Dad's Tools
This was the reason for my absence from the Steem–Discord continuum the past couple of weeks, which I announced in several Discord communities: my brother came to help clean-out the house where our now-deceased parents lived for over fifty years. The clean-out included parts of a tool shop, tractor shed, and a couple of other outbuildings on the property as well as part of the house. Although we made a lot of progress, there is still more to do, and it has been exhausting, even more so for my brother, who has done most of the hard labor.
The list in the first paragraph is merely some — but not all — of what was found in my father's tool shop and adjacent tractor shed. There were also a large array of very nicely-constructed homemade tools, many of which we have no clear idea what their purpose is, such as the one highlighted in the video below. The only purpose I can guess for this tool is for gaging the depth of holes that were drilled, as there is a set-screw on the side to hold the plunger in place when desired.
As probably can be surmised, my father was a hard-working man all his life and the wear on the tools attests to how much they were used. They were cared for, but definitely heavily used for metal-working, wood-working, home repair, auto repair, and so many things. He built the tool shop and the adjacent tractor shed (see photo below) as well as one other outbuilding and a free-standing garage on the current property. He also built the house in which we lived prior to moving to this house.
Although it has been a heckuva lot of work, it has been rewarding to dig through these things and find some gems which we'd never seen previously. It also helped us learn even more about our father.
😊
19-Mar-2019
These are the things you ate never prepared for, but Getting to know him even better after schifting through All off this is great and makes the circle of life
B
Your father’s tool collection sounds much like the tool collection my mother’s dad left behind. I only wish my grandfather’s talent had gotten passed down to anyone in the family!
It is a hard task going through what it left behind when we lose those closest to us. I hope the process helped you feel close to your dad even though he is gone from this life.
Such an undertaking @thekittygirl. Must have had such a mix of emotions and lots of memories? Hopefully, all is well.
You didn't say what you plan to do with the tools, but if you are not keeping them I highly suggest that find good homes for some of the better ones on ebay. Many older tools (mostly, handtools that don't need electric) are far better than those being sold now. Handsaws, handplanes, and chisels are especially sought after by both collectors and woodworkers. I just recently bought a 100+ year old, 18" Disston handsaw that I spent the last 6 years looking for. Once cleaned and sharpened it will last another 100 years. My favorite handplanes were made before WWII and after 30 minutes or so of cleaning and tuning work like new. Your dad's best old tools will be appreciated by modern hand tool users, all the more so because of their history. Whenever I buy an old tool I imagine and respect the person who used it and lovingly cared for it so much so that I can still use it today. They may be worn and well-used, but a loved tool carries part of the original owner with it. For that, we appreciate them all the more.
Proud member of #powerhousecreatives
My brother got "first dibs" at most of it, and took some of the hand tools, small power tools, and some of the handmade items. My son came and got the bigger pieces (table saw, band saw, drill press, etc. as well as some of the smaller pieces. I am keeping a very few of them, mostly things that I might have an actual need for: a really big screwdriver that can reach many places other screwdrivers cannot, a couple of wrenches, a micrometer, a small drill, soldering gun, and a couple of his homemade tools. I'm also keeping the small tool set which he kept in the trunk of the car. I think my brother has already thought of selling the remainder on eBay, but I will certainly copy/paste your advice in an email to him! THANK YOU for mentioning the things you did! It is so cool that you prefer older/well-loved tools, too! 😃
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How many all sorts of male tools .... I'm confused in the names! I admire your father!
Two weeks is a relatively very short time to sort through the mountain of tools your father had. So good to know that your brother and son and you were able to use quite a lot of them. I can understand how it must have shone a light on your father's love for making and fixing things. ♥︎♥︎⚖️♥︎♥︎
Pretty cool tool collection! Reminds me of my own :-) No real idea what the piece in the video id for.. my first instinct was, that it is used to mark something or make a dent for drilling a hole, but its not really like the ones I use...
nice post :) Cheers :)