Tool Score!

[daved931]

I spent the weekend helping my grandparents with yard work at their house in Northampton, MA. They're hoping to sell their house and move to Maine to be closer to me and my parents.

My grandfather has been tinkering on stuff and building stuff since the 1950's, so he's got quite a collection of tools. He told me to look through his workshop and take anything I wanted. I felt kind of bad pawing through his stuff the way I was, but he said not to since most of the rest of it will be sold to an estate clean-out company. He's keeping some basic hand tools and yard tools, but most of the rest he no longer needs.

Once I got over my trepidation about digging through his stuff right in front of him (after all, it is better to keep this stuff in the family), I set aside some stuff to take home.

small air compressor
some air tools
three small (two or three drawer size) Craftsman tool boxes full of various sockets, wrenches, pliers, etc
set of ball peen hammers
planer/jointer
3/8" drill
brand new Craftsman router
chop saw
angle grinder
heat gun
various International parts books and manuals from when my grandfather sold heavy equipment
a couple of old mini-kegs (empty)
a box of hacksaw blades
3 air guns (I guess he really hates squirrels)
Skil saw
box of fire crackers
probably more stuff I can't think of

The whole thing was kind of bittersweet. I could tell my grandfather hated to see the stuff go, but was happy it was all going to me. I still felt bad taking the guy's tools. It's a tough thing to do to another guy, no matter what the reason. It's like taking away his independence.

[DanStokes]

We felt the same way when we got ME's Dad's car. Like we left him stranded at the assisted living center - but really, he already WAS stranded there.

Treat the tools with respect as that will be the best tribute to their first owner. He may never know how you treat them - but YOU will.

Dan

[HillbillySailor2]

Outstanding. I'm always on the hunt for old tools. It drives the wife crazy at times, but hey, it's what I like. And like Dan said, treat them with respect. I've always felt that your tools will treat you the way you treat them.

[Bigbuds1]

I have most of my Grandfathers tools, as he was a machinist at Atlantic Richfield in Philly in the 40's through 70's. His Craftsman drill press, band saw, his old wooden Craftsman machinist box( I've been told this is rare), table saw and most of his hand tools also. I have cleaned many up, and each time I pick one up I think of him. I like to think he is with me every time I turn one of his wrenches.

[Schtauffer]

I'd give a lot for some of my grandfather's tools. You're a fortunate person.

[SpiderGearsMan]

I have my great grandfather's wrenches , he died in 1941

[Grumpy]

You guys are fortunate, I didn't get any of my Grandad's tools and if the word Gearhead is in the Dictionary his picture should be next to it, he was a cool Ole Guy that could fabricate or build anything! I should have bought some of them off of my Dad's Birth Mother, I was able to buy Grandpa's old wooden wheel Bicycle and I still have it, I just need to have it restored.

[daved931]

I feel pretty fortunate. It was still a tough day for both of us, I think. Very emotional. Ultimately, I'm glad that they were passed on to me. If I have kids, I'll pass the tools on to them.

I found some other cool stuff in a box last night. A couple of "anti theft alarms." They're basically like firecrackers. You hook them up to spark plug wires and if you start the car, they smoke and whistle really loud. They're old enough that they say, "...if someone stands on the starter button..."

I'll try to get some pictures and post up the more interesting stuff.

[daved931]

I haven't taken pictures, but I started sorting through some of the tool boxes.

I found a fair amount of old Craftsman and Snap-On sockets, plus some tool companies that I'd never heard of that probably don't exist anymore. Stuff out of Ohio and Pennsylvania from when they did a lot of steel manufacturing in those states. There were some unique sizes like 19/32" and 21/32". I was able to put together two complete 1/2" drive socket sets, one of which is all impact sockets. Many of the sockets were brand new with the little plastic rack hangers from the store still stuck in them. Most of the stuff looked like it had seen some use.

My grandfather owned one metric socket and three metric wrenches. Probably from when he owned a Kubota. Everything else is standard.

I also found some really old, really worn screwdrivers that were probably handmade. I am told that my great, great grandfather was a blacksmith and machinist of some sorts and he made many tools, so these may have been made by him. I have a few pairs of pliers and some other things that could be turn of the century homemade tools from him.

After spending three hours and getting really dirty, I felt like I made some progress, but it'll be a while until I get everything the way I like it. For now, most of it lives in my downstairs hallway leading to the back door.

[SpiderGearsMan]

why take the stuff now ?

[Brian Lohnes]

Given my grandfather's current situation, which is looking less and less good by the day, I understand why he'd want to send some of the things off while he was able to see them go. Not sure my grand dad will ever make it back to his house, and given how quickly things can change, perhaps it was a memory the dude wanted to have.

Brian

[SpiderGearsMan]

whatever I got from my grandfather , it was after he passed away , but in the tool department , I need nothing

[Caveman Tony]

My Grandfather worked for GTE, and had 6-7 patents... one of which was something to do with how to make fiber optic cable. Yeah. No sh*t.

He gave tools to my Dad & I that we can't even name, never mind figure out what the hell they are or do, and we've had 4 years to try.

Smart cookie, my Grandfather.

[DanStokes]

19/32 and 21/32 were both used on Studebakers. IIRC (hey, the last Stude engine I was in to was into was 1963!) the 19/32 was used on rod bolts and the 21/32 on the mains and maybe head bolts. The story I got was that they thought it would keep amateurs from messing with big pieces of the engine but in reality all complete tool kits of the time had those sizes. I got a set of Indusrto Selects (JC Whitney, I think) from Mom and Dad for Christmas in 1961 and it had those sizes. Much of that set has gone missing since but I'm pretty sure I still have the Study sizes. VERY cool that you got these.

Brian - sorry to hear that Gramps isn't doing well. Still, I'll wager you've made him proud.

Dan

[JeffMcKC]

As a kid my dad was to poor to even have dirt, one of the things I like best that was left to me was a small air comp he made from a 8 inch peice of pipe and a small comp and a very old electric motor. I needed a comp at the lake to blow up some small air rafts 5 years a go or so and used it. I kept thining he would be smiling thinking , yeah and you did not think it would work but I saved your rear end again. My dad had more common sense than any Man I have ever met.