Above 1200 Sq/FT Restored 1930's Auto Shop

[hobbitss]

TOOLLLLLSSSSSSS!!!!!!!

Wo-Ho....

MORE TOOLS Please....

A garage is just a box with a door or two without TOOLS!!

More Tools Please..

This is the work in progress, the mantel is oriented upside down as seen with the front of it now facing the camera. Note the cove profile that has been shaped and the mound of shavings in the background. Also note the mallet and chisel on the mantel.



These are the same hand tools I used back then to fabricate it.



To remove saw marks from the mill and straighten all sides of the mantel...



...I used Grand Dads jointer plane, that's the long plane in back. It's 23" (58.5 cm) long and will provide a very flat surface. In the foreground is a jack plane that's used to remove single high spots quickly. My Dad removed the old wood handles from the jack plane and replaced them with what you see. He did that in the late 1940's. The green painted tool is a modern made tool, it's a cabinet scraper from an old design. My Dad said Grand Dad just used a piece of glass to scrape his wood with but I decided to buy a proper cabinet scraper. I was taught the best way to prepare a wood surface is not to sand it but scrape it. Since I was going to use an oil finish, proper surface preparation was important.



That's a small block plane on the left, chisels and mallet. It just so happens that Dad made that mallet...






...on this Delta wood lathe that he bought new in 1936 just after he graduated from high school, but I digress....



This is great Grand Dads rabbiting plane. It's made of Rosewood, brass and ivory. I think it's wonderful looking and it's also a great operating tool.



I also used a couple of great Grand Dads molding planes, this one in particular.



The profile seen is that of the major cove on the bottom of the mantel.



He had 40 or molding planes...





... all with different profiles. This shows some of them on end in his old tool box. Each one would produce a different molding profile. Here's an end view of one of the more complex ones...



You can see all the different names stamped into the ends of all the planes. Great Grand Dad's are the 4th set of names or initials stamped on it making him the 4th owner. Not sure how old these planes are but he passed away in the 1930's as an old man so I would guess these molding planes are kinda old.

What ties all this together is I'm planning on a putting another stone Rumford fireplace in the new house and I will be fabricating another solid Walnut mantel using old tools from my family. The tools are a bridge from the past to the future. I feel the same about Mr Johnson's shop, equipment and tools.

Thomas

 

[charlief1]

I like the design of the house, but I've toyed with an idea for a cinder bock house rather than one with a wood frame. There would be enough overhang to put brick on the outside and if you use 2x4 on the inside you can run all the plumbing and electrical with insulation you'd ever need. It would also be very structurally sound so even in the worst weather you'd be safe, and the cost of heating and cooling would be very low since it's got more than enough insulation for the coldest or hottest days.

 

[BB767]

Hi Thomas....

I'm sure the work took on a special meaning having had the opportunity to use tools that were in the hands of your grandfather and father. I can't think of a better way to honor them than to respectfully use tools that belonged to them at one time.

I know you like quality old machines and tools, and it seems to me that you try to incorporate them into your projects when possible.........


.....Thomas, with just a little hunting, and some persistence, you could most likely find an old scraper from decades past to assist you along with your other antique tools in creating your next mantle.......

Jim C.

JIm, first off, I still haven't forgotten your request for pictures of some of the more interesting wood shop equipment honest. The Delta lathe was one I thought you'd like. I have other equipment and I'll get some close ups of the lathe and the other equipment on here for you.

I see you noticed that I do indeed try to incorporate old machines and tools when possible. Most of my projects are not just about the end result but rather what I get out of making that end product as well. I don't do any of this for a living so I have the luxury to not always use the most efficient method in my work. The mantle was one such project. I could have used power equipment and knocked it out in a few hours. Instead I decided it would be great project to learn some hand working skills. Also perhaps, it would serve as a way to honor those who have gone before me and who had preserved these wonderful tools and in turn create some life-long memories of its creation. Indeed, I can still remember how well balanced the planes were and when sharp, how little effort it took to make them work. There is an intangible feeling I get and enjoy when I'm using old family tools and the same applies when I'm out working in Mr Johnson's shop and using his equipment. I spent roughly 1 month on that mantle working only evenings and weekends on it. When finished...



