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I recently had the fortune of finding a few old hand tools belonging to my great grandfather. A stanely sliding bevel, a beautiful draw knife, a timber framer’s corner chisel and a wood & brass ruler that folds out from 3″ to 12″ (it has no brand, but is marked ‘NO. 32’ in two places). Oddly enough I am a log and timber crafter in Aspen, Co, and would like to return the cutting tools to active duty. Is there anything I should know about the metal, or should I just sharpen them up? The knife and chisel are rusted and the brass on the ruler has begun to turn green. Also, where can I find information on old tools? My guess is that these have been around for 60 to 80 years.
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Visit http://www.wwforum.com/htools/ Lots of folks there can answer your questions. Good luck with your "new" tools.
*There is a book called "Restoring and Using Antique Woodworking Tools" (I think that is correct) by Mike Dunbar. First rate, will tell you everything you need to know. As far as the rusted metal goes, if it is just surface rust, sharpen and go (except old handsaws; these should be sharpened by hand, not by a machine, as this has caused accidents), but if the metal is badly pitted, you will never be able to get an acceptably sharp edge.
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I recently had the fortune of finding a few old hand tools belonging to my great grandfather. A stanely sliding bevel, a beautiful draw knife, a timber framer's corner chisel and a wood & brass ruler that folds out from 3" to 12" (it has no brand, but is marked 'NO. 32' in two places). Oddly enough I am a log and timber crafter in Aspen, Co, and would like to return the cutting tools to active duty. Is there anything I should know about the metal, or should I just sharpen them up? The knife and chisel are rusted and the brass on the ruler has begun to turn green. Also, where can I find information on old tools? My guess is that these have been around for 60 to 80 years.