Garden Railway Forum

Hi all.
I was reading on another forum where a modeller had taken an old and wellworn hammer once owned by his father, cleaned it up and brought it back to life. That set me thinking about how many of us are still using anything in our modelling that, in other circumstances, could have been thrown away or scrapped as being of no use anymore.
If I may start the ball rolling. I have a wooden box, being inscribed on a brass plate the initials 'B O W'. Now Bernard Orton Wells was my Grandmother's uncle. Given I was born in 1950ish. and my grandmother was born in 1899, Bernard must have been born around 1875. I can remember him as an old man when I was very young, sitting in an armchair in his front room by the fire. I know Bernard had run a building firm so what could be in the box? I am working on conjecture here, but if Bernard was involved in the building trade he may have had training in technical drawing in his younger days so would have needed a drawing set. So could this date this box to around 1899 to 1900?
Lifting out the instrument tray, there are the items shown. These include a brass protector, a wooden rule, a wooden scale rule (1:1, 2:1, 3:1, and 4:1), a parallel line rule and 2 keys for the box. The reason behind this piece is that I am still using the 120 year old bone handled lining pen to line my models, both 009 and 16mm. It works fine with Citadel and Vellajo paints and cleans easily. The latest model to receive this treatment is a PDF Models De-Winton. Not the neatest lining job but I am happy with it.
Can anyone add to this thread of using old tools?

Hi David,

What a beautiful drawing set. Today's CAD wizz kids wouldn't have a clue!

Nice lining too, by the way.

Andrew

Agreed, a wonderful high quality set in a beautiful box, and two keys!
Not a hint of plastic anywhere.

My dad drifted from one semi-skilled job to another. At one time, he worked at Stansted Aerodrome (as it was then) in the workshops. I can remember him talking about plunging mechanical bits and pieces with his sleeves rolled-up into a large tank of carbon tetra-chloride to de-grease them. Those were the days! Over the years he accumulated tools from a variety of sources, some of which I have inherited. My favourite is this little adjustable spanner. It's not the most elegant, but it has pride of place on my toolboard and I find to be very useful when a nut isn't quite one thing or another.... Rik

Not claiming mine is as old as yours Rik, faux crocodile skin outside velvet lined. There's no missing pieces
they're on the clock or workbench from constant use. A close up of the exquisite joint on the bow pen, the bone handle and the finely ground shape. Grant.

I have several items inherited from my grandfathers via my father and mother.

My paternal g/father was apprenticed to the LNWR workshops at Wolverton in about 1901. In the picture below, the Square on the RHS was made by him during the apprenticship and subsequently used by my own father before he passed it on to me. Considering it is now about 120years old and has had 3 owners it is still spot on apart from a couple of very minor wear points.
The thingy in the middle was an apprentice filing test piece. The lump at the LHS is screwed to the flat piece from the back, showing he could tap a blind hole, and it fits exactly through the three holes, being filed to a perfect square, triangle, and circle, depending on the orientation.
The small tin snips were his because they have his initials on them but were factory made originally. I still use them when the occasion demands.
My maternal g/father was brought up by his grandparents. His g/father ( my G.G.Grandfather) was the village wheelwright and made this small stool for him as a very young child ( ca. 1898 ish). Now doing duty supporting a printer under my desk! Not quite in the same historical era but I still routinely use the forceps and scissors that were part of my own A Level Biology disection kit, many years ago!

Great to know this old stuff is still about and being used.
David.

Hi Rick.
This has been in my dad's possession since at least the mid 50s. David.

River Lin wrote: ↑Sun Nov 01, 2020 3:08 pm Hi Rick.
This has been in my dad's possession since at least the mid 50s.
IMG_20201101_150513.jpg
David.

Snap!

Rik

River Lin wrote: ↑Sun Nov 01, 2020 3:08 pm Hi Rick.
This has been in my dad's possession since at least the mid 50s.
IMG_20201101_150513.jpg
David.

It would seem a few of us have similar, though I have had mine form the early 70s, not sure where it came from