...I did stamp my name and the date of its creation on the back side. The only time that will ever be seen is if the fireplace is removed and the mantle salvaged. It's buried in several tons of stone for now. You can see this is the very outer portion of the walnut slab that became the mantle. To maximize the slabs width I left the sap wood on the back edge knowing it was going to become embedded in stone so it wouldn't matter.

Looking at just a few more of great Grand Dad's other planes...



...(BTW, I was taught to always store hand planes on their sides. Some may disagree but that's what I was taught and have passed on to Cameron for better or worse) great Grand Dad did have this...



... nice Stanley...



... #212 scraper plane, little brother to your #112.



This is what I understand to be the smallest, rarest and hardest to find of all Stanley scraper planes. The blade is 1 1/2" (3.8 cm) wide but that is too small for doing large surfaces. He just used a piece of glass when scraping large surfaces and this #212 was used for small work. As you can see, I have never cleaned it up (no worries, not a candidate for powder coating, its original patina will be preserved) it is properly stored in a conditioned environment. I have indeed given some thought to locating a nice #112 to use on the new mantle. Just haven't gotten around to it but perhaps I should since fabrication of the new mantle could be started in the not too distant future.

Thanks Jim for sharing your thoughts and nice planes with us, they're gems. I suspect you've prompted me to follow suit.

Thomas

 

[BB767]

BB767,

I'll add to massive group of followers in thanking you for allowing us to watch your work. As I was reading through all 376 pages (yikes!), over the last few weeks, I may have missed it but I didn't see the conclusion of the 8 month saga on the top for your Corvette. Definitely curious.

Congratulations on the retirement as well! I am an aviation guy by trade also, but only 20 years into it....as long as I don't give the DME a reason, I hope to go another 20.

Thanks,
Sam

Oops Sam, thanks for the reminder on the Corvette top saga. No you haven't missed it........I just haven't followed through with that. Watch this space for the tale. It did indeed follow a few twists and turns that turned into a saga.

Brother aviators are always welcomed here. Imagine what changes you're going to see before you hang up your wings. My airline work started in B727's with VOR's and Omega and ended with a B767-400 equipped with a glass cockpit, GPS and SAT com. Never experienced so much as even a precautionary engine shut down in 27 years. A very dull and boring career.....just the way I like 'em!

Thomas

 

[BB767]

I have to comment on a couple of things.....

I noticed on the first time you posted the plans there was no island between the kitchen and the family room. The next time you posted the plans there is an island coming out from the wall. Have you thought about making a freestanding island in a triangle shape to parallel the kitchen walls and have seating on the hypotenuse of the triangle, if that makes sense. It opens up access to both sides of the kitchen and is very convenient. I have a similar floor plan and my "kitchen island" has the sink in it.

MacTexas while I'm pretty much in complete agreement with you on kitchen islands (take another look back at the first initial plans, there was a rectangular island there) however....

I did not like the island configurations as presented and don't like them in general, especially with a sink. I vetoed the ....

It was my idea to make it a peninsula to give me some division from the rest of the great room......... but I guess I can put up with it (maybe). We'll see. It's more for storage and counter space anyway.

Still a work in progress.

Chris

......the young lady of household sees it differently. I have a feeling we'll be walking and going around that peninsula all the time while on the other hand, if it were an island, it would make kitchen access much more convenient. As the charming and delightful Miss Chris says, "We'll see.... Still a work in progress."

No Man is an Island - Thomas

 

[BB767]

I'd sure like to know your secret for time management.....

(Of course, sleep and TV are probably not two of the highest priorities in your lives, either...)

As to digitizing slides, I recommend sending them to a professional service. The cost may seem high at first, but it won't take long with a scanner and an editing program to come to the realization that this is time that could be better spent. You don't have to send every single image that was ever taken, just a few representative images from events gone by. Just a thought........

Time management is easy oberst. The secret is 28 hour days, simple! Oh, that and no TV with limited sleep helps too.

I do have an Epson scanner for my photographs and it works great for that. For slides I thought there might be a better way. My computer wiz daughter agrees with you that for the limited number of slides we're talking about, taking them to a professional might be best. She's looking into several possibility.

