Carboot finds

[stevenk4563]

Found two nice brass back saws, Tyzack & Sons 120 for £2 and a Henry Temple for £1, a never used Stanley 803 and Record 110 block plane for £13 and an adjustable drill bit for £1, not a bad Sunday really!

 

[Stanleymonkey]

That hand drill looks in mint condition - very good find

 

[dickm]

That hand drill looks in mint condition - very good find

Agreed about the condition, but can anyone explain to me the attraction of eggbeater drills? Probably just me, but I always found them a pain to use - impossible to get enough downward pressure and keep the drill exactly aligned.
(ducks below the parapet again)

 

[Vann]

...can anyone explain to me the attraction of eggbeater drills? Probably just me, but I always found them a pain to use...

I shunned them in my youth. Much easier to use a power drill.

I now use them all the time. One is permanently chucked with a 3mm pilot drill for 8g screws, another with a countersink bit. They're great for benchwork where both hands are free (no flat batteries or annoying cords).

I still use battery drills when one hand is needed to hold the work, or when there's not enough depth to fit an eggbeater (which generally are longer than battery drills).

Cheers, Vann.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Brilliant for delicate or small work. I keep a countersink in one, and would use one for anything under about 3mm by choice - they're just more controlable. Saves losing the countersink, as well.

 

[thick_mike]

Yep, cheap as chips, so one for pilot and one countersink.

Also, because they are longer, easier to keep perpendicular.

Rarely run out of charge

 

[Rorschach]

I like them for small pilot holes or deburring. My favourite use though is for delicate drilling where you need to go just a few turns at a time to make sure you don't go too deep.

 

[stevenk4563]

That's what I had planned for it, keep a pilot drill in this one and will pick up another for a countersink (although probably not in as good condition), think it will be much easier than swapping bits in my electric drill.

 

[bugbear]

I like them for small pilot holes or deburring. My favourite use though is for delicate drilling where you need to go just a few turns at a time to make sure you don't go too deep.

If you watch videos of guitar work (fitting tuners, pickups, bridges, control pots) it's pretty much egg beaters all the way.

BugBear

 

[ED65]

I would call that a very good Sunday indeed!

The 803 is one of those once-in-a-lifetime finds for most of us, and even if you figure the Record was only £1 of it that's still a great price for one of those drills in that condition. It's hard to make out, is there some flaking of the finish on the crank handle and right near the ferrule on the main one?

 

[stevenk4563]

Yeah, there is a bit of flaking, not sure what to do about it really, I'll never be able to match it, was thinking of stripping the old finish and going for a waxed or oiled finish as I really prefer bare wood, but then I lose the originality, suggestions welcome...

 

[AndyT]

For maximum originality, just leave it as it is now.

 

[stevenk4563]

So, I tidied up the saws a bit, not bad for £3, originality lovers look away now.

 

[bugbear]

They certainly don't look like 3 quid's worth of saws now - very nice.

BugBear

 

[AndyT]

I think you were quite right not to leave the saws looking like they did! You'll enjoy using them, I predict.

 

[ED65]

Bravo on the saws =D> They look stonking.

Yeah, there is a bit of flaking, not sure what to do about it really

That's a shame but that finish is notorious for flaking.

I think there are really only two good options, taking it all off (usually easier because there's much less of it left, it's in much worse shape and mostly wants to come off) and refinishing as you like, or doing nothing and seeing if you can live with it.

This is both looks-wise and feel-wise, the sharp edges of a flaked thick finish can make for a particularly unpleasant hold so sometimes you have to at least sand it down a bit for comfortable use.