2020 Garage Sale Thread

[d42jeep]

Is it a sash weight for double hung windows? Looks like one to me.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

Our friend Paula who is married to our lifelong friend Len does artwork. They have accompanied us on our estate sale jaunts in the past so she is aware of my old tool fetish. They are living in New York now and she recently sent me a card for my birthday with a curved handle B&C adjustable that she drew. The wrench looked similar to the one that Grandpa Al hung on the side of our garage decades ago as yard art. I never removed it because I liked it too. Sure enough it is a rusty B&C adjustable very similar to Paula’s drawing.
-Don

 

[3baygarage]

Nice.

 

[gpw_42]

Is it a sash weight for double hung windows? Looks like one to me.
-Don

+1.

Don, that wrench is nice, and even better how life sometimes comes full circle. Those S-handle wrenches are remarkably handy, at least when there's enough room to turn one.

 

[SilverDeck]

Just a guess here, but could your "mystery object" be a window sash weight, similar to these?

EDIT: Guess I missed reading the post right above mine...

Amen, and very cool keepsake, Beemer. And there are more visceral signs of him everywhere. For example, my youngest daughter, 21, is artistic, and studying Design & Merchandising, and I have already framed some things that she laughs off as just fundamental doodling, like recording a musician warming up. She doesn't understand how these simple background quads remind me of him. He died before she was born.

To get us away from the nostalgia and sentimentalism (apologies!) and back on topic, does anyone know what this (see Pics 2 & 3) is? Plomb Ell handle for more size context. Not a stump the chump question. I don't know. I think it might be a plummet, maybe, for depth finding. Or is it a snake? It's iron, not lead, and made for tying a line on the end, that's for sure. I just found it cleaning up a corner of the basement I haven't touched in 30 years!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

You guys are right. That's what it is. I replaced 20 or so windows in this house and must have saved one. I don't remember them being that long, and I have others that were more ornamental (like pine cones).

That drawing is sweet, Don.

Last 24 hours is what makes this thread the best. Don't get me wrong. I love all the hauls. That's what we're here for. But the occasional excursions laced with personal stories elevate it.

 

[BFBOB]

Looking for help identifying this estate sale find - A little 3 incher that weighs maybe 20 lbs. It's stamped Shapleigh's, a now-defunct hardware powerhouse based in St. Louis. The question is who actually made it? I've looked it over carefully and the only marks are the Shapleigh's stamp and the cast Made In USA. Two things strike me as distinctive: The swivel lock handle is cast iron, not the common slide bar - threaded slug. And, the method of retaining the main screw. Makes it non-removable. Painting will be a chore because of having to mask off the screw and handle.
It was heavily rusted, but amazingly a lot of what looked like rust was just dirt, and under the old paint, much of the iron is pristine.
It's possible that the original paint is the little you see on the swivel lock. I didnt' take a picture before d-rusting because I was certain it was a repaint. but... the only color I found was that desert-tan.
I hope someone can ID it - I'd like to paint it the original color. Thanks!

P.S. I did check the big vise thread and found no mention of a Shapleigh's vise.

 

[duddly]

Looking for help identifying this estate sale find - A little 3 incher that weighs maybe 20 lbs. It's stamped Shapleigh's, a now-defunct hardware powerhouse based in St. Louis. The question is who actually made it? I've looked it over carefully and the only marks are the Shapleigh's stamp and the cast Made In USA. Two things strike me as distinctive: The swivel lock handle is cast iron, not the common slide bar - threaded slug. And, the method of retaining the main screw. Makes it non-removable. Painting will be a chore because of having to mask off the screw and handle.
It was heavily rusted, but amazingly a lot of what looked like rust was just dirt, and under the old paint, much of the iron is pristine.
It's possible that the original paint is the little you see on the swivel lock. I didnt' take a picture before d-rusting because I was certain it was a repaint. but... the only color I found was that desert-tan.
I hope someone can ID it - I'd like to paint it the original color. Thanks!

P.S. I did check the big vise thread and found no mention of a Shapleigh's vise.

Wow! Neat vise and some interesting history on Shaplieigh's. I did not know they were the parent brand of Keen Kutter and Diamond Edge. It looks like someone was trying to put their 1936 catalog online here https://shapleighs.com/ but I can't tell how complete it is and a search for vise does not return anything. I still suspect it may be there.

 

[oak_park]

Pick ups over the past couple of weeks.....Craftsman cabinet at Restore..Kraeuter set, 1/4 inch ratchets Dayton (cleaned up nice), Duro Chrome, Westcraft, S-K marked and unmarked. Little Craftsman circle H hammer. NOS JC Penney spade bit set. True Value household oil can...I'm starting to pick up more of these when I see them.

 

[Smokeshow69]

Pick ups over the past couple of weeks.....Craftsman cabinet at Restore..Kraeuter set, 1/4 inch ratchets Dayton (cleaned up nice), Duro Chrome, Westcraft, S-K marked and unmarked. Little Craftsman circle H hammer. NOS JC Penney spade bit set. True Value household oil can...I'm starting to pick up more of these when I see them.

