The Lugzsonian - A Virtual Tour

[Private Lugnutz]

Apple was extensively used for the handles of those vintage saws.

This would've been an even niftier synchronicity if the D-95 I used didn't have a Disstonite handle!

We did add a recent find to the Owl Tree. The Y-shaped remains of this tree that has given me many years of crisps, tarts, and pies will be turned into a folk arty tribute to our mascot in no time.

 

[Smokeshow69]

This would've been an even niftier synchronicity if the D-95 I used didn't have a Disstonite handle!

We did add a recent find to the Owl Tree. The Y-shaped remains of this tree that has given me many years of crisps, tarts, and pies will be turned into a folk arty tribute to our mascot in no time.

Seems like a “wise” use of that tree to carry on that legacy

 

[Private Lugnutz]

The Acquisitions Dept, who has an eye for the quirky, came home from a trip to the flea this morning with a vintage Windikator. (Technically, it's an anemometer, the Curator feels compelled to hastily add, but if there is a better neologism blending the function and marketing of an instrument that measures wind velocity and direction, we can't think of one!) While we are primarily dedicated to antique and vintage tools here at the Lugzsonian, long-time followers know we have a penchant for mid-century vintage navigating and survival stuff, such as our 1944 US Navy Liferaft Emergency Fishing Kit No. 10, our 1942 Opisometer, our prewar Sunnto field compass, and our even older Marble's Matchsafe.

The Windikator, patented (2309581) in 1943, will fit in just fine in the same wing!

 

[Beerhippie]

Absolutemente coolisimo!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

You may have noticed that ours bears a PAT. PEND. marking on the face of the velocity dial. The patent was applied for in 1939, granted in 1945, and there is one currently for sale on the Big Fleabay in the Sky with the patent number marked on it instead, so we're pretty sure ours was produced sometime between 1939 and 1945. We have seen a couple others in our research, almost always missing the compass dial, and none with the box.

If you're wondering how it works, that long rectangular vane in the back hinges with pressure on it, turning the needle on the velocity dial. The smaller vane on the top spins the entire instrument, which sits on top of the compass dial disc, which free floats on a point.

The Curator found ads between 1939, such as this one...



...through 1950. It was especially popular in magazines such as Flying and Motorboating, like this one.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Couple more eye candy box shots...

 

[Provincial]

And it is the high capacity (0-60 mph) model B!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

And it is the high capacity (0-60 mph) model B!

Indeed! It was quite placid yesterday. We are hoping to test it today.

Adding a photo I missed showing the point it floats on when assembled. There's a corresponding blind hole under the disc.

 

[four.cycle]

^ would have come in mighty handy at the Battle of Agincourt

 

[Lou's Garage]

The Acquisitions Dept came home with a safety blade type scraper this morning, enthused by its folding design, and thinking it worthy of the predilection documented in these posts...

The Curator is not so sure.

We know enough about the history of the automotive windshield to know it's been laminated with some kind of plastic, in some kind of process, since, oh, say, 1904, improved for many decades, and we know that lately car manufacturers and aftermarket enterprises are doing all kinds of things with hydroponic, hydrophilic, and UV-resistant coatings and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film, but we have no idea what the WARNING means, frankly. And we're wondering how old this tool is.

Considering the warning message, that tool would be from the 80's. In the middle 80's auto manufacturers (most notably Cadillac) experimented with an interior (of the car) liner of plastic in an effort to reduce laceration injuries. A razor blade scraper such as yours would damage that passenger facing liner if you were to scrape off an old inspection or registration sticker with one. I was a NY vehicle inspection station at the time and we were advised to purchase a special plastic scraper specifically for those windshields. I still have both types: I use the folding razor blade scraper regularly and I use the plastic version for jobs where I don't want to scratch anything. I attached a photo of a plastic scraper for reference:



Lou Manglass

 

[Private Lugnutz]

^ Thanks, Lou.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

...would have come in mighty handy at the Battle of Agincourt

Are you referring to all the longbowmen?