Thanks to everyone else for all the great suggestions, we're looking at a wide range of possibilities.

Thomas

 

[one80auto]

Oops Sam, thanks for the reminder on the Corvette top saga. No you haven't missed it........I just haven't followed through with that. Watch this space for the tale. It did indeed follow a few twists and turns that turned into a saga.

Brother aviators are always welcomed here. Imagine what changes you're going to see before you hang up your wings. My airline work started in B727's with VOR's and Omega and ended with a B767-400 equipped with a glass cockpit, GPS and SAT com. Never experienced so much as even a precautionary engine shut down in 27 years. A very dull and boring career.....just the way I like 'em!

Thomas

The business has changed for sure. I also remember the fun 'ol days of VOR, NDB, LORAN C, and even those funky Course Line Computers. In the present even the most basic trainers have dual GPS. Nowadays if the FMS can't do it for us, most guys think they should declare an emergency. All this equipment sure has improved safety though...never a bad thing. I fully expect the old joke about the dog and the pilot in the cockpit to come true before I am done.

"Through automation, eventually there will only be the need for one pilot and a dog in the cockpit. The pilot is there to a make the passengers feel comfortable and the dog is there to bite the pilot if he touches something."

 

[onething]

Wow, Thomas, I may have to come up with another question! Just look what I started!!

Thank you,sir, for taking such an educational detour. That is what keeps me coming back.

 

[ZRX61]

whats the story on that woodwork bench?

 

[Bear]

So - never posted to your thread but have "lurked" forever it seems. Have enjoyed every page! This is a film/slide reader similar to one I have used to store a number of my old slides.
http://www.costco.com/.product.100072822.html?&EMID=B2C_2013_1217_HolidayDelivery

Congrates on the retirement- 14 yrs and no regrets, wish you many more.

 

[Jim C.]

Thomas,

Thanks for posting the woodworking pictures and adding some background. For some reason, old tools and machines seem to work better, and are more enjoyable to use when one knows their history. You're very lucky to have family heirlooms. Your old Delta lathe is really a nice looking machine and in amazing original condition. They don't get much better than that. It's an 11" right? Also, your Stanley #212 scraper is certainly not a tool one sees very often. It's pretty rare, and was produced by Stanley between 1911 and 1935. Even though it was manufactured for a couple dozen years, there just doesn't seem to be many of those around. Did I see a Stanley #604 Bedrock in that drawer too? That's another great plane! Probably not as rare as the #212, but a versatile, solid worker, and a desirable plane nonetheless. It's good to see them still being used.

Jim C.

 

[tkbowman]

Thomas,

Thanks for posting the pictures of the old wooden planes. I have a collection of them and some other old hand woodworking tools that I inherited from my father who used them as a cabinet maker and shipwright during the second world war.

Tim Bowman
Burien, WA

 

[67ImpalaSS396]

Hi Thomas,
I was over at my other favorite website, TriFive.com, reading a post from a member selling a pair of Corvair bucket seats. Someone who was interested in the seats asked where the seller was located, to which he replied, "I'm just south of Champaign Urbana, the small town of Philo". Well heck, I know where that magical place is! So I replied asking if he knew about the 1930's Auto Shop thread. I strongly suggested that he, and any other TriFive members reading the post should visit and get sucked into the Vortex. Well, as it turns out, he is your neighbor Kenny, a.k.a. Nitro crew chief on TriFive.com. He suggested I let you know that we were talking on TriFive, that you might get a kick out of it.

I have a 55 BelAir Wagon that I'm slowly, but steadily restoring, thus my interest in TriFive.com, and I'm a BIG drag race fan, having just attended the NHRA meet in Las Vegas back in October. I promise that some day I'll find time to come out to Martin to watch you race and get acquainted! Here's a couple of pictures of the wagon, and a few pictures from the Vegas race. Sorry for the long, off topic post, but it seems no one minds too much when this thread wanders off topic a bit... Congrats on your retirement!!

Best Regards, John

Heres my wagon before the teardown to prep for painting.

Some of the pieces during the block sanding phase (which I don't think will ever end!)

Courtney Force, before qualifying on Saturday, taking a picture with my daughter (also a Courtney) attending her first NHRA event.

