# Inherited a LOT of old hand tools



## dontcallitdirt (Mar 20, 2012)

My grandfather was an avid hand tool collector. He would buy old planes, braces, drills, saws, etc. from auctions and work on restoring them. My brother and I inherited his collection when he passed away.

I now have 2 very large rubbermaid containers nearly full of these tools. Plus a box of wood saws and a couple really big braces. I'd like to care for them in the best way possible. I intend to display the pieces I particularly enjoy and keep the rest in storage, possibly to pass down to my children. 

Do you good folks have any advice on how I should prepare the tools I will put away for long term storage, and also how to care for the ones that will be put on display? I live in North Carolina where we can get very humid summers and am worried about them rusting.


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## sawdustfactory (Jan 30, 2011)

Those tools deserve to be used, not put on display:no: Sned em my way and I'll take care of em for ya :yes:


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## dontcallitdirt (Mar 20, 2012)

Nyuk nyuk nyuk. Don't hold your breath.

But in all seriousness, _could_ they be used? Some appear to be really very old, maybe 1800s?


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## Taylormade (Feb 3, 2011)

They look to be in terrific shape! That Disston back saw in the first pic looks awesome. Man, in going back and looking at the pics again, I'm so jealous. Those old wooden block planes look sweet!


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## ntrusty (Feb 21, 2012)

Heck yes they can still be used. In a lot of cases the older tools are better for handwork than modern ones, much more fun to use as well. There are guys on here that could tell you how to use each and everyone one of those. Youve got some old handplanes in there that look real nice. Like the man said if you find yourself ever needing to part with one hit us up, always good for a old tool to be used and useful again. Sorry to hear about your Grandpa, he left you a real treasure. Question, did he just collect them or did he use them in a workshop as well?


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## dontcallitdirt (Mar 20, 2012)

Most of them are in incredible shade. I wish I had some before photos. Many came from auctions and were found neglected and abandoned in terrible condition. He was truly a master and had the patience of a Buddhist monk.

So, how the heck do I keep them in this condition?


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## dontcallitdirt (Mar 20, 2012)

ntrusty, he did not do any woodworking. He simply collected and restored all types of old tools. He worked as a truck driver his entire life but was something of an amateur historian. He also had an outstanding collection of arrowheads and other Native American artifacts that he found. He donated a lot of his other collections to local museums. You'll enjoy the fact that he was a Blue Lodge Mason to boot. :thumbsup:


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## Shop Dad (May 3, 2011)

How fantastic for you! That is an awesome collection and heck yeah they can be used! Many people LOVE working with those quality old tools and swear by the satisfaction of using them. Start DVR'ing The Woodwright's Shop and you will see a pro putting them to use. Popular Woodworking is a magazine with a bit more focus on hand tools than the others. You might enjoy that. I think you will find folks here very helpful in getting you started using those - and caring for them. There was a recent thread on protecting hand saws. I believe it was a mix of paraffin and mineral spirits. You can always search the forum. I'm sure someone will pick this up with some details. I hope, in the spirit of your grandfather, you give life to these tools and shape something wonderful from wood. :smile:


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## ntrusty (Feb 21, 2012)

Wish I could have meet him, sounds like we have alot in common. Thank you for the info, just from that I can tell you without a doubt he was a very good man. 

As for the preservation part of it, im not totally sure about the wooden parts of the tools, I would say they will be ok if you can keep moisture from getting to them. Maybe some kind of oil or wax would do it, I couldnt tell you what kind though. Sorry. In the shop I keep mine cleaned and away from corrosive stuff and finishing oils/ stains. I do know that some tools manafactuers use this stuff called Cosmoline to keep metal/ steel parts perserved while they are in the box. You have to remove it before using the tools. Im not sure if its right for what you want to do, Im sure other guys on here will either give you more info or say that I dont know what the heck im talking about


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## ACP (Jan 24, 2009)

Sorry about your grandfather's passing. You have quite a collection there. If you don't woodwork don't feel obligated to use the tools, collect, display and preserve is awesome too. A light coat of oil, or even a coat of Boeshield T9 on the metal parts would keep them relatively rust free in an uncontrolled storage environment. You might want to sort them out and take some more photos though or do some research on your own through the web and see if you have some really valuable stuff. That large backsaw on the lid for example looks like a very nice saw and is probably worth some coin. You may have something really valuable and it maybe should be stored in a climate controlled area like inside the house.


