# Old hand tool help



## flip18436572 (Oct 23, 2012)

Is there a web site in which I can find information about old hand tools. I have searched for W. E. Merrell and found that he was into machinery in the late 1800's and I have quite a few hand tools with that name on them. But, nothing about his tools. 

I also have other tools of the same era, but not sure of the maker right now. I will take pictures later, and possibly post here if anyone would have the time to help me with finding out more information.

I also have an old cast Stanley No46, but I am not sure of the year. Mine is not nickel plated.

Everything I have comes from what would be my great great grandfather's family. I don't use these and was going to put them on shelves around my shop, but am really wondering if these should be somewhere else on display.


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## Dave Paine (May 30, 2012)

One place to look at for Stanley No 46 planes is Tool Trip.

http://www.tooltrip.com/tooltrip9/index.htm


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

I'm not certain what you are asking. I'm not familiar with a tool brand of Merrell, are you saying they are simply labeled as bring owned by him? Is this the family member you refer to?

Pictures would be a goo place to start. Can you upload pictures of the tools. We can likely identify the type of tool and that may help in your research.

As a side note, if you want to find a museum to donate them to, I am heavily involved in a museum here that is currently going through quite the expansion with a new building strictly to showcase woodworking tools both hand and steam powered and to be a place for classes.


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## flip18436572 (Oct 23, 2012)

firemedic said:


> I'm not certain what you are asking. I'm not familiar with a tool brand of Merrell, are you saying they are simply labeled as bring owned by him? Is this the family member you refer to?
> 
> Pictures would be a goo place to start. Can you upload pictures of the tools. We can likely identify the type of tool and that may help in your research.


The picture on the end of the tools is W.E. MERRELL. That is not the family name. That is the brand stamped into the tool.


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## flip18436572 (Oct 23, 2012)

Here is another picture. I have over 15 different hand tools of this age.


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## flip18436572 (Oct 23, 2012)

And the Stanley


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## flip18436572 (Oct 23, 2012)

Different view of the unknown one above.


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## Hammer1 (Aug 1, 2010)

W. E. Merrell could be the manufacturer but it could also be the company that owned the tools. 

The skew angle plough plane could be British due to the dark color, typically the result of linseed oil with which they used to coat their wood planes, and the fine wood threading.

The Stanley is an old one and may have some value if complete. 

The tools you have shown are not museum pieces. Those would often have lots of brass, ivory, engraving. It would be obvious that they were Rolls Royces but there are some plane Janes most folks wouldn't look at twice that can be very valuable because they are rare.


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

A few notes and observations-

The 46 appears to be a type 4 - early 1830's.
<EDIT: 1830's was a typo- I intended to write 1880's>

I'm inclined to believe the Merrell name was a hardware co that sold the tools. It's very common to find a maker's name/mark and a seller's name but it is sometimes only one or the other. If you knew for certain where your great great lived at the time he acquired those tools it would help you in your search for the origin.


--
As for ivory and brass, Nahhh. We don't concern ourselves with that. We portray the working man's tools and use them too! Living History Museums are more about the man and use than the obscure rarities.

It's true the the British used linseed oil more commonly than us but those planes don't look like they've seen much of it. The darkening is typically also a combination of elbow grease too. You'll notice the rear of that first quirked plane and it's lack of darkening.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

firemedic said:


> I'm inclined to believe the Merrell name was a hardware co that sold the tools. It's very common to find a maker's name/mark and a seller's name but it is sometimes only one or the other. If you knew for certain where your great great lived at the time he acquired those tools it would help you in your search for the origin.


Just throwing out another possibility. Could have been the owner/craftsman's name, as in having his name on his tools. Shops usually required craftsmen to have their own tools. He could have had a die made as a stamp for his wooden tools.









 







.


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## flip18436572 (Oct 23, 2012)

They might be a sellers marking, as from my understanding, these were tools that my great great grandfather used as his business and not someone he worked for. I have had these about 5 years, but my father passed away last year, so I can't tell you any more about them. My father and his father were not woodworkers or even "handy". These just keep getting passed down from generation to generation.

I will try and get all of them out of the boxes they are stored in and take pictures of them and give you more information about them as far as sizes go. To me, some of them look more hand made, rather than a "production" piece, but I may be way off base.


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## flip18436572 (Oct 23, 2012)

firemedic said:


> A few notes and observations-
> 
> The 46 appears to be a type 4 - early 1830's.


I thought these were not made until the 1870's.


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

Ahh! That's a typo. 1880's. It would have been made between 1880-1883.

50 years does make a difference! :smile:


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## flip18436572 (Oct 23, 2012)

firemedic said:


> Ahh! That's a typo. 1880's. It wod have been made between 1880-1883.
> 
> 50 years does make a difference! :smile:


I just thought maybe I screwed up with the little bit of research I had done. I will get more pictures posted later in the week.


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## flip18436572 (Oct 23, 2012)

I took 118 pictures today of the antique hand tools I have. Some I took only 2 pictures and some I took 5 pictures of. Not sure how I am going to get all of these email out to Firemedic for him to review. Probably a lot of emails with a few attachments.


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## flip18436572 (Oct 23, 2012)

firemedic ----- sent you the link to the pictures I uploaded.


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

Got it, Phillip. I'll check it out soon.

Thanks!


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## flip18436572 (Oct 23, 2012)

Any of those you think I should post here? Way too many pictures to post them all here. Takes too long to make them small and then upload and link them here.


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

I'm sure the other guys here would love to see some of them!


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## DannyT (Apr 26, 2011)

upload them somewhere and post a link


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## flip18436572 (Oct 23, 2012)

http://s182.photobucket.com/albums/x139/rohs1982/wood hand tools/

That is all the pictures I took. Some of them are upside down, so you may have to flip them. I don't have time to edit them all. They are the correct way on my computer, but messed up on the upload. 12 hour shifts 6 days a week, just doesn't leave me much time.

