AllJJJUUAlitJ ► 38 A Publication of the Mid-West Tool Collectors Association

M-WTCA.ORG

These unusual plumb bobs feature internal storage reels. Story on page 8. Photograph by Ron Pearson.

December 2003 No. 113 FROM THE PRESIDENT

N. 113 December, 2003 Copyright 2003 by Mid-West Tool Collectors Association, Inc. All rights reserved.www.mwtca.org Reflections Editor Mary Lou Stover S76W19954 Prospect Dr. s I look back at non-renewals of membership. On Feb. Muskego, WI 53150 Associate Editor Roger K. Smith •r my two-year 28,2003, the cut-off date, we had 546 Contributing Editor Thomas Lamond A!! tenure in this members that had not renewed as com­ Advertising Manager Paul Gorham chair, I am im - pared to 578 on the same date in 2002. THE GRISTMILL is the official publication of the Mid-West Tool Collectors pressed and frankly Each year we send out about 950 dues Association, Inc. Published quarterly in March, June, September and December. The purpose of the association is to promote the preservation, study and amazed at the work reminder postcards at a cost of almost understanding of ancient tools, implements and devices of farm , home, industry and dedication given and shop of the pioneers: also, to study the crafts in which these objects were $500. It would be a wonderful experience used and the craftsmen who used them; and to share knowledge and by so many to keep if we could find a way to encourage ev­ understanding with others, especially where it may benefit restoration, museums our association viable eryone to renew his or her membership and like institutions. and working. Let me as soon as the dues notice is received. Ed President Willie Royal take this opportunity to say "thanks" to 215 Anthony Circle, Charlotte, NC 28211-1417 Hobbs has been assigned the job of mak­ (704) 366-7081 all of you, members, officers, directors, ing this happen. You can get him off the Vice-President Doug Cox committee members and my wife, Jean, hook by renewing your membership upon 2938 Cynthiana Rd., Georgetown, KY 40324-9272 who handles the myriad collection of (502) 863-1407 receipt of the dues notice. We are aware Vice-President George Wanamaker e-mails and letters. It is volunteerism at that you will read these suggestions and 312 S. Lafayette, Macomb, IL 61455-2233 its best. comments after the dues notice has been (309) 836-6872 Vice-President Ed Hobbs received, so do Ed Hobbs and treasurer M-WTGA is without any doubt one 4417 Inwood Road, Raleigh, NC 27603-3315 John Wells a favor and renew your mem­ (919) 828-2754 of the friendliest organizations that I have bership today, if you haven't already. Vice-President Donald Rosebrook ever encountered and, in our travels, we 38352 Henry Road, Prairieville, LA 70769-4708 (225) 673-4049 receive this comment from many others. As of this writing, Jean and I have Treasurer John Wells At the same time, we have fun, and it is attended 12 area meetings this year and P.O. Box 8016, Berkeley, CA 94707-8016 important that we continue to do so. (510) 848-3651 hope to add one or two more. I note con­ Secretary Tom Lamond tinued improvement in both attendance 30 Kelsey Place, Lynbrook, NY 11563-1516 Now, having said all of that with and meeting content. The area meeting (516) 596-1281 conviction, let me take care of a little is a high priority in maintaining member Directors important business that will help us Area A AreaJ interest and is an excellent form for re­ James Preusser, 2004 Mike Urness, 2005 maintain a viable association. Wayne Anderson, 2005 Joel Hodapp, 2006 cruiting new members who have a genu­ Eric Mattson, 2006 Uoyd Henley, 2006 Area B AreaK Ed Hobbs, our vice president respon­ ine interest in collecting and studying Mike Hanley, 2004 Steve Bruder, 2004 Bob Kloes, 2005 Sam Strauss Jr., 2005 sible for membership growth and reten­ antique tools and technology. It is my hope Gary Kane, 2006 Andy Ha rt, 2006 that we can and will do more in the com­ Area( Area L tion, reports that as of Sept. 24, 2003, we Lars Larson, 2004 Don Jordan, 2005 have 3,827 members as compared to ing year to develop the area meetings. Michael Slasinski, 2005 Area M John Sindelar, 2006 Gene Epting, 2004 3,776 on Sept. 30, 2002. This is a move­ Remember to do John Wells and Ed AreaD Doug Fowler, 2006 ment in the right direction and is, in my Jim Escher, 2004 AreaN Hobbs, as well as yourself and M-WTCA, LeRoy Witzel, 2005 Phil Baker, 2004 opinion, a result of having a very active Fred Leu, 2006 Nelson Coressel, 2005 a big favor and renew your membership Area E Vincent Soukup, 2006 Membership Committee for the past year. Bob Green, 2004 AreaO now if you have not done so already. Ralph Brendler, 2005 Alan Foster, 2004 Dave Heckel, 2006 Rod Galster, 2005 We have a problem with late and Slav Jelesijevich, 2006 Robert Gilmore, 2006 - Willie Royal Area F AreaP Jan Cover, 2004 Mark Eastlick, 2004 Matt Borders, 2005 Tim Bailey, 2005 Carl Bilderback, 2006 Jason Miller, 2005 Norman Heckman, 2006 William Warner, 2006 DECEMBER, 2003 • No 113 AreaG AreaO Dan Gaier, 2004 Pat Medley, 2004 John Kesterson, 2005 Bob Fields, 2005 Dennis Eckstein, 2006 Robert Oehman 2006 AreaH AreaR John Delay, 2004 Martin Donnelly, 2004 M-WTCA.ORGPhil Whitby, 2005 Walter Karsten, 2006 Area I Gregor Mszar, 2004 Plumb Crazy A look at several unusual plumb bobs with internal stor­ David McDonald, 2005 Bud Blake, 2006 Committee Chairman age reels. Page 8. Meeting Planning Doug Cox Elections George Wanamaker Scholarship Don Rosebrook Bailey and Stanley No. 1s Probing the relationship between Bailey GRISTMlll Managing Editor Mary Lou Stover Special Publications James Conover By-Laws and Policy Robert St. Peters planes and the Stanley Rule and Level Co. Page 12. Whatsit James Mau Family Assistance Don Riley Brooks Brothers A pioneering but overlooked American axe manufac­ Marion Henley Award Ron Pearson Displays & Awards John Walkowiak Address Labels Kerry McCalla turer gets some attention. Page 16. Publications Mailings Ann Henley Scrapbook Barb & Mike Slasinski Internet Don Bosse Not a Boring story The history of drilling in stone. Page 26. Membership Ed Hobbs www.mwtca.org The GRISTMILL • December 2003 • 2 MARK THESE ON YOUR CALENDAR

Mid-West Tool Collectors Association National Meetings

Spring, 2004 June 17, 18, 19, 2004. Akron, OH. George Elsass & Carolyn List (614) Preservation and 888-0591. John & Julie Kesterson (330) 753-2751. Fall, 2004 Sept. 30-Oct. 2, 2004. St. Louis, MO. Mike Urness ((3 14) 434-4325. Education Display Table Spring, 2005 June 16-18, 2005. Decatur, IL. Dave & Judy Heckel (217) 345-9112. By Phil Baker

M-WTCA Area I Other Meetings he Preservation & Education Com­ l mittee will sponsor a display table at M-WTCA semiannual meetings. 2004 Meetings Area Q Jan 10. Hillsborough, NC, Robert Oehman (919) 858-8506 The Bowling Green display pro­ Area N Jan. 15-18 Fort Mead, FL, Vince Soukup (772) 562-0791 vided information on some of the activi­ ties M-WTCA has been involved in re­ Area M Feb. 5 Madison, GA, Phil Baker (941) 485-6981 cently. Area A Feb. 14 Medina, MN, Wayne Anderson (763) 241-0138 Area I Feb. 14 Springdale, AR Emery Goad (888) 889-3340 It is the hope of this committee that areas and members that have aided or Area F Feb. 13-14 Spencer, IN, Matt Borders (812) 824-9318 in the process of serving museums, his­ Area B Feb. 29 St Francis , WI, Mary Lou Stovor (262) 679-1412 toric sites, like associations, and don't Area N March 19-20 Mount Dora , FL, Phil Baker (941) 485-6981 forget Mount Vernon, will contact Phil Area E March 28 Rockford , IL, Gary Johnson (815) 636-1464 Baker or any other committee member Area N April 2-3 Barberville, FL, Phil Baker (941) 485-6981 of this activity. Area F April 10 Franklin, IN, Norm Heckman (317) 422-8482 That will enable the committee to Area 0 April 10 Charlotte, NC, Bob Fields (704) 393-1282 provide the space on a display table. It Area E May 17 Quincy, IL, George Wanamaker (309) 836-6872 is important that members know the Area M May 22 Columbia, SC, Gene Epting (803) 781-5199 good things taking place in the organi­ zation. As committee chairman, I would Area Q July 24 Raleigh, NC, Ed Hobbs (919) 828-2754 like to see two or more tables covered Area F Aug. 29 South Whitloy, IN , Jan Cover (765) 5233586 with your work. Area Q Nov. 6 Charlotte, NC, Bob Fields (704) 393-1282 Area E Nov. 14 Virden, IL, Jim Moffet (217) 439-7358 The GRISTMILL plans to carry a column on these displays. I believe the more that can be shown the more oth­ Dates must be cleared with Gary Johnson (815) 636-1464. E-Mail [email protected] ers will reach out and become a par­ ticipant in promoting one of the major purposes of M-WTCA.

It's That Time Again - Renew Your Membership

By Ed Hobbs do that tomorrow." If you are like me, this woodworking stores, antique shops, etc., M-WTCA.ORGcan be a very bad thing to do. Either it that we find share our interest in and en­ will get lost in one of my "piles" of stuff thusiasm for old tools. As has been said Jl\~s they say, time flies. This seems to and won't surface until many months later before, if everyone found just one new lf1 be especially true this time of the or it will get thrown out with some other member every three years, we would be !! year with all the holiday activities stuff. Seems the older I get the worst this just fine. So make this your year. and everything else we have to do. And becomes. (You younger folks don't laugh isn't this the time of year we should be as one day you will experience this for Thanks to all of you that have already thinking about making and keeping some yourself) sent back your renewal and have found a New Year resolutions? Well, let me sug­ good new member recently. Wasn't it gest two very important, worthwhile and Second, find a good new member. easy? To the rest of you, send in your re­ beneficial resolutions. New members are important for all of us. newal and resolve to get a good new mem­ It keeps M-WTCA going and is the ber this year so they also can share in the First, send in your M-WTCA 2004 re­ life-blood of any organization. We all cross benefits of belonging to M WTCA. We newal as soon as you get it It is awful paths with individuals at historic sites, appreciate it! easy just to put it down and say, "I will The GRISTMILL • December 2003 • 3 MEETINGS, MEMBERSHIP NEWS & MISCELLANY

look at some great tools. Approximately Area A & B Tool Meet 30 trade tables held a wide variety of tools and related items. By Larry Thorson A half dozen or so tools were dis­ cussed in a whatsit session. Some were (r'\\n Sept. 13 and 14 Area B hosted a joint even identified. George Wanamaker set up V meeting of Minnesota (Area A) and a display on the Defiance 1213 and 1213 Wisconsin (Area B) members of M-WTCA. 112 plane. Terry Wear displayed Stanley No. 862 and 902 tool cabinets and John The meeting started Saturday after­ Holmes displayed Kelly Tm-Temper axes. noon at the village park in Genoa, WI, Thanks for some interesting and informa­ which is approximately 17 miles south of tive displays. La Crosse along the Mississippi River. Along with the tailgate session Gay and Roast beef, party potatoes, green Rick Swenson hosted an open house at beans with ham, and cole slaw were their Old Tool Shed Antiques shop in served for lunch. A drawing was held for Genoa. The day's festivities closed with a several door prizes, and it was time to catfish dinner. A total of 117 members and wrap it up. Thanks to everyone who guests attended the meeting with repre­ helped to set up, take down, cook, and sentation from Areas A, B, D and E. serve. It was the best Cosgrove meet yet! The meet resumed at 9 a.m. Sunday Area Q donated a quern to Yates Mill in morning at the All Star Banquets facility North Carolina. in La Crosse, WI. The coffee cakes, .dough­ H & R Meet a Success nuts, juice and coffee disappeared fast as By John Delay the wheeling and dealing continued Area Q Supports throughout the morning. Several members J'ive new members were signed up at the responded to the meet's theme by show­ tr joint meeting of Area Hand R in Kent, Historic Yates Mill ing off their favorite craftsman made tool. CT, in May. Later in the morning drawings were held By Ed Hobbs for door prizes which included a subscrip­ Held on the Connecticut Antique tion to Fine Tool Journal, cooler, and steak Machinery Association (CAMA)grounds, knives for the men and loaves of apple the meeting drew 80 people. Besides tool f n keeping with the purpose of M-WTCA, fritter bread for the ladies. A chicken din­ activities, members had a good time view­ I~Area Q built and donated a hand quern ner lunch closed out the second day. ing the buildings, mechanical marvels and (pronounced "kwurn") to Yates Mill As­ CAMA displays. sociates. A quern is a "human powered" The registration fee for all of this, gristmill which has its origin about 8,000 including a trade table was a measly $10 A non-member was allowed to set up BC in Egypt. The one donated was based (catfish dinner $5). Great facilities and and display his numerous and unusual on an 18th century version from Colonial food combined with camaraderie and good display of wrenches on dozens and doz­ Williamsburg. selection of tools made for a great meet. ens of old boards. It is certain that not Next year's joint meeting will return to many of us had seen so many different Yates Mill Associates (YMA) is a Rochester, MN. Those that attended said kinds of wrenches. We're encouraging him non-profit organization that is responsible they would be back. Hope to see you in to join M-WTCA. for the preservation, restoration, interpre­ 2005 in Lacrosse, WI, the second week tation and operation of historic Yates Mill. in September. Those plans are already in The CAMA group held its annual Yates Mill is a water-powered gristmill M-WTCA.ORGspring pig roast the same day. Several progress. located just south of Raleigh, NC, which M-WTCA members joined CAMA on the dates back to 1756. It is a part of Yates 122 Attend Area D Meet spot and took advantage of a nice lun­ Mill County Park, which will be open to cheon. This is the second meeting held in the public when the park center is com­ recent years at CAMA by Areas H and R pleted in early 2005. By Bill Ruppert The purpose is to increase attendance at areas meetings by having them at attrac­ The quern is being used in the inter­ Tf'he doors opened at 8 a.m. on Sept. 21 tive places not too far away from any H pretation of the mill. It provides an op­ II for the annual Area D tool meet at or R member. portunity for "hands on" learning and Cosgrove, IA. clearly illustrates the benefit of using Without naming those who helped waterpower to grind com into meal. One hundred twenty-two tool traders make the meeting successful, for fear of and spouses gathered for homemade cin­ omission, the areas extend their thanks. Area QM-WTCAmembers and guests namon rolls, friendly conversation and a Continued on page S The GRISTMILL• December 2003 • 4 MEETINGS, MEMBERSHIP NEWS & MISCELLANY AIEA MEETS Darley's Barn 2003: Old Traditions, New Heights

By Jan Conover tools make for a good meet. Much else long-distance-travelers, and regular mem­ can make for a great one, as Darley's 2003 bers) had to be spent on-premises. Lucky was by all counts. On an Internet recipients and dealers alike profited from t-f Iostalgia is a selective business: What chat-room the following morning someone this arrangemen~, which befits the Hoo­ tlllmost attracts our memory to earlier asked "How do these guys always arrange sier ways of doing things. The auction times are the good ones. for great weather?" If the long record of ended with two special lots of clear skies must be credited to higher woodenware from the hand of Indiana Years ago -back in the troubled days powers, considerable debt is owed to 14 craftsman Chris Berger, who contributed of the Iranian embassy hostage crisis and members who set up excellent displays the full hammer price of a figured walnut Three Mile Island - a group of Indiana M­ on the theme "One Notable Tool," and to plane stand and a turned cherry bowl to WTCA members found their way to the a splendid lineup of craftspersons for add­ help defray the costs of running this meet. rolling farm country of South Whitley to ing a new dimension to Darley's Barn this (Clarence Blanchard swore he'd never let trade tools and tell tales. Morris Darley's year. a plane stand that pretty get away from idea was as good as his venue. The event him again.) was held the next year, with more in at­ John Turbek (Kentucky) shared his tendance. And again the next, with more well-known manual skills at veneering Darley's Barn always features a still and from longer distances. Going to and dovetailing in the construction of a splendid hot buffet lunch (including des­ Darley's each August soon became a tra­ showstopping tool chest; Mike Yazel (In­ sert) by Scott Darley, served in the barn dition among midwest toolers. Now, 24 diana) demonstrated a novel approach to full of primitives. Scott did it again -with years later, the Area F Darley's Barn Tool hewing bowls with the hand-adze; Tod some last-minute magic this time, well Meet is among the longest-running area Herrli of Mississinewa Valley Workshop behind the scenes, to accommodate the meets of the M-WTCA. illustrated steps in the construction of high attendance. Calling advance regis­ molding planes; award-winning miniatur­ tration "required" is worth the effort, but "More still, and from longer dis­ ist Carol Turbek presented her we've never let attendees dropping in tances" was a good bit of the story this scale-model assembly of an early Ameri­ unannounced go hungry. That's the way year on Aug. 24. Martin Donnelly, who has can cabinetmaker's shop (complete with Morris did it years ago. always traveled great distances and is not operating treadle-lathe -a hit for the kids) , as young as he looks, said it was just like and Ralph Brendler (Michigan) demon­ If you've joined us at Darley's Barn old times. True enough, on the score of strated the construction of handmade recently, you'll come back next year; if you traditions: the dance of 5 a.m. flashlights, shaker boxes. A nested set of three of haven't, it'd be a mistake not to reserve a cool morning, doughnuts and coffee in Ralph's boxes, featuring gorgeous Aug. 2 9, 2004 in your schedule right away. the warm barn, a freshly-mown sunny bird's-eye maple lids, were kindly contrib­ We '11 leave you with some good memo­ field and long rows of tables and tailgates uted to a give-away session during a break ries -just like the old days, only better. full of tools for trade and sale. But on the to the mid-morning auction. (Meeting-detail, auction, and demonstra­ score of attendance, president Willie tion inquiries to Jan Cover at Royal and membership vice-president Ed Leaving "extravaganza" for use by jacover@purdue or 765-523-3586.) Hobbs confessed to seeing greater num­ those with better-earned reputations, the bers at Darley's than they are used to see­ "Best Little Auction in Indiana" is never­ ing at an area meet. That's noteworthy, theless poised to become a Mid-West tra­ coming from the boys at Area Q, whose dition all of its own, thanks largely to successful July 2001 area meet featuring those who love supporting this annual AreaQ Roy Underhill was at the time a record­ meet (and who appreciate the generous (and challenge-) setting one. consignment opportunity for selling their Continued from page 4 fine tools). Bill Baxter called the Hoosiers aren't a competitiveM-WTCA.ORG lot, and no-reserve no-buyers-fee auction as only were treated to a very interesting program prefer just to report the facts: the 2 74 reg­ he can, selling 75 lots in the funnest on the history, preservation and future istrants for Darley's Barn 2003 yielded one-hour Baxter's Brisk Break from tool­ plans for the Historic Yates Mill County 262 attendees from the midwest heartland ing one could ever want. Among items Park at the July 2002 joint Area Q and (Indiana and four neighboring states) , finding new homes were a Stanley No. 1 EAIA meeting held in Raleigh. At its July Minnesota, Iowa, Colorado, Texas, Geor­ at $1,300, an uncommon Atkins saw fil­ 2003 meeting, the group was given an op­ gia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, New ing practice strip at $175, a Stanley No. portunity to tour the mill and see first­ York, Maine and Ontario, Canada. And just 42 Miller's Patent at $3,000, an unopened hand what has been done and how the mill a few short months following the meet, box of Union Chisels for $225, and a Bed­ works. we've pretty much forgotten by now the rock 602 at $750. The cash-voucher give­ Working in conjunction with Yates challenges of tight parking. Just like the aways (to Norm Nilsson of Pennsylvania Mill proved to be a "win-win" situation for old days, only better. and Max Stebelton of Ohio for first- and both organizations. A flock of great folks and attractive second-place displays, and to seven oth­ ers drawn from non-member guests, The GRISTMILL• December 2003 • 5 MEETINGS, MEMBERSHIP NEWS & MISCELLANY

