Tom Allyn

That was quite a haul, Farmall. I'd like to see the adz. The 7-hole thingy is a head scratcher. I've never seen a die that didn't have a place for the chips to go. The handles say 'die', but man, I don't know. And I'll be curious to learn what those tapered plugs are if someone can identify them.

Try to find your local steel recycler or junk yard. That's your best source. Aside from that watch Craigslist. A couple weeks ago I spotted an ad by a couple who had just taken down an old 'wrought iron' fence around their yard. Scrap was free for the taking. Of course it was mild steel not real wrought iron. But I saved what I wanted and scrapped the rest.

I like that old cabinet.

Nice looking forge, Arcc. Well designed cleanout. Simple and effective.

lol And you wouldn't want to put your finger in it. Leather gloves, a Carhartt jacket and a face shield and you're good to go.

Wow, that's a big coil spring. So Thomas, whatcha gonna do with the wrecking ball?

Lumber is lumber. Good score.

Seems like it wouldn't be too hard to make an adapter for 1/4 hex bits. Maybe use a short extension and turn the shank down to fit the Yankee. Now you got me thinking.

Yeah, Yankees are cool. We used to see them out on construction sites all the time but they pretty much disappeared by the mid-1980's. Makita started selling cordless drills in 1978. By the mid-80's they were everywhere and the Yankees were gone. Well, almost gone. Once in a while I still see an old sparky (electrician) using one to install cover plates. I like this one because it's pre-Stanley (pre-1946). After a little Tri-Flow this one snaps back lickity split.

Thanks for the info, Thomas. I'm a sucker for any old tool that says "Made in U.S.A." A couple months back I picked up a real nice Dunlap gasoline blow torch - excellent shape and in the original shipping box. The only thing it was missing was a soldering iron. I was surprised by the asking price on the internet for the Stanley #60 spoke shave and the Goodell Pratt drill. Those 2 items alone more than covered my purchase price. The oiler has been on my 'wanted list' for a while now. It'll get filled with kerosene and accompany my old cross cut saw. Normally I wouldn't have picked up a plastic hacksaw but yesterday I was holding a hacksaw blade in my hand and wishing I had one of these. And the 50¢ price tag was right.

I picked up a few things at an estate sale this morning. $40 for the lot. Top to bottom, left to right: Wooden tackle box Stanley #60 double-blade spoke shave Marshall Wells 'Zenith' Trail Mark square Golden Rod 1 qt. Oiler Unger razor scraper Plastic Stanley hacksaw (made in U.S.A.) Goodell Pratt drill U.S.A. works great (note brazing at 8:30 and 12:00 on the main gear) 2 lb unknown ball peen hammer Hardwood roller (ironwood? teak?) Craftsman brace shank reamer 5513 USA Stanley mason's hammer (might get re-purposed as a slitter) Stanley No 21 nickel plated Box of tripoli compound Nicholson file card w/ replaceable bristles Moore-Ford 9" adjustable wrench Heller NuCut file (Have you used one of these NuCut/Multi-Kut files? They rock!) Unknown 9" adjustable wrench GTD 82° countersink w/brace shank Soldering iron by The Electric Material Co., North East PA (handle appears to be hand forged) Yankee No 135 by North Bros Mfg Co Turner #4 soldering iron, Sycamore ILL. USA

Nice deal on a swage block!

The orientation is set by the square guide.

I can relate. As a carpenter I'd sooner loan you my toothbrush than my 16 oz. Vaughan straight-claw.

No need to go to all that trouble. A couple whacks with a 16 lb sledge will blow that concrete right off.

I paid $100 for my 6". It's not all original but it's in decent shape and perfectly serviceable. No way I'd give $300 for 4".

It's seriously cool! 8)

Sounds like a good plan. I strapped together a couple of pieces of a 6x14 DougFir beam I had laying around. The local lumber yard has plenty of steel strap in their scrap bins - probably free if you ask politely (it was for me).

That's a nice score! 2 horsepower motors in 120v aren't easy to find on the used market. And Baldor is a good name in motors. I've been looking for a while for a 2hp 3450 rpm motor to upgrade an old table saw. A couple of tub skids full of old motors have passed thru the junkyard in last couple months, but no 2hp 120v motors.

Fantastic link. Thank you very much.

If it's in the form of cookware then season it up and use it. Nothing better.

I'll second Anvilflower. How about a pair of Vise-Grips* or other locking pliers? Once you get some other tongs the Vise-Grips will still be useful.

Pictures! Pictures!

Estate sales can be a bonanza, too. You might not find a forge, anvil or vise, but there's plenty of useful blacksmithing stuff to be had for a bargain price.

SWEET deal!