In My Tool Box

[dmort]

This protractor was passed on to me at the shipyard. I had little use for it, but hung on it because of the transfer of ownership and date. The war had been over for 20 years and this was still floating around the machine shop.

When people retired they often sold or gave tools to friends in the shop. I bought a beat-up Kennedy machinist chest for $5.00 and took it home. I have grown quite fond of it.....I liked the patina.

Mort

The photo is hard to see but reads 11\15\44

 

[FBecigneul]

Whoa

I have one exactly like that but with no history behind. Beautiful

 

[Al Nyhus]

Stan Ware's youngest son Justin was an extremely talented wood worker and engraver. In the early '90's, Stan was doing a lot of high end trap and skeet shotguns. Barely in his teens, Justin was doing a lot of the wood work and all of the engraving. His engraving quality was such that he was offered an apprenticeship at the Remington Custom Shop during the Summer of 1995 after the school year was over. Tragically, at age 16, Justin died in a car accident in Oct of 1994.

Justin's engraving tools and other tools were in a oak tool chest he had made. Stan covered that tool chest with a soft blanket and it sat in the same spot, undisturbed, for well over a decade. He took the blanket off once and showed me the chest and tools...it was an emotional moment for him.

One day, several years later, something just didn't look right in the shop. The tool chest wasn't there. Knowing Stan the way I did, I knew better than to say anything. Later that day as I was getting ready to go, He handed me this and said: "I got these for Justin for his 14th birthday. Now they're yours. Put 'em to work."

I had no words. And as Stan requested, I use 'em.

Somewhere up there, Justin is finishing the engraving on a nice Browning Citori that Stan just blued.

Good shootin'.

 

[dmort]

When first I saw your post I found it hard to reply, but the outcome was the best thing that could happen.......it went to the right person.

Mort

 

[dmort]

Thumb lock, lever lock and no lock. I have examples of all three. The locking device is something I seldom if ever use. I do like the appearance of the Lufkin lever design on this mic which came with a standard. It even has a knurl pattern on the end. Pretty cool.

Mort

 

[brickeyee]

View attachment 25181View attachment 25182View attachment 25183
This protractor was passed on to me at the shipyard. I had little use for it, but hung on it because of the transfer of ownership and date.
The war had been over for 20 years and this was still floating around the machine shop.

When people retired they often sold or gave tools to friends in the shop.
I bought a beat-up Kennedy machinist chest for $5.00 and took it home.
I have grown quite fond of it.....I liked the patina.

Mort

The photo is hard to see but reads 11\15\44

Infrequently used .
I did mostly aircraft support work (DF and EW) for self protection.

When you needed to place something on a fuselage at a particular angle,
say for a DF antenna array, it was the only tool you could use.

 

[Butch Lambert]

A fellow on another forum posted a photo of a knurled 1.25" round cylinder with a screw in lid on top and bottom. He wandered what it was. I gave him $50 for it. It is marked Harry Miller in California. He was the Miller as in the old Miller Indy cars and the Miller engine that became the Offenhauser engine. The little cylinder held drills for carb jets and had a pin vise to hold them. Some of you remember Jimmy Lee Knox (JLK) bullets in Arkansas. Jimmy is a long time friend and a real car guy. I gave it to him. Somebody that has a real appreciation. I don't know why I can't post photos any more, but can email them.

 

[dmort]

Butch
Did you have an idea of what it could be before you purchased it? I wouldn't have a clue. Again it went to someone who would really appreciate it. Good man.

Mort

 

[Butch Lambert]

Butch
Did you have an idea of what it could be before you purchased it? I wouldn't have a clue. Again it went to someone who would really appreciate it. Good man.

Mort

I tried to post a long thread about how I knew of Harry Miller, Knew his Nephew Eddie Miller, and Eddie's son Jim Miller and it disappeared. PM an email address and I will try that and maybe a couple photos.

 

[Al Nyhus]

Not exactly Offy-level but this home made gizmo has been worth it's weight in gold over the years.

There's a drawbar that goes around the pin and pulls the piston down to a stop under the pin bosses. It can then be rotated to any angle to cut valve reliefs, smooth the domes, mill gas ports...you name it. In this pic, we're using it to hold the piston securely to remove the tool steel spacers in the ring lands. Those spacers let us use a skinny ring (.9 mm, .043, etc) when NHRA Stock Eliminator rules mandate a stock ring groove width in the piston. -Al

 

[alinwa]

Home-Ade tools are best

 

[dmort]

I tried to post a long thread about how I knew of Harry Miller, Knew his Nephew Eddie Miller, and Eddie's son Jim Miller and it disappeared. PM an email address and I will try that and maybe a couple photos.

