Rust Hunt

I had to work today so I treated myself to a trip to Mason, Michigan. I didn’t go further than down Peddlers Row but I managed to pick up a rather interesting chisel, stamped I. Sorby Sheffield, a looong 1” dia Irwin style barn auger bit, and some candidates for the chisel repair pile.

The bottom chisel is the I. Sorby.

I'm not sure what the makers mark is. On the butt of the handle it's stamped "Indestructible".

If you have an idea what the makers mark is I'd appreciate it if you would let me know.

The socket chisel is a Craftsman. It's pretty well beat up but maybe the socket can be reforged.

The chisel just above the auger is a Millers Tool Steel. The tang has been hit a few times but not too bad.

Last and least, the top gouge has the tip broken off and the name is corroded down to just a "C".

Four chisels, three with names, not bad for $2.00.

The auger is an Irwin style bit. No name on the shank. The handle on it was "adapted" in other words driven onto the shank of the bit. Augers are my favorites so I'll sharpen it up and try to rebuild the handle. The handle is an adjustable type. It should have an eye bolt through the slot that the shank was driven through, with a wing nut on the end to tighten the shank into the handle.

In the back of one of the stalls I found a Stanley No. 358 miter box. What I thought was a rare item. A quick check on the net shows it's not that rare and the price was too high for a miter box without a blade.

The Work-Mate that it's sitting on is pretty good but I already have three. 

A great way to spend an afternoon.

Saved

Barn Auger II Why do augers have different pitch threads on the pilot screw.

In this and the next video we'll test the effect of pilot thread pitch on how a wood cutting auger works.

Champion Blower

In my travels I picked up a Champion Blower. Looks to have come from a rivet forge. Missing the handle but it's in good shape with only 1 farmer fix. It has a socket head cap screw in the blade. Pretty sure those weren't around when this was made.

Not sure if I'll use it or sell it but at the price I couldn't leave it.

Patience Pays Off

Tonight I went out to the shop to oil and tap the shaft again.
When I tapped the end it moved.
Now all I have to do is file off the setscrew marks and a little burr on the end and it will come right out.
Could have been the heat I put on the nut. Could have been the heat on the shaft. Could have been the Kroil. (I love the stuff.)
Bet it was the patience.

Thanks for all the ideas guys. If the shaft hadn't slipped loose tonight it was off with the end and drill it out this weekend.

Now where did I put the wood for the frame?

Treadle Grinder

After a year of patient waiting, oiling, tapping, waiting again, I finally have the cranks off of the treadle grind stone and shaft that I picked up. My intent was to quickly build a stand and treadles, jump on the seat and Bob’s yer uncle.
Alas it was not to be. When I got off the poor bedraggled bearings, that someone had butchered onto the shaft, I found that the shaft is severely worn. My lathe has a 9” swing over the bed and the stone is 20” diameter so just chucking up the shaft is not easily accomplished. No problem I’ll just remove the shaft and weld it up. Turning it in the lathe will be a snap right? More oiling an tapping. Patience is rapidly becoming a scarce commodity.
I'm looking for someone with experience remove grindstone shafts. The shaft is of minor consequence if need be I'll drill the thing out and put in a new shaft but I'm concerned about damaging the stone.

Anyone with an idea just drop me a line.

Restoring a Hocking Cornsheller - The end of a 52 year search

Written Thursday, July 01, 2010

When I was seven years old my parent bought their first house. We moved
in in October. It was a fixer-upper, by that I mean we spent a week
hauling out trash from the house, and Dad spent 4 years fixing it. I
learned a lot about home repair while helping my Dad install plumbing,
wiring, a fuel oil furnace, and a bathroom. The toilet was originally
in the living room closet and the sink was 40 feet away by the back
door. We also learned togetherness as a family that first winter,
because we all tried to huddle as close to the living room stove as
possible while turning to keep one side from burning while the other
side froze. That first winter my brothers and I hauled lump coal in
from the tumbledown shed by the back door in to feed the potbellied
stove in the kitchen and living room. The end of the shed with the door
had folded down flat so we entered through a hole we made in the wall
by pulling some boards off. By spring we had pretty well emptied the
coal shed. In the back of the shed we found a corn sheller. Bob ,
Jerry, and I ran field corn and walnuts through it and had great fun
cranking the handle while the wheel turned and corn magically came out
the bottom and the cob was spit out the end.

The outbuildings were full of old tools and farm equipment. Dad needed
money more than he needed old tools so he sold all of them off,
including the corn sheller. The money went to buy the oil furnace so I
guess it was a fair trade.

Over the years that corn sheller became something that I really wanted
to have. I'm a Galoot, freely admitted. I wanted one but could never
justify buying one at the prices people thought they were worth. Every
auction with a corn sheller either was too far away or the price jumped
right over $200.00 and out of the range I was willing to part with.

In the fall of 2009 I went to another auction. This time to buy a trunk
for my wife. She had wanted one as a storage place for afghans and
blankets in the family room. While there I saw a fixer-upper of a corn
sheller. http://galootcentral.com/index.php?option=com_copperminevis&It-
emid=2&place=displayimage&album=484&pos=0

http://galootcentral.com/index.php?option=com_copperminevis&Itemid=2&pl-
ace=displayimage&album=484&pos=1

In the family tradition it was full of trash and was going to take a
lot of work to make it right, but all the iron was there. I carefully
didn't look at it much, and when the bidding time came I bid $15.00 and
it was mine.

After 6 months of off and on work at night and on weekends it's done.

http://galootcentral.com/index.php?option=com_copperminevis&Itemid=2&pl-
ace=displayimage&album=484&pos=2

After finally getting all the parts together on Saturday (July 25th, 2010), I
spent Sunday cranking the handle, smiling, and remembering. This
ones not for sale.