Indiana State Fair 2003 though if he were looking for someone to like preaching to the choir and, while the By Matt Borders sing his praises he could have easily found choir does need a bit of revival now and someone more skillful than me to do the then, it would be wise for each of us to A.\ s the M-WTCA looks for new ways to job. I write these articles because Mo get our message before more 8-year-old ll\\introduce tool collecting to the made the effort to get me involved in this boys. People like Mo, George Saucerman, masses, one man's continuing efforts in organization, just as he did with that 8- Woodie Vandivier, Bill Tangman, Woody this area are again worth noting. year-old boy, and I am confident that child Woodruff, Joe Greiwe, Joe Komenda, Rob­ will enjoy his affiliation as much as I have ert Drew, Alan Brown, Nan Schulte, Jim For a couple of decades now, Mo mine. Weaver and Zach Hyatt all deserve our Arnold has been displaying parts of his thanks for the work they do to introduce collection as well as the collections of Standing before a group of avid col­ everyone from 8 to 80 to the joys of col­ others at the Indiana State Fair. For per­ lectors espousing the necessity of preserv­ lecting, studying, preserving and using old haps half of those years it has been my ing the heritage of the manul arts is a lot tools. privilege to assist in Mo's endeavor, though my contribution has been limited to occupying the booth for a few hours one day a year and is minute compared to the many others that spend several days Ron Cushman I accompanied there each August, answering questions Ron on to Dover, and acting as ambassadors for the M­ By Chuck Morgan DE, Oneonta, NY, WTCA. Northampton, n Aug. 14, the entire tool fraternity Over my tenure as chronicler for this MA, Scranton, lost a friend, mentor, teacher and event, I have seen many memorable PA, and many comical entertainer. Ron Cushman things, but one of the most memorable and 0 others. There died at age 66 after a courageous battle note worthy happened this year. Mo was was always a with cancer. His passing has left a void in away eating lunch and I was watching the plan ... sharing the lives of his family, his fiancee Elaine exhibit alone when a man and his son en­ the find, double Pratt, and friends throughout the United tered. Witout a word, the boy walked over teaming the States, Canada and England. to the ax handle vice that perpetually sits seller, good guy in one comer, picked up a spoke shave bad guy, you fi- Ron Cushman Ron was a longtime active member nance the goods and began shaving the handle blank in the of M-WTCA, having joined in 1986. He and I'll sell them and we'll split 50-50. vice. The lad worked quietly and methodi­ quickly was elected to serve as director The fascinating part was always his in­ cally, intent on his work as I approached of Area R from 1990-1991 and again from nate sense of direction and value; he knew his father. 1993- 1996. In 1997, Ron wanted to con­ his market well. Speaking of innate tribute to the association his years of ex­ "Looks like your son has done this senses .. food! Anywhere we went in al­ perience as an educator and was elected before," I said. most 20 years of traveling he knew where vice president of scholarships and served the best places were for salmon, pizza or in that capacity until resigning in 2002 The father smiled "he's 8 years old banana splits. Ron loved cars, trucks, and now and we've been coming every year due to deteriorating health. During his vans and bought them with the frequency since he was about 2. I've been picking tenure as vice president he was instru­ most of us change sox, always looking for up tools for him at flea markets for about mental in establishing criteria for assign­ the ideal vehicle to transport his tools. three years now and he's getting quit a ing original research grants on tools. The tool shows and sales seemquiet collection. This is always the first place Ron earned a doctorate in marketing we come when we go to the fair." these days with the absence of our spe­ from Temple University and devoted his cial friend. One would hear above the professional life to marketing in the New The boy continued to workM-WTCA.ORG while his crowd, "Hey, Chucker, come here I want father and I talked. Finally, after maybe York State Undergraduate School System, to show you something." The family has five minutes, the boy put down the spoke SUNY, where he became dean of special set up a Memorial Fund with: the Wellness academic programs. He retired in 1992 shave and said thank you to me and Council of the Southern Tier, St. James and became a fulltime tool dealer and re­ started to leave. As he stepped from the Mercy Hospital, Canisteo, NY 14843. booth he turned and said "tell Mo I was searcher. Ron could entertain an audience here," and he and his father disappeared with his candor while lecturing on Gage David Watkins into the crowd. planes, zig-zag rules, or Stanley in the box,a very different personality than the Word was recently received of the For several years I have written ar­ intensely focused, brash, aggressive tool death of David Watkins, son of Bill and ticles for the GRISTMILL, almost all of dealer with an uncanny sense of ferret­ Helen Watkins of Minnesota. them involving some exploit of Mo's. Many ing out the "best stuff." David, of Fargo, ND, died of cancer people including Mo himself have taken to referring to me as Mo's publicist, I remember the countless buying trips July 16. He was 46 years old.

The GRISTMILL• December 2003 • 6 ers. He explains Den~is Fisher carefully photographed ap­ Planemaker Book Update North Brothers' the origin of Manufactunng Company proximately 200 of them in full color and Product Guide North Brothers in great detail. Manufacturing "Y\NKH." The number of known American IIMl,r,uJI • This is the kind of book to leave out ti planemakers grows and grows. Tho­ Co. in Philadel­ on a table for visitors to peruse, but it is mas Elliott's latest Field Guide to the phia in 1880 as - far more than that. After two years of re­ Makers of Wooden Planes shows more a brass and iron search, Don presented an excellent refer­ than 550 new im­ foundry, its ac­ [l][i][!] ence book that provides information for prints since his quisition of collectors, dealers, industrial historians other companies ·-""""'""''""'f.:,i,t-f .....#-n fourth edition. That's Hotm, Appliaa<., and curators. He gives a full description in addition to all and its later sale of each tool, plus his photo galleries show those previously pub­ to Stanley detailed examples of large nuts on lished in Emil and Works. Informa- screw-arm planes, skate noses, shoulder Marty Pollak's tion on each Yankee tool made by North arms and boxing. This will make identifi­ Brothers is provided, along with an illus­ American Wooden cation of the maker of an unsigned plane tration, tool number and value guide. The Planes and subse­ much easier. The closeups show 93 dif­ quent editions. The latter may be a bit skewed since the book ferent nuts, 83 different shoulder profiles fourth edition was was published in 2000. Ward puts the 12 different ' question of whether a tool collector should expanded and up­ skate noses and only seek Yankee tools made by North dated by Elliott. His six types offence Brothers or only those made by Stanley fifth edition lists boxing. 5,389 makers with il­ ~arks or both back on the buyer. He calls lustrations of each 1t a personal choice. The book planemaker's mark. also contains The imprints are ac­ The book also shows other products made sections on the tual size and clear byNorthafterthe companyboughtAmeri­ Greenfield Tool can Machine Co. of Philadelphia in 1892. even though some were made from rub­ Co. with much of To mention just a few, Gem cooking tools bings. Each plane is rated based on rar­ the information Lightning ice cream freezers Crown flut: ity, type of plane, kinds of wood condi­ provided by Don ing machines and American Tobacco cut­ ti?~• regional references, histori~al sig­ Wing, the New nificance, workmanship and the plane's ters. The color pages of advertising and York Auburn Prison using the insight of tools are well done. Tool collectors also attractive details. Andy J?elans, craftsman-made planes and will app:eciat~ the rages on repairing an article on Bob Baker, a skilled crafts­ screw dnvers, mcluding parts lists. Elliott wisely has limited information man who restores planes and makes p~ovide~ to keep the book a manageable signed, dated and sought after planes. size. It 1s, after all, a field guide. It is - Mary Lou Stover meant to carry with you, but it would take In the book, readers will find tools North Brothers' Manufacturing Company ~ long pocket. The guide is 4 1/4 by 11 they have never seen before and wonder­ Product Guide. Joe Ward, 354 Inverness mches but not very thick so it is still easy ful examples using ivory, silver and ex­ Terrace Court, Baraboo, WI 53193 to carry around to all those tool meets and otic woods. email joeandloucharter.net Hardcover' flea markets. 231 pages, $36 plus $3 S & H. ' Obviously, this is a book for every . ~on't pass this one by. It is packed collector's shelf and M-WTCA member with mformation you can use. and one to be used over and over. - Mary Lou Stover Nothing Plain About This Rosenbrook, a longtime M-WTCA M-WTCA.ORGPhoto Book on Planes member and tool collector, has also writ­ A Field Guide to the Makers of American ten two books on American levels. His Wooden Planes. Thomas L. Elliott. work is always professional and written Softcover, 278 pages. $24.95 plus $4.50 in an interesting and easy to digest style. A-aaaah. Don Rosebrook's lat­ S & H. Astragal Press, P.O Box 238, m,-oooh. ~est book, "Wooden Plow Planes," is Mendham, NJ 07945 (866) 543-3045. - Mary Lou Stover better than seeing the fireworks on the Fourth of July. Page after page of beauti­ Wooden Plow Planes, A Celebration of the ful plow planes show the artistry and in­ Planemakers' Art. Donald Rosenbrook North Brothers History novation of early planmakers. and Dennis Fisher, Hard cover, 322 pages, $75, Astragal Press, P.O. Box Don gathered planes from superb 239, Mendham, NJ 07945 , email collector~ throughout the country as well 11 f you collect Yankee tools, you wµl want [email protected] as from his own collection. Then co-author Hto read Joe Ward's book on North Broth-

The GRISTMILL • December 2003 • 7 MECHANICAL IMPLEMENT; SIMPLE DEVICE; HISTORY COVEi SVOl1 Two Unusual Plumb Bobs With Internal Storage Reels

By Ron Pearson The ring is turned by a direct connection lumb bobs hold a particular fascina­ to the knob and en­ ll tion for most tool collectors. Those gages the pinion to Pwith mechanical components for re­ drive the vertical trieving and storing the plumb line are spool when the body even more interesting. The Stanley No. sections are closed. 1, 2 and 5 plumb bobs Gustus A. Traut By loosening the sec­ patent, June 2, 1874) with the vertical tions of the body, the exposed reels are quite efficient and have ring and pinion are been widely copied over the years. These disengaged from one are seen fairly frequently. another. This ar­ rangement works Plumb bobs that store the line inter­ Figure 1 very smoothly, neatly nally are not nearly so common. Perhaps winding the string the one most known to collectors is the without any tendency to snarl it. small brass bob with an internal reel and internal three pulleys (or loop guides, as A U.S. patent was found that is fairly the case may be) to guide the string onto similar to this plumb bob. It is patent num­ the reel when the top knob is turned (fig­ ber 1,076,569 and was issued to Jeuleos ure 1). The majority of the few examples Gambllee of Tenafly, NJ, on Oct. 21, 1913 seen are unmarked, but occasionally one (see figure 5). The drawing of the exter­ shows up with the K & E* logo imprinted nal configuration differs greatly from this on it. example, but the mechanism has the same features. Note, however, that the teeth of Another rare type is the nickel plated both the ring and pinion gears in the draw­ Ridgely combination plumb bob and chalk ing are different than this configuration. line with a small hand crank on the side Could this bob be a prototype? Or, could which activates the internal take-up spool. the concept have been copied? We may This was manufactured around 1931. This Figure 3 never know. bob is not illustrated. oblique knurling both above and below. The second plumb bob (figure 6) is The rounded top knob is deeply and artis­ equally captivating. The unmarked hex­ tically grooved to provide a grip for re­ agonal body is brass with a conventional winding the string. These grooves must steel point. Overall length is 6 1/4" and have been individually machined. There the weight is 16.3 oz. This bob appears to is a fixed silver disk at the top through be fairly ordinary until one removes the which the string travels (figure 3). upper section or collar to which the inter­ nal mechanism is attached (figure 7). This When the threaded joint between the complex arrangement certainly appears two body sections is loosened, the string to have been created by a clock maker. may be withdrawn from the top. The string Figure 2 is locked at any given ..------point by tightening In the past year, I have hadM-WTCA.ORG the privi­ this joint. By again Ring Gear lege of adding two very unusual plumb loosening the joint bobs to my collection. The first is a very and turning the top nicely executed steel bob initially found knob clockwise, the by a fellow collector in western New York string is retracted State. It is shown in figure 2. This bob into the body. measures just 4 1/4" in length, weighs 15.4 ounces and has no maker's mark. It The internal was obviously crafted by a very skilled mechanism for spool­ and knowledgeable machinist. The exte­ ing the string is espe­ rior has ornamentation in the form of a cially fascinating. It double vertical knurl at the division of the is a ring and pinion two movable sections of the body with arrangement, as Figure 4 adjacent decorative grooves and very fine shown in figure 4.

The GRISTMILL • December 2003 • 8 Patent Images l. HMILLEE. IUD ... ill'lolUfltl l'Q.D UT•• IHI, 1,078,669. ..-.Olllll,1118.

Figure 6

The spool is spring lessly! Apparently, the two slotted buttons loaded. When the on the external collar can be turned to raised slotted button adjust the tension on the string. on the upper collar is depressed, tension I contacted fellow M-WTCA member on the string is re­ Bruce Cynar, plumb bob guru and author leased and the string of the "The Plumb Line" and "The Plumb can be withdrawn. Line Compendium," and sent pictures of The string is securely the hexagonal plumb bob to him. He states locked at any given that he had a similar bob in his collection point by simply re­ that was also unmarked and that he had leasing the button. seen no other examples. When the button is A review of the patent drawings again depressed with shown in the PLUMB LINE COMPEN­ no tension on the DIUM revealed a patent (figure 8) that string, the spring depicts almost exactly the configuration driven spool auto­ . ... ~ ... of this bob. This is Patent No. 3,027,977, -- matically retracts the Figure 5 issued to Lionel Knaus of Worthington, string. This mecha­ Ohio on April 3, 1962 This patent was nism works flaw- Continued on page 10

M-WTCA.ORG

Figure 7

The GRISTMILL • December 2003 • 9 Two Unusual Plumb Bobs Calling Out Around the World: With Internal Storage Reels Has Anyone Seen A Shoe Peg Plane Lately?

Patmt Images

April 3, 1962 L. KNAUS 31J27,S77 TOOLS By Gary Lehmann Filed Ml&· 7, 1-

ometime in the 1820s in New England, a shoemaker . , 1discovered that he could attach the sole to the uppers S~ using wooden pegs. This cut by two-thirds the time re­ quired to do the most complex part of making a shoe and so it caught on like wildfire. It is likely that the first inventor made his pegs one at a time, splitting and whittling each one by hand, but fairly soon someone discovered that the process could be speeded up considerably by altering a jack plane bed and iron to cre­ f"IG.3 ate a serrated edge featuring 11 or 12 points per inch. Ex­ perience suggested that the peg should be made of a hard­ wood like beech or maple and be about 5/8 to l 1/16ths of an inch in length to withstand the hammer blow that drove II the peg through many layers of leather. A simple L-shaped stop on a bench facilitated cutting the pegs out in batches. First, the wood was cut to the right thickness across the grain of the wood. The resulting chunk was set on the bench, and the plane created a set of lined furrows. The wood was then turned 90 degrees on the bench, f"IG.4 and a second pass of the plane created nice neat pyramids. Finally, a jack knife and a hammer punched out lines and then rows of individual pegs by the hundreds. This abun­ dance was needed since it takes upwards of 150 wooden pegs to make a single pair of shoes by this method. The idea of pegging shoes was so popular that some­ Figure 8 time soon thereafter, probably by 1840 at the latest, water-powered rotating router blades were invented which made the shoe peg plane pretty much obsolete. For the rest Continued from page 9 of the century, New England specialty mills carved out wooden pegs by the millions for the shoemaking industry. assigned to Reed & Knaus, Inc. Since at least two examples are now known, it is possible that the bob was produced by that So the plane that made these simple pegs when the firm. An internet search failed to produce any information re­ idea was young is very rare indeed. garding such a company. Several years ago, the Genesee Country Museum asked There are more than forty other U.S. patents dating as far me to do research on the shoemaking methods used in Mon­ back as 1860 that pertain to internal storage of the plumb line. roe County, NY, between 1830 and 1837, the year of the However, very few actual examplesM-WTCA.ORG exist. great financial panic that changed the shoemaking industry forever. This period represents the heyday of the wooden I would be interested in hearing from any collector who pegged shoe and of the plane that got things started. has, or has seen, similar examples of either plumb bob discussed. Now I am equipping the shoemakers' shop at the mu­ seum with period equipment, and I am anxious to try to K & E is the logo ofKeuffel & Esser Co. ofNew York, NY, and locate a shoe peg plane to put on display. If you should find Hoboken, NJ, makers of levels, rules and scientific instruments.from or know of one, please contact me at 1867 to 1962 [source - Dictionary of American Toolmakers, pub­ [email protected]. lished by the Early American Industries Association).

The GRISTMILL • December 2003 • 10 A Little Bite of Thumbscrew Where to Send What

By Mel Ring Send changes in address, phone number or e-mail to: KLM Computer Services, c/o or many years, ever since I first saw a marking gauge with a little notch Kerry Mc Calla, 104 Engle Ct., Franklin, TN 1rJ in the top of the thumbscrew (see photo), I have searched for the reason 37069, phone (615) 791-6198, e-mail IF~ for the notch. [email protected]. I asked the question to many people, got many answers. Most of the an­ Request GRISTMILL copies from: Bill swers didn't seem reasonable to me. Baader,4183 Hominy Ridge Rd., Springfield, OH 45502-95 10, phone (937) 969-8530. After a while, I came to realize that most of these little notches, often appearing to have been chewed into the wood by a chipmunk, were on English Pay membership dues for current year: gauges. But that knowledge didn't bring acceptable answers. I heard "screw­ Send your check made out to M-WTCA to John driver slots," "What's the difference?" "That's just the way they are," and on Wells, Treasurer, P.O. Box 8016, Berkeley, CA and on. Often, the attitudeM-WTCA.ORG was, "Why do you want to worry about that?" 94707. Please write RENEW and your name and address on your check. Do not use a new And then, at the Boot Fair (that's tailgating to us Yankees) in the parking member application to renew. lot of a recent Stanley Auction, I picked up a gauge with a notch and asked my question. The seller gave the usual answer, "Don't know." Submit materials to The GRISTMILL: Send to Mary Lou Stover, Gristmill Editor, S76 Then, lo and behold, a man behind me said, "They are there to relieve W19954 Prospect Dr., Muskego, WI 53150, stress and prevent cracking." He seemed to know what he was talking about phone (262) 679-1412. and it made sense to me. I remembered I had heard that wet or green wood made thread cutting easier. I knew the drying promotes cracking. Obtain GRISTMILL advertising or infor­ mation: Contact Paul Gorham, 811 Robin Glen, I still don't know if I have the correct answer to my question, but it's one Indianola, IA 50125, phone (515) 962-5207, I'll use until a better one comes along. e-mail [email protected] or [email protected]

The GRISTMILL • December 2003 • 11 HISTORIES, BIOGRAPHIES, RESEARCH iOOILS A Study on Bailey and Stanley No. 1 Size Planes

