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Yup, buttress thread - key part of the Parkinson's Perfect quick release patented 1880 and used since then by 99% of English-made QR vices, such as the Records. Amazing how effective it is with just a half nut.

This is a fine old Parky, about 100 years +/- of the type that used a cast and machined way to slide and maintain parallel motion in and out. Later Records, Parkys and others used bars in drilled holes which means easier machining. The oldest of your type of quick release Parky (+/- 130 years...

Colour, density rather like some posts I acquired from an old casemaker along our street - my best bet for mine so far is kingwood. (but again, the end grain pores on yours look rather different (big pores for a 1.1 density wood) also mine has very straight grain)

re "strangling trees" - ivy gets a bad press - yes there can be too much of it on a tree so it weighs it down but it doesn't actually strangle. It's a great wildlife resource - birds nesting, hiding from predators, likewise butterflies, solitary bees etc overwinter and in autumn there are...

interesting wood - very pliable as cut but can harden significantly when dry. used for some Japanese tool handles, so impact resistant

I'm not the expert, but do fettle my own saws. there are M pattern tooth cuts but never seen one like this is an alternative explanation that your granpa got halfway through sharpening (with a pretty deep file cut) then left the saw without doing the other side? looks like a nice saw and...

welcome which of the 'two members for the price of one' in the photo is you? and why does the moniker 'velar' ring a bell? - something to do with bikes?

explodes in the furnace and leaves contaminants in the ash

The local charity at St Wilfrid's, Sheffield is very knowledgeable and does a good job fixing and sorting (I'm not a member, but have passed on tools and stopped for a chat, seen what they do). They used to pass all the refurbed tools on to 'Tools for Self Reliance', but now they make up tool...

A few years ago, I had collected a number of Japanese and Chinese tools (being a cheapskate, all fair quality, but only bought when I encountered a bargain) - I'd seen pix of such toolboxes, so when I found myself with some rather nice looking grainy, knot-free pine, I made such a box (just...

I keep a small one loaded with a countersink bit for use on hardwoods - one push is usually enough. (although a fully manual countersink only takes a few twists of the wrist)

Reminds me. Back in the late1960s as a teenaged experimenter I bought a Soviet V,A etc meter - housed in a steel case - beautifully made, if a bit rough around the edges. It had one of the very ancient type bicycle lamp batteries (? 3 cells in one case, size of a long flat cigarette pack...

If you have a cordless landline phone at home - chances are you're already a daily user of chargers and rechargeable AAA batteries. Just changed the batteries in my Panasonic 4 station cordless (last time round had used Panasonic brand and a v cheapo Chinese off-label - both seemed to perform...

I tend to stand somewhat left of centre on these issues (wishy washy liberal?) but hey? to change the tune, but stay with J's title --- any interesting Russian archive film on workshop practice, crafts etc? - like the old Nordic and German archive film

I'd guess that the very high vanadium is a HIPped tool-steel - Crucible of Pittsburgh made 5, 10 and 15 V and a couple of European operations made similar where the no is % Vanadium. Why HIP (hot isostatically press ie very high gas pressure compaction and below melting point diffusion bonding...

I'll return them if you give me back my socks, my specs, my biros, my keys and my glasses.

fibreglass roof in 2015 - looked fine, is strong, but in heavy rain leaked - roofers (established company) tried to repair with new top coat - OK for a while then leak - say it's now out of guarantee - when I looked closely seemed to have micro-cracking in patches (extremely fine) -- last two...

Enjoyed that, too - I'll just pick out your 'shout-out' for old chisels - yes. The Rapier site is a pleasure, and I'm pleased to see that more is due. While on interesting planes -- what types did Letwin make?

thanks -- now I'm going to spend some time at your website -- looks good - nice to see an in-depth on a less-usual UK make

My garden slopes steeply away from kerb - this rule would allow me to build a two or three storey shed.