The red car in the photo belonged to Chet Herbert. On the way back from one of his trips he and some friends went swimming in a canal to cool off. Chet got something in his system that later cost him the use. of his legs .At some point he started grinding cams. I bought one of his rollers for the gasser. His son is still in business selling speed parts.

Mort
Great read and photos.....thanks

 

[Al Nyhus]

The red car in the photo belonged to Chet Herbert. On the way back from one of his trips he and some friends went swimming in a canal to cool off. Chet got something in his system that later caused him the use of his legs. At some point he started grinding cams. I bought one of his rollers for the gasser. His son is still in business selling speed parts.

Mort
Great read and photos.....thanks

Mort, I never knew why Chet Herbert was in a wheel chair....interesting.

I followed his son Doug's Top Fuel career pretty closely. He was a hard, hard racer that took z-e-r-o crap from anyone. He and Clay Millican were involved in an epic starting line burn down after which Doug was given the nick name of 'Dougzilla'.

Here's a video of it and some explanation from both guys. Enjoy! -Al

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCqBfuTYkns

 

[jackie schmidt]

I might have posted this before, but my Dad had this old Crescent Tool Company Crescent Wrench that was probably pre-WW-2. It was used in our shop for years untill the adjusting scroll broke..

One day, a while back, I decided to fix it. I took a piece of grade 8 bolt material and machined a new scroll, giving the old girl a new lease on life.

But I did not leave it at our Shop. I took it home to my personal shop and hung it on the wall. It deserves a good retirement.

My Dad was possibly the most intelligent person I ever knew. A master craftsman.

http://benchrest.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=25242&d=1644416390&thumb=1&stc=1

 

[dmort]

I think I have 75+ ground tool bits. Most of which are ground on both ends for a different application. Some are H.S.S. but most are Mo-Max which is the brand name used by the Cleveland Twist Drill Co. Like GTD they make quality stuff. All the tools in the photo are Mo-Max except one.

I like tools ground with a minimum number of faces/facets whatever. They look nice but don't always cut as expected. I have tools I have reground a few times for different jobs and are butt ugly......But work just fine.

Number 1 is a 3/4 inch tool I used on a large Bullard Vertical Milling machine. These machines use a circular rotating table as a base.

Number 2 has a chip breaker ground on the leading edge. This requires a steady hand and a little practice.

Number 3 Is a blank for grinding tools similar to number 4.

Number 4 H.S.S. ground for 5/8" Acme thread.

Number 5 is a tool I ground for I don't know for what. The relief taper on both sides below what you see narrows to less than .030 and wasn't burned. Low-speed grinder (1750 rpm) and water.

Mort

 

[Butch Lambert]

Butch
Did you have an idea of what it could be before you purchased it? I wouldn't have a clue. Again it went to someone who would really appreciate it. Good man.

Mort

No sir I didn't know what it was at the time, but with Harry Millers name on it and his Kalif address, I had to have it.

 

[dmort]

Mo-Max Tools

I was thinking the Mo-Max lathe tools might be worth something ( had thoughts of buying a new varmint rifle ) so I went on line to check things out and found prices all over the place. The stubbys are cheap as you would expect. I did find there are two grades. Super Mo-Max has 8% colbalt instead of 5% for regular.

Cleveland Twist Drill is still around but didn't find anything on Mo-Max.

When I was having thoughts about a new rifle I was pulling stuff out of my roll-around like I was digging for gold. Turns out 75+ was a WAG...I only have 54.

Mort

 

[Butch Lambert]

I may have mentioned this before, but I have a few 9/32 drive ratchets and sockets in my box and I have a very old Snap On ratchet that is old unchromed steel and pretty rough machined in appearance. I have Plvmb, Bonney, Thorsen, Great Neck, Craftsman,SK, and multiple of other American brands. My Snap On Taco wagon only has Snap On tools in it.

 

[dmort]

9/32?

We pretty much share the same assortment of American branded tools. I have one odd ball Snap On.....a lonely socket adaptor.
How big is the Taco stand?

Mort

Epig ?

 

[Butch Lambert]

My master Snap On tool wagon was the master? and is 55" long. I also have the large top box and a cabinet that hangs off the side. The 9/32 drives were made for the military, why? I don't know.
I do have some MoMax in my Kennedy roll around. Is it the same Cleveland that made the twist drills? Back in the 60s the Cleveland Twist Drills were the cat's meow.