If that link doesn't work. Let me know. It is showing as a public folder and it worked for me when I wasn't logged in, but that doesn't always mean anything.


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## flip18436572 (Oct 23, 2012)

Has anyone been able to get to the pictures? I had problems with photobucket today.


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## railaw (Nov 15, 2011)

flip18436572 said:


> Has anyone been able to get to the pictures? I had problems with photobucket today.


Yup. I looked through them all. Seems to be some very interesting stuff !


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

The link worked for me! It's easier for me to look through them on the PC though... Still looking through them :smile:


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## flip18436572 (Oct 23, 2012)

THanks for the replies. I was working on some work projects in another photobucket account and I kept getting kicked out. Was just wanting to make sure.


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## GoIrish (Jan 29, 2012)

What treasure. I hope to find a few molding planes to add to my tool box.


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## flip18436572 (Oct 23, 2012)

OK Firemedic. The wife and I think it is a good idea to donate some or most of the hand tools in the pictures to different places that would use them, not just display them. What kind of "red tape" is involved in donating some of the tools in my father's name, but also allow the family to request the tools back at a future date for other possible things. Not that I see anyone wanting the tools back for anything, and I would love to see them used, as I know that I will not be the person using them, and I don't see my daughters doing it either.


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

That's terrific! 

Hmmm, I'll have to look into it and see how to handle that. I can certainly understand wanting to go about it in that way.

They do formal and informal loaning and borrowing but I have to see if that would be applicable for this.

Thanks,
Jean


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

Oh, and it won't be long before I make another trip up to St Louis. Where in IL are you? I'd be driving up 55... Might could stop in as opposed to the shipping thing. That way I could say howdy and thanks face to face too!


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## flip18436572 (Oct 23, 2012)

firemedic said:


> Oh, and it won't be long before I make another trip up to St Louis. Where in IL are you? I'd be driving up 55... Might could stop in as opposed to the shipping thing. That way I could say howdy and thanks face to face too!


IOWA, not Illinois.


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

flip18436572 said:


> IOWA, not Illinois.


Oh


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## ACP (Jan 24, 2009)

Where abouts in SW IA are you located?


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## flip18436572 (Oct 23, 2012)

ACP said:


> Where abouts in SW IA are you located?


Red Oak. About 50 miles from Council Bluffs/Omaha


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## STAR (Jan 1, 2008)

flip18436572 said:


> Red Oak. About 50 miles from Council Bluffs/Omaha


I am in Oz and have been to Council Bluffs. Just over the river to Omaha.

Spent some time at the Greyhound track and Casino. I am a Husker fan not a Hawkeye.

Pete


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## flip18436572 (Oct 23, 2012)

STAR said:


> I am in Oz and have been to Council Bluffs. Just over the river to Omaha.
> 
> Spent some time at the Greyhound track and Casino. I am a Husker fan not a Hawkeye.
> 
> Pete


Not a Husker Fan!!!!! There are now three casinos. Horseshoe, which used to be at the race track that doesn't exist anymore that I know of. And then two on the river Ameristar and Harrah's. Very many Nebraska plates helping the Iowa economy.


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## flip18436572 (Oct 23, 2012)

ANy updates Firemedic?


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

The director had been out of town for several days. I'll be sitting down with him soon on several things including this.

Thanks for you patience!


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## flip18436572 (Oct 23, 2012)

Any updates?


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

I'm PM'd you.


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## flip18436572 (Oct 23, 2012)

Replied.


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## Darkmoor (Jan 26, 2013)

The web is fine for research but nothing beats a classic book

Old Ways of Working Wood: The Techniques and Tools of a Time Honored Craft: Alex W. Bealer: 9780785807100: Amazon.com: Books


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## flip18436572 (Oct 23, 2012)

Darkmoor said:


> The web is fine for research but nothing beats a classic book
> 
> Old Ways of Working Wood: The Techniques and Tools of a Time Honored Craft: Alex W. Bealer: 9780785807100: Amazon.com: Books


Thanks.


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## Darkmoor (Jan 26, 2013)

I have that book and it's excellent, you can make many of your own tools with the instructions provided


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## flip18436572 (Oct 23, 2012)

Darkmoor said:


> I have that book and it's excellent, you can make many of your own tools with the instructions provided


That is really not in my plans. I am going to talk with a few local historically societies and a living history farm about them wanting them.


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## flip18436572 (Oct 23, 2012)

I am thinking of selling the entire lot of tools. If you are interested please let me know. Otherwise these may be going on EBAY or craigslist.


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## flip18436572 (Oct 23, 2012)

I sold two pieces from this group to Jean (Firemedic). I will take better pictures if you want something let me know. Otherwise, I will list each of these for sale and will put them in the classifieds section and will probably list them all on craigslist locally. EBAY is a last resort, but will if I need to.


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

Phillip has some decent tools in the lot, guys. I only bought two I liked because I don't need anymore duplicates.

There are a few dado and plow planes and and incomplete #46 if ya'll are looking and the prices should be reasonable.

As Phillip is not a hand tooler I told him that I will be watching this thread to answer questions about usage and the completeness of the tools if they arise. I will not be able to attest to condition not having put hands on them. 

With that - I will suggest that that you start a new thread in the classifieds section, Phillip, as that's where it belongs once you get pictures posted.


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## flip18436572 (Oct 23, 2012)

I will post them in classifieds if someone doesn't want to buy the lot from this thread. Otherwise I will take indiviual pictures and post them in the classifieds by individual part and on craigslist.


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

ps - you're welcome...


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