By Randall Harris He said that he could not find

Stanley written on it. BAILEY STANLEY ne Saturday morning in the summer I steered him to the Right-hard( dockwise ~otation Riglt-haro(dockwise)Rotation of 2000_, my grandson, Angelo, and top of the cutter and Rai~Irons U)l>tre Irons 0 I attended an auction in Fort Branch, he began to read, "L. .() ', IN. Seeing nothing of interest to either of B-A-I...". Reckoning , .. us, we decided that it was time for break­ that he had picked up fast. A man who was standing nearby said, an early Bailey block "Don't go, I want some information about plane, I suggested woodworking planes." that he bring it out to I knew two things about this man, my house. BAILEY STANLEY STANLEY he attended many, many more auctions While waiting {1867-69) {1099-07) {1923-39) than I and his family either were or had for him, I placed sev­ .. been involved in the lumber business. My eral reference books response to him was, "You probably know along with my two more about planes than I." He agreed that Stanley No. ls on the he knew about "ordinary" planes but kitchen table for wanted to know about valuable and col­ comparison. When lectible ones. Contemplating breakfast he arrived, the item and realizing that visions of McD0nalds' in his hand was defi­ "Happy Meals" were dancing in Angelo's nitely a little head, I quickly described specifically smoother not a block Stanley No.1 planes and generally the No. plane. On closer ex­ 1 Castino Mark B Catino Mark 30 (inhanced l Mark 2 size planes. In time, I learned the man's amination, his plane name was Michael Dean Hunt. was slightly smaller Figure 1 In the fall of that year, one evening, I than my No. ls. The received a telephone call from Michael side rails were thin- of his on and off relationship with the Hunt. He told me that he had "used up" ner and appeared to be higher, actually Stanley Rule and Level Co. Among the most of the day attending an auction in the shape caused the higher appearance. planes in my collection is a Bailey Victor Sumner, IL. He said he was pretty sure Of equal importance was the [BAILEY] No. 4, the first model manufactured in there was a number one on the tool wagon [PATENT] [DEC. 24, 1867] trademark Hartford, CT in 1875. This plane caused and that he had tried to call me several located at the top of both the cutter and a patent infringement suit to be filed times. I explained that we had been away the cap iron. The cap iron trademark is against Mr. Bailey in 1877, a decade af­ for the day and was sorry we missed him. rather common and I had seen it many ter the 1867 date on the plane that I had He said, "Oh, I bought it." My question, times before, but always on the lower half just purchased. So my primary interest "Did you get it for a good price?" His an­ in an upside-down position. This one was would be the kinship between these small swer, "seven hundred." I told him that was at the top directly under the cutter trade­ Bailey and Stanley planes. a good price depending on the condition mark. After a quick glance, the books seemed to be of little help; however, we and if it was really a Stanley No. 1. I was A Closer Look beginning to wonder what I had gotten concluded that this plane was probably not manufactured by Stanley. this guy into when he laughedM-WTCA.ORG and said, " After the plane was purchased, it was Seven hundred pennies. I bid five dollars I told Michael that I was really im­ disassembled so the parts could be com­ and someone upped me a dollar so I upped pressed with his find, but it was more pared to my Stanley No. ls. At the time, I it another dollar and that was it." valuable than I was willing to spend at did not realize that my three planes from that time. He said that he wanted keep it 1867, 1892 and 1925 represented the for awhile but he would not sell it with­ three basic No. 1 base types. The actual Tenns used in this article: out giving me first chance. Eventually, time periods were 1867-1872, 1872-1910 after several months, he sold it to me for and 1910-1940s. I would discovered a Cutter: The longer, sharpened blade. a price considerably lower than he had fourth later. To my surprise a "1" was cast Usually there is a trademark at the top. been offered by another collector. into the base of the frog and the sides were polished not japanned as were the Cap Iron: The shorter blade fastened to This was the beginning of a new ad­ Stanleys. My first thought was that the cover most of the cutter. venture for me. I was confident that the finish had been worn off but later would plane was Leonard Bailey's but not sure discover others that were not finished. Irons: The cutter and cap iron together. where it was manufactured. I was aware

The GRISTMILL• December 2003 • 12 The answer to this mystery would come My first thoughts were on Smith's justing nut was diagonal. The full size pic­ later. The cutter adjusting post was much study of Bailey-Stanley iron plane types ture presented another metaphor. Even shorter than the Stanley planes. It had a on pages 2 79-284 of his first book. This considering a slight angle variation, my right-hand thread to accommodate a plain is a study of the No. 4 size plane. Smith plane laid on the picture was a definite brass adjusting nut with a diagonal knurl. writes, "To maintain consistency and clar­ match. Moving to the bottom of the page The adjusting post of the Stanley planes ity the illustrations used for this study are were the dimensions, 5 23/32-inches long had a left-hand thread and a plain brass for the No. 4 size only." Yet, it soon be­ by 17/16-inches wide. adjusting nut with a horizontal knurl. came evident that this warning has been ignored and in many instances with poor Smith's Bailey-Boston was the same Pictured in Figure 1 are three cast­ results. My experience is that this study size as my Boston-Bailey. I remembered ing marks found on No. 1 size frogs, an S is excellent for the No. 3 and larger sized seeing a Vertical-Post No. 1 plane in In­ mark was not found. The Bailey plane planes but less than adequate for the No. dianapolis several years ago. It was lo­ base measured 5 23/32-inches long x 17/ 2 and inapplicable for the No. 1. cated in its own case in the hotel display 16-inches wide. This is 1/16-inch nar­ room during a national M-WTCA meeting. rower and 1/16-inch shorter than the Moving back to page 48 in his first Seemed kind of lonely and indeed it was. Stanley planes. Remembering that a book, Smith writes, "The 1867 models had The plane in "PTAMPIA II" belonged to Bailey No. 2 in my collection was smaller size numbers cast into the base of the frog Roger Smith and was not the same as the than my Stanley No. 2s, it was retrieved and underneath the lever caps for ease in plane in Indianapolis. At this point in time, from a cabinet. The string tag identifica­ assembly by lesser skilled workmen." these are the only known examples of the tion that I had placed around the tote This explained the 1 cast into the base of Bailey-Boston No. 1. years ago read Boston-Bailey No. 2. the frog. Along with the 1867 patent dates for his thin parallel irons, I became confi­ Looking at the picture of this ex­ Close examination proved the No. 2 dent that the plane was made in Boston tremely rare little plane, a question arises. Bailey to be 1/8" narrower and 3/16" by Leonard Bailey. Why did the horizontal cutter adjustment shorter than No. 2 Stanleys. The Bailey outlive the vertical adjustment? The an­ planes are clearly smaller than their Bailey-Boston and Boston-Bailey swer is relatively simple. The vertical post Stanley counterparts. Ensuing scrutiny indirectly changed the depth by slightly would show that the Bailey planes, both NOTE: The similarity of the two frog adjusting the angle of he frog. They were 1 and 2, were identical with three excep­ receiver areas in the photograph in figure advertised in several catalogs but obvi- tions: 1) Their size 2) The solid brass ad­ 2. The base view located beneath the Continued on page 14 justing nut of the No. 2 was slightly larger Bailey-Boston was and marked with two patent dates. 3) The created from draw- location of the Bailey 1867 trademark of ings and photographs the cap iron as mentioned earlier in this of larger planes and a FROG RECEIVERS article. Boston-Bailey base. 1867 1899 1935 The frog would be an­ Back to the Books chored to the base with a pin through There are many fine books written each side rail. These about woodworking tools but because of pins served as hinges my basic interests in planes and their re­ that adjusted the search two names jumped out at me, Alvin angle of the frogs and Sellens and Roger Smith. Their books thus the irons. have been a part of my collection for years. Alvin Sellens,' "The Stanley Plane" pub­ On page 22 of lished in 1975 covered the Stanleyplanes Smith's second book produced after 1870. My "new" plane or, "PTAMPIA II," is came before that year. M-WTCA.ORGI will refer to a full-size picture of Sellens later. I would begin with Smith's Bailey's vertical post books, 1) "Patented Transitional & Me­ No. 1 size plane. Al­ tallic Planes in America 182 7-192 7," pub­ though I had seen this lished in 1981, and 2) "Patented Transi­ picture many times, it tional & Metallic Planes in America Vol. suddenly dawned on II," published in 1992. These books, many me, "That's my old catalogs, dozens of pictures of No. 1 plane." It had the thin planes, frequent trips to my computer, parallel cutter and correspondence with owners and my own cap iron with the Dec. growing collection of these appealing little 24, 1867, date on the planes has supplied the information for cutter. The outside Figure 2 this study. knurl on the cutter ad-

The GRISTMILL • December 2003 • 13 Bailey and Stanley No. 1 Size Planes

Continued from page 13 plain and the spring on the lever cap is these were made of various combinations rectangular--no banjos. It would seem to of Bailey and Stanley parts. The earlier ously few were ever sold. The horizontal me, that because of the small drilling ones, 1869 to 1871, were basically Bailey. post adjusted the depth directly with the space remaining in the fastening area that By the early 1870s, the Boston bases had superior method of altering and anchor­ banjo springs were not practical on No. just about been depleted and in 1872, the ing the irons that is still used today. The ls. The Bailey-Boston lever cap on page first Stanley base was produced. It was sides of the earliest Boston-Bailey No. 1s 2 2 of "PTAMPIA II," did not have a spring. 1/16-inch longer and 1/16-inch wider than were polished to ensure a precision fit on 1\vo added outstanding features of the the Boston-Baileys and a smooth, flat rect­ the sides at the throat. Boston-Bailey were the small, shapely angle replaced the Bailey, I shaped, frog Wedge-shaped, tapered irons that handle and the beaded knob with a wide receiver. The later ones and by far the gradually became thicker as they reached base. most numerous from 1872 to 1892 were the sharpened edge were dominate in the basically Stanley. All of these bore the early plane making industry. They were Bailey to Stanley: Stanley and Bailey trademarks as de­ rather clumsy and hard to sharpen but The Crossovers scribed and pictured earlier. As the Bailey rigid enough to lessen the chatter that parts were depleted the diagonal knurl was often a problem to early craftsmen. Back to Smith's first book. On pages became horizontal and the right-hand Bailey's vertical post planes of the 1860s 52-54 is a chronological list of events re­ thread was replaced with left-hand. The No. 3 and larger seemed to do all right lated to Leonard Bailey's manufacturing wider base with a wider throat eliminated with the existing tapered irons but the No. activities after he left Boston. The third the polished sides in favor of japanned. 1 size was a different situation and a No. listing on that page on May 25, 1869 The 1 was eliminated from the base of the 2 example has not been found, to my states that the Stanley Rule and Level Co. new frogs. A new thicker rosewood handle knowledge. Advertised but no examples. of New Britain, CT, purchased from Bailey, and beaded knob with a smaller base re­ Bailey's Dec. 24, 1867, patent for the thin Chany & Company all existing inventory placed the original rosewood. parallel cutter and cap iron with a in Boston and moved that inventory to The Stanley Rule and Level Planes: spring-like arch supplying pressure at the New Britain, CT. What happened to that sharpened edge all but rendered the ta­ inventory? 1892-1910 pered irons obsolete. Someone suggested that I check the On April 19, 1892, Edmund A. Schade Some years ago, I decided to put the eBay Internet auction site. To my surprise, was granted his first of a dozen plane machinist skills, learned as a youngster, at least two or three of these "rare" little patents for the Stanley Rule and Level Co. to work. Several No. 1 size brass replicas planes were listed each week. There were The large hole in the top half of the cut­ of my favorite planes were eventually pro­ far more than I had allowed myself to be­ ter was moved to the lower half. The pur­ duced. Intrigued with using wedge-shaped lieve. It seems the rarity is due not to their pose was to make it possible to sharpen cutters, it soon it became apparent that numbers but to the popular demand for the partially used cutter without remov­ either the irons needed to be thinner or them. It did not take long to find that there ing the cap iron. It also provided an ex­ the throat larger. The Revonoc No. 2, a were only three types of bases and they tended handle for whetting or sharpen­ plane produced by the Ohio Tool Co. for were already in my collection. I decided ing. This is the trademark to appear on Hibbard, Spencer, Bartlett & Co., Chicago, to collect at least one No. 1 plane with the first "all Stanley" No. 1 planes. The IL, has the tapered cutter for which the each trademark but discretion would be No. 1 frog receiver remained unchanged Ohio company was famous. The front part necessary. The parts, although not iden­ throughout this period; however, most of this plane's throat was machined, at tical, are interchangeable with one excep­ larger planes had the grooved rectangle the factory, so the cutter would fit. The tion, right- and left-hand threads on the by 1892. thick tapered cutters were not a good frog adjusting post and brass nut. There match for the smaller planes. is a large amount of misinformation and 1\vo outstanding features of the pe­ many sellers are confused about what riod were S and B casting marks located The Boston-Bailey No. ls were pro­ they are selling. My first purchase on eBay behind frog receivers during 1892-1902. duced with two different thinM-WTCA.ORG parallel was a very good example of this. These are the only marks to be found on irons. The first, at least the rarer, has the the base of No. 1 Bailey or Stanley planes. Dec. 24, 1867, trademark at the top of That purchase was a Boston-Bailey They were also cast on larger plane bases both the cutter and the cap iron. These base with the first Stanley Rule and Level throughout these same years. Interesting cap irons are very rare. The second, re­ Co. trademark on the cutter and a Bailey, that the casting marks were behind the verses the 1867 trademark on the cap iron Dec. 24, 1867, "upside-down" trademark smooth rectangle on the No. 1 and behind to the lower half and upside-down. These on the lower half of the cap iron. The seller the grooved rectangle of the larger planes. "upside-down Bailey" cap irons are com­ listed it as having the ·wrong trademark The smaller planes were not updated mon and were used on all types of Stanley on the cutter. He was not cognizant of the while changing castings for the larger planes until the 1890s. A picture displays fact that in 1869, Bailey parts were sold planes. This is an indication that major two computer reproductions. The actual to Stanley and moved to New Britain changes in the No. ls were not made si­ irons are in readable condition but my pho­ where they became Stanley parts. After multaneously with the larger bench tography skills hampered producing a observing several others with the same planes. good image. The brass adjusting nut is identifying features, it became obvious

The GRISTMILL• December 2003 • 14 Bailey and Stanley No. 1 Size Planes

Looking at eBay one day, if my trifo­ War II. beginning in 1920 not 1925 but Stanley cals were not fooling me, there was a list­ had the practice of using up old parts be­ Sellens and Smith both use 1925 as ing with a raised dot, on the base behind fore manufacturing new parts. So unless the receiver. I would place the date at the year that the notched, rectangular le­ some new revelation becomes apparent about the time of the first lateral which, ver cap was introduced. This study found we will assume that the "sweetheart" that all of the No. ls with the so-called of course, the No. 1 does not have. It trademarks were not released until late "sweetheart" trademark on the cutter also would have become part of this study but 1924 or early 1925. someone, quicker on the draw, sniped it. had the notched rectangle on the lever cap. The "sweethearts" were stamped If anyone reading this has one of these "raised dot" No. 1 planes, please let me know. NOTE: The B casting may have ei­ ther of two trademarks or handles. The Heavy Castings: 1910-1944 The final No. ls produced by the WHY I LIKE IT Stanley Rule & Level Co. in 1910 had a new base. It was heavier with thicker sides and slightly larger. The new frog receiver had the same grooved rectangle that appeared on larger planes 20 years earlier. This new base would continue until all parts expired sometime near the close of World War II. In 1920, the Stanley Works, founded by Frederick T. Stanley in 1852, purchased the Stanley Rule and Level Co. In his book, "The Stanley Plane," Alvin Sellens writes on page 14, "The Stanley Rule and Level Company was purchased by the giant Stanley Works in 1920 and became known as the Stanley Rule and Level Plant. It was officially re­ named in 1935 and became the Stanley Tool Division of the Stanley Works." Sellens continues on pages 17 and 18, "When the Stanley Rule and Level Company was absorbed by the Stanley Works in 1920, a new trademark was es­ tablished which combined the heart de­ sign of the Stanley Works with the rect­ angular emblem of Stanley Rule and Level The heart shaped trademark had been adopted earlier by the Stanley Works to honor William H. Hart who was president By Jim Mayne of the company from 1884M-WTCA.ORG to 1915. This combined trademark was used until °ft4[Y favorite tool is one of the first ones I ever bought. I saw it come 1934." By 1936, the heart was deleted; however, Stanley catalogs continued to E?ll up for auction and on an impulse, I won the bid. list the combined trademark until 1941. They called it a hub shaper for wagon wheels. It could also have The Stanley Tools Catalogue No. 34 in 1941 advertised a Stanley No. 1 for$ 4.30. been used for axles. The only other ones I have seen were at the Shelburne Museum. The three numbered handles are as follows: 1) Found on planes with the first This tool started me on a lifelong hobby of collecting tools. It is a three trademarks of this group. 2) Found never-ending search, as every collector will admit. on later planes of this group. 3) Repre­ sents a mixture of similar handles, possi­ bly produced to use up parts during World

The GRISTMILL • December 2003 • 15 HISTORIES, BIOGRAPHIES, RESEARCH JOOILS The Brooks Edge Tool Company

By Allan Klenman be assessed by cur­ rent tool historians. I -P•~, o-1 o;~,.:-w~~ .....-:, ~TT(Tr., .,,. ~dt.~·~•c•~\, ,,/ I t;NOOL ne of those important early facto­ The pioneer was TOWN OF NFW HA V-CN 08 ries of the "axe age" in the United Bezaleel Brooks W1:.~on 0 States was not well known until a (1785-1849) who 'lore &..P,o. descendant, Ralph E. Brooks, during his chose New Haven, excellent research of a 10-year period, VT, and then discovered an historial ledger of the fac­ Middle bury and fi­ tory. nally became known as Brooksville re­ For the first time, since founded by flecting the influence patriarch Bezaleel Brooks in the 1820s, of the wonderful tool­ the importance of this axe maker and his making family which family and his five stalwart sons could carried on until final disposition of hold­ ings in 1896-97. BROOKS EDGE TooL The unique fam­ ily included: first MANUFACTURING daughter, Casenda, 1811-1828; second The area known as Beeman's Hollow, Middlebury, VT, on the New daughter, Elizabeth, Haven River became Brooksville. The name grew out of the 1813-1831; eldest importance of the Brooks company and a U.S. Post Office called son, Thomas Brooksville which was located there for 30 years. McDonough, 1814- 1875; second son, Jonathon Edwards, Unfortunately, the ledger includes 1820-1858; third son, Milton, 1822-1883; only the years shown and the accounts fourth son, Norman Crane, 1824-1908; selected here were the large and impor­ daughter, Mary, 1826-1894; and fifth son, tant businesses at the time, well-known Luther Martin, 1828-1892. in the logging and hardware trades over The company, as the Brooks Edge many decades. They are mentioned for Tool Co., had its greatest production re­ specific purposes. Brooks axes are rare BROOKSVILLE, VERMONT corded in the said ledger located by Ralph E. Brooks, the family historian, of Foxboro, MA. It was transcribed by him Rare photo of the five Brooks brothers who for the years 1874 to 1879. It is a valu­ forged the Brooks Edge Tool Co. in Vermont. Top row (left to right) Milton and Luther able record of the sale of axes to some of Martin Brooks, (bottom) Thomas McDonough, the companies and giving an example of Norman Crane and Jonathan Edward Brooks. the volume of axes supplied across the northern half of east­ M-WTCA.ORGern America for the Edged tools manufactured by Brooks, Brooksville, Vermont years quoted. Ax.es, hoes, scythes and other farm implements These are pub­ lished in the hopes of Marked: B. BROOKS allowing researchers CAST STEEL and collectors of axes circa: 1827-1843 BROOKS BROS ., NEW HAVEN, VT. to locate examples of circa: 1843-1 86 l this important early N.C. BROOKS, NEW HAVEN, VT. maker of cast steel circa: 1861-1864 axes where only a BROOKS EDGE TOOL CO .. BROOKSVILLE, VT. A Brooks' axe shows stamping, N. C. circa: 1864-1892 handful of these his­ Brooks, Brooksville, VT. N.C. was Norman toric tools are known. The Brooks worked under these names during their years of Crane Brooks and the axe was manufac­ manufacturing. tured between 1861 and 1864. The GRISTMILL• December 2003 • 16 Year of sale Purchaser State Totals reported 1874 Dyke Bixby &Co. Bristol, VT 48 dozen 1874 Corey Brooks &Co. Boston, MA 72 dozen 1874 J.L. Butolph Middelton, VT 17 dozen 1874 LL. Davis Mankato, MN 20 dozen 1874 W.H. Dudley Kalamazoo, Ml 36 dozen 1874 Knapp, Stout &Co. Menomonee, WI 27 dozen 1874 Miller Bros. &Keep Chicago, IL 100 dozen 1874 H.Russell Co. Glenfalls, NY 290 dozen 1874 H. Mithoff &Co. Columbus, OH 75 dozen 1874 Brindel! Terry &Belden Chicago, IL 50 dozen 1874 Wells, Stone &Co. Saginaw, Ml 50 dozen 1874 Van Sicklen Walker &Co. Burlington, NY 60 dozen