John Force, minutes after he beat Courtney in the Finals, 4.06 to 4.08 seconds, to capture his 16th Funny Car World Championship. Truly a special day for him (obviously), and also for me! Not too shabby of a paycheck either...

Jimmy Prock, John Force's crew chief, right after the trophy presentation graciously took a few minutes to chat and pose for a photo op. Super nice guy, and a racing genius.

 

[markviii]

Small world! Hi Kenny!

 

[nitro crew chief]

Hi Chris, I thought it would please you and Tom to see this thread has spread to many forums (I'm sure you probably knew already), but when John asked if I knew you and Tom I realized how small our computer world is. Good to see your car John, here's mine, although it is totally disassembled now. It's a pretty solid car starting it's life in California and Utah before finding it's way to the center of the universe.

 

[71 MKIV]

Jeez, let a fella catch up will ya? The pages are tacking on at the end faster than I can get the old ones read.

Greeting from Eastern PA. A&P, avionics installer, now a signal maintainer at a short line railroad that uses historic equipment. (Read: steam engines and wooden coaches, with "self loading" cargo)

I just wanted to say, Thanks for sharing, and well done.



Steve

 

[Vernmotor]

Ok not sure if should post don't want to make the airplane guys Mad .. But thought it was funny LOL

 

[BB767]

whats the story on that woodwork bench?

Rick the old cabinetmakers bench that I used when creating the mantel...



...was one of a pair...



..that Dad and I bought at an auction near Chicago in the late 1970's. A small family owned, third generation cabinet shop was closing and they were selling everything in the shop.



They're solid maple benches...



...and so old that...



...the screw on each vise...



... shoulder vise and...



...each tail vise...



...is wood, not metal. The story behind the benches as told to us by the original founders grandson, was that several of the shop workers were cabinet makers in Scandinavia who immigrated to this country in the late 1800's. They had brought hand tools with them but no benches, so the first thing they did in the shop was each worker constructed their own bench. There were 6 cabinetmakers benches in the shop and Dad and I bid and won the best 2 out of the 6.



The grandson had never been involved much in the business and sadly couldn't tell us anything about who or when each were made. That has been lost to history. If only they had stamped their name and date on them somewhere. Each one is unique, they are classic in design...



...and solid as can be. The tops are not fastened to the bases, there are a pair of wood dowels that locates them on the base and the weight of the top alone keeps them in place. That works remarkably well.



As you can see from the condition of the top surfaces they were used extensively and the top surface of each is a little rough but were very serviceable and we left them just as we bought them.



No attempt was made to clean them up, Dad and I just made sure we didn't damage them any more than they had been already. After more than 35 years of our ownership, they are none the worse for wear and have several decades more use left in them.

Those are a couple more of great Grand Dad's Stanley planes that caught Jim's eye. I'll admit I have never taken the time to study and research all his various hand tools. I bet Jim can tell me much more about them than I can.

BTW, before we leave the subject of those old cabinetmakers benches, the auction where we bought those is the very same auction that...



...I bought the SPOUSE bench, now located in the barn, for the princely sum of $25 you might remember.

Thanks Rick for your continued interest.

Thomas

 

[71 MKIV]

Vernmotor,
You forgot about "adjusting the control wheel actuator" aka, the "pilot"

Steve

 

[Jim C.]

Rick the old cabinetmakers bench that I used when creating the mantel...



...was one of a pair...



..that Dad and I bought at an auction near Chicago in the late 1970's. A small family owned, third generation cabinet shop was closing and they were selling everything in the shop.



They're solid maple benches...



...and so old that...



...the screw on each vise...



... shoulder vise and...



...each tail vise...



...is wood, not metal. The story behind the benches as told to us by the original founders grandson, was that several of the shop workers were cabinet makers in Scandinavia who immigrated to this country in the late 1800's. They had brought hand tools with them but no benches, so the first thing they did in the shop was each worker constructed their own bench. There were 6 cabinetmakers benches in the shop and Dad and I bid and won the best 2 out of the 6.



The grandson had never been involved much in the business and sadly couldn't tell us anything about who or when each were made. That has been lost to history. If only they had stamped their name and date on them somewhere. Each one is unique, they are classic in design...



