Yards Sales and Old Tools

I love Memorial Day weekend, not only because it signals the start of summer, but because its one of the biggest yard sale weekends of the year, everyone is out there like eager little beavers trying to sell all there accumulative junk. Lucky for me one mans junk is another mans treasure and I found some treasure this weekend. First I picked an older Stanley back saw that looks like it could be from the 1940s. The guy wanted $20 dollars for it and when he saw me looking at it he said to me I’ll take ten for it, then a few minutes later as I was eyeing down the teeth of the saw which where in great shape, he came over and said I tell you what that there is an old saw and if you give $7 bucks for it, it yours, now I would of gladly given the him the $20 for it but hey he was a tough hackler. I search his tables some more to see what else I might find when I picked up an old 1 ½ chisel with no handle I started to ask him what he was asking for this gem when he said you can have that old thing I was going to throw it out, so I put it in my pocket. Then I the saw a little bench vice like the one I’ve been wanting to get for Tina, it had $10 dollars on so I pick it up pleased with that price and went to pay him, he looked at to the vice and told I could have it for $3 bucks that said I was a tough sale. I gave him $10 dollars and thank you and got back in the van.

At another yard sale I found a Shop Smith Mark 5 for $75 the man said the motor was shot on it I said that was fine I can fix that with no problem, so I paid him and ask if I could pick it up later this week. Even if I have to buy I new motor this will make a fine lathe for the shop. thing are coming together.

On Saturday my son in law was out with his sister shopping yard sales and he picked me up a box of hand planes for $45 there was a really nice Stanley #5 1/4 and Fowler that looks like it could be a #6 but I don’t know nothing about these planes so I need to research them a bit. There were also several block planes in the boxes some really nice ones. So now my plane collection is glowing and the ones I don’t use I was pass on to my grandsons tool box for them to use as they glow up.

Other finds at yard sales includes some 4” c clamps, 2 small back saws, a dovetail saw, all of these are older tools which I like some of the saw I got for my grandson I want to start letting him build things he’s getting old enough and is starting to show some interest.