1875 John Chaloner Nashua,NY 18 dozen 1875 Dennison Bros. Pittsford, VT 25 dozen 1875 E.C. Dike Bristol, VT 19 dozen 1875 Estes &Son Otawan Cuty, MT 15 dozen 1875 Farnsworth &Fletcher Middlebury, VT 10 dozen 1875 D.P. Gates Bennington, VT 12 dozen 1875 John W. Heath Co. LaFayette, IN 85 dozen 1876 Sowles & Edwards Plattsburgh, NY 31 dozen 1876 S.H. Curtis Waverly, IA 6 dozen 1876 H.B. Dodge Middelbury, VT 17 dozen 1876 Hanson, Van Camp &Co. Indianapolis, IN 150 dozen 1876 Kingsley &Van Vliet Wabash City, Ml 17 dozen 1876 S.C. Lobdill Spring Valley, MN 15 dozen 1878 Nelson &Co. Burlington, IA 50 dozen 1877 Smith, Cohen &Co. New York, NY 275 dozen 1877 Knowlton, Stone Keane, NH 26 dozen 1877 Briggs Bros. Brandon, VT 17 dozen This stamp, on a shovel, illustrated what the 1877 Chateaugay Iron Co. Chateaugay Lake, NY 19 dozen B. Brooks marking would look like on an axe. 1877 Frank Farnsworth Middlebury, VT 9 dozen The shovel is from the father's time, about 1877 Hanson, Van Camp &Co. Indianapolis, IN 105 dozen 1822. B. Brooks is Bezaleel Brooks. 1877 Hyde &Wales Middlebury, VT 8 dozen 1877 C.E. Jennings &Co. New York, NY 568 dozen and it is with the hope that researchers and collectors working in the vicinity of 1878 Barker Chadsey &Co. Providence, RI 17 dozen these locations should be vigilant whenc 1878 Geo. C. Cribbs Milwaukee, WI 11 dozen checking old collections or junk shop out­ 1878 E.C. Dike Bristol, VT 9 dozen lets in the hopes of finding some of these 1878 H.B. Dodge Middlebury, VT 6 dozen 1878 Hanson, Van Camp &Co. Indianapolis, IN 77 dozen important historical tools for study and 1878 C.E. Jennings &Co. New York, NY 48 dozen preservation. If any Brooks are found, 1878 William Wilder St. Johnsbury, VT 66 dozen Ralph Brooks is always in the market for examples and I may say that my own col­ lection, formed over 30 years, does not TOWN OF NEW HAVEN NEW HAVEN,VERMONT have one example of the axes made by one of the most historical and important ui:e American edge tool makers. RALPH EDISON BROOKS AND The stampings used over the years THE BROOKS FAMILY were: M-WTCA.ORG~3U~Qf~lfjl~ YOU HONOR us this day with your company, and by telling the story of your BROOKS forebears you have quickened in us a new and deeper B.B. BROOKS feeling for our own history. We behold the joy you experience in returning to your family's roots in this place, among our ancient hills and along the BROOKS & BROS rushing waters of the New Haven River. We admire the pride you have in commemorating the family skills, ingenuity and industrial accomplishments which gave the Brooks name a lasting place in the history of American tool-making. With you we sense anew that the vital fabric of human history is N.C. BROOKS one of people-of family and community, sharing a period in time and space and in the order of Nature herself. YOU LEA v E BEHIND YOU pictures and posters, generously donated to the New Haven Historical Society, which will enliven the public places BROOKS EDGE TOOL CO of this Town in the years to come. For a wider public in that time that is waiting ahead, the grand roadside sign unveiled today by young Brooks descendants of the sixth generation will stand as eloquent testimony to the long and loyal memories which are enshrined in this little valley, now for a T.M. BROOKS & CO. century and a half deservedly known as BROOKSVILLE.

FOR ALL THESE GIFTS,werespectfullyhopethatthiswritingmayservetorenderSINCERE AND GENEROUS THANKS.

®:Jlll'f.Jii at Brooksville intheTownofNewHaven, An award was presented in 1997 to Ralph E. Addison County, Vermont, this seventh day of June. 1997. Brooks (fifth generation) and the Brooks family by the town of New Haven, Addison County, VT. It commemorated the family and the Brooks Edge Tool Co.'s place in history. ldenl, Ne" Ha, en HtstoncaJ Soc1et~

The GRISTMILL • December 2003 • 17 HISTORIES, BIOGRAPHIES, RESEARCH lOOLS Gunn, Amidon and Millers Falls Manufacturing

By Randy Roeder© 2003 1865, consisted of a shell-type chuck with its jaws attached to a floating socket Gunn, Amidon & Co. block. His second design, patented in 1867, used an eyebolt and wing nut to Rbrace ing some months earlier. William H~nry working with a smaller stream, the men became the operation's best-selling tool Barber, an inventor living in Greenfield, powered the plant with an overshot wa­ and had as much to do with the company's convinced the partners that a bit brace ter wheel--the type most efficient in get­ prosperity as any single product. ting power from a modest flow--that was he had patented in 1864 could succeed in designed and built by Amidon.M-WTCA.ORG Finances the marketplace. Although it is unlikely The introduction of the improved were so tight that rope, rather than ex­ that Gunn and Amidon fully understood brace coincided with that of another de­ pensive leather belting, was used to tr~s­ the revolutionary significance of his de­ vice that would do quite well for the mit power from the wheel to the machin­ sign, they were astute enough to purchase company-the "tool holder." The firm's tool ery. it. The decision was a sound one. Barber's holder consisted of a hollow handle fitted shell-type chuck became the standard by with a chuck into which various bits, chis­ The road to the plant was laid out in which developments in bit-holding tech­ els saw blades and the like could be the spring of 1862. In the fall, Charles nology were judged. Production began at mo~nted. When not in use, the attach­ Amidon 's patent application for a clothes 18 braces per day; the braces were mar­ ments stored in the hollow of the handle. wringer was approved (figure 1). Produc­ keted aggressively, and the braces sold Minus its accessories, the holder was tion was undertaken, and Gunn's barn was well (figure 3). Given the tool's success, marketed as a deluxe file handle. It also pressed into service as the operation's it was almost inevitable that Charles became the basis for the firm's "Family warehouse. It was a cost-effective ar­ Amidon would begin to toy with brace Tool Chest." Consisting of little more than rangement, but one with unforeseen con- designs of his own. His first, patented in a small wooden box, a tool holder and a The GRISTMILL• December 2003 • 18 dozen or so attachments, the Family Tool mained in Greenfield Chest strove mightily to live up to its to serve as treasurer name. and general man­ ager. The New York Millers Falls Manufacturing office, located in the hardware district at When the waterpower shortage at 8 7 Beckman Street, Gunn, Amidon & Co. precluded an expan­ opened in November sion of the factory, it became apparent that 1868 and was a mod­ a new site and an infusion of capital were est affair. The com­ in order. The company's situation came pany shared the of­ to the attention of Henry L. Pratt, an oc­ fice with the firm of casional speculator in waterpower rights E.M. Boynton, the who had returned to the area after oper­ manufacturer of the ating a business in Detroit. Pratt recom­ Lightning Cross Cut mended that the firm relocate to Grouts Saw - a tool adver­ Comer, a nearby village and stop at the tised as enabling two junction of the Vermont & Massachusetts men to cut off a and the New London Northem railroads. 12-inch sycamore log in eight seconds. Consisting of little more than an inn and a few houses, Grouts Comer was lo­ Pratt hired Ed­ cated on the Millers River at a spot where ward P. Stoughton to the stream dropped 70 feet over a short manage the office. series of rapids. Gunn and Amidon, im­ Stoughton proved an Figure 1 Patent drawing for Amidon's first wringing machine. pressed with the potential of the site, excellent choice and joined Henry Pratt and James Moore in soon became the organizing the Millers Falls Manufactur­ firm's primary sales representative. His were too small, work on a temporary ing Co., an enterprise established "for the interest in overseas markets enabled the building at the Greenfield Tool site began purpose of manufacturing hardware and company to export tools in substantial without delay. lumber at Millers Falls." On Sept. 21, numbers surprisingly early in its history. Construction of the 40-foot-long 1868, notice of the incorporation appeared Within a decade, the firm would boast of wooden structure started on Jan. 25, a in the Greenfield Courier & Gazette. The having penetrated one of the toughest Monday morning. By Wednesday evening, newspaper also reported that $100,000 markets of all--it was exporting large the building was up, the siding in place, in stock had been issued, that waterpower numbers of tools to Sheffield, England, the windows set and the power shafting rights had been secured and that 200 the edge tool capital of the world. acres of land had been purchased. installed. On that Saturday - six days af­ On Dec. 31, 1868, disaster struck. ter the building was started and just four Jam.es Moore had become involved The project for the factory at Grouts Cor­ weeks after the fire - a full work force with the company by virtue of his owner­ ner was still in its infancy when a fire was in place, building braces. The disas­ ship of the tract where the new factory gutted the North Parish plant. Only the ter at the North Parish plant marked the was to be built. While Gunn, Pratt, and office area was spared. All of the end of the company's involvement in the Amidon served as company directors, he operation's manufacturing equipment was wringer repair business. Chamberlain & did not. (Moore was to die tragically the destroyed, and a number of workmen took Whitmore, a local firm, bought the rem­ following June, entangled in the reins of substantial losses on their tools. The edi­ nants of the operation. a team of runaway horses.) Henry Pratt tor of the Greenfield Courier & Gazette In April 1869, Millers Falls Manufac­ became the firm's first president.3 From suspected arson: the outset, the directors understood that turing made the plans and specifications they were not only building a mill and The place where the fire was discovered for its Grouts Comer factory available to hardware manufactory but were develop­ was separated from the boiler room by a stone bidders. The planners estimated that a ing an industrial site with a surplus of wall or partition, where it would not have quarter of a million bricks would be highly prized waterpower.M-WTCA.ORG The organizers been likely to have caught from any acddent. needed to complete the main building. The estimated that Millers Falls Manufactur­ The place, too, was the best that could have proposed structure, 300 feet long and 50 ing would need one-fourth of the output been selected by a villain for his foul pur­ feet wide, was considered fireproof by the of the dam and expected that other pose, as the fire could communicate with each standards of the day. For additional safety, businesses-- each with a millrace con­ story ofthe building by means ofa slide-way, the plant's boilers, used to produce steam nected to their canal--would purchase the where chips and waste lumber were dropped for heating the building, were to be housed rest. Then too, the company would be in into the wood-room below. 4 in a wing projecting at a right angle from the residential real estate business; the the main building. Running water was to Although insurance covered only half be available throughout the structure. directors had purchased enough land to of the $40,000 loss, work to secure tem­ start a housing development. porary quarters began immediately. Work on the factory began immedi­ Within weeks of the incorporation, Within two weeks, the firm was install­ ately after the bidding. Local residents, Henry Pratt moved to New York to estab­ ing equipment in rooms rented from the skeptical that the enterprise would sue- Greenfield Tool Co. As the new quarters lish a national sales office. Levi Gunn re- Continued on page 20

The GRISTMILL • December 2003 • 19 Gunn, Amidon and Millers Falls Manufacturing Continued from page 19 Millers Falls Manu­ facturing Co. Several ceed, at first refused to fund a bridge to months later, he be­ the site. A traditional covered span was gan construction on a erected only after Millers Falls Manufac­ small, two-story turing agreed to put up half of the cost. brick factory along Located on a horseshoe bend of the the canal. To help river, the heavily wooded, 100-acre loca­ capitalize his new en­ tion was ideally suited to its purpose. te rp rise, Amidon Lumber for construction was sawn from took on a partner, and the timber onsite, and the extreme curva­ before long, the firm ture of the river made it a relatively simple of Amidon & Fisk task to dig a mill canal across the upper was engaged in the neck of what was almost a peninsula. A business of manufac­ dam, 12 feet tall and 165 feet long, was turing baby car­ built on one of the series of falls. riages. The structure created a pond sub­ In 1871, Charles stantial enough to deliver 800 horsepower Amidon had an unfor­ to its down water users. (The company tunate falling out had originally hoped for 1500.) Millers with Millers Falls Falls Manufacturing required less than Manufacturing when half of the output. There was little worry the firm sued him for that the upper limit of the dam's capacity $1,000 to cover the Figure 2 Patent drawing for Amidon's improved wringer. might be reached - the company owned non-payment of the rights to the two remaining falls in goods received. Al­ the series. In lieu of a traditional mill though Amidon maintained that the goods wheel, a modern water turbine, manufac­ were due him as salary for work he had main building and measured 100 feet long tured in the nearby town of Orange by done when superintendent, there must by forty-five feet wide. By the end of 1872, Hunt, Waite & Flint, was installed to have been some merit in the Millers Falls employment had grown to 100 hands, and power the new factory. complaint-he paid $750 to settle the suit. development along the company's canal By 1873, Amidon had formed the Amidon was proceeding apace with a building con­ The Move to Grout's Comer Manufacturing Co. (Its relationship to tractor, a vise company and a plane iron Amidon & Fisk is unclear.) Located in manufacturer joining Amidon's baby The move to the plant took place in Erving, Amidon Manufacturing was in­ coach factory. 5 the winter of 1869 and 1870. In January, volved in the production of bit braces un­ 50 workers took up positions in the new til its bankruptcy in 18 77. When the busi­ Other Early Patents factory. Although some chose to commute ness failed, Charles Amidon relocated to from Greenfield, the majority relocated, Buffalo and became involved in a series Although its Barber braces were tre­ and the housing situation in Grout's Cor­ of partnerships concerned with the pro­ mendously successful, Millers Falls ner grew desperate. Millers Falls Manu­ duction of bit braces. A better inventor Manufacturing acquired the rights to sev­ facturing leased the hotel owned by the than businessman, Amidon held over a eral tools that competed with its primary Vermont & Massachusetts Railroad Co. dozen patents for bit braces but never product. The first of these was a brace and refurbished it to domicile some of the experienced the financial success enjoyed developed by the proprietor of a small fac­ workers. As other buildings became avail­ by his former partners, Gunn and Pratt. tory in Sunderland, Clemens B. Rose. able, the company rented them and con­ Rose, active in bitstock design since 1864, verted them to tenements. Those who had early on invested in patented a brace with ring-type chuck and the Millers Falls Manufacturing Co. were metallic head on April 16, 1867. His in­ In spring, the hilltop east of the plant, well rewarded for their risk. Despite the vention looked promising, but the issue became a prime target for developmentM-WTCA.ORG costs associated with developing the site of the patent found him with little cause and was soon home to an Amidon, a Gunn, and building a factory, IO-percent share­ to celebrate. Six days prior to the award, and a Pratt Street. The manufacturer holder dividends were declared for calen­ fire destroyed the Rose Bit Brace Co., and made its presence known in other ways - dar years 1870 and 1871. The firm's bit the loss was estimated at $6,000. a petition to rename the place Millers braces sold so well that the expanded Falls was circulated, and by spring, the enterprise was barely able to keep up with Rose persisted with his design work, post office had been renamed. It took sev­ demand. The plant operated day and and 18 months later was issued yet an­ eral years for the local railways to adopt night, employing some 60 hands and turn­ other patent - this time for a sweep the new moniker. ing out between 10,000 and 15,000 braces handle. Soon afterward, the Bit Stock Co., per month. The need for additional fac­ a Greenfield firm of undetermined owner­ Charles H. Amidon, Gunn's longtime tory space soon became evident, and in ship, began to manufacture a brace fea­ partner, left the firm in 1870 to start a 1872, the company completed the con­ turing both patents. By spring of 1869, new business. In January of that year, he struction of a brick addition with a slate the patents were clearly in the hands of purchased a waterpower right from the roof. The new wing was parallel to the the partnership of W. Newton Nims and

The GRISTMILL • December 2003 • 20 Pratt, when, for reasons unknown, patent was issued on Clemens Rose filed a lawsuit against the same day as that them. Edward Lester, a Nims & Pratt of William H. McCoy, employee, acquired the Rose patents in a Millers Falls em­ June of that year and sold them to Millers ployee who invented Falls Manufacturing several weeks later. a non-splitting sweep Production of the Rose brace continued handle featuring me­ at the Nims & Pratt factory until the new tallic inserts. The Millers Falls plant came online.6 company used Sawyer's design to Edward Lester went from Nims & attach heads to its Pratt to Millers Falls Manufacturing, braces until the de­ where he followed Charles Amidon as velopment of ball plant superintendent. There, he developed bearing heads ren­ the Lester Saw, a foot-powered scroll saw dered it obsolete; FERRULE REMOVED. FERRULE. that provided the company with an en­ McCoy's sweep trance into the business of making treadle handle remained vi- machines for the amateur market. Lester able into the 20th would leave the company shortly after century. Samuel developing the tool. In 1881, he joined Figure 3 The Barber brace (ca. 1867) as manufactured by Gunn, Sawyer eventually Amidon & Co. A.W Lyman in organizing the Lester & accepted a job as a Lyman Manufacturing Co. The new enter­ wood turner at the Millers Falls plant, and the Millers Falls Co. Backus Vise had prise set up shop along the Miller Falls William McCoy went on to develop a drill been renting space and waterpower at the canal in the building that once housed chuck, a set of spring-type jaws for braces Grouts Comer plant since 1870 and held Charles Amidon's baby coach factory. The and an adjustable angular bitstock for the the rights to several bench vises devel­ business manufactured garden tools, company. oped by Vermont-born inventor Quimby household cutlery and strangely - har­ S. Backus. Originally located in Wmdsor, monicas. The partners relocated to On Jan. 17, 1871, Wtlliam P. Dolan 7 VT, the Vise company's move to Grout's Greenfield in 1884. (also spelled Dolin) of Charlottesville, VA, Comer owed much to the fact that its prin­ patented a ratcheting brace that allowed Albert D. Goodell succeeded Lester cipal investors were nearly identical to a user to bore a hole without completing a those of Millers Falls Manufacturing. In­ as superintendent. Prior to joining the full rotation of the handle. Although firm, Goodell and his brother Henry oper­ ventor Quimby Backus and the company Dolan's was not the first ratchet brace, his treasurer, Moses Newton, moved to ated a small factory in Buckland that at use of two opposing, spring-loaded pawls first produced pieces for wooden chairs, Grouts Comer along with the operation. 8 to control the direction of a brace's rota­ and later on, hardware items. The broth­ tion was a breakthrough. Millers Falls The relocated company took up ers sold their enterprise to Millers Falls Manufacturing acquired the rights to his space in the Millers Falls boiler room, and in 1870, and with it, the rights to Albert invention and made substantial changes shortly after the move, began construc­ Goodell's 1868 patent for a brace with to it-substituting one ratchet wheel for tion on an adjacent wooden building to pivoting jaws. Although the Goodell brace Dolan's two and adding a ring shifter to house its forging, polishing and packing was never a strong seller, it marked the engage and disengage the pawls.10 operations. Backus Vise purchased the beginning of a distinguished career in tool rough castings for its vises from the Clark design and manufacture. Albert Goodell The Millers Falls adaptation of & Chapman Machine Co. in nearby Turn­ went on to develop a number of highly suc­ Dolan's idea, with its two-pin ring shifter, ers Falls. cessful tools for Millers Falls Manufac­ may well have been the most significant turing before leaving, in 1888, to found development in the history of the Ameri­ The Backus operation was never Goodell Brothers with his brother Henry. can ratchet brace. The design, which large. Employment varied between 16 and leaves the front part of the ratchet wheel 25, and under the supervision of Samuel Sawyer, the millwright who exposed, came to be used on more braces Frederick Hubbard, the small, but produc­ supervised the construction of the plant than any other and remains in production tive work force manufactured a line of and dam for Millers Falls M-WTCA.ORGManufacturing, today. Four months after the Dolan patent products that ranged from diminutive elected to remain in the area after the was issued, John T. Lynam of hand-held vises, to jeweler's vises, to 168- project was completed. A onetime em­ Jeffersonville, IN, patented a single ratchet pound blacksmith models. ployee of the turbine manufacturer Hunt, wheel brace that used opposing leaf-type Waite & Flint, Sawyer decided to lease springs as pawls. Although Millers Falls The Vise company was plagued by the sawmill owned by Millers Falls Manu­ Manufacturing thought enough of Lynam 's misfortune. In December 1871, produc­ facturing and installed one of his former design to manufacture and market it, the tion was halted when a fire burned out employer's turbines to power it. The op­ brace never caught on. the part of the operation housed in the eration engaged in custom sawing and Millers Falls boiler room. A year later, millwork fabrication. 9 The 1873 Merger the vise company's new wooden building burned to the ground. As a consistent In 1871, Sawyer developed a new In January 1873, the Millers Falls demand for the vises exceeded produc­ method for attaching the revolving heads Manufacturing Co . merged with the tion capacity, Millers Falls Manufactur- of carpenter's braces and assigned the Backus Vise Co. to form a new entity - rights to Millers Falls Manufacturing. The Continued on page 24 The GRISTMILL • December 2003 • 21 Live Free or Die Antique Tool Auctions s the year comes to a close, we want to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you for your support of our antique tool auc­ A tions during 2003. Whether by consigning tools for our sales, attend­ ing the auctions or bidding online through our web site, thousands of you have helped reinforce our belief that the concept of Worldwide marketing of antique tools using digital technology while maintaining the old fashioned atlnosphere of a country auction 1neans a limitless future for this great hobby. We invite you to joi:n us at one of our four locations during 2004. ®ur '.}}rrp ~est Wisbes to ~II for a JI opous ([bristmas ~eason anb a l!}appp 1fletu !)ear