...and solid as can be. The tops are not fastened to the bases, there are a pair of wood dowels that locates them on the base and the weight of the top alone keeps them in place. That works remarkably well.



As you can see from the condition of the top surfaces they were used extensively and the top surface of each is a little rough but were very serviceable and we left them just as we bought them.



No attempt was made to clean them up, Dad and I just made sure we didn't damage them any more than they had been already. After more than 35 years of our ownership, they are none the worse for wear and have several decades more use left in them.

Those are a couple more of great Grand Dad's Stanley planes that caught Jim's eye. I'll admit I have never taken the time to study and research all his various hand tools. I bet Jim can tell me much more about them than I can.

BTW, before we leave the subject of those old cabinetmakers benches, the auction where we bought those is the very same auction that...



...I bought the SPOUSE bench, now located in the barn, for the princely sum of $25 you might remember.

Thanks Rick for your continued interest.

Thomas

Thomas,

I have to admit, as much as I have enjoyed this thread over the last couple years, this particular post is one of my personal favorites. Old hand made cabinetmakers benches, antique Stanley hand planes, and although it wasn't prominently mentioned, you managed to throw in a picture of what looks to be an old Delta 1160 tilt top 10" table saw. I have a saw just like that. Mine was manufactured in December, 1947. When I was going up, I hung around with two boys (brothers) who lived directly across the street from me. Their father was a school teacher, but he also had some carpentry and woodworking skills, that I believe he picked up from his father (my friends' grandfather). My friends' grandfather bought the saw new, and eventually passed it down to my neighbor (father of my friends). The saw sat in a small basement shop and was used frequently. When I was about ten years old, I actually made a small birdhouse using that saw. Of course it was under the guidance of my friends' father. Who lets three kids, ages nine, ten (me), and eleven, fool around with a table saw without oversight? I used that saw many times during my childhood after that first project. Anyway, making that little birdhouse, and using that saw, kind of ignited an interest in woodworking and machinery that has continued to grow over the last 40+ years. About twenty years ago, my friends' father died. A while later, I received a call from the younger of the two brothers asking if I wanted his father's table saw. Unbelievably, no one in my friend's immediate or extended family claimed the saw, or even wanted it. The following weekend I drove several hours back to the old neighborhood and picked it up. I still use the saw mostly as a dedicated machine for my stacked dado bade set. I love old tools and machines that come with a story. That particular machine is very special to me for it's connection to my childhood, and for what it spawned going forward. I feel lucky to have it.

Thomas, also thanks for highlighting another of my favorite topics, old Stanley hand planes. It's a little hard to see the model numbers in the pictures, but it looks like you've got a Stanley #4 1/2 smoother, and a Stanley #603 (I had originally guessed a #604) Bedrock smoother. Do I have those two right? There's a lot we could talk about concerning just those two planes, however, I think the "readership" here probably had enough with my walk down "table saw memory lane." I think that was enough mind numbing babble for one post.

Jim C.

 

[ZRX61]

Actually I was referring to this one

 

[BB767]

Thomas,

Thanks for posting the pictures of the old wooden planes. I have a collection of them and some other old hand woodworking tools that I inherited from my father who used them as a cabinet maker and shipwright during the second world war.

Tim Bowman
Burien, WA

Tim another fellow woodworker, eh? My understanding is doing work as a shipwright uses among the highest skill level of any work done with wood. Nice legacy you have there. Thanks for sharing.

I'll see if I can post up a few more of great Grand Dads wood planes another time.

Thomas

 

[BB767]

Hi Thomas,
I was over at my other favorite website, TriFive.com, reading a post from a member selling a pair of Corvair bucket seats. Someone who was interested in the seats asked where the seller was located, to which he replied, "I'm just south of Champaign Urbana, the small town of Philo". Well heck, I know where that magical place is! So I replied asking if he knew about the 1930's Auto Shop thread. I strongly suggested that he, and any other TriFive members reading the post should visit and get sucked into the Vortex. Well, as it turns out, he is your neighbor Kenny, a.k.a. Nitro crew chief on TriFive.com. He suggested I let you know that we were talking on TriFive, that you might get a kick out of it.....