If you got that wall cabinet at a restore you ****! Very nice get. That is the mechanics version so more desired


Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[SilverDeck]

Junk store find: Plomb (Los Angeles) body and fender dolly

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Pick ups over the past couple of weeks.....Craftsman cabinet at Restore...

If you got that wall cabinet at a restore you ****! Very nice get. That is the mechanics version so more desired.

What him say! Add that one is in incredible condition! I found one a few years ago that was banged up and had some rust spots and two racing shop decals. See Heritage thread. (Bought it for $35, sold it for $250 to a guy outside of L.A. who paid the shipping to California!)

Junk store find: Plomb (Los Angeles) body and fender dolly

Nice find.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I spent my day putting an anvil, a hammer, and an antique awl to good use!

 

[SilverDeck]

I spent my day putting an anvil, a hammer, and an antique awl to good use!

"Tough nuts to crack" (pun intended). Nice work on those black walnuts!

 

[bmwrd0]

Yesterday, the wife sent me into "the city" to run an errand, so I of course found a couple of estate sales to hit up. And here is my take:



From the first sale, I picked up the Starrett 2-3 inch outside mike in box, and a complete Walden socket set. The Starrett is rustier than I thought when I picked it up, but the box has the original wrench, a booklet on how to read a mic and even the original label on the end.

The second stop yielded these two books:

Yacht Designs has 30-40 construction drawings to study, while the Sailing alone is just good adventure.

And I stopped on the way home at a decent restore and picked up the Proto pebble driver!

 

[BFBOB]

More on the Shapleigh's vise: Some Web crawling turned up two more examples, and it appears the original paint was tan/brown two-tone! I thought it odd that the body remained a dark, muddy tone after de-rusting, but the dynamic came out fresh iron colored. I chalked it up to different methods - e-tank vs Evaporust. But, in light of more pix, I'm leaning to the saddle effect as original (the '64 Vette blue is clearly a repaint!)

 

[jvlyons99205]

Got a small batch of free tools from my neighbor that includes a newer Keen Kutter handsaw, Arrow electric stapler, Harbor Freight air sander, an unnamed pipe wrench made in Spain, and bundle of tongue and groove wood. Also went to the Habitat ReStore and picked up a shop made metal box with some hardware, 3 S-K sockets and a tiny leather holster about the size needed for an old GI Joe for $5. The rest of their prices were crazy high at $2 for every cheap wrench and screwdriver.

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[Macduf]

one sale 30 mile drive and this is what you get. disappointed with the cobbler pliers

 

[mikeinri]

Oak Park: You Absolutely **** for that Craftsman wall cabinet! Very, very nice...

Mike

 

[ChefRex]

I spent my day putting an anvil, a hammer, and an antique awl to good use!

A lot of work right there for little yield but darn if they ain't tasty! Grew up with a large black walnut tree in the back yard.

 

[Old Radar]

Had a busy couple of days. Met tin medic at a sale that turned out to be meh. Only came away with a Walden 4032 3/8 flex handle and 3168 ¼ 6” extension (not pictured). Tin medic bestowed some more JH. Williams goodies upon me including a NX-1260, 1”dr 1-7/8” socket—Thanks TM!! Since TM is still a working stiff, he couldn’t accompany me to the next sale, but once I saw the scope of the sale, I texted him to make sure he didn’t miss it.

The PO was a big ammo reloader and had a truly impressive amount of tools. He had a bank of eight four-drawer filing cabinets in his garage—almost all the drawers were piled deep with tools. One drawer had at least 200 ¼” ratchets from just about all eras and makers. I’m slapping my forehead for not taking a picture.

Here’s the first day’s haul:



All the boxes are shown with what was in them from the sale.
Lot of Snap-on in the Proto Pro box. The Indestro set is unused.





Photos continue in next post.

 

[Old Radar]

Continued from above:



This is a Penens Challenger box—about half the sockets are original.




After the cull and re-sorting into appropriate boxes



The "leftover" 1/4" ratchets

 

[Old Radar]

Last shot from the first day:

CM Long C (BE)
Snap-on 71-10 (E code 1944)
Plomb Pebble 5449


Went back for the second day and found more good stuff:



CM assortment including three 1/4" ratchets--2 BE and 1 Circle H


Blackhawk (GW) 1/4" ratchet, SAE & metric sockets


MAC 3/8" deep sockets


Snap-on 3/8" deep metric set, three 1/4" sets, a VW/Porsche Dash Escutcheon Tool and a 1/4" ratchet that may be a '40 or '44) The cod is stamped on the shaft and therefore only the middle of the stamp was impressed. Three lines the top and bottom are curved--looks more like '40, but the finish is cad--so maybe '44.


Large S-K group. The 1/4" ratchet in front (40970) is shaped like an early '40s version but it does not have the S-K diamond logo--only S-K. Did they do a retro edition?

 

[dkroth]

Had a busy couple of days.

There are no words....









.

 

[MJOPE]

Very nice. Congrats, Radar...

 

[BlueBomber]

Holy moley, OR, what a honey hole!