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535. ANEARLYPATENTSCRAPERPLANE.No 12,by STANLEY with bulbous handles The adjustment screw 150 - 300 is marked with the patent date of August 3 I. 1858. The cutlmg iron IS proper, but a bit short Best Antique Tool Web Site! 536. IA PATENT UNIVERSAL COMBINATION PLANE. f No. 55. by STANLEY. This example is complete wilh a www.mjdtools.com

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.Internet adjustment of the lhroat--one of the earliest examples of 600 - 1200 the technoloRV that would one dav be mamfested in John Thinking of SellingM-WTCA.ORG Some or All of Your Antique TootCollection? Please Give Us A Call - Now is the Best Time Ever to Sell! · All Tools Sold at Nationally Advertised Locations Before Hundreds of Collectors · Photographs of All Items on the Internet Long Before the Auction · Multiple Regional Locations Allow Us to Target the Appropriate Market Professional Service Free Trucking No Hidden Charges Call Today Toll Free for a Confidential Consultation (800) 869-0695 PO Box 281 Bath NY 14810 www.mjdtools.com Live Free or Die Antique Tool Auctions 111e Uorl ~~ Large.\·t Specia/i t 4uctio, e f A Division of Martin J. Donnelly Antique Tool. , Avoca, New York Auction Schedule for 2004 (800) 869-0695 · Eleven Great Auctions! · www.mjdtools.com ubscribe today and receive all catalogues and lists for the Ten Great Auctions we have scheduled for 2004 as well Sas the full list of prices realized after each sale. We will be publishing Six Full Color Auction Catalogues and four detailed lists as we market an unprecedented 60,000 tools during 2004. Why not plan to join us at one or more of these events? Our goal is to create an Event, not just an auction. Parking lot and room trading are encouraged and sup­ ported. At our two-day Auction Weekends in Indianapolis, Indiana, and Nashua, New Hampshire, there will be two auc­ tions, a Gala Dealer Sale and opportunities to meet collectors from around the country and the world. Mark your sched­ ule today! Our Giant Antique Tool Fair this summer will have Plenty of Great Tools in a Great Location. Special Offer: Six Color Auction Catalogues and Five Lists (CD Rom Disk Included!) Subscribe to our complete auction catalogue listing for 2004 and save! We will be publishing five full color auction catalogues next year as well as five detailed lists. Catalogues include prices realized. Priced separately. these publications would cost $129.50 Order All Eleven: NOW Just $75.00 (Searchable CD Rom Disk with Photos Sent with Every Auction!) Indianapolis Spring $23.95 · Nashua Sprmg $23.95 · Tool Fair Auction July 9 & 10 $17.95 · Nashua Fall: $23.95 · Indianapolis Fall: $23.95 Martin J. Donnelly Antique Tools PO Box 281 Bath NY 14810 (800) 869-0695 Order Online: www.mjdtools.com

Auction Schedule for 2004 Open House Auction Martin J. Donnelly Listed Auction: Sheraton Four Points Hotel & Joint Tool Meeting: Friday, March 26 Indianapolis, Indiana Saturday, August 21 Avoca, New York Auctioneer: Bill Baxter Auctioneer Paul Wilmott Catalogue Auction: Sheraton Four Points Hotel Listed Auction: Holiday Inn Everett Turnpike Saturday, March 27 Indianapolis, Indiana Friday, September17, Nashua, New Hampshire Auctioneer: Bill Baxter Auctioneer: Paul Wilmott Listed Auction: Holiday Inn Everett Turnpike Catalogue Auction: Holiday Inn Everett Turnpike Friday, April 23 Nashua, New Hampshire Saturday, September, 18 Nashua, New Hampshire Auctioneer: Paul Wilmott Auctioneer: Paul Wilmott Catalogue Auction: Holiday Inn Everett Turnpike Listed Auction: Sheraton Four Points Hotel Saturday, April 24 Nashua, New Hampshire Friday, October 8 Indianapolis, Indiana Auctioneer: Paul Wilmott Auctioneer: Bill Baxter E.A.I.A. Annual Meeting Catalogue Auction: Sheraton Four Points Hotel Catalogue Auction: Saturday, October 9 Indianapolis, Indiana Friday, May 14 Wilmington, Delaware Auctioneer: Bill Baxter Auctioneer: Paul Wilmott Antique Tool Fair Withington Auction Estate We take our name, Live Free or Die, from the State Motto of New & Catalogue Auction: Hillsboro Center, NH Hampshire, where this business began. The phrase was penned by Friday & Saturday Total of 1201 Lots for Two Days! Revolutionary War Gen. John Stark on July 31 , 1809, as he July 9 & 10 Tool Fair at Dawn Saturday implored a new generation of his Countrymen to remember those Auctioneer: Richard Withington who had given all for American Liberty. May we never forget. Please PlanM-WTCA.ORG ta Join Us for One of Our Upcoming Sales

Old Fas~io~ed Tool ~uctions - Now is the ijest Time Ever to Buy! I · March 26th & 27th (Friday & Saturday) in Indianapolis, Indiana · April 23th & 24th (Friday & Saturday) in Nashua, New Hampshire · Two Long-Established Venues -- Meeting Places for Collectors for Decades Room & Tailgate Trading Encouraged Tools for Every Price Range Call Today or Visit Our Web Site fo,r More Information (800) 869-0695 PO Box 281 Bath NY 14810 · www.mjdtools.com ...... Gunn, Amidon and Millers Falls Manufacturing Continued from page 21 ing overlooked the problems of its tenant company and installed yet another Hunt, Waite & Flint turbine to power the Backus operation. Despite the near constant woe, the Vise company managed to reward its principals with IO-percent dividends. The merger of Millers Falls Manufac­ turing and Backus Vise was made in the interest of reducing the expenses inher­ ent in running separate operations, and while Frederick Hubbard, the vise company's superintendent, became a di­ rector of the new company, Quimby Backus did not. Several months earlier, Backus had patented a wrench, an adjust­ able angular bitstock and a chuck for a brace. He took his profits, moved to Holyoke, MA, and went into the business of making braces and boring devices based on his designs. Located on the Con­ necticut River, Holyoke was a booming manufacturing center with a huge dam Figure 4 Warner File Co. (left), Q.S. Backus Co. (right), in Holyoke, 1876. and an elaborate system of mill canals. Backus operated his factory in a three work on the construction of a foundry unit. was CharlesAmidon's older brother. (Another and one half-story building at the inter­ With a successful line of braces and vises, brother, William, also lived in the village at section of the Second Level Canal and a new breast drill (the No. 12), and a this time.) The second firm, Amidon & Cobb, Appleton St. (figure 4). Sometime around state-of-the-art facility, the Millers Falls made plane irons. The "Amidon" involved in 1880, for reasons unknown, Quimby Company was poised to become a major this firm has not been identified. Beers, F. W. Backus moved his brace operation to player in the tool manufacturing business. and Sanford, G. P. Atlas of Franklin Co., Mas­ Wmchendon, a rural Massachusetts vil­ Notes: sachusetts: From Actual Surveys. New York: lage near the New Hampshire border. He F.W. Beers & Co., 1871. became interested in the design of heat­ 1. The bulk of the information in this article is ing devices and went on to establish a courtesy of the following three sources: Adie, 6. The DAT suggests that Gunn and Amidon may factory in Philadelphia to manufacture Allan D. "75 Years of Honest Endeavor." have owned the Bit Stock Co. I have been un­ them. Dyno-mite, December 1943, p. 18-19, 22. able to verify the information. Dictionary of Courier and Gazette. Greenfield, Mass., Jan. American Tools. [S.I.]: Early American Indus­ In 1891, Backus relocated to 1867-Sept. 1873. The Millers Falls Co. Hard­ tries Association, 1999. p. 89. Lycoming, Pennsylvania where he served ware Dealers Magazine, January 1915, p. 7. Care, Pearl B., Burnett, Anastacia, and Felton, as superintendent for the Backus Manu­ 107-117. facturing Co. The company manufactured Doris A. The History of Erving, MA, 1838- portable steam radiators, fireplaces, gas 2. Gunn, the son of a blacksmith, worked for the 1998. Erving Historical Society, 1988. p. 31 logs, mantels and other products of Conway Tool Co. prior to its destruction by 8. Biographical Review: Sketches of the Leading 11 Backus design. Certainly the oddest of fire. Biographical Review: Sketches of the Citizens of Franklin County, Massachusetts his patents was that for an Leading Citizens of Franklin County, Massa­ Boston: Biographical Review Publishing Com­ asbestos-covered hearth bed, a chusetts. Boston: Biographical Review pub­ pany, 1895. p. 325-327. Murphy-style device that foldedM-WTCA.ORG up into lishing Company, 1895. p. 285-286. the front of a fireplace when not in use. A 9. Biographical Review: Sketches ... p. 86-87. prolific, if not always practical inventor, 3. Although Gunn is sometimes considered to have Quimby Backus eventually returned to been the first president, Pratt's position is 10. The earliest Millers Falls ratchet braces are Vermont, where, at the age of 70, he listed in the notice of incorporation published . stamped on the shell with the date ofDolan's mounted a remarkably unsuccessful cam­ in the Courier and Gazette. patent. His patent is also referenced in the 1878 company catalog. paign as an independent candidate for 4. "A Destructive Fire in Greenfield." Courier and state governor. Gazette. Greenfield, Mass., Jan. 4, 1869. 11. "Miscellaneous Manufactures." History of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania. Chicago: As separate entities, neither the Mill­ 5. An 1871 map of Millers Falls shows two other ers Falls Manufacturing Co. nor the Brown, Runk, 1892. In Chapter 21. Available firms named "Amidon" on the Millers Falls on the World Wide Web: h1.t.d.L Backus Vise Co. found it feasible to a con­ canal. Amidon & Newton did some manufac­ duct a foundry operation. The situation www. us gen net.org/ usa Ipa Icounty/ turing but also contracted for construction lycominglhistory/Chapter-21 .html changed with the merger, and in May work. Solomon Amidon, one of the principals, 1873, the newly-named company began The GRISTMILL • December 2003 • 24 G. J. CAPEWELL. (loKohLJ F. K. STEVENS . Improvement in Nail-Extractors. JAIL &XTR.6.0TOII, Patull4 hlJ 18, 18-72 , C. J. CAP£WELL. No , 129,210. Nall-lltraotoro. No. 243,812. Patented July 6, 1881. Patented Oct, 7, 1173, No . 143 ,496.

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Progression in Nail Pullers New Focus for Committee By Phil Baker

The committee previously called the M-WTCA Mount Vernon Committee has By Ray Fredrich Patent number 243,812 was issued July 5, 1881, to F. M. Stevens Waterbury, been re-named the M-WTCA Preserva­ CT, and assigned to Maltby, Curtiss & Co. tion and Education Committee. The sub­ atent number 129,210 was issued of the same place. title states the following: Serving Mount Vernon, Museums, Historic Sites and As­ II July 16, 1872, to George J. Capewell This patent eight years after of Cheshire, CT, for a nail puller. sociations. P Capewell's No. 143,496 was made for This patent, solely in the name of the "connecting the rammer to the stem or This is intended to give other enti - inventor, "represents a hollow cylindrical lever of the nail-extractor in a simple and ties an insight into the services that the stem or lever, which may be made of strong manner, and so that it is free to be Mid-West Tool Collectors Association is gas-pipe or other similar material" "by the mover endwise of the stem, but cannot be ready to provide. To this point, the Mount action of a spring k said fulcrum C and separated therefrom; and the shape of the Vernon Ladies Association has been the claw F maintain their normal condition" rammer is such that the percussive force focus of the committee's activities. is applied in the most effective manner to The committee wishes M- WTCA Patent number 143, 496 was issued the stem of the nail-extractor." Oct. 7, 1873, to George Capewell members to continue their support of Cheshire, CN, and assigned to Curtiss, Actually, the first patent lacked Mount Vernon. The committee would like Maltby and Atwood of Connecticut. weight in the stem that was the ramming to see members offer their srevices device. The spring was driven off of the throughout the nation. M-WTCA by-laws This patent will obviateM-WTCA.ORG any liability nail puller by increased ramming due to Article 2 Section 3 state: To share knowl­ due to any accident in the course of con­ lack of weight, which was now added in edge and understanding with others, es­ tinued ramming, which would break the the second patent, along with reversing pecially where it may benefit restora­ external spring that holds the jaws open. the ram from the stem to the handle and tions, museums and like institutaions. A new method of a spring is recessed into adding a weighted ball. The third patent Many members have been quietly the inner faces of the claws. Also, a eliminated the weighted ball and doubled leather check strap was added, one end doing the very thing M-WTCA wishes to the length of the handle thereby adding promote. Please let Phil Baker or John secured to the stem and the other end to weight. The first nail pullers of the third the tube, to prevent the stem from com­ Welles know when this is done. A col­ patent still had the leather strap on but­ umn in The GRISTMILL could highlight ing out of the tube. Also, weight was tons from the handle to the stem. added due to the sleeve being slid over areas and members who have given this the stem of the puller. A nail puller book is being published. aid. Comments on this are most wel­ come.

The GRISTMILL • December 2003 • 25 HISTORIES, BIOGRAPHIES, RESEARCH liOOILS Drilling in Stone: A Brief History

By Eric M. Peterson © 2003

uppose that you needed to drill holes _,, in stone and you did not have a car­ S~ bide or diamond drill bit. How would you solve the problem? This article de­ scribes how such boring was accom­ plished in several different eras and re­ gions. Figure 1 Drilling in stone is a problem that ar­ in abundance has been something of a exported and are found in distant archaeo­ tisans faced and solved some 6,000 to puzzle. The discussion of this subject has logical sites. These jars were often of fine 8,000 years ago. We still do not know been further complicated by the fact that quality and perhaps contained perfumes every detail of how it was done, but it is there has been, and seemingly still re­ and cosmetics. Some were thin enough no longer a mystery. That boring in stone mains, confusion and dissention about the to transilluminate light. was being commonly and routinely done classification and naming of the various is not in doubt as we have the innumer­ kinds of stone used by Egyptians. So how was this stone drilled? There able surviving artifacts. Some illustrative were at least two tools used to do this. examples are offered here. A Word About Stone The main question is what material was used to actually cut the stone? The obvi­ After searching for several years, I So how was the stone drilled? There ous answer is a harder stone. Sites have am unable to discover a discussion in any were probably at least two tools used to been discovered where large amounts of detail of this ancient process, and so what do this. Each most likely used an emery chert chips have been found in connec­ follows is a synthesis of information I have slurry at the bit. One tool was a bow drill tion with crescent shaped points. These drawn from many sources published over device and the other has been called the locations appear to be the site of the the past century and a half. This being "wobble drill" for lack of a precise term. manufacture of the stone-cutting bits. the case, variations in the quoted Additionally, there appears to have been Chert is a form of microcrystalline quartz researcher's terminology, background in­ a cruder boring tool as well. which has a Mohs rating of 6.7-7, which 2 formation, and scientific knowledge was is quite hard • Apparently much of the taken into consideration. A Bit about Working Stone drilling was done with these bits. Flint and chert are both made of silicon dioxide and Drilling and Working Stone To cut the surface of stone a cutting differ in color primarily as a result of their tool harder than the substrate stone is inclusions. Flint being the darker. That Neolithic man, like those who fol­ required. One would not try to cut a dia­ the two stones are essentially the same lowed, learned to use the materials avail­ mond with a piece of glass. The modern has not been appreciated in the past. able, and what the Egyptians had in abun­ reference scale defining the hardness of dance was mud and stone. They developed stone is the Mohs Hardness Scale. The We are all familiar with arrowheads great skill in working both materials since larger the number, the harder the stone made of chert or flint. It holds a very the supply of wood was very limited. Any is. This knowledge simplifies our under­ sharp edge. That this was appreciated in piece of wood of even moderate size had standing and study. But, in the past the pre-dynastic times is evident by the ex­ to be imported, and often it was the fabled Egyptologists misnamed and misident­ ample shown in figure 1. The knife handle cedar from Lebanon. So stone and mud ified the type of stones observed. This has is of carved ivory and the blade of chert. were utilized. M-WTCA.ORGcreated problems in our understanding of It was from the Gerzean Period, long be­ Egyptian industry. Two recent texts have fore dynastic Egypt began. It was found The ancient Egyptians made thou­ 1 taken steps beginning to clarify the prob­ at Gebel-el-Arak, Egypt. The carvings de­ sands of vessels of stone . This stone­ lem. Arnold (1991) and Nicholson and pict warfare. It is included here to dem­ working industry began in the Pre-Dynas­ Shaw (2000) have brought considerable ·onstrate the exceptional craftsmanship tic Age several thousand years before the enlightenment from the earlier and fa­ that was present in working stone at a great pyramids were built. This was es­ mous texts of both Lucas and Petrie. very early age. pecially prominent in the southeastern portion of the land since clay was less Armed with better information, it is That these stone edges were durable readily available and it was essential that easier to postulate how the stone was and effective is shown by an experiment containers for food and drink be at hand. worked, especially how it was drilled. in Denmark where four men using The types of stone used varied but did in­ This is important since the stone vessels Neolithic axes that were in as-found-con­ clude some very hard varieties. Just how were made by drilling. These containers, dition (Stone Age) were able to clear-cut these jugs, vessels and pots were made large and small, were produced by the 600 square yards of silver birch forest in thousands for local use and some were four hours. The GRISTMILL • December 2003 • 26 My hieroglyph dictionary contains other examples of tools of silver and gold 45,000 different glyphs but not a recog­ have been found. Some have equally spec­ nizable wobble drill. I located a line draw­ tacular workmanship. A culture contain­ ing of the tool but no actual hieroglyphic ing the craftsmen and knowledge with this depiction of the drill itself until much later high level of workmanship certainly could and after considerable study. bore holes in stone, and did. G. Reisner (1931: 212) states that the 6000± BC - Badarian Culture, Beads Sumerians made stone vessels by boring, stating: "As for the stone borer, it may or These Neolithic 4 people, the may not have been a weighted crank-borer Badarians, lived on the east bank of the like that of the Egyptians." Nile River (see figure 3) even before the so-called "pre-dynastic" Egyptians. That This Mesopotamian culture was more is before the people who came before advanced in many ways than their con­ those people who built the pyramids, at temporary pre-dynastic and early dynas­ 3 about 6,000 BC. An examination of their tic Egyptian cultures • cultural artifacts revealed many stone 5 beads • Beads require holes and that of course requires drilling. How these small holes were made is a guess. I have found no mention of the Badarian drilling method nor their tools. However, how the Egyptians much later drilled stone for Figure 5 beads is known and is seen later in this article. We can speculate that the method A l 7lli century BC cylinder seal from of drilling was similar. Figure 2 the author's collection is shown in figures 4 and 5. The making of beads from stone for example of this advanced culture An adornment is a very ancient skill and The detail is extremely fine. Even the is the elegant adze-head in figure 2 from likely not limited to these people even at eyes are realistic. A magnifying glass is Ur c.3,000+ BC. It is made of electrum this early period. needed to see all the detail such as the which is an alloy of gold and silver. This eyes, expressions, folds in the clothing, is not a toy; it is 5'9 in length. Numerous 3300-300 BC - etc. Cylinder Seals Should you be interested to learn more concerning this ancient tool of com­ S<4l• of K i lowut:r#6 These seals 1• t . .t J,f$6 munication, Dr. Dominique Collon has were developed in 6 Railw.. y ...... -- what is now termed written some excellent texts • These seals Dtnrt £4!1~ ··· ·:::t:~t~:·;( the Near East (Asia provide us with a glimpse of information after Minor) at the end of about the cultures existing in this -~~~1------, Bruton 1-----wJ the Neolithic period protohistoric time. See the article "Really in the fourth Millen­ Old Tools: A Saw and A Seal," in the Sep­ nium BC. They were tember, 2000, issue of The GRISTMILL. used to authenticate How this sculptural drilling was ac­ the ownership or va­ complished is a partial mystery. Since the lidity of an artifact. intaglio drilling is too fine to be appreci­ Made mostly from ated by the unaided eye, how then was it stone, these expen­ sculpted in the first place? At that time 7 sive small items were there were no methods of magnification • owned only by the It is known that there were distinct wealthy and were "shops" making these small seals and crafted to a very fine some of the craftsmen's work can be iden- M-WTCA.ORGscale. Continued on page 28