Hi Chris, I thought it would please you and Tom to see this thread has spread to many forums (I'm sure you probably knew already), but when John asked if I knew you and Tom I realized how small our computer world is.

Thank you John and Kenny for letting me know I'm being talked about behind my back! Bet that was quite a surprise to you John to know Kenny lives right across the street from us. He's not only well aware of the shop and this thread...



... but he's spent a bit of time out there giving me a hand on several occasions. Here we're installing the L79 in the Chevy II in 2007. He's a true friend and a great neighbor. Everyone needs help now and then and Kenny has never hesitated when I've called. It's part of what makes Philo so special. All of us love living here.

Thanks also for the car pictures guys. Once done they'd look right at home in the old shop.

Thomas

 

[BB767]

Jeez, let a fella catch up will ya? The pages are tacking on at the end faster than I can get the old ones read.

Greeting from Eastern PA. A&P, avionics installer, now a signal maintainer at a short line railroad that uses historic equipment. (Read: steam engines and wooden coaches, with "self loading" cargo)

I just wanted to say, Thanks for sharing, and well done.



Steve

Hello Steve and welcome to our world. To go from aviation to steam engines is quite a leap backward......... and I mean that in a good way. Thanks so much for checking in and for your kind words of encouragement. I'll take a wild guess you own a Mark IV Lincoln or does that stand for something else altogether?

Thomas

 

[BB767]

Ok not sure if should post don't want to make the airplane guys Mad .. But thought it was funny LOL....

Vernmotor,
You forgot about "adjusting the control wheel actuator" aka, the "pilot"

Steve

Now boys, don't be too rough with those "pilot guys". I've heard they can have pretty big egos that bruise easily.

Thomas

 

[BB767]

Actually I was referring to this one

Ahh, the modern bench, sorry Rick my bad. Sure I'll get something on here about it.

Thomas

 

[Lotusnut]

Now boys, don't be too rough with those "pilot guys". I've heard they can have pretty big egos that bruise easily.

Thomas

They can also have a good sense of humour on rare occasions.

There are hundreds of these funny return to service releases, but the best I ever saw personally was working as an airworthiness inspector reviewing a 767 log book. The first officer was obviously writing up the snags for the flight and was entering "copilot seat fore aft switch wired backwards". At which point the ink goes of the right side of the page from the captain pulling the log book away. Entered in a different ink and a different hand is "copilot does not know if he is coming or going". The rectification from the mechanic was "to and fro, to and fro does the pilot know where to go?"

I went to the maintenance control centre and asked for a copy of the log entry which caused them to call the manager thinking I was going to write up a violation and I had to assure them that I just appreciated good humour.

 

[effie_53]

Well, I've spent a good portion of the past couple days reading this entire thread. Ok, maybe I skimmed some parts or replies that didn't catch my eye but just WOW!!! This is an incredible ongoing story!!

And it's packed with so many ideas one can "borrow" both from Tom and Chris but the other posters as well!

Thanks for sharing your journey with us.. Tom

 

[71 MKIV]

Actually Thomas, the transitions from airplanes to steam engines was pretty easy. All the skills crossed, and steam engines don't care where you step. My garage isn't big enough to get a Lincoln in it, so I have one of these:

Owned that since 1984. Did everything but reupholster the seat backs and bend the exhaust pipe in my little one car garage.

At the Rail Road we still use all the old tools too.

Steve

 

[55 carman]

Thomas thanks for taking the time to post this never ending project. I have been reading along for several weeks. Your attention to detail is much appreciated. I need to catch up and stop skipping around. Just joined the journal tonight to show my appreciation to your accomplishment. Ron

 

[motorscot]

I have thoroughly enjoyed this thread, however, it would be so much easier to read and follow if: people would STOP QUOTING THE PICTURES!

Rant off. Please continue the fine work you have started Thomas.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to one and all...

 

[hobbitss]

I have thoroughly enjoyed this thread, however, it would be so much easier to read and follow if: people would STOP QUOTING THE PICTURES!

Rant off. Please continue the fine work you have started Thomas.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to one and all...

Sorry..

I couldn't help myself...