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## tcleve4911 (Dec 16, 2006)

Since they are in tortes, I assume they will have covers on them.
The only thing I might add as a to the preserving part is buying a couple of the mildew treatment blocks that we use on our boats for winter storage. Not mothballs !!!!!

The rest has been pretty much covered by old threads and videos.
Thank your Grandpa by using them.


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## tcleve4911 (Dec 16, 2006)

I just read this by Tom. He's contributed a lot to this forum and is a wealth of info.

http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f11/refurbishing-hand-saws-37095/


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## knotscott (Nov 8, 2007)

That's a nice haul. Enjoy!


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## dontcallitdirt (Mar 20, 2012)

First off, I'd like to thank everyone for the advice they've given. I was lucky to stumble upon this community.

I've decided I'll go through all the boxes and photograph the pieces individually. If there's any interest, I can upload the pictures to a web album and link it in this thread. There are certainly some tools in there that I am unfamiliar with and I'd appreciate some help with the identification.


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## bikeshooter (Nov 5, 2010)

dontcallitdirt said:


> If there's any interest, I can upload the pictures to a web album and link it in this thread.


Please do. I'd love to see them as well as as others


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## Fishbucket (Aug 18, 2010)

tcleve4911 said:


> is buying a couple of the mildew treatment blocks that we use on our boats for winter storage.


Carefull with this, Those blocks/bags trap moisture into themselves. If they touch anything metal it will rust it fast. 

A light coat of oil on the metal, a rub of Pledge on the wood and hanging/on display shelf in a room will do them proud.


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## tcleve4911 (Dec 16, 2006)

Fishbucket said:


> Carefull with this, Those blocks/bags trap moisture into themselves. If they touch anything metal it will rust it fast.
> 
> A light coat of oil on the metal, a rub of Pledge on the wood and hanging/on display shelf in a room will do them proud.


You are absolutely correct and it's written in big bold letters on the directions...thanks for the heads up to the OP


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

Nice collection. Do you do any woodworking yourself? As long as the steel is good, probably most - if not almost all - of those tools can still be used. It'd be a great tribute to your Grandfather's efforts and love for hand tools if you did use at least some of them. If not, it's at least encouraging that you respect the tools and have a desire to preserve them the best you can. Your Grandfather would be proud to know that you cherish the tools he put so much love into.


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## dontcallitdirt (Mar 20, 2012)

*OP Delivers - Shots of some of the tools*

OK folks, here's part of what I promised. I took out all the tool from the third box in the photograph above and took individual pictures of everything. It looks like most of what's in this box is trim type planes. Sorry, I don't know exactly what to call them. Someone can clue me in to the correct nomenclature. There are a few braces, mallets, squares, wrenches, draw knife, etc. 

I tried to get as much detail of the planes, in terms of style and cut. If there was anything stamped on the end, I took a photo of that as well. Because photobucket is terrible and reversed the order of my shots, any pic of stamping on a plane pertains to the plane that follows in the next shot.

Zig, my grandfather, put a tag on most of them with the manufacturer and (maybe?) model number. Let me know if you want more detailed shots of any of them in particular. I'll work on getting pics of the rest another night.

The album -----> http://photobucket.com/zigtools


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

You've got some great tools there man!... It's a shame they won't be used 

Maybe someday you'll get the hankering to try em out!

...build n burn - live n learn...


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## dontcallitdirt (Mar 20, 2012)

You guys have actually got me thinking of maybe starting a little project to put a couple of these to use. I'm really not much of a carpenter, but I guess you're never to old to learn. A bluebird box comes to mind. I might have to seek out some of the other sub-forums to get some advice on where to start with that.


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## DannyBoy (Dec 5, 2011)

The one that jumps at me in the Stanley camfer plane. That is a fairly rare plane and depending on the iron and if all the parts are with it, could be worth anywhere from $200.00 to $700.00. Is there a second head for it to do beading/reeding work? Also some of the molding planes you have are intersting as well. I am with the other folks, learn how to use them and you will understand them more. They are tools and in working order are worth more as a legacy than as a collection. Put to work, even it is just to make little things around the house.


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## FarmerJim (Mar 22, 2012)

My G Granddad was a cabinetmaker trained in England. He came over when he was 21 and made a living doing trim work in big houses in the nearest city. A few years ago some of my cousins donated his tools to the historical museum in their town. Sure would have liked to have gotten my hands on those.


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## Gerry KIERNAN (Apr 20, 2007)

If you have a den or rec room tools like these would make a great display wall.

Gerry


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