley 748 drill for big jobs. I had it in 1960 IIRC. Still using the Stanley plane I had at the same time.

 

http://www.findmytool.co.uk/stanley-drill-748-review.php

 

[kevinlms]

11 hours ago, PatB said:

Borrowing shamelessly the idea of the "For Those Interested in..." threads, I thought I'd start one for those with an interest in the manual arts and the associated gear. 

 

I'll kick off with a nice little find from a sweep of a few charity shops earlier in the week. 

Not a particularly rare item, or even especially old (I'm guessing maybe 1960s) but, when I had a look at it, it has an air of decent quality about it. The crown wheel appears to be cast iron, rather than the mazak on some cheaper drills. The frame is sturdy, all the bearings feel tight but smooth, and the chuck operates very smoothly and closes up nicely. It does feel as if all the lubricants have fossilised in there. The working parts show almost no signs of use, so I do wonder if the oil/grease is that applied at the factory. 

 

Where that factory was is open to question. There appears to be no country of origin marking. The branding is restricted to a sticker on the crown wheel proclaiming Black Jack Quality Tools. I suspect it's Australian, from the days when we made stuff. Did Mr Brabham have a spin-off tool brand. Canny businessman that he was, it wouldn't surprise me. 

 

Anyway, all up, not too bad for $20. Probably a bit much, but it's a nice bit of kit, and at least I avoided Ebay postage rates. 

Or is it not what it seems?

 

https://www.blackjacktools.com/overview.html

[J. S. Bach]

3 hours ago, TheSignalEngineer said:

I'm still using a Stanley 748 drill for big jobs. I had it in 1960 IIRC. Still using the Stanley plane I had at the same time.

 

http://www.findmytool.co.uk/stanley-drill-748-review.php

 

I have a similar one somewhere. An enormous amount of force can be applied when leaning into the shoulder rest!

[PatB]

2 hours ago, kevinlms said:

Or is it not what it seems?

 

https://www.blackjacktools.com/overview.html

Quite possible, although the "feel" is nicer than I'm used to with Chinese or Indian tools. That doesn't rule it out, however, as I'm well aware that both countries are quite capable of quality manufacturing where required. The specific nature of their name makes me wonder if they are one of those operations like Royal Enfield Motorcycles, starting out by making products of Empire and continuing into the modern era, long after the original parent company has vanished. 

[kevinlms]

51 minutes ago, PatB said:

Quite possible, although the "feel" is nicer than I'm used to with Chinese or Indian tools. That doesn't rule it out, however, as I'm well aware that both countries are quite capable of quality manufacturing where required. The specific nature of their name makes me wonder if they are one of those operations like Royal Enfield Motorcycles, starting out by making products of Empire and continuing into the modern era, long after the original parent company has vanished. 

The link I posted, suggests that they have been is business for 20 years. It could mean that they searched for a expired business name, with a good reputation. Must be plenty of those around.

[PatB]

3 hours ago, kevinlms said:

The link I posted, suggests that they have been is business for 20 years. It could mean that they searched for a expired business name, with a good reputation. Must be plenty of those around.

It was that very specific Black Jack Tools, India that made me think that there might have been, at some stage, a Black Jack Tools, Not India. 

 

These little egg-beaters have been made in, probably, hundreds of millions over the past century or more, in every country with a manufacturing industry, and all to basically the same design. I suspect the origins of many can be quite hard to pinpoint. As a user, rather than a collector, I'm less bothered by this than I might be. Whoever made it, in whatever corner of the world has done a very nice job. I expect it to improve further once I've flushed out the fossilised oil from the bearings and grease from the chuck and replaced with new. 

 

Edit: Checking their website, I note that they do offer such a drill, and in the same red and black colour scheme, with chromed chuck. I can't blow the photo up to see it better, but I'd does seem to lack some of the finesse of my example. The detail finish on the crown wheel, for example, looks to be crude. Then there is the unattractive plastic handle. Mine certainly could be its direct ancestor. 

Edited March 15, 2020 by PatB

[tomparryharry]

18 hours ago, PatB said:

Borrowing shamelessly the idea of the "For Those Interested in..." threads, I thought I'd start one for those with an interest in the manual arts and the associated gear. 

 

I'll kick off with a nice little find from a sweep of a few charity shops earlier in the week. 

Not a particularly rare item, or even especially old (I'm guessing maybe 1960s) but, when I had a look at it, it has an air of decent quality about it. The crown wheel appears to be cast iron, rather than the mazak on some cheaper drills. The frame is sturdy, all the bearings feel tight but smooth, and the chuck operates very smoothly and closes up nicely. It does feel as if all the lubricants have fossilised in there. The working parts show almost no signs of use, so I do wonder if the oil/grease is that applied at the factory. 

 

Where that factory was is open to question. There appears to be no country of origin marking. The branding is restricted to a sticker on the crown wheel proclaiming Black Jack Quality Tools. I suspect it's Australian, from the days when we made stuff. Did Mr Brabham have a spin-off tool brand. Canny businessman that he was, it wouldn't surprise me. 

 

Anyway, all up, not too bad for $20. Probably a bit much, but it's a nice bit of kit, and at least I avoided Ebay postage rates. 

 

Being a bit whimsical, is that a 'sell-by' date on the handle? I'll try to dig out some older stuff later.

 

The upside of older tools is normally because they are better built, with the lesser quality stuff being broken, and chucked away. 

 

Cheers,

Ian.

[PatB]

29 minutes ago, tomparryharry said:

 

Being a bit whimsical, is that a 'sell-by' date on the handle? I'll try to dig out some older stuff later.

 

The upside of older tools is normally because they are better built, with the lesser quality stuff being broken, and chucked away. 

 

Cheers,

Ian.

Or, in the case of my ancestors, placed lovingly in disintegrating cardboard boxes and passed down through the family. My brother and I were the proud(?) inheritors of a large collection of broken mazak, rusty, bent pressed tin, and toffee-like steel (shall I tell you about the twist drills which, when subjected to load, sort of unwound) , all of which proudly proclaimed "Made in England". The experience rendered me sceptical of the legendary quality of British manufacturing. We made just as much rubbish as anyone else but, mercifully, as you say, it's mostly the good stuff that we're left with. 

[tomparryharry]

Life's experience helps you to sort good from tat. Unfortunately sometimes, it's a lifetimes lesson...

[SHMD]

I became the latest proud owner of this the other day.

 

 

 

I don't know how old it is or how many times those bevels have travelled around the equator but it works wonderfully well.

The (functional) repair has probably increased its strength and durability too.

 

The price?

Nothing. Sweet FA.

It was left unloved and unwanted (toy story like) in that veritable cornucopia of inspiration and wealth that is the metal bin at work.

(The first place to visit for anything from raw materials/fasteners/nuts/bolts/cable/electronics/boxes/etc, through to tools and even precious metals!

 

 

Kev.

 

[Tim V]

The better quality ones had two crown wheels (like the two on this thread). The cheap ones had one crown wheel - bit of force on the drill bent the shaft!

[Ian Smeeton]

Aquired a pair of cordless solderimg irons some years ago.

 

Working in 2 mm Finescale means that they see little use.

 

 

One day, i will either find a use for them, or if really short, weigh them in for scrap!!

 

Regards

 

Ian

[Allegheny1600]

I once placed an advertisement in my model railway club, asking for old woodworking tools as I believed their steel to be of  much higher quality than then current. Sadly I had zero responses but I have managed to acquire some older tools as when cared for, they still give good service and are generally very robust.

 I shall have to get them out for pictures!

Cheers from another old tool!

John

[didcot]

A member of my extended family is an "old tool" does that count!