•Kmnd Himid

31 2 0 .. J•.is' Figure 3 Figure 4

The GRISTMILL• December 2003 • 27 Drilling in Stone: A Brief History

9 Continued from page 27 Nineveh and date from the time of Ur • Beads are made from many sources: tified by their technique as originating teeth, shell, bone, faience, wood and from a particular shop, for example on the stone, to mention some of the substrates. banks of the Euphrates in Larsa (Uruk). Boring the holes to make a bead is not a It has been proposed that this craft was total mystery. practiced by a family group of craftsmen using closely held techniques and that 1450 BC - Egyptian Stone Drilling - these craftsmen were from an inbred fam­ ily group all of whom were very myopic Bead Makers (nearsighted). Studies have shown that it is possible for these persons (especially younger per­ Figure 7 sons) to get very large degrees of magni­ fication working at close focal lengths. the town of Erzurum in Eastern Turkey a Gorelick and Gwinnett (1981) have given craftsman is shown drilling the hole of a scholarly consideration to this topic. Simi­ bead of obsidian (figure 7). larly, finely engraved gemstones from the Please note the way the craftsman Greek and Roman eras appear to have Figure 6 holding the bowstring in the palm of his required magnification to have been made. right hand in order to maintain the de­ While planoconvex rock crystals might Egyptian bead makers are depicted sired tension on the bowstring and drill 8 have been known , they would not have in this hieroglyphic drawing in figure 6 spindle. So we can see things have not magnified without distortion and Pliny using a bow drill and three drills at one changed much in the method of using this would never have failed to mention their time. An assistant is threading the beads tool in many thousands of years. use had they been available. on a line using a needle. The finished prod­ uct is shown between the two artisans. 3000+ BC - Stone Drilling Many shapes cut into these seals re­ This glyph is from a tomb in Thebes, c quired a small hole or tiny circles. So how 1450 BC1°. - large Objects was this done? Fortunately this has been studied by Gorelick and Gwinnett using a As noted above, the drilling of beads Neolithic man, like those who fol­ scanning electron microscope in a series in Egypt was practiced four millenniums lowed him, learned to use the materials of experiments including test drilling with earlier. at hand, and what the Egyptians and modern tools, genuine seals and fake Mesopotamians had in abundance was seals. Samples taken from a span of cen­ Just how this process works is rather mud and stone. They developed great skill turies and from different regions were clever. It is helpful to have this pictogram in working both materials since suitable studied. They concluded that all the genu­ decoded. On the right, the three-legged wood was in very limited supply. ine seals had similar residue marks at the workbench on its top surface has depres­ drilling sites while fakes and modem tool sions containing a material, which holds attempts were easily recognizable by elec­ the bead material in place. The drills, here tron microscopy. The same result as found three are shown, and can be up to five in on genuine seals was obtained using a number, are placed on the bead surface. slurry of coarse pumice and a rod under Using his left hand, he holds the tops of hand counter-oscillation as the drilling the drill shafts that are captured in a method. This strongly suggests how the sleeve of wood or copper tubing. Not drilling was accomplished. A horizontally clearly seen in the drawing, the right hand mounted bench bow drill might have pro­ of the bead maker holds the bow string duced the same effect but I am not aware across his fingers in such a manner that this has been studied in regard to cylin­ he can apply varying degrees of tension der seals. M-WTCA.ORGon the bow string which takes a tum about Figure 8 each drill shaft. Thus, he can tum all the Beads drills with one effort thereby magnifying These stone vessels (figure 8) are his productivity. We are all familiar with from Ur, Sumer. The taller vessel is 12- Beads of course are strung and this photographs of the magnificent beads that 1/2 inches in height. This culture was means a hole must be drilled. How this adorn the pharaohs, and here we see how more advanced in many ways than their was done is of interest in the consider­ they were made. contemporary pre-dynastic and early dy­ 11 ation of boring tools. Beads are possibly nastic Egyptian cultures • These early th the oldest of adornments. Stone Age man 20 Century - Eastern Turkey - Mesopotamians created items of gold and made them. The significance of their use Bead Maker silver of exquisite and unrivaled beauty. has been postulated by numerous authors and differs widely. Finds of beads are com­ The ancient Egyptians made thou­ Essentially the same tools and tech­ 12 mon in archaeological sites. A very large nique is still used today to drill beads. In sands of vessels of stone • This industry and varied cache of beads was found at began in the Pre-Dynastic Age several The GRISTMILL• December 2003 • 28 thousand years before the great pyramids and Sir Flinders Petrie proposed differ­ were built. This was especially true in the ing methods. The question has now been south eastern portion of the land since at least partially answered by the work there was no suitable clay for pots and it of Gorelick and Gwinnett (1983) in experi­ was essential that containers for food and ments using a scanning electron micro­ drink be readily available. The types of scope to determine the residual markings stone used varied but did include some created by differing methods of drilling very hard varieties. Just how these jugs, and attempted drilling. Their conclusions vessels and pots were made has been from their rather compelling study were something of a puzzle. This study has that the drilling could have been accom­ been further complicated by the fact that plished using emery in a wet slurry of ei­ there has been and seemingly still re­ ther water or olive oil or some other lu­ mains confusion and dissention about the bricant. An abrasive derived from dia­ classification and naming of the various monds or corundum cuts as well or bet­ kinds of stone used in these artifacts. ter than emery. These have a Mohs value of 10, 9.9 respectively. From current in­ To cut the surface of stone a cutting formation only emery would appear to Figure 10 tool that is harder than the substrate have been available to the Egyptians. At stone is required. One would not try to that time emery was called Noxium and cut a diamond with a piece of glass. The proud of it about 5600 was available from Noxos (a fact men­ years ago. modem reference defining the hardness tioned by Pliny). Denys Stocks has suc­ of stone is the Mohs Hardness Scale. The cessfully made stone vases using repli­ Figure 12 shows higher the number, the harder the stone. cas of the stone drills known to have ex­ a stone door socket This knowledge simplifies the study. But, isted. For the craftsmen involved, drill­ and dates from about in the past the Egyptologists misnamed ing and boring using these methods was the same time. It was and misidentified the type of stones they hazardous due to the prolonged inhala­ a portion of the observed. This has created problems in tion of the fine silicate dust produced. temple at Hier­ the understanding of Egyptian industry. akonpolis. Two recent texts have taken steps begin­ First Dynasty Egyptian Stone Vessels - ning to clarify the problem. Arnold (1991) In addition to the and Nicholson and Shaw (2000) have Hierakonpolis socket in which the brought us considerable enlightenment door swung, note from the earlier and rightfully famous there is an upward di­ texts of Lucas and Petrie. rected face carved into the end of the Figure 11 Armed with better information, it is block. This motif is easier to postulate how the stone was probably from the "Book of the Dead" worked, especially how it was drilled. where the door of Hades crushes the un­ This is important since the stone vessels fortunate. Rudimentary arms extend were created by drilling out their cores back. The flat portion bore the weight of and then enlarging the cavity laterally the door jam. Interesting. with a different bit. These containers, large and small, were produced by the Figure 9 thousands for local use and some were exported. As a result, they are found in This stone vessel (figure 9) was found 3 distant archaeological sites. Stone jars by Quibell 1 during his digs in 1898. He were often of fine quality and quite thin felt it was the finest specimen of early and delicate, requiring great skill to cre­ stonework then known. It is two feet ate. Perhaps the more elegant ones con­ across and is cut so thin that it is easily tained perfumes and cosmetics. Some lifted. This was discovered near Narmer's were thin enough to transilluminate light. famous slate palette at the Hierakonpolis M-WTCA.ORGexcavation. Note the handles are bored That the Egyptians routinely drilled as well as the cavity. By Quibell's reckon­ holes in stone is well known. But, how ing at that time this vessel was from "Dy­ was this done on such an industrial scale? nasty 0." (Long before the pyramids). Figure 12 The Egyptians used their stone pots, bowls, jars and vases for routine tasks, From the same excavation the lime­ c. 2500 BC - Mesopotamian - Drilled stone jars shown in figure 10, were dis­ and these have been discovered as com­ Door Socket mon artifacts. Also they used drilling in covered by Quibell. Smaller holes are quarrying projects and in forming massive shown on the edges of both items I sus­ pect to hold string or leather thongs. But It is well to emphasize that Egypt did sarcophagi for burials as well as the con­ not have superior craftsmanship, skills, again boring tools were used to make struction of architectural structures. or materials. What they had was a writ­ these holes. ten record that we can now decipher. This Two eminent Egyptologists had an graphic (figure 13) illustrates both points. open disagreement on just how the Egyp­ This lovely vase (figure 11) has a deli­ tians bored their holes in stone. A. Lucas cate shape. Its owner was probably rightly Continued on page 30

The GRISTMILL• December 2003 • 29 Drilling in Stone: A Brief History

Perhaps antedating the above form is the 16 ll 6· hieroglyph shown in fig- f4 mt ure 17 by the large arrow. • Here the user supplies the thrusting force and no weight is added to the Figure 15 top. However, further study suggests that this to recognize it as hieroglyph may be a form of the word nefer the "wobble" (nfr) which seems to be variously trans­ drill. lated. It may refer to "goodness" and simi­ In figure 15, lar meanings, or to "heart and lungs" the common rather than, or in addition to, being a 10cm hieroglyph is drill17. much less de­ Numerous bits of this shape have Figure 13 tailed and more been found, but no wooden parts. ideogram. Nu­ Continued from page 29 merous examples A Generic Wobble Drill - VI Dynasty Figure 14 of the use of this What we see here is a stone socket particular glyph drilled out to make the bottom pivot for a I was lucky to find this pictograph. may be found in Budge (1920. Vol. 1, This relief was found in the grave of Mera. door. This was made for the restoration p483). of a temple in Lagash, Sumer in about It is a very clear representation of the 14 15 process of drilling out stone vessels. Here 2500 BC • In figure 16 it is used in a phrase . one seated craftsman is making a huge The inscription states that Prince Gudea restored the temple. Nate the +.cZ.. clearly defined tooling marks in the socket 2.~ cavity that would fit well with the use of t: f ~ ~-0 - i•~~~ the wobble drill bit (shown further on). u4 en ,utefi }.iemu lep en ben - f Also note the inscription is not typi­ cal cuneiform but has mostly glyphs. One royal workman first of His .Majesty, While the written history of the re­ gion is very fragmentary, the artifacts re­ Figure 16 covered and published demonstrate a very high degree of skill in the crafts of the day. c. 2500 BC - The "Wobble Drill" & Related Stone Drills Comment: I have been able to find and trace this tool through a thousand years of its use. M-WTCA.ORGI Wobble Drill #1- "Initial" Version (Old Kingdom)

The hieroglyphs per se present a somewhat confusing story. Had they been drawn like the graphic in figure 14, there would have been no problem in identify­ ing the translation. I I I l To the left you can see the "old ver­ lt ♦ 1 l11j sion" of the tool. As you can see this tool ), is a single unit requiring the bit to be re­ moved from the shaft of the drill for re­ Figure 17 pair or replacement. It took a little doing

The GRISTMILL • December 2003 • 30 Figure 18 open pot while working to his right an­ Note also that the stone blank has other man is drilling a tall slender vase. been shaped to the external contour and Clearly, wobble drills are being employed. size of the final product before the drill­ Without your knowing something of the ing is started. Obviously, the external appearance of this drill you would be at a shaping was considered to be less labor aba loss to understand just what process was intensive or, more likely, it was accom­ being carried out. This is a common prob­ plished more easily while working on a lem in understanding this language, but solid block of stone. Figure 20 one recognition leads to the next as it does While the general mode of operation here. is shown, one cannot be certain whether hieroglyph was also Just which version of the drill is be­ the drill was being rotated in a circular used as a "determina­ ing used is not known since we cannot manner or in a to-and-fro motion. Perhaps tive" glyph at the end of see the lower portion of the drill in order both modes were used. If circular, we have a sentence to denote to determine its design, but the tomb is a rudimentary brace. the meaning of high from the Sixth Dynasty and so that dates In any event, this ancient tomb craftsmanship what­ it to the Old Kingdom, a period ending ever the activity being 18 graphic makes stone drilling quite clear. 2180 BC • 20 Since these stone vessels were produced discussed • The drawing in figure 18 was found in abundance, it is surprising that there The hieroglyph for in Brandt (192 7) 19 and is entitled is so little reference to this process in the the "improved" version, "Gefassbohrer. Relief aus dem Grabe des now vast (recovered) literature. #2 of the wobble drill is Mera. Altes Reich. 6. Dynastie": Vessel Wobble Drill No. 2- "Intermediate" seen immediately on borers. [Relief from the tombM-WTCA.ORG of Mera. Old figure 20. Kingdom. VI Dynasty.] Version A more conven­ Later, a drawing of a stone boring This leads us to the information that tional drawing is shown workshop is shown suggesting how the the artisans who did the stone boring were at right, in figure 21 . vessel was held. The stone bits were still held in high esteem. This was so much in these depressions. Whether the arti­ so that this hieroglyph came to symbol­ In this hieroglyph, Figure 21 with a little imagina- sans worked standing or sitting/squatting ize any artistry in its highest degree. This is not clear in the workshop drawing. But, tion, you can see the tool in its parts. The in the drawing above they are obviously demountable shaft with its attached bit not standing, but that may be due to ar­ craftsmanship 1~ is suggested. The demountable shaft with tistic license. You will recognize the glyph the bit is bound to the stubby drive shaft. This is version two of three distinct types to the immediate left of the lower "bird" Figure 19 glyph. Continued on page 32

The GRISTMILL• December 2003 • 31 Drilling in Stone: A Brief History

Figure 22

Continued from page 31 Here the drill is slightly different although operated the same way and the material of the wobble drill that I have found. Since being worked on is a slab of stone (door this tool seems to have the shaft off cen­ socket?) and not a vase blank. This tool ter with regard to the axis of rotation, it is also of the "improved" version No. 3 would drill a cone shaped hole. The same type with the bit being readily demount­ ideogram in a more colorful context is able. This was taken from a scene depict­ shown in figure 22 in two glyphs. ing Egyptian stonecutters at work. (after Quibell, Hierakonpolis) Wobble Drill, No. 3 - "Best'' Version The degree of "wobble" would seem Reisner (1931:212) states that the to depend on the skill of the workman Sumerians made stone vessels by boring, maintaining the vertical axis. But the stating: "As for the stone borer, it may or stone weights did the heavy pressure may not have been a weighted crank-borer work. Neat. like that of the Egyptians." This "weighted crank-borer" we are terming the "wobble The wobble drills in the pictures from drill." the tomb walls (figure 24), are the "best" of the three versions, with a (metal?) fer­ Were it not for the double crank re­ rule where the shaft and the bit units join. quirement in the definition of the brace, This permits easy removal of the bit-shaft we might pronounce this to be the First and at the same time keeps the drilling Brace since it is manually operated and shaft in overall alignment much the same can be a continuously rotating crank drill. Figure 23 as padded bits for wooden braces millen­ nia later. My hieroglyph dictionary contains 45,000 different glyphs but not an obvi­ pressure required to force the bit into the ous wobble drill. I located a drawing of stone vase was supplied by the stone the tool but no hieroglyph of it. But, that weights attached by was my error since like most glyphs, the the bindings. The ideogram is only a contraction of a real handle or crank was depiction. So first the wobble drill and rotated with one hand then a discussion of the hieroglyph.M-WTCA.ORG As and the assembly far as I can tell, no actual drill has sur­ steadied and assisted vived. Petrie (1917) does not include it in around by the other his manuscript cataloging tools. However, hand. This would pro­ a relief of a wobble drill (figure 23) was duce a wobbling mo­ discovered in a tomb in Saqqara21 (2,500 tion. BC). Here the artisan is grinding out a I found the glyph stone vase. Since the bit needed replace­ in figure 2 4 in an - ment and repair much more often than the other source which remaining portion of the tool, in this ver­ on first examination sion it was readily demountable at the appears to be the union held bythe band. This probablywas same as the last a later refinement of version No. 2. The shown, but is not. Figure 24

The GRISTMILL• December 2003 • 32 copper tube drill, and then being engaged by the wooden fork and so rotated that the cavityin the work (vase) was enlarged to a greater diameter. Thus the inside di­ ameter of a vase or pot could exceed the diameter of the opening. This stone-boring bit was not affixed to the drill shaft. In the Petrie collection at University College, London,'there is an uncataloged Figure 25 Figure 27 truncated cone bit which was used to shape a vessel's mouth. Figure of Eight Bit Weighted Crescent Chert Bit Drill - According to Stocks, when experi­ This type of ovoid bit (figure 2 7 ( is mental borings were performed, continu­ Egyptian equally indented on either side by removal ous rotation produced a conical hole with of stone creating notches that received the inward tapering sides. This could be This (figure 25) is not a Wobble drill, forked wood of the drive shaft. Such a bit avoided by twisting the drill only 90 de­ but has a different design. It would ap­ might be used after the copper tubular grees and then reversing the motion. pear that the user is operating a one-sided drillto hollow out the inside of a vessel. Evidence of both results is found in arti­ handle attached at mid-shaft. This would facts. This would suggest continual rota­ strongly suggest a to-and-fro action. A The bit on the left is from tion of the tool with some use. 22 distinctly different tool and hieroglyph Hierakonpolis • The one on the right is 23 from the wobble drill. It has a heart Mesopotamian • Proposed Bow Drill Device shaped bit and not the "figure of eight" bit. It would seem that an attached weight This is the bit thought to have been In 1955 Sir Leonard Woolley sug­ did the work. What was being drilled is used in the Wobble Drill. gested the tool in figure 29 as a possible not known. However what is clear is that The graphic of drilling has been stone drill using a figure of eight stone any material being drilled would of neces­ shown (but very rarely) on Egyptian tomb bit. Obviously, this would produce a to­ sity be below the drill seriously restrict­ walls spanning a long period from Dynas­ and-fro motion rather than continuous cir­ ing the tools application. The only refer­ ties V to XXVI. However no graphic has cular rotation. While intriguing, such a ence to this tool that I have discovered to yet been found in Mesopotamia. tool has never been found or shown date is in Budge (1963). graphically. Of importance, contemporary Compare this with the Mesopotamian Figure of Eight Shaped Stone Borer Continued on page 34 drill shown later. and a Reconstructed Forked Wooden Some Known Types of Drill Bits Shaft. (after Stocks)