 

[four.cycle]

I figured that would go over about as well as Dennis Miller making the joke about Madame Butterfly during an NFL football game when they made the mistake of hiring him as their "color man".
But yes, the longbowmen. Of course. The box says it's perfect for "archers"!

I shot that in to datamp.org - wondering if they'll put it up. I mean... it is a tool, by definition, right?

 

[Private Lugnutz]

We're lovin' everything about this homemade rail anvil found at the flea this morning, from the hardie hole to the step or table to the horn, which has a very convincing, appealing shape, to the size (15 lbs!), which is perfect for our little tinkering shop. Whoever shaped this up did a fine job and the face has a nice ring to it.

 

[Smokeshow69]

I really like the look of that anvil as well! If I had found it in the wild I would have brought it home for sure! Even though it’s small it is super useful for smaller jobs and doesn’t take up a ton of real estate or money out of your pocket either

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Thanks, Smoke.

 

[Outlawmws]

That's a nice one Lugz! I have a RR rail anvil that is 14-1/2 lbs, and like your's was well done!

I've actually used it for some light forging!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Yes! Perfect horn.

 

[Provincial]

One nice thing about the RR rail anvils is that they can better stand cold work. So many real anvils were ruined by people banging on cold work.

 

[Outlawmws]

One nice thing about the RR rail anvils is that they can better stand cold work. So many real anvils were ruined by people banging on cold work.

Totally agree.

 

[LesserSon]

I am going to post a chart below. But just to re-explain what I did here, first...

- I searched ITCL (again, @Mark Stansbury 's massive hand tools catalog library on Internet Archive) on the terms "Pyralin", "Tenite", "Cellulose Acetate Butyrate", and then just "Cellulose", "Acetate", and "Butyrate" individually, because "Cellulose Acetate Butyrate" got very few hits. (Just as a side-note, they are all celluloids.) Each search produced a mess of catalogs.

- In each case, I made a list of the names of the mfgrs and the dates of the catalogs in which the words appeared. It could appear once or on multiple pages. I did not record that.

- I started to keep track of the types of tools, but after a while it became tedious and also unnecessary. Most of the instances were drivers, soft-face hammer tips, or hacksaw handles.

- I populated an Excel file with the data (I "smoodged" the dates + or - 1 year if they were an even year for fit) and sorted it A-Z.

- Lastly, I assigned colors to each plastic because it was easier to 'see' the data than reading it. The colors have nothing to do with the color of the plastic. They all came in several colors, mainly amber, red, green, and black, with additives, but also translucent. Do not misconstrue the pale yellow as amber, etc. I mnemonically picked Teal for Tenite, Pink for Pyralin, and Chartreuse for any combination of C/A/B.

New version of the chart, with Plomb included...

Lugz, I happened to be scrolling around this morning and came across three interesting pdfs on the Eastman website, documenting interaction studies of some of our favorite plastics - Tenite CA, Tenite CAB, Tenite CAP.
What caught my attention was MOTHBALLS, because I have read the suggestion in old Popular Mechanics-type books or magazines that placing mothballs in a toolbox can protect against rust. Mothballs can be made with camphor, naphthaline, or dichlorobenzene, which seem pretty hard on Tenite. Maybe when we find similar-age toolhandles in different states of degradation, in addition to possible brand-specific or historically-changing plasticizer formulas, part of the difference may be due to intentional or unintentional storage with such rust-inhibiting, but plastic-degrading compounds by previous owners.
Anyway, don’t put your plastic-handled tools in any enclosed space that contains mothballs.

 

[Outlawmws]

LS, did they have anything bad to say about camphor? I've heard that suggested to prevent rust as well; even bought some but never used it.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Anyway, don’t put your plastic-handled tools in any enclosed space that contains mothballs.

Sage advice given your inadvertent findings and analysis!