There is just something about them....

It isn't everyday that you get to such great images...

And you have to admit that they are such really great OLD TOOLS...

 

[Jim C.]

Thomas,

Just a few pictures of my Delta model 1160 10" tilt top table saw. I believe it was manufactured in December, 1947. It looks to be very similar in age to the saw you depicted above.

Jim C.

 

[tdkkart]

I have thoroughly enjoyed this thread, however, it would be so much easier to read and follow if: people would STOP QUOTING THE PICTURES!

Quoting ONE or 2 pictures is fine, my pet peeve is the people that quote a dozen pictures and 1000 words of text, only to comment "NICE!!!" at the bottom. REALLY??? Clowns.....
That one chaps my ****!!!

 

[71 MKIV]

Merry Christmas everyone

 

[BB767]

Here's a little of what I've been doing in the shop. Work continues on the South Bend lathes...


The leather drive belts were treated to leather conditioning to insure they stayed soft and supple. I also decided while I'm doing some lathe maintenance work, the drive belt lacing, at 40+ years old probably could stand to be re-laced. This is the pulley side of the drive belt seen.



In the South Bend manual...



... "How To Run A Lathe" is a section on...



... Lacing Leather Belts that is also nicely illustrated. Note in the first paragraph of that section, South Bend recommends lacing with "gut" or "rawhide thongs" for lacing material. OK fair enough, so I went to our neighborhood Gut and Rawhide Thong Store and found out.........there is no neighborhood Gut and Rawhide Thong Store, at least not around here. However a little internet search did turn up The Leather Guy:

http://www.theleatherguy.org/

After a chat with those fine folks explaining what I was doing, they informed me that gut or rawhide thong as such, is not made anymore but that I could substitute...



... sinew which is what I did. Shown is the small spool of waxed sinew they sent me. Now for a true connoisseur, it might be a major faux pas to substitute sinew for gut or rawhide thong, but as for me, well.....No guts No glory as it were and that's what I used.



The sinew was flat in profile so I twisted it into round thread and thought it was a little small in diameter so I doubled the sinew up, taking two strands and twisting them into one. That also doubled its breaking strength from 70 lbs (31.7 kg) to approximately 140 lbs (63.5 kg).



The back side of the leather belt had perviously been relieved in the slots where the lacing would lay.



That way the surface of the belt on the pulley side (as shown) is fairly flat. The lacing is not proud to the belt surface and helps the belt runs smoother.



With the lacing done and tied off...



...a little heat from an acetylene torch on the ends of the strands...



... prevents it from fraying just like nylon or polypropylene. This is the visible side of the belt, not the pulley side. If this lacing lasts as long as what I replaced, I won't be around to do it again.



I've also done a bit of general cleanup so now I can turn my attention to...



...refurbishing the bench Dad made for it.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As it is now Christmas Eve, Chris and I would also like express our best Holiday wishes for all of our many friends here. Those we've met in person, those who we only know through these pages and those who are still lurking but we will come to know in the future. May peace be upon you all.

Thomas and Chris

 

[nitro crew chief]

Merry Christmas to you, Chris and the rest of the family from your neighbors.

 

[markviii]

I'm getting dinner ready for noon tomorrow so I won't have to do as much in the morning. I'd rather spend time visiting anyway.

I've run out of time to take treats over to all the neighbors. We're probably going to have a neighborhood open house next Saturday, so that will have to do this year. (just have to find time to type up an invitation and distribute it) We didn't even do a GJ photo shoot - and it's too cold today to even think about it! So much to do and so little time!

Merry Christmas to everyone who is following us here at the Restored 1930s Auto Shop. More to come... (I'm sure Tom is working on a Christmas message.)

Chris

 

[charlief1]

Merry Christmas to all and many thanks to Thomas and Chris for letting us into this wonderful restoration. May your day go well and, like you, I'm cooking tonight so all I've got to do is warm it up tomorrow. Country ham for Christmas dinner and maybe some homemade biscuits along with a pot full of beans. A simple country Christmas for simple country folk this year.

 

[DynoDave]

Interesting stuff Thomas. I love belt driven devices.

However, when I Googled "rawhide thongs", I found some very different information.