Crescent Bits It is easy to visualize how the stone bit shown in figure 28 might be inserted Perhaps B into a hole that was first drilled with a the best docu­ mented bit em­ ployed for stone drilling is the "cres­ cent" bit. Chert or flint was fashioned as shown in the drawing and M-WTCA.ORG attached to the lower end of the drill shaft or spindle. Figure 26 Large numbers of these bits have been recovered. They could only be used for drilling in softer stones. Compare this bit in figure 26 with the hieroglyph shown in "Weighted Crescent Chert Bit Drill, Egyptian." Figure 28 Figure 29

The GRISTMILL• December 2003 • 33 Drilling in Stone: A Brief History

tained a grinding bit resting on fine sand which ap­ peared to hold the vase blank. Whether the workmen stood or squatted is not known. It would appear that they descended into their workplace. One can imagine a structure over VASE M.-,Ke:R·s WORKSHOP, WITH BENCH, this workshop. I, VASE GRINDER IN EARTHEN SOCKET 2. CORN GRINDER 3. VASE GRINDER 4 . STONE DOOR SOCKET. From the Figure 33 number of stone 100 years old and are hard to reproduce.) Figure 30 vessels that have been found there From Jebel Ahmar, sandstone vase Continued from page 33 must have been innumerable such work­ grinding bits of different types are shown shops. in figure 33. tests of such a bit powered by a bow drill show that the rotational power supplied Grinding Bits of the Type Used in the Copper Tubular Drill Bits was not sufficient to overcome the fric­ Workshop Shown Above tion of the bit against the stone. Boring by using a drill with a tubular This grinding bit (figure 31) is made bit made of copper is quite likely, espe­ Such a tool would not solve the prob­ of chert and is curved on the bottom as­ cially for harder stone. Copper rather than lem of drilling in any position except gen­ pect and bears striations from its grind­ bronze since bronze tools were not in use erally downward. ing. until the Middle Kingdom (c. 2000 BC). A bit such as shown, with a flat top The tubular bit had the advantage that This specimen (figure 32) is of dior­ and curved underside and the two notches the diameter of the hole bored could not ite and the cutting surface is seen on its is found in the British Museum24 . be bored smaller than the diameter of the right side and shows the striations from drilling tube despite rapid wear as occurs Diorite was a common stone used to grinding. with a drilling rod or a stone bit. But they make bits in Egypt and Mesopotamia. obviously had a limited depth as the stone (Many of these photographs are over core filled the tube. Bow drills were known to be in use boring wood, beads, and perhaps cylinder It is believed that beating copper into seals. sheets occurred in Egypt as early as c. 3500 BC 26 . And was also known in Some Dated Worksites 8: Artifacts: Mesopotamia at the same time27. Sheet c. 3600 BC - Egyptian copper is required to make the tubes needed to make the tube-bits for stone A Workshop of Early Stone Vase Makers drilling in harder stones. These tubes were then mounted on a wooden spindle When the workshop pictured in fig­ (figure 34) and could be used for drilling ure 30 was excavated over one hundred utilizing several methods of rotation. M-WTCA.ORGFigure 31 When the copper wore away, the remain­ years ago, the mechanics of the use of the facility might not be as clear as they are der was removed and replaced. Since today; although there is still much un­ copper is quite soft, this obviously was known25. required often and was an accepted fac­ tor in working stone. Romer28 describes The stone door socket denotes the that there was a well defined process for entrance into the shop. The earthen bench reworking copper chisels used in carving is not a uniform elevation from the floor. In fact it seems to slope downward on the right side suggesting an entrance ramp to the floor, which was earthen with some )ft · )«t de • rough bricks. The two sockets shown each con- Figure 32 Figure 34

The GRISTMILL • December 2003 • 34 out quarried rock and in cutting out the tombs from stone cliffs. These worn chisels were reworked by "copper­ smiths" and the resmelted copper recov­ ered and new tools made. The tool was certainly not discarded. Undoubtedly, the same thing occurred with the copper tube-bits. I cannot find a graphic show­ ing these bits in use. However, there ex­ ist a number of stone objects that show work that could only have been made with such a drill. This method of boring in stone by using copper beaten into sheets and then wrapping the sheet around a dowel was not limited to Egypt. This method was Figure 35 well known to the pre-Columbian tribes in America. from sheet copper, and later the tubes may structed and tested drills and methods. well have been castings. He successfully made his drill and then Tests and Methods drilled a stone vase. Initially, the stone In order for the bit to cut, emery or vase was drilled and then the interior was Copper Tube Drills finely ground quartz was added to the cut­ ting area. Stocks (1993: 596-603) con- Continued on page 36 Initially, the tube drill was made

M-WTCA.ORG

Figure 36

The GRISTMILL • December 2003 • 35 Drilling in Stone: A Brief History

Continued from page 35 Footnotes Leipzig (British Library) 1 From very early times Egyptian stone vessels enlarged and finished with stone bits. Brunton, Guy, 1929. The Beginnings of Egyptian were exported to the Eastern Mediterranean Civilization." Antiquities 12. p 456-467 Stone Figure of Eight Bits lands. This exportation suggests that they Budge. Sir E. A. Wallis, 1963. Egyptian Language," had skill and tools not available to some oth­ As mentioned earlier, these elongated 8th edition. London: Routledge. stone bits when viewed from above had ers. Reisner, G. (1931). 2 Childe, V. Gordon, 1954. "Rotary Motion, A His­ the appearance of the figure eight, being In case you are wondering. Diamonds were not tory ofTechnology," Volume I of 5. Edited by hollowed out on each side. After the cen­ known in ancient Egypt. Charles Singer, London. 3 ter was bored with the tube drill, this elon­ Hall , H. Collon, Dominique. 1995. "Ancient Near Eastern gated bit was inserted and worked in the 4 Neolithic: Of or relating to the cultural period Art." Berkeley: University of California Press cavity to enlarge it to a diameter greater of the Stone Age beginning around 10,000 Collon, Dominique, 1987. "First impressions Cyl­ than the opening of the vase. The long B.C. in the Middle East and later elsewhere, inder Seals in the Ancient Near East." British forked shaft of the drill was inserted into characterized by the development of agricul­ Museum Press. the vase and had its forked portion in­ ture and the making of polished stone imple­ Collon, Dominique, 1990. "Interpreting the Past: serted into the indentations on the sides ments Near Eastern Seals." Berkeley University of the bit, which could then be rotated 5 Brunton (1929) Press (British Museum) against the inside wall in order to enlarge 6 Gardiner, Sir Alan, 1976. "Egyptian Grammar," 3rd the vases cavity. Quartz sand abrasive was Collon (1987; 1990; 1995) 7 edition, revised Oxford: Ashmolean Museum. probably added. Magnification using eyeglasses was not invented until the 13 th Century AD (in China , perhaps Gorelick, Leonard and A. John Gwinnett, 1983. 3100 BC - Mesopotamian earlier). "Close Work Without Magnifying Lenses?" 8 Expedition, winter. Stone Drill Planoconvex crystals have been found at Nineveh , Knossos and Rahotep but were not Gorelick, Leonard and A. John Gwinnett, 1983 "Ancient Egyptian Stone Drilling." Expedition, As previously mentioned, drilling in suitable for magnification. Aristophanes did Spring stone was not confined to Egypt. In fact, mention a burning glass in one of his plays. Guadalupi , Gianni, 1997 "The Discovery of the it might well have been present in 9 Beck, H. Nile." New York: Stewart, Tabori and Chang. Mesopotamia before Egypt. The tool de­ 1 °Childe (1954) Hall, H.R. 1928 "The Discoveries at Ur, and the picted in figure 35 is a 16 cm long "scrap­ 11 Hall , H. Senority of Sumerian Civilization." Antiquity per" and is made from dark green phyllite 12 From a very early date Egyptian stone vessels 5:56. (schist) . This is not a hieroglyphic type were exported to the Eastern Mediterranean drawing but a stone relief carving. It Hoffman, M.A., 1980. "Egypt Before the Pha­ shows three workman in the presence of lands. This exportation suggests that they raohs." London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. a priest-king making vases. had skill and tools not available by others. Morrey P.R.S., 1985. "Materials and Manufacture Reisner, G. (1931). in Ancient Mesopotamia: the Evidence of There does not seem to be a crank 13 Quibell (1900) & Quibell & Green (1902) Achaeology and Art, Metals and Metalwork, on the drill. The downward thrust is pro­ 14 Childe (1954) Glazed Materials and Glass." Oxford: British vided by a weight mounted in the center 15 Archaeological Reports, International Series Budge (1963, 139) S327. of the shaft. This drill had to be placed 16 Guadalupi (1997, 26) above the material being drilled somewhat 17 Nicholson, Paul T. and Ian Shaw 2000, "Ancient Budge (1920) Egyptian Materials and Technology." Cam­ limiting its usefulness. Whether this drill 18 was operated in a to-and-fro method or Hoffman. Table I, page 15. bridge: Cambridge University Press. 19 by continuous rotation is not clear. It Brandt. (1927) Quibell, J.E. and F.W. Green, 1902. "Hierakonpolis, would seem that the workmen are hold­ 20 Gardiner, Sir Alan Part II." London: Bernard Quartich (Duke ing a "cap" fitted atop the shaft and so 21 V Gordon Childe (1954, 187) University Libraries). continuous rotation would be possible. As 22 Quibell & Green (1902: plate LXII , 6) Quibell, J.E., 1900. "Hierakonpolis, Part I." Lon­ expected, the priest-king seems happier 23 Wooley (1955) don: Bernard Quartich (Duke University Li­ than the workers. The inscription appears 24 British Museum 124498. From Ur braries). to be pre-cuneiform. M-WTCA.ORG25 Quibell Quibell, J.E., and F.W. Green, 1902. 26 "Hierakonpolis, Part II." London: Bernard th Hoffman 4 Millennium BC - Drill Spindle 27 Quartich , British School of Archaeology in Morrey Egypt Memoir 5. Whorls - Egyptian 28 Romer (1984: 15) Reisner, G. , 1931. "Stone Vessels Found in Crete The hemispheric stone artifacts in References and Babylonia." Antiquity 18:204. figure 36 were not positively identified by Arnold, Dieter, 1991. Building in Egypt Pharonic Romer, John, 1984. "Ancient Lives: Daily Life in their discoverers (Quibell and Green), but Stone Masonry." Oxford: Oxford University Egypt of the Pharaohs." New York: Henry Holt were believed to be spindle whorls used Press. and Co. on drills to provide weight and momen­ Beck, Horace C., 1911. "Beads From Nineveh." Wooley, C.L., 1955. "Ur Excavations IV." London: tum. No drill of any type has survived Antiquity, 20:427. The Trustees of the British Museum of the Uni­ and been identified. (The non-hemi­ versity of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. spheric items are unrelated to our topics.) Brandt, Paul, 1927. "Schaffende Arbeit und bildende Kunst im Atlertum und Mittelalter." See "Wobble Drill, No. 2 hieroglyphs. The GRISTMILL • December 2003 • 36 Fake E.W. Carpenter Name Stamp Turning Up on Tools By William Warner to two inches long, while in the genuine Carpenter made a wide variety of tools in name stamp it is closer to 1. 75 inches his lifetime, but they have similar char­ long. When you look at an original name acteristics. The big wedge, the oversize Jl~\ variety of tools have been turning stamp, the name line (E.W.CARPENTER) handles and the massive size of the planes lfl up with a fake E.W.CARPENTER and the city line (LANCASTER) are close are all indicators of genuine tools. I be­ !! LANCASTER name stamp. to the same length. In the fake stamp the lieve the faker is an opportunist, looking for a quick score, stamping the fake name Whoever is doing this has been us­ name line is noticeably longer. It is as if on wooden tool~ that were never maker ing the fake stamp for a long time, 20 there are larger spaces between the let­ marked or quickly sanding off the nose years or more. I have pictures taken in ters in the fake name line while the and applying the fake name stamp. the early '80s of two tools with this fake LANCASTER line is a little shorter. The individual letters are similar in style. stamp. Several planes and other tools It is so easy to be fooled. Imagine the have recently come out of an old, packed Another difference is the fake stamp low light of an early morning at your lo­ away collection here in Pennsylvania. I has the name line (E.W. CARPENTER) cal flea market. You see something that have taken steps to ensure those tools will and the city line (LANCASTER) together looks like it is worth something. You don't not reach the market place with the fake in one stamp, with LANCASTER centered want to draw too much attention to it, so stamp, but there may be others out there. under E.W.CARPENTER. Both lines are you quickly buy it, only to have questions about it when you get time for a closer I'm not talking about tools that are stamped with one blow of the hammer. Originally, the name line and the city line look. I have been privileged to have being made and sold as quality reproduc­ closely examined literally hundreds of tions, but about someone trying to fool were two different stamps requiring two E.W.CARPENTER tools during my re­ collectors into thinking they are buying blows from the hammer so that alignment search on the Carpenter family of tool genuine old E.W. Carpenter tools. This no­ is not totally consistent from one tool to another. makers. If anything unusual happens with tice is intended to warn collectors to be Carpenter's tools, I quickly hear about it. on the lookout. A puzzle for me is the actual tools I feel this is important enough to pass that show up with this fake stamp. Some The difference between the fake along. If you find tools in your collection of these tools have little or no resem­ stamp and an original is that in the fakes with this fake stamp, I would like to hear blance to actual E.W.CARPENTER tools. the name line (E.W.CARPENTER) is close from you. Email me at [email protected]

Any information on any of the companies or axe/hatchet markings depicted will be appreciated. Contributor credits, individual names and locations, will be included when the work is published. Corroborating info, photo copies, rubbings and additional markings, brands and labels are always welcome. j;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; 1,~tCK_i:ATIERJ\r AXE Johnson Bros. & Leopold

RIDGWAY. PA US A CtNCINNAT\, 0 · Brick red background. STANDARD AXE ------·-·-JOHNSON BROS. GAMMON HANDLE CO. AXEL NILSSON BENTON MFG. CO. &TOOLWKS. &LEOPOLD West Denmark and Stockholm, MN Bentonville, ? Ridgway, PA Cincinatti, OH West Sumner, ME 1917-30+- Approx. 1900-35+- State? Dates? 1892-1905+- 1861-1 891 +-

M-WTCA.ORGBEST CAST STEEL [i!EwtsYAXE :g:~ LEWISTOWN. ME A MLL HAU. Po-

J. H. FALL & COMPANY LEWIS AXE COMPANY Nashville, TN Lewiston, ME 1925+- Dates? Mill Hall, PA ,<.;:~-~~ Ir AROWARE \ 110N•·· ( ,;Pico \ · ~ J ,r'( 1NfO~~cr: Tom Lamond \ EVANSVLL.LE/ 11 ~~~ AlEA5E C 30 Kelsey Place Some lettering illegible. Lynbrook, NY 11563-1516 Bright red label. What 2 words are below logo? Company & Company & p Anything on company? Company & location? location? dates? Tomlamond@aol .com

The GRISTMILL • December 2003 • 3 7 Auxiliary Quilt Goes on the Auction Block

The quilt made by auxiliary members ti will be raffled off at the spring 2004 meeting in Akron, OH. Raffle ticklets will cost $5 each, with no limit. In addition, the auxiliary will auc­ tion off the quilt squares left over from • the quilt. Three sets of 4 pieces each will be auctioned. A minimum bid of $25 has been set. If unable to attend, call or email your bid to: Barbara Galofaro 1801 Easel Drive Quilt pieces No. 2 Trenton, MI 48183 Quilt pieces No. 3 (734) 676-0997 [email protected] Paper Trails of food and sewing supplies. Another precious acquisition from my If using email, please type M-WTCA By Helen Devitt parents were the letters my paternal uncle Auxiliary Auction as the subject. The wrote during World War II and then let­ pictures are labeled No. 1, No. 2 or No. ters returned to my folks when he was 3. Be sure to indicate your preference ft41Y mind was blank as to the type of killed in the Philippines. They are a first 1 with your bid. ti" 1l display I could create. I couldn't think hand account of the war. Two special of a thing that I collect made of paper. In scrapbooks were one I kept for tap danc­ fact I'm not much of a collector. The in­ ing experiences as well as the one my spiration for "I'm Not A Collector - I'm A Mom created about the first 10 years of Saver." my life. I also displayed letters that my parents wrote to each other but I always I do have lots of items that I have feel like I'm intruding when I attempt to saved over the years made of paper. So read them. So that's the story of my "clut­ with a background of lavender and purple ter" and it's now tucked away for our chil­ lettering I shared my Organized Clutter, dren to find and say "Why did she save according to the Judges Choice Award. this?" The items I had on display were our 40th anniversary surprise card shower in 1998 which were the most recent items. Then I discovered I had 20 years of calendar Quilt pieces No. 1 books which are almost like a diary with all the family's activities and even menus for many days. Relating to my 32 years of teaching home economics were lesson AUXtiUARY OffUCERS plan books from my first and last years of teaching as well as folders with classroom President Arlene Fritchen activities and worksheets for every sec­ Vice President Susan WitzelM-WTCA.ORG tion and grade level 7-12 home econom­ Secretary Helen Devitt ics which I taught. From my first years of teaching were articles published in Ohio Treasurer Barb Slasinski Schools about a display case I created as well as a display on interior decorating All material for The Women's Auxiliary for a local Farmers Institute. Back to col­ Pages should be sent to THE GRIST­ lege days were letters from my husband MILL editor: Jack when we were dating and a Delta Mary Lou Stover Zeta Sorority scrapbook. S76 W19954 Prospect Drive One of the most treasured collections Muskego, WI 53150 were my ten home project notebooks done during high school vocational home eco­ nomics. It is interesting to note the cost Helen Devitt won the Most Organized Clutter award at Green Bay The GRISTMILL • December 2003 • 38 We like to think of couples marrying more fonnal language, the letters could ,------~------:-,,-, young in those days, but both Laura and have been written today. Courtship may John were 29 years old. have changed, but young people fall in love today just as they did 100 years ago. My grandfather was having a house built for them and my grandmother as­ These are among my greatest trea­ serts herself in almost every letter, tell­ sures. I feel as though I knew my grand­ ing him exactly what she wants and parents when they were young. The dis­ doesn't want. She specifies a bedroom at play won the Most Romantic award at least lSxlS, a large bathroom, actually Green Bay. they had two, high ceilings and a deep basement. She even sent him drawings for woodwork and wallpaper. The house A Paper Trail of George E. "Love Letters," by laura Oleson, won Most Romantic award at Green Bay · ended up costing $2,976. They borrowed Zamzow the money from Laura's father at 5 per­ cent interest and repaid it in six years. Love Letters They moved into their new house in No­ By Rita A. Zamzow vember 1903. This year, my husband could finally go By Laura Oleson Their five children were born there, ti through and clean out his father's desk, Almer in 1904, Milton in 1905, Margaret five years after George E. Zamzow passed I wanted to share the story of my grand­ (mymother) in 1907, Evelyn in 1911, and on. What does one discard, and what is IUparents' courtship through the love let­ Walter in 1916. My grandmother became worth saving from almost a century's ters that they wrote to each other during a successful caterer, giving parties, bridal worth of greeting cards, Christmas cards, their engagement and some of the things showers and luncheons in her home. My a shoebox full of obituaries clipped from that belonged to them. grandfather worked as an upholsterer for newspapers, old magazine covers, docu­ the Burlington Route railroad. ments, receipts, pictures, postcards, The letters that I have start on May maps, ticket stubs, and love letters? 16, 1903, and end Aug. 16, 1903, when All the things that I displayed at my grandfather arrived in Iowa for the Green Bay belonged to them. My mother Because some of George's precious wedding, almost 100 years ago. and my aunt kept them safe and I acquired memories were saved on paper, we too can them over the years. My aunt had the let­ see the progression of his life: Laura Rose Diernfeld and John Will­ ters, portrait and invitation. She also had iam Pagel met in 1901, in Aurora, IL. the napkin rings with their names en­ George was born in Nebraska on May Laura, who lived in Wall Lake, IA, was in graved that she told me were wedding 4, 1899. He returned with his parents to town visiting her cousins and attended a gifts. She was not aware that she had Portage, WI, in time to celebrate his first picnic where John was playing in the band. them until I found them when I helped birthday. He grew up on the family fann They saw each other on that visit and on her move for the last time. My mother still in Caledonia Township, Rt. 2 Portage. two others. had some of the china that she remem­ George got married in Michigan in 1926. bered from her childhood, a few pieces of After his honeymoon, George returned to The letters are beautifully written, monogrammed silver and some of the the fann to raise his family, living there and become increasingly romantic as the green glassware that was used in the ca­ until it became a "Century Fann" in 1964. summer goes on. Her first letter starts tering business. I also have my He then sold the fann and retired into the out Dearest John Pagel and by August My grandfather's pen and inkwell. I talked my city of Portage. Following his wife's death, Dearest Sweetheart John. His are all mother out of them years ago. he sold his home in the city in the 1990s started Dear Laura. Both of them end with and came to live with us for four years. lots of love and kisses. He is worried about With the exception of some of the Later, he lived in a room at Divine Savior getting her the right engagement ring and Nursing Home for al­ the first one that he sent had a broken most 2 years. stone and had to be replaced. My mother GEORGE E. Zri fiZO gave me her ring when I was married. >, After all those Laura quotes a poem and they discuss years, a person has which one of them dreams of and miss SATU!DAY SEFT. 11 "worn-out," M-WTCA.ORGs.J• SUm Al U.30 11 /IL SIMrp "thrown-out," sold, or the other more. There are misunderstand­ s HEE p - MAat1Nrn 85 head given away most pos­ ings, lots of local news, and wedding 0 plans. He even tells her about a bar fight 1ivestock FEE sessions. The paper that ended up in a killing and what is IUSCU Ali£0US items found in likely to happen. She tells him to stay Fc;;m fo Sol George's desk may away from bars. not be "gilded in gold" or quoted by famous They were married on Wednesday, "silver-tongued ora­ Sept. 16, at 8 p.m. I don't know if week­ tors," but they are day weddings were common then or not. still-precious paper The fonnal wedding portrait that I have memories. must have been taken later. Their mar­ "The Paper Trail of George E. Zam row," by Rita Zamrow won riage certificate is written in Gennan and Most Historical award at Green Bay hand colored with roses and bible verses.

