Woodwork and metalwork


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Trouble with flat blade screwdrivers is that even good quality ones invariably lose their 'edge'.  It is worth setting them up occasionally with a small stone, to re-cut the 'square' edges of the blade.

 

Col

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When we were cleaning out our basement we found  two large boxes of tools, hubby has no interest in any form of DIY. I asked my neighbours if they knew anyone who would like them,  they went to a youn

I'm with you on the hi-fi kit, Col.  My gear is quite old now and is definitely not in the same class as some of the stuff you are referring to.  I do still have just about every LP I ever bought.  Pr

You'll not have one of these in your collection (I think) a space spanner as seen today at the National Space Center     probably come in useful for changing spark plugs on the sp

I've got 2 pairs of original "Footprint" pipe wrenches, a large set and a small, they are still used occasionally.

Mine are actually stamped with a footprint, so that must have been the manufacturers logo at the time, made in Sheffield.

 

I also have a pair stamped with GPO from my PO engineering days !

 

Tools are my weakness ! always have been, I can't help myself, have to buy the best quality I can find as I cannot stand cheap rubbish tools.

 

My wife says she will have a massive sale when I pass, knowing her she'll give the stuff away just to be rid of it, I joke and say I'm going to label it all so she knows the value, but dare'nt yet as she'd kill me if she knew what I'd paid for some gear !

 

I've still got all my dads original bricklaying tools too, makes me tingle a bit when I use them, which I only did the other day building a small garden brick edging.

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I'll have to look at mine and see if they have the footprint name.  That pretty well explains the name anyway.  I bought a lot of my old tools from a guy who had a stall in the old Central Market.  They have all held up well.

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Mine are stamped "Footprint" and I do use them now and again, most of the spanners are either,Britool,Gedor,Stahlwille (sp) the odd Snap on and of course King Dick, and the Stillson wrenches,and Record croppers,there are other makes but without going out to check I'm not sure what they are

 

Rog

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Loopylugs - if the atent stamped with the trademark "Footprint" logo the atent footprints but a copy.

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The most important tool in any workshop is the vise. Walk into anyone's workshop or garage and you can tell if they are proper engineers by their vise and how it is mounted.

My vise was dug up in a scrap yard 57 years ago. There was a scrapyard sited behind Herbert Morris's offices in Loughborough where I worked. I was in the yard looking for parts for my old 1932 Morris 10/4 when I spotted what looked like a vise handle sticking out of the ground. I dug it out with a bit of scrap iron - a big engineers vise. Cleaned it off roughly and it worked. I offered five bob for it but ended up paying ten bob. When leaving the yard I was attacked by the guard dog. Bit my thigh and tore my trouser leg wide open. The owner claimed that it was not his dog. So off to the Hospital for dressing and AT jab then to police station to report the incident. A few weeks later I returned to the scrapyard, looking for spares. The owner blew his top with me and told me to f off in no uncertain terms. It transpired that I had given the police an opportunity of checking out the scrapyard and that they had found a big stash of copper wire stolen from Herbert Morris. He was eventually jailed :biggrin: 

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I only have a little 4" vice. Until last week it was mounted on an old formica Kitchen table in the garage. It was enough for most purposes, as I'm not into heavy engineering these days.  However, I threw the table out last week, but kept the vice.  It may come in handy....  :) I'm currently considering whether to drill holes for it in the top timbers of my 'workmate' and use bolts/wingnuts to mount it temporarily as and when... or more likely . if.. :)

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P.S.  Anybody recall the explosion at Henderson's scrap yard in Bulwell in the early 60s?  If I recall correctly, it was caused by a gas cylinder of some sort being in,or near a fire.  Something like that.  I think one of the owners was injured. 

 

Col.

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When I was heavily in into DIY I used a lot of Contiboard. I had to support the wide boards after I had cut them to length in readiness to get a smooth surface to the edges and edges that were perfectly square with the sides. The photos show my solution. Clamps, or rather miniature vices, that could be clamped to the kitchen table (it's warmer working in the kitchen) and spread to take any board width. For the final finish I made the planing tool seen in the pictures. Note that it has a side piece that stays against the board to make sure the edge surface is accurately square.   There is another set of clamps for holding other types of wood. The clamps are made from pieces of channel steel welded together.

 

DSCN1497.jpg

DSCN1496.jpg

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1 hour ago, DJ360 said:

P.S.  Anybody recall the explosion at Henderson's scrap yard in Bulwell in the early 60s?  If I recall correctly, it was caused by a gas cylinder of some sort being in,or near a fire.  Something like that.  I think one of the owners was injured. 

 

Col.

Where was Henderson's scrap yard Col ?............i remember in 60 or 61.....walking down Bestwood road between the Railway club and the railway crossings,and there was an explosion the other side of the Railway lines,..think someone was killed.........?

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Yep that was Hendos, caused by making a fire to close to an acetylene cylinder which blew, remains of the cylinder took of like a torpedo over the bridge and ended up somewhere near Woolies, there were still marks on the bridge when I was a regular customer in the 70s.

 

Footprint is a Sheffield hand tool manufacturer it's most famous item being the one in Rog's picture, even other manufacturers call that style 'Footprints'

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Checked out the footprints.  They are the genuine article.  Had to clean 'em up with a bit of wire wool.  Had a trademark of a footprint along with the name and, Made in England.  Ah! The days when that really meant something.

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9 hours ago, Chulla said:

Note that it has a side piece that stays against the board to make sure the edge surface is accurately square.   There is another set of clamps for holding other types of wood. The clamps are made from pieces of channel steel welded together.

Brilliant clamps Chulla, you should patent or get a design registration for them and sell them on a shopping channel as they are far more sensible and practical than the stuff you see today.

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Chulla the clamps are very clever a good solution to a holding problem.

Good workshop practice depends on good safe and accurate holding.

 

I have a couple of vices that are in constant use one with steel jaws and another with copper jaws, both these will accept slip over soft jaws.

The vice I hankered after (but never found one) was made by Bugatti these guys make a good repro but I couldn't spend that kind of moolah

http://tula-bug.co.uk/vices/

 

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I obtained this  medium/heavy dutyvice about twenty years ago from a company in Bolton that was closing down.  They gave it to me for free because the 'quick release' mechanism was broken at tehecasting.  I removed said device and have had 20yrs of great service from it and it is still going strong.

 

24871927718_517755f21d_h.jpg

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