Millers Falls Tool Company

[woody 73]

Millers Falls was Established in 1868 three years after the death of President Abraham Lincoln. They specialized in tools for the woodworking Industry but in later years they made precision tools, mechanics tools and power tools.

I will leave you some very good links so that you can learn more about their company along with some pictures of their tools that you can enjoy on this Saturday morning.

http://oldtoolheaven.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millers_Falls_Company

http://www.wkfinetools.com/hUS-borTools/MillersFalls/millersFalls-index.asp

 

[Dave455]

Millers Falls!

Another great company that's gradually being forgotten about!

I always think of them as the Blackhawk of the woodworking world! They did some really nice stuff, and I'm fortunate enough to have some around!

The stuff still turns up surprisingly often on British eBay, but it generally sells for top money, so perhaps not everybody is forgetting about them!

 

[woody 73]

Sadly Dave455 after reading the Wikipedia I see the trademark has been sold in 2002 to the Hangzhou Great Star Industrial co., Ltd of Hangzhou China.

 

[bonneyman]

They made nice egg-beater drills too.

 

[RivennHewn]

I've always liked their "Buck Rogers" line of tools.

Not necessarily that they were any good, just because Buck Rogers was cool.

 

[ken w.]

I have a nice 3/8 drive electric impact wrench from M/F. It still works great after all these years.

 

[xs650shawn]

I have an old Miller's Falls router I picked up at a swap meet for $30. Works great. I'll post a pic later.

 

[Steinmetz]

Sadly Dave455 after reading the Wikipedia I see the trademark has been sold in 2002 to the Hangzhou Great Star Industrial co., Ltd of Hangzhou China.

I hope they didn't pay much. MF abandoned the mark long before Hangzhou filed to use the mark.

 

[xs650shawn]

Router

 

[woody 73]

Very nice router thanks for sharing that.

 

[twertsy]

A little (alot) research reveals new information every day it seems.

As Woody mentioned above, there is an outstandingly detailed history of the company on oldtoolheaven.com. This source notes the company's beginnings in 1861.

However, I've been doing a bit of research and have thus far found the following, noting the founders are Gunn and Charles H. Amidon:

Items of interest:
1. 1860 U.S. Census: Levi J. Gunn is listed as a "Manufacturer of Carpenter's Tools." In the 1855 census, they are mostly there as well but all list their occupations as "Artisan." Even more interesting, several of his immediate neighbors, as their occupation, list "Carpenter's Tools." I am ASSUMING they are neighbors as they are ordered in the "order of visitation" by the census taker. Levi is #410. For reference, they are:

#411 - Chauncey Bryant - "Manufacturer of Carpenter's Tools"
#412 - Edward W. Hubbard - "Carpenter's Tools"
#415 - William Amidon - "Carpenter's Tools"
#415 - Harrison Amidon - "Carpenter's Tools"
#415 - Nelson Brackett - "Carpenter's Tools"
#415 - Elijah Brown - "Carpenter's Tools"
#415 - George Colesworthy - "Carpenter's Tools"
#416 - Hopkins Woods - "Treasurer of Tool Co."
#417 - Charles H. Amidon - "Manufacturer of Carpenter's Tools"
#418 - Luther Allis - "Plane Maker"
#422 - Dwight Haynes - "Plane Maker"

2. In the 1865 Census, I believe Mr. Gunn lists his occupation as "Mechanic" - It's difficult to read.
3. 1870 Census, Mr. Gunn is listed as a "Manufacturer"
4. 1865 William Amidon (and most of his male family members) is listed as a carpenter.
5. Can't find much on Charles H. Amidon. In the 1865 census, he too (along with most all around him) is listed as "Mechanic" (I think, tough to read) // 1870 Census he is listed as "Manuf"
6. Hartford Courant - 3/19/1862 advert announcing "Amidon's Wringer" manufactured by Gunn, Amidon & Holland.
7. "History of Greenfield, Shire Town of Franklin County, Massachusetts" notes that Gunn, Amidon & Holland built shops on Cherry Rum Brook in September of 1861.

 

[plumber84]

From what I've read Millers-Falls produced the first commercially successful high-tension hacksaw frame, the number 300 frame often referred to as the "Buck Rogers hacksaw"

 

[Parrothead]

I’m pretty certain I have an old screwdriver somewhere...

 

[seber]

Even though I have a nice sliding power miter saw I still use the Millers Falls manual saw when I need a really precise cut.

 

[OccupantRJ]

The body of the soldering gun in this link is the old Miller Falls soldering gun. I was involved in buying of the remaining tooling stored in a warehouse around 1990, and the conversion of the handle into this present gun.

http://www.wlenk.com/store/111/55/200110-Watt-Soldering-Gun-Kit.html

 

[tube_guy]

They also produced the first powered hacksaws, the Star Saw, back in 1891. I have one that was originally powered by overhead belts, but they also had a later hand crank version that was somewhat popular with farmers. Mine has been converted to electric power and it was originally used in the Narragansett Brewery in Rhode Island. The lady I bought it from, her husband had purchased it from the brewery's machine shop right before it closed down in the late 1970s - early 1980s.

 

[ScottsGT]

Here's a Millers Falls plane I got from a friend one night when I was over at his house for a few drinks. We went out into the garage and there was a pile of old tools in the floor from his late fathers shed he had cleaned out before selling the house. Down at the bottom was this rusty old plane. Numbers tell me it was a model made for the Military. His Dad was a Sgt. Major, so it makes sense. I took it home, cleaned it up, sharpened the blade and put it to work.

 

[woody 73]

I’m pretty certain I have an old screwdriver somewhere...

I got you covered Today:

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=380812

 

[Mr. Tool]

Happen to come across this small 2” bench vise that I’ve had now for several years, forgotten and now re-discovered.

I remember my brother gave it to me years ago when he moved into a house he bought that had a detached garage. When cleaning it out the previous owner had left a number of tools and other miscellaneous stuff and my brother asked me if I wanted this particular vise and just took it, not giving it much thought at all and giving it just a quick look over.

Once home put it a box with a few other things then packed it up. Fast forward to today and while looking for something else I came across it and remembered.

I decided to do a quick search here on GJF and low and behold found this thread!

If anyone has any info about this particular Millers Falls Tools small bench vise or even history on the tool company, manufacturer, etc. please post about it. I like to read or know about it.

I have to add to this....thinking about it now...it just maybe possible that Millers Falls Tools did not even make this small bench vise (or bench vises in general). Could be that someone placed that small Millers Falls Tools sticker to this small bench vise?

Just saying.

http://oldtoolheaven.com/

 

[1320]

Interesting how this stuff works out... Yesterday I cleaned up a claw hammer head that turned out to be a Miller's Falls. It looks nice.