 

[LesserSon]

LS, did they have anything bad to say about camphor? I've heard that suggested to prevent rust as well; even bought some but never used it.

According to Wikipedia, camphor is a terpenoid and a cyclic ketone. These are both broad categories of compounds, but notice that some terpenoids give cloves their distinctive flavor, and essential oil of clove dissolved cellulose acetate, while wintergreen attacked the surface. Most of the ketones that are listed dissolved the Tenites.
Also, camphor is the plasticizer for nitrocellulose to make celluloid, the first commercial plastic. I can imagine that a little might slow the deteriation of celluoid, but also soften/weaken the surface, since it’s not under high pressure.
And really, until a tool (or knife) handle does show distinctive damage (crazing, melting, clouding), I doubt I’d know which it is, so no camphor for my tools.

 

[four.cycle]

Maybe when we find similar-age toolhandles in different states of degradation, in addition to possible brand-specific or historically-changing plasticizer formulas, part of the difference may be due to intentional or unintentional storage with such rust-inhibiting, but plastic-degrading compounds by previous owners.

This question needs to be addressed to a broader audience, LS.

I am beyond intrigued.

* If I am understanding you correctly, you are positing there may be a possibility that the degradation process of some of these plastic compounds (used in the manufacture of tool handles) may be influenced by their environment? (e.g., mothballs, etc.) - correct?

 

[Beerhippie]

This question needs to be addressed to a broader audience, LS.

I am beyond intrigued.

* If I am understanding you correctly, you are positing there may be a possibility that the degradation process of some of these plastic compounds (used in the manufacture of tool handles) may be influenced by their environment? (e.g., mothballs, etc.) - correct?

Don't forget the entire refinery production of oils, penetrants, solvents, sealants, additives, etc, that are often found in or near old toolboxes!

 

[LesserSon]

This question needs to be addressed to a broader audience, LS.

I am beyond intrigued.

* If I am understanding you correctly, you are positing there may be a possibility that the degradation process of some of these plastic compounds (used in the manufacture of tool handles) may be influenced by their environment? (e.g., mothballs, etc.) - correct?

I chose to post on Lugz’s thread because the topic is most frequently and thoroughly discussed here, and his manufacturer chart is a labor that clearly demonstrates his interest.
*In a word - yes.
But I have no hope the historical data required to distinguish the influences of theorized fluctuation of manufacturing formulas from the theorized variance of storage conditions.
Further, a proper experiment would require remanufacture of obsolete plastics - old examples are already old, so already down the road to decay. Incomplete as Eastman’s data may be in connection to tool handle formulas and chemical exposures, I think it’s all we may have available.
I think it’s worth noting that most historical plastics are a structural substance infused with an (often volatile) elasticizing substance (plasticizer). The degradation of their integrity through leaching, offgassing, or exudation of the plasticizer is inexorable. But we may reasonably infer that environmental conditions (especially exposure to reactive substances) can and do accelerate overall degradation, and avoiding those conditions should be a priority for collectors.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Yes, and while we appreciate the additional info, it's a deeper dive we also have no intention of making.

 

[four.cycle]

But I have no hope the historical data r........

All of that stuff didn't occur to me until after I clicked "Post Reply", but you are absolutely correct: there would be no possible way to make any determination using any sort of "scientific method".

 

[Outlawmws]

Don't forget the entire refinery production of oils, penetrants, solvents, sealants, additives, etc, that are often found in or near old toolboxes!

It's a bit scary to think how many chemicals I have in my "collection" after a lifetime of "I need some of this, for that"

Heck, just on top of my inside workbench's wood tool box is a 3X30 wood tray full of such, (mostly smaller containers) as well as most of the 2" in front of that...

 

[RTM]

there would be no possible way to make any determination using any sort of "scientific method".

I doubt any of us would donate perfectly good tools to this study.

The only backdoor confirmatory study that could be done is to look for wrappers from camphor blocks, or mothballs. If present, look for a blast radius around it. I try to take As Found pix of each drawer, but I did fail once, found a rotted driver, and quickly threw it away. But no sign of mothballs or camphor wrappers.

But a mess in the center tray, and a rusty circle around it. Vacu Grips hurt, they got pulled out also

 

[Pagan Wizard]

The Lugzsonian is located “down the shore”, as the Bennies like to say, in a sleepy little town just north of Asbury Park, New Jersey, famous for the remains of its fin de siècle Carousel, Casino Arcade, and Steam Plant, for Bruce Springsteen, and if only in my mind, for the King Tool Company, which for a very short period of time in the 1920’s produced the Onli-1, one of the coolest little close-quarter ratchet wrench sets ever made.

That's not a workshop, it's a museum, and it looks AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

That's not a workshop, it's a museum, and it looks AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks. Very kind of you to say.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

The Curator was surprised to learn that the company that made the #890 grade lead stick...



...that the Acquisitions Dept brought home from the flea market this morning, with the "Dutchboy" logo...



...used by plumbers, welders, tin knockers, and many others back in the day, now known as NL Industries, Inc. then known as the National Lead Company, was started in Philadelphia, believe it or not - four years before our country gained its Independence!

Here at the Lugzsonian we often refer to and collaborate with other deeply committed (and probably ought to be committed) hand tools research addicts Curators around the vintage hand tools websphere. In this case, about the only edit we would make to Jethro's excellent 'Wrenchwiki' blog write-up on the history of the National Lead Company, accompanying the Dutchboy brand antifriction (Babbitt) metal paperweight in his collection, would be a humorous, well-placed "(no pun intended)" in the first line.

It's no secret why the National Lead Company reduced the name of the company to initials obscuring the element banned in quick succession from paint, gasoline, and many other harmful applications in the 1970's. Prior to that, though, lead was something worth celebrating for its all-pervasiveness. About the only pals missing from the front-and-centers at this party, for example...



...are pencils and bullets!

Don't worry, Dear Followers, we won't be licking or grinding it. Although we may use it as a paperweight to hold a book open from time to time.

 

[Beerhippie]

How long has it been since actual lead was used for pencils? Or do you mean the delicious lead-based paint we all loved to chew on?

 

[Cruzan80]

How long has it been since actual lead was used for pencils? Or do you mean the delicious lead-based paint we all loved to chew on?

Never. Graphite was originally called "black-lead", which had been shortened over time.

Why is lead used in pencils even though lead is poisonous?

The core of a pencil does not contain lead and never has. Pencils contain a form of solid carbon known as graphite. According to the book The Penci...

www.wtamu.edu

 

[Beerhippie]

Never. Graphite was originally called "black-lead", which had been shortened over time.

Why is lead used in pencils even though lead is poisonous?

The core of a pencil does not contain lead and never has. Pencils contain a form of solid carbon known as graphite. According to the book The Penci...

www.wtamu.edu

That's what I was thinking. He must be referring to the paint.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Or do you mean the delicious lead-based paint we all loved to chew on?

Chewing on the erasers was just as bad! They were really out to get us. (This entire exchange has unfortunately made my memory recall the ignominious story of being rushed from Sacred Heart school to the emergency room to have two erasers removed from deep within my nasal cavities after sticking them there as a joke! )

 

[Private Lugnutz]

The Acquisitions Dept informs me he had some fun clawing through a Kennedy box (attached below) and history at the flea market this morning. It was being used by a draftsman of some kind, with most of the drawers chock full of pencils, led, styluses, protractors, etc, and all matter of drafting and other bric-a-brac. As with most machinists' type chest, there always seems to be other miscellaneous odds and ends and he came home with these smalls, which the Curator was happy to inspect, sort, catalogue, and admire.

 

[Beerhippie]

Wouldn't have been easier to just bring the whole chest home and sort it later?