Recent content by Paul Aslanides

Very rusty, and the blades badly corroded, this old cutter was made to fit into a Carpenter's Brace. It is stamped, as best I can read, " ....LECKMAN". Threads on the thumbscrews are 1/4" x 26 BSF or BSB, which might suggest that it's of British origin. Thought I could chuck it in the...

Farmer J. Many thanks, very interesting. It's great to read industrial history. Thank you. Paul.

Tom - Many thanks, most interesting, remarkable. Maybe World War 1. Half inch ammo. So one soldier operated the machine to load the cartridges into the belts. I would have thought that the belts came from the factory pre-loaded. It must have been busy work just trying to keep up with the...

Found these today at the local Trash and Treasure market, in a rusty, good condition but cleaned up nicely. Don't know if they're British or American, stamped ' A B S.G. Barnsley ' as best I can read it. A good size, bigger and more solid than the current flimsy ones. * Also there's a...

Got it. Thank you.

Thanks for correcting me. Yes, no doubt it would be used to clean up rusty or damaged threads, more of a thread chaser than a tap. Cheers.

Found this old plug tap years ago, never had to use it. The thread gauge says it's 27 Threads per inch. The major diameter is 0.405 inches (10.29 m/m) approx. I figure it's a 1/8 x 27 NPT, National Pipe Thread, American standard. It has the square tapered end, to go into a Carpenter's...

This photo is about the best I can do. The print seems to read - " WACHL & S 1517 " . Thank you Lugnutz, Dave, & Farmer. Interesting article, and I was not aware that the handles would fold back for stowage. They are well worn, obviously had much use. What I don't understand is how...

Found these old cutters at the flea market today; very powerful. Anyone know the proper name/description please ? Also, what were they specifically made to cut ? Each handle has very fine stamping - all I can make out is W A C H L 1 5 1 7 Thank you.

Bought an old soldering iron for $1 at the flea market. Put a new handle on it; the old handle was so knackered it declined to be photo'd. A messy job trying to shape wood in a small metal-turning lathe, and without the proper tools and a solid tool rest. The wood is from an old fruit tree...

Thanks, fellas. Half the battle is finding "Machine Needles for Leather", and with good thread and some patience the rest is relatively easy. The leather above was soft and new; old, hard leather may resist the needle's penetration, or bend or break it. Can sew 3 or more thicknesses of...

Put a new drive belt on the Singer Treadle sewing machine, and a new rubber tyre on the bobbin winder wheel. Cleaned & oiled - running like a train. Stitched up some new 6 inch leather straps for the accordion. (The short straps go on the ends of the long straps, and attach to brackets on the...

This 6'' Irega shifter, Au$5 from the flea market. It's a little beauty, as good as a Bahco if not better. No slop in the jaws, no slack in the thumbwheel thread. The back hole had closed over, from being used as a hammer, so that the jaws would not close up, (handy for bending small pieces of...

Thank you. Now I do have a typewriter, haven't used it for years. Such a messy job to fit a new ribbon. Went to night school back in the 80's, learnt typing, among other things. It was tough being the only guy in the class, with all those young ladies in summer clothes. How a bloke could...