The GRISTMILL • December 2003 • 39 braries,courthouses (Mj osa) in Norway. It is located northeast and cemeteries. of Oslo between Hamer and Lillehamer. The best part of The End of the Trail the experience has been the wonderful For the past two years, I have been relationships that I compiling and writing the Engelstad Fam­ have developed with ily History Book. I've learned so much my relatives. As long about computers and scanners and the as I can remember wonderful things you can do with them. we've had family re­ Never in my wildest dreams did I think unions every two my goal would be to be a computer nerd years in Deerfield, but I now am. WI Uust east of ' Madison). They are There is still a lot of work to be done held in the Social on the book and I hope to have it finished this fall and then start preparing an in­ "The Beginning of the Trail," by Judy Gambrel won Most Hall of the church Educational award at Green Bay my great-grandpar­ dex. Our next reunion is in July, 2004, and ents attended. Since I plan to give CDs of the book to anyone we usually have about 130-150 people at­ who is interested. In appreciation for li­ Paper Trails to the Past tending, there is never enough time to visit braries and their staffs, this book will be with everyone or get to know them. Ge­ placed in several libraries in Madison nealogy has done that for me and it has Cambridge and Deerfield, WI - as well a~ with the LDS Library (Mormons). A huge By Judy Gambrel been tremendous fun. thank you to Sue Tubman for enriching One of the highlights of this journey my life. was going to Norway in 1998 and meet­ The Beginning of the Trail ing my relatives. My ancestors primarily At the Green Bay meeting, the dis­ came from an island in the largest lake play was named Most Educational. fn the fall of 1995 the M-WTCA meeting lUwas held at Stevens Point, WI. The host­ ess was Sue Tubman. One of the speak­ ers featured at the meeting was a profes­ sor from the University of Wisconsin who spoke for one hour about genealogy. For many years I had been interested in genealogy but had no idea how to be­ gin. That one-hour program changed my life. There are many classes available and access to the Internet has made locating resources much easier. The most popular genealogical web site is www.cyndislist.com Most cities have a Family History Center at the Mormon Church (Latter - day Saints). The volunteers in these cen­ ters are fantastic and eager M-WTCA.ORGto assist new genealogists. Many people are aware that the Mormons are involved in genealogy. Their religion teaches that you spend eter­ nity with your ancestors so you must Treasures of Tomorrow know who they are. They also get bap­ tized in the name of ancestors who were peggy McBride is thinking and wonder­ and dated. born before the church was established. U ing about the treasures of tomorrow. At Green Bay, she displayed a beautiful We have a tendency to forget the im­ On the Trail wooden sewing box with a tray, scissor portance of signing and dating items we holder, embroidery hoop, pin cushion and make. Years from now it will be valuable For the past 7-1/2 years, I have in­ as our items become the Treasures of To­ terviewed relatives, collected photo­ darner, shown in the photograph above. All of these items were handmade, signed morrow. Food for thought - What will be graphs and spent hundreds of hours in li- the Treasures of Tomorrow?

The GRISTMILL • December 2003 • 40 BRAINTEASERS, RIDDLES & OTHER FUN

By Hunter Pilkinton ing those remaining an extra 25 cents slicing of the boards? each, the bill was paid. How many were in the group originally? ANSWER -The caretaker places one On a personal note, last fall I reported board across the comer of the pond and in this column that I had a mini stroke, ANSWER the second board is resting on the island which was frightening, but short-lived. I and on the board he just placed, keeping recovered completely but was told that LET: X=#people his feet dry. another stroke could be in the future. Unfortunately, the prediction was true. THEN: $6 - $6 = .25 cents This will be my last column for a X-2 X while. I started this column in March 1986 On July 24, it occurred, but was more (17 + years), so maybe a vacation is in severe. This time I lost the use of my right CLEAR: X2 - 2X - 48 = 0 order. arm, including all motion and control of the fingers, and a portion of my right leg THEN: (X-8)(Xx6) = 0 I appreciate your patience and your suddenly became very heavy to move. As x = + 8 Group (Original #) answers. a result I was exposed to a number of problems, such as power to write, restric­ PUZZLE No. 3 -A police officer saw It's been fun So long for now. tion of anything I might do in my shop a truck driver clearly going the wrong way Hunter Pilkinton with one arm and confined to a wheelchair on a one-way street yet did nothing to stop 2431 Hwy 13 S. and lately to a walker. I progressed well him. Can you explain why? Waverly, TN 37185 and recovered with two months' experi­ (931) 296-3218 ence and have learned to write left ANSWER -The truck driver was walking along the sidewalk. handed. This created a problem in the Editor's note: Thanks, Hunter, for preparing of this article, but I did it! In­ PUZZLE No. 4 -An ornamental lake keeping our minds working and having terestingly, and a bonus, was that I had has a small island in the center. The pond fun doing it. l-ve wish you good health no pain or symptom prior to this occur­ is square and the distance from lake's very soon. rence. Enough said. Here is the article. edge to the island is 20 feet. With only 2 boards measuring 1 7 feet long the care­ Received answers to the September, Correction: Footnote 2 in the September 2003, article in The GRISTMILL from taker chooses to use them as a bridge to article, "The Search for Precision, lronbridge, Ashley Kennedy, Evanston, IL; Randy and reach the island on a temporary basis. Symbols of a New Technology," is incorrect. Mary Pitts, Kenton, TN; B.G. Thomas, How does he do this with no cutting or The name is Lemuel Hedge, not Samuel. Cheltenham, Ontario; and last but not least, 4 puzzle answers on 1/2 of a pic­ ture postcard from Darrell Vogt, Waunakee, WI. And now for the answers to the Sep­ RoyVTools tember puzzles. Old Tools PUZZLE No. 1 - Take a series V's Antiques 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 and keep in the same numerical order, divide them in groups of Located at 1,2, or 3 digits separated by plus or mi­ nus sign to add to an even 100. There may be other solutions, but this one checks Volo Antique Mall III, Volo, IL out. I do not know of a system for calcu­ lating the answer 4000 + Old Tools of All Trades and Makers ANSWER +123 M-WTCA.ORG Planes, Rules, Levels, Squares, Shaves, Chisels, -45 -67 Gauges and Much More! +89 100 Inquires Invited Telephone: 847-382-3831 PUZZLE No. 2 - After attending a sports match, a group of friends went to Fax: 847-382-3513 get a late night snack. They decided to E-mail: RoyVTools@AOLcom divide the check evenly. When the check came, it was $6 and the group noticed 2 Visit or website: www.RoyVToois.com people had left without paying. By charg- U.S. Mail: P.O. Box 3254, Barrington, IL 60010

The GRISTMILL • December 2003 • 41 BACI lALI Why Collecting Matters special deal for heirloom quilts that are donated. They will store them in an company stationery and reported on an air-conditioned space in an archival safe axe label, should help to broaden the re­ hy do we collect tools? Perhaps to: bag, using them of course in any display alization that there is always new data W11 '1 Preserve technology history and his­ that they wish. She said you can call and information to be uncovered and, tory of early trades, etc, and to share ahead and make an appointment and they hopefully, shared. knowledge with fellow collectors and the will put your donated quilt where you and Perhaps, you would like to bring community. Aunt Jane or grandson Fred can see it. I these points to the attention of your read­ can't imagine that they can do that for very How important is the latter? Would ers with the hope that they will realize many of the items in their collections. you say very when the National Geo­ that occasionally we all make mistakes graphic calls a pit saw a buck saw? (color - Russ Scovill but in doing so we should be receptive to photo's caption, p.656, NG, Nov. 1975) constructive corrections. The comments, in tum, should help to improve the over­ Large museums do not have space all results of the two pending publications to display one-fifth of their collections, More on Indian Logos that I am currently working on: Whole­ so how may we use our collection for com­ sale Hardware Brands and Markings and munity education? In mid-Michigan, many Thank you for publishing the article North American Axe & Hatchet Brands counties and village historical societies "The American Indian ... " The feedback and Markings are expanding. Maybe the same is true has been very rewarding. Of specific note in your area. My boxes and pegboards of are the comments by the ever observant Additionally, if anyone has anything hand-forged blacksmith artifacts and Allan Klenman. He pointed out that one to add, please do so ASAP. I just may be tools weren't doing much beyond the fun of my illustrations, along with a caption, seeing a glimmer of light at the end of the of the find. (More fun after I carried wa­ included a misspelled company name. hardware project tunnel. Meanwhile, I'm still making a lot of progress related to terless hand cleaner and paper towels in The company involved is BARKER, the car.) the axe project. Any information, mark­ ROSE & KIMBALL, INC. Of the various ing copies and observations are always I found space a few years ago when Barker, Rose, & Clinton and Barker, Rose welcome, especially before a project goes the director of Meridian Township's His­ and Kimball logos that I have redrawn, I to bed. toric Village appreciated the importance unfortunately included the one I drew with of the blacksmith to our pioneers. It was the "R" missing from the name BARKER. Thanks to all those who have passed first on loan basis but now that the direc­ Allan also pointed out that the blue logo along comments and information. Your tors and members have also learned that on the cover (The Gristmill, September support is very much appreciated. too, full ownership was given to them. I 2003) representing the Walters Axe Co., -Tom Lamond have received many compliments on the Ltd. is somewhat misleading because all first display in the "brick building," but the reports published over the years have to give it more room, it was moved to the always depicted it basically in red. The barn last spring and only partly set up. red design certainly is more common, but depicting it in blue, as it was observed on If you visit the museum east of Lan­ sing, MI, help yourself to the handout we make available to teachers and parents who pass by the exhibit. You have my per­ mission to copy verbatim if you will let me know of the occasion you will be us­ ing it. The two panels mounted over orange burlap are still on loan so I may borrow them for display at other venues such as: Michigan Horseshoer's AssociationM-WTCA.ORG an­ nual critique and competition at the Michigan State University pavilion the second full weekend in January; and the Mid-Michigan Old Gas Tractor Association's third weekend of August annual show. Visit their blacksmith shop in the big engine house, and learn the se­ DEALER QUERIES cret of the old blacksmith's bellows that LVVITED produces one-way air, with two-way mo­ tion! Box 8715 / Sugar Creek, MO 64054 / (816) 252~9512 [email protected] /www.kramerize.com • Laurie Dickens of the state of l6-P1\GE BOOK OF lNSTRUCTIO!VS & USES FREE WITH PURCHASE. Michigan Museum, told us they have a

The GRISTMILL• December 2003 • 42 Buv, SELL, BARGAIN WANTED

Wanted: Tools of any sort made by the Sandusky Tool Co. I don 't have them all yet! Also, catalogs, advertising and Custom MAKERS STAMPS related material. John Walkowiak, 3452 Humboldt Ave., Plane lrons+Blanks, Minneapolis , MN 55408 (612) 824-0785. FOR SALE Grinding and More! Jwa Ikowia k@mn .rr.com For Sale: Planes and other tools from my collection, Send for brochures_ primarily "Stanley." View at www.planecellar.com or MAZZAGLIA TOOLS Wanted: Plomb brand mechanics tools. Any pre-Proto call (507) 388-7864. 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST Mon-Fri . Jim PO Box 18 Groveland, MAO 1834 tools or tool boxes. Bob Byron, 19 Chennal View Lane, McLaughlin. [email protected] Hoquiam, WA 98550. (360) 532-2764. E-mail: bobbyron@tech Ii ne.com Always buying Always Selling For Sale: Steam Whistle Patents book. 216 U.S. patents Pete Niederberger for whistles, valves, sirens, horns and more. $35 in­ Wanted: Winchester items, tools, sporting goods or cludes shipping. Bruce Cynar, 1-0023 St. Clair's Retreat, Used and Antique Toob and advertising. No firearms. Collections or pieces OK. Fort Wayne, IN 46825. PayPal at [email protected] Parts for Same Please advise price and condition. David McDonald, Mail Order Call Me and 14211 Kellywood Lane, Houston, TX 77079 (281) Come to the Shop 558-5236. [email protected] For sale: Reprint of 1954 Plumb Tool Catalog. Color .C15-9~M03 pniederber@aoLcom catalog pages of hammers, hatchets, axes and files, also with history of Plumb tools and usage. $53 each . Lloyd Wanted: Hollows, rounds and side beads marked"! Hardin, 15 Dover Lane, Villa Ridge, MO 63089 or A-1 LEVEL REPAIR Sym ," "Nelson 122 Edgeware Rd " or "Nelson" (zigzag [email protected] Most brands repaired and restored and lined border). Gerry Shaw, 3470 Ridegwood Dr. , Bob and Diane Skogman Morgantown , NC 28655 (828) 438-1755. 18639 - 327th Ave. For Sale: W.F. & J. Barnes Co. machinist 10-inch drill Isle, MN 56342-4784 press. Set up for overhead belt power. Patent dates on Phone: 1-320-684-2078 E-mail: [email protected] Wanted: Rear depth stop for Phillips improved plow frame , Sept. 23, 89, 90. Paul Reichart (417) 831-1425 Website: www.a 1 levelrepair.com plane. Also, second and third model Phillips plow plane, early square model. Timothy Reghi , PO Box "WE'RE ON THE LEVEL!" 485, Evart, Ml 49631 (231) 620-9944. For sale: HOG CONTROL, APATENT STUDY OF RINGERS, HOLDERS, SNOUTERS & JEWELRY. As much as you could ever want to know about hog ringers & such. 140 Wanted: Wood planes with trademark shown below. pages. Price includes shipping. $15. Onie Sims, 10801 Advance Notice Please contact: Jack Howe, 708 Trojan Rd., Auburn, IL S. Pounds Ave. , Whittier, CA 90603 62615. (217) 438-3776. email: [email protected] Forrest Johnson Antique Tool

AMERICAN MARKING GAGES Auction Patented and Manufactured April 30 and May 1, 2004 Book has - 445 pages, w/16 in color plus Webster County 4-H Fairgrounds hundreds of B/W photos & ads Wanted for research: Tools marked by New low $45.00 plus $5.00 S/H in USA Ft. Dodge, Iowa Milton Bacheller, 185 South St. Complete listing available a Beatty, catalogs, advertisements, or Plainville, MA. 02762 other information on the Beattys. If you have any, I would like to hear from you. Especially looking for a copy of a Beatty Advertising Information Edge Tool Company catalog dated ISSUE COPY DEADLINE DISPLAY ADS - RATES 1899. Charles Beatty, 566 North Shore March January 10 SIZE COST WORD LIMIT Drive, South Haven, Ml 49090. June April 10 Full page, 4-color, (269) 637-9265 [email protected] September July 10 (when available) $275 900 December October 10 Full page $180 900 CLASSIFIED ADS - RATES Half page $ 105 450 $.18 per word -ALL words. Quarter page* $ 60 225 $3 .50 minimum per ad. Other sizes $9.50 per column inch M-WTCA.ORG(1 column approx. 2-1/4" wide.) 25 word limit. k~~--I"i~"" ' *NOTE: For layout purposes, all quarter page ads must meet the following specifications: '-1;~~ ' ,v 2 columns (4-7/8") wide x 3-3/4" tall. This is called a "double column size ad." ;,,, " ✓ Pf : Photos - additional $8 each (Polaroids not acceptable) . Typesetting and borders are not included in the page rates. Special artwork will be charged at cost. We must have a sketch or rough drawing f indicating how you want your ad laid out. Camera-ready ads are accepted at no additional charge. For your protection and complete satisfaction, ALL ads should be typewritten and double-spaced. If this is not possible, please PRINT legibly. Hewing ax handles. 20" & 22" lg. Payment must accompany ad. Make checks payable to M-WTCA. At this time, advertising will be Hickory machined and sanded. accepted only from M-WTCA members in good standing. For information and membership application, $23 Ea. shipped in U.S. contact Paul Gorham at the address below or one of the officers whose address is shown on the inside Russ Brezler, 314 West Seventh St. front cover of this publication. Waynesboro, PA 17268 Email [email protected] Send all ads to: Paul Gorham, 811 Robin Glen, Indianola, IA 50125 (515) 962-5207 email: [email protected] or [email protected]

The GRISTMILL • December 2003 • 43 Brown Auction Services presents Two great auctions for 2004 The 24th International Antique Tool Sale & Auction RADISSON INN APRIL 2 & 3, 2004 CAMP HILL, PA The 25th International Antique Tool Sale & Auction OCTOBER 22 & 23, 2004 HARRISBURG, PA Get a jump on the 2004 antique tool scene. Brown's 24 will feature tools from the collections of Martyl and Emil Pollak, Micky Holmes, Lars Larson, Paul Kebabian, Rick Grossman, Lyle Eldred and many others. So don't miss out, order yours today.

Order both 2004 Brown catalogs now and save. The April and Octo­ ber issues will mail about 6 to 8 weeks before the sale.

Get both for Just $50.00 (U.S. and Canada). Prices realized mailed shortly after auction. Overseas mailing $60.00US

Brown Auctions 27 Fickett Road Pownal, ME 04069 1 (800) 248-8114 Fax 1 (207) 688-4831

Thinking of selling part or all of your collection? We still have room for consign­ ments in both sales. Do not be fooled by impostors. Give us a call before you commit. It does not cost more to go with the best.

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Please send __ sets of Catalogs for the two great 2004 International Tool Auctions. $50 U.S. & CANADA includes Prices Realized. $60 U.S. for Overseas Airmail includes Prices Realized. Visa/MastercardNo.M-WTCA.ORG ______Exp. Date:_/_

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r------~I REGISTRATION FORM I Please indicate if you wish a trade table. I I Registration Fee - $20.00 with Table ____ No Table -$12.00 ----- I M-WTCA.ORG I 1 Additional Table - $10.00 ______Display Table------I Box Lunch - Friday Noon - $6.00 _____ Prize - Top 3 Displays I Table Limit - 2 Per Registrant (1st Prize -$50.00 • 2nd Prize -$25.00 I I 3rd Prize - $15.00) I I I I I Send Registration to: Phil Baker • 3955 E. Venice Ave. • Venice, FL 34292 ~------JPhone ca11 Before 7:00 AM or 7:00 PM -8:00 PM • 941-485-6981 er: