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What’s your holy grail tool?

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pandapike

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 30, 2018
Messages
149
Location
illinois
This should be fun. It’s all about the tool you have been wanting for forever. It doesn’t matter if the tool is rare or out of your budget etc.

Here are the rules
1. What is it and why do you want it?
2. Provide a photo even if you don’t own it.
3. Story behind how you got it(if you obtained it)

I have a lot of great tools but always wanted a double horned Hay budden anvil.
 

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P

pandapike

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 30, 2018
Messages
149
Location
illinois
kaymccampbell said:
What if there's nothing? What if I'm basically satisfied?
Click to expand...
Then you’re a very lucky man. I feel yah though when I first started out it was just to get enough tool to continue teaching blacksmithing once the school closed. I then got into buying and selling to pay for my last dogs medical treatments. Now I have 99% of what I need and and want. I actually enjoyed the days of going to a sale and always finding something. It’s now a matter of can I make the sale worth my gas to get to the sale.
 
K

kaymccampbell

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 27, 2015
Messages
29,608
Location
Upstate New York
pandapike said:
Then you’re a very lucky man. I feel yah though when I first started out it was just to get enough tool to continue teaching blacksmithing once the school closed. I then got into buying and selling to pay for my last dogs medical treatments. Now I have 99% of what I need and and want. I actually enjoyed the days of going to a sale and always finding something. It’s now a matter of can I make the sale worth my gas to get to the sale.
Click to expand...
Wow, I had no idea that being satisfied would make me a man. Now I'm dissatisfied. Will I turn back into a woman, or am I screwed?
 
K

kaymccampbell

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 27, 2015
Messages
29,608
Location
Upstate New York
pandapike said:
Guys aren’t but people today on the Internet are and your response is normally indicative of a very woke person who wants to start a fight when no ill will was intended.
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I'm as awake as the next person, and I smoke, n spit, n curse, n elbow folks out of my way, with the best of the rollergirls. You'll find my response is that of someone who enjoys taking the piss out of people. Gotcha puppy!
 
M

MushCreek

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 14, 2015
Messages
9,820
Location
Upstate South Carolina
I've always wanted to restore an old camel back drill press, but apparently they're collectible now, and too rich for my blood. You used to be able to haul them away for scrap. Another cool thing I saw at an auction once was an old engine hoist. It was a huge cast iron thing. I've never run across one since. It went pretty cheap, but I was shopping for other stuff I needed at the time. As for things I already have, I finally got a Delta 14" bandsaw, and did a restoration on it a few months ago. I wanted one for years, and finally found a good deal.
 
R

Ricky Joe

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 15, 2013
Messages
2,452
Location
Roanoke, Va.
There is an old abandoned garage in Roanoke that has an old camelback in it. I could ask the owner, who is still alive, but in pretty bad shape. I’ve approached him about other things, but have no interest myself in the press.
 
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RTM

Well-known member
Joined
May 13, 2019
Messages
13,241
Location
SF Bay Area
My original Holy Grail was a Stanley #1 woodworking plane, just because they were rare and often spoken of, but I stumbled across one as part of a package deal. Bought two big tool chests, and it was part of the deal. Spotted it in the little bitty CL picture at the bottom, and guessed that it was a #1 or #2, so drove an hour plus the Sunday after Thanksgiving to get it. An as found picture first, cleaned up and parts replaced at the very bottom.

DSC08799-X2.jpg



DSC08791-X2.jpg



gilroy1-Th.jpg


IMG_2300-X2.jpg



The newest Grail is a Stanley GunMetal #42, like this, but I want it cheap, like I got my #1

www.jimbodetools.com

STANLEY MILLERS PATENT NO. 42 Gunmetal Combination Plow & Filletster Plane - 92941 - AS OF MAY 16

Clean and fine. You can still make out the “MILLERS PATENT JUNE 28, 1870” on the handle. Full set of 10 cutters. The wrap-around-fence fit is a little awkward so it may not be original or one of the rods could be wonky.
www.jimbodetools.com www.jimbodetools.com
 
C

crguy

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 24, 2016
Messages
2,659
Location
SW Washington
RTM said:
My original Holy Grail was a Stanley #1 woodworking plane, just because they were rare and often spoken of, but I stumbled across one as part of a package deal. Bought two big tool chests, and it was part of the deal. Spotted it in the little bitty CL picture at the bottom, and guessed that it was a #1 or #2, so drove an hour plus the Sunday after Thanksgiving to get it. An as found picture first, cleaned up and parts replaced at the very bottom.

DSC08799-X2.jpg



DSC08791-X2.jpg



gilroy1-Th.jpg


IMG_2300-X2.jpg



The newest Grail is a Stanley GunMetal #42, like this, but I want it cheap, like I got my #1

www.jimbodetools.com

STANLEY MILLERS PATENT NO. 42 Gunmetal Combination Plow & Filletster Plane - 92941 - AS OF MAY 16

Clean and fine. You can still make out the “MILLERS PATENT JUNE 28, 1870” on the handle. Full set of 10 cutters. The wrap-around-fence fit is a little awkward so it may not be original or one of the rods could be wonky.
www.jimbodetools.com www.jimbodetools.com
Click to expand...
Plenty of those available, and if you're a serious collector you'll step up and buy.
 
C

CoogarXR

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 11, 2016
Messages
6,867
Location
Ohio
I don't really have any stand-alone "holy grail" tools.

That said, I am an obsessive Xcelite collector, and I have several drivers that I have been looking for for years to fill out my collections:

-Stubby Black-Handle Nut Driver, Model S6 (I've seen this one twice in large lots on ebay, but the lots always sold for more than it was worth to me)
-Extended-Length T8 Torx Screwdriver Model XTD8XL (only ever seen this one in catalogs, never seen the actual driver)
-Tamper-Proof T10 Torx Screwdriver Model XTD-10TP (only ever seen this one in catalogs, never seen the actual driver)
-Any Extended-Length nut driver from A-13 to A-15 (I have A-16), and any above A-16 (I don't know which of these exist) These can also be labeled L-11, etc. A-** and L-** are mostly the same.
-Any screwdriver/nutdriver that has a part number that ends in "CM". All I know about the CM drivers is that their colors are non-standard. I don't know what "CM" stands for.

Xcelite tools are hard to collect. Mainly, because it's hard to know what they even made. There's a handful of catalogs out there, and they made a lot of custom tools too. Most of the time I don't know I want something until I see it. Like in the case of the A/L Series nut drivers, I had a full run up to A-12, and that's all that's ever shown in catalogs. I thought it was complete. Then I found an A-16?! So I don't know if 13-15 exist. I won't know until I find them.
 
I

IMCA38

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 21, 2007
Messages
1,000
Location
Bennet, NE
Since I have quite a few Craftsman tools, including variations of the much-maligned tear drop ratchet, the RHFT ratchets in 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2, as well as a couple that date back to the 40’s or 50’s, the odd-duck little spinner ratchet would seem to be a natural addition. Honestly, I have trouble finding many practical uses for it, but would still be cool. Kind of like a Slinkey….
 

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jblnut

ALLIANCE MEMBER
Joined
Jan 17, 2015
Messages
7,133
Location
In the Middle of MN
D

DAustin

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 30, 2021
Messages
5,167
CoogarXR said:
I don't really have any stand-alone "holy grail" tools.

That said, I am an obsessive Xcelite collector, and I have several drivers that I have been looking for for years to fill out my collections:

-Stubby Black-Handle Nut Driver, Model S6 (I've seen this one twice in large lots on ebay, but the lots always sold for more than it was worth to me)
-Extended-Length T8 Torx Screwdriver Model XTD8XL (only ever seen this one in catalogs, never seen the actual driver)
-Tamper-Proof T10 Torx Screwdriver Model XTD-10TP (only ever seen this one in catalogs, never seen the actual driver)
-Any Extended-Length nut driver from A-13 to A-15 (I have A-16), and any above A-16 (I don't know which of these exist) These can also be labeled L-11, etc. A-** and L-** are mostly the same.
-Any screwdriver/nutdriver that has a part number that ends in "CM". All I know about the CM drivers is that their colors are non-standard. I don't know what "CM" stands for.

Xcelite tools are hard to collect. Mainly, because it's hard to know what they even made. There's a handful of catalogs out there, and they made a lot of custom tools too. Most of the time I don't know I want something until I see it. Like in the case of the A/L Series nut drivers, I had a full run up to A-12, and that's all that's ever shown in catalogs. I thought it was complete. Then I found an A-16?! So I don't know if 13-15 exist. I won't know until I find them.
Click to expand...
Do you collect VACO also. If you do the Tru Value in Fremont Ohio has some NOS VACO screwdrivers and nut drivers on their display racks for sale.

True Value Store Directory | Local Hardware Store

Store directory of True Value locations. Find a location near for you for Hardware Store products.
stores.truevalue.com stores.truevalue.com
 
O

oldmachinenut

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 3, 2009
Messages
2,532
Location
Missing, presumed dead in central Pa.
msharley said:
Have two.

One is a Power Cat. Other is a Wildcat...

One I keep a grinder rock on. 9" x 1/8".

Other I keep a 6" wire bead brush on.

Also have a 6" Metabo...for zip wheel...(used a wire wheel on it, today...cleaning the bead surface of cast Harley wheels)...
Click to expand...
My Wildcat is so old it has a wooden side handle and a factory push-on/push-off switch and no guard. I have a stainless cup brush on it and it deserves the name “Widow-Maker” that the old timers gave them.
 
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CoogarXR

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 11, 2016
Messages
6,867
Location
Ohio
DAustin said:
Do you collect VACO also. If you do the Tru Value in Fremont Ohio has some NOS VACO screwdrivers and nut drivers on their display racks for sale.

True Value Store Directory | Local Hardware Store

Store directory of True Value locations. Find a location near for you for Hardware Store products.
stores.truevalue.com stores.truevalue.com
Click to expand...
Dangit! And I was just over that way eating at the Tackle Box 2 a few months ago. Thanks for the tip. Next time I am out that way I'll check it out. I'm not into Vaco as much as I am with Xcelite, but I do pick up Vaco drivers here and there.
 
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