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[PierceA]

Once in a while a guy finds a 'honey hole'. Like Old Radar, I found one last week.
An estate sale, I had visited on Sunday, but didn't buy much. I asked about tools or other mechanical items like vises, and was told to come back at noon the next day. They had a pile of stuff in the basement that they did not have the time or energy to drag up the stairs. I told them I would be there..
When I returned, I was shown into the basement workshop, and handed a roll of blue painters tape. I was to put a short piece of tape on each item I'd like.
The family member told me that they had to clean out the house for it to be sold. Everything in the basement had to go. The workbenches could stay or be sold.. Everything else had to go.
The deceased collected vises, not many big ones, but some interesting ones.
The hand tools were unfortunately junk stuff. No good tool boxes or power tools.
But I took almost every vise in the basement. I did leave a cheap HF or ? vise that was bolted to a workbench.

The odd side-mainscrew vise does not have any names or numbers. The Emmet vise has had some use. The Stanley clamp vises have original paint, and the bolt down 1-1/4" Jersey/Stanley jeweler's vise is a nickeled one, my first nickel plated vise.
An Athol swivel 2-1/2" vise in very nice condition. Several small 1" clamp on vises. An odd swivel and tilt wood working vise.

All in all a real find. The prices were very low. Too low actually and I added more to the money I paid, telling them that their prices were low and I thought I ought to add some more to the price they asked..

PierceA

 

[PierceA]

Week before last, I hit up several Craigslist ads and came back with these:

PierceA

I really need to slow down, I'm running out of places to stash all these vises!

 

[Levaughn]

Once in a while a guy finds a 'honey hole'. Like Old Radar, I found one last week.
An estate sale, I had visited on Sunday, but didn't buy much. I asked about tools or other mechanical items like vises, and was told to come back at noon the next day. They had a pile of stuff in the basement that they did not have the time or energy to drag up the stairs. I told them I would be there..
When I returned, I was shown into the basement workshop, and handed a roll of blue painters tape. I was to put a short piece of tape on each item I'd like.
The family member told me that they had to clean out the house for it to be sold. Everything in the basement had to go. The workbenches could stay or be sold.. Everything else had to go.
The deceased collected vises, not many big ones, but some interesting ones.
The hand tools were unfortunately junk stuff. No good tool boxes or power tools.
But I took almost every vise in the basement. I did leave a cheap HF or ? vise that was bolted to a workbench.

The odd side-mainscrew vise does not have any names or numbers. The Emmet vise has had some use. The Stanley clamp vises have original paint, and the bolt down 1-1/4" Jersey/Stanley jeweler's vise is a nickeled one, my first nickel plated vise.
An Athol swivel 2-1/2" vise in very nice condition. Several small 1" clamp on vises. An odd swivel and tilt wood working vise.

All in all a real find. The prices were very low. Too low actually and I added more to the money I paid, telling them that their prices were low and I thought I ought to add some more to the price they asked..

PierceA

The Vice with the Anvil on the back looks interesting. Was there a name on it?

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Nice jackpots, Old Radar and PierceA.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

"Tough nuts to crack" (pun intended). Nice work on those black walnuts!

Thanks, SilverDeck. It is work, requiring careful strikes, but gratifying.

A lot of work right there for little yield but darn if they ain't tasty!

Too true! This tree has been good to me for pert near 30 years, Rex, but slowing down, and this year the squirrels got more than me. I don't keep anything on the ground smaller than a golf ball. Still, the ratio wasn't bad. 123 nuts, 1 lb of meat. I freeze them and pull them out a handful at a time and pop them in a toaster oven for a minute. Hot, sweet, and smoky. Mmmm.

 

[seber]

I spent my day putting an anvil, a hammer, and an antique awl to good use!

I did that once for what seemed like forever. Then I go smart and used a bench vise.

 

[LesserSon]

PierceA -
Total envy, here, over just the opportunity. That you then bought them and felt compelled to pay over the asking price...
There are several there that pique my curiosity. If you identify them, I hope you will post the results. In addition to the sidewinder, that EHByer vise is really cool. Wondering about the no5 (cool “meatball” hub) and no92 table vises. I have one similar to the no92, but without any markings. (Also spotted that tiny Phoenix - cute!)

 

[Catfishdan]

Well done Old Radar. I’d love to find all that 1/4” stuff in one spot. I especially like that Penens 1060.

 

[Outlawmws]

Pierce, if you haven't already, that instant vise collection you acquired needs posted in detail in the Vises thread! Astonishing score! Lots of interesting pieces!

 

[Outlawmws]

OR, Great Score! Lots of rare pieces! (Long C amber no less!)

 

[mikeinri]

There are no words.....

Ditto. You **** doesn't begin to cover Old Radar's haul!!!

Mike

 

[mikeinri]

Pierce, if you haven't already, that instant vise collection you acquired needs posted in detail in the Vises thread! Astonishing score! Lots of interesting pieces!

+1...

Nice find!!!

Mike

 

[txlonghorn1989]

Holy cow OR and PA!!! It's finds like those that we all hope to hit every time we're on our way! What fun!

 

[BlueBomber]

Instant vise collection is right! You get a You **** for the find AND for adding to the ante! Well done, sir!