Hot Rods Old tools with memories

Got a Lufkin folding carpenter ruler from the 40s, given to me by a carpenter who had apprenticed with my grandfather. He was doing work for my father on our house when I was about 5-6 years old, and I kept getting in the way. He gave me the ruler, and suggested that I go outside and measure the short pieces of lumber and do something with them, what I don't remember. Still have it, and its unbroken, somehow!

The little brass slider still works and isn't bent!

The other tool given to me by a friend is my old bench vice. It's forged, and it was old when Jim got it in the 60's. I got it in the 70's and still use it. It's amazing how much abuse its survived and still works.

 

Old tools with memories. I`ve got the utility knife I sliced my hand with and had to get stitches. I have the hammer I smashed my fingernail with also. I do have memories of dad`s vice I dropped on my big toe when I was 7. I was smashing Hot Wheels with. Then my circular saw with a spliced cord I look at everytime I use it. I cut threw it while my neighbor was watching me.

 

Almost a year ago I misplaced the Starrett one-inch micrometer that I had inherited from my grandfather. Couldn't find it anywhere, despite the habit of putting it back where it belongs after using it. Then last fall I cut myself and recalled I still had some medical tape in a drawer from when I was on a J-tube a year ago. I opened the drawer to grab that tape and found the micrometer. I probably put it there last winter when I didn't want to go back out and put it away in the ice-cold garage. It means a lot to me because my grandfather was a machinist in Denver back in 1916 when my mother and twin sister were born. He had skills. He died four months before I bought my first car, a 1929 A coupe - the first thing I used the micrometer on.

 

Hello,

We were budding model makers with access to a bunch of plastic models of coupes and sedans, even a few roadsters thrown in the group. Our one dragster model bit the dust as the two brothers fought over how it should be made and what color to paint it. So, our dad realized that two of the same models kits of the same kit would not create such an uproar in our household.

Even though we shared a small bedroom, the den was created for us to do studying and relaxing during our growing up years from junior high school through college. We made good use of the open room and had our own bookshelf for displaying finished custom models.
Over the years, our drag race trophies, school books and reference resources took over from the finished models and other new kit boxes. This photo was taken many years later when my brother went away to college and left me the whole room for my own stuff. Picture another similar desk in the place of the stereo cabinet, as the stereo cabinet was on the other side of the room back when the two brothers had their own spaces.

Our mom saw us breaking off those plastic pieces from the model car kit forms. Some came off easily and others needed a knife to cut through the plastic tabs. Carefully placing the model form with all of the parts connected, this small, very sharp knife easily sliced through the plastic tabs and out popped the part for our model car hot rod kits. But, replaced our original fold out, pocket size, little sharp knife that was too small to hold well for the intricate cutting and shaping.

This is a small 3 inch sharp blade with a custom handle that our mom used when she was a little girl. Several swipes of our mom’s sharpening block made the old knife sharper than our little knife. The famous X-acto knives were not available at the time.

The protective, bottom surface was an old wooden cutting board that my mom used to use for her kitchen food prep. Those old wooden cutting boards were notorious for bacteria, if not bleached and washed after each use. So, after a month or two, even with cleaning, she gave us the clean, old cutting board for our model car kit cutting issues. But, our original small knives were not the best. The new one piece sharp blade knife sliced easily and made the parts ready to assemble.

In our teens, we finally were able to use this old sharp knife to cut out patterns for homemade gaskets and cardboard patterns for transferring modifications from the hot rod to an actual sheet metal piece. The sharp knife made straight cuts easily using steel yard sticks.

Jnaki

When we were a few years younger, our dad had given us this longer blade for our camping adventures and explorations. He always reminded us to bring it to our Apple Orchard adventures, for Cherry Picking places, and fishing expeditions he took us in his big Buick sedans. It fit in our jackets and was a different style of sharp knife. The blade was serrated and not only was it super sharp, but it could act as a cutting tool if needed.


Our dad gave us this 5 inch serrated blade knife when we went with him to our family outings at the beach surf fishing activities. When deep sea fishing and the kelp caught our lines, this knife went right through the messy plant to free our lines, sinkers and lures.

Yes, it was a large knife for a couple of little kids, but our dad trusted us to use it only for necessary things. The tip was very sharp and could cut just about anything. (Apple stems to fish guts.) It was too large to cut our patterns and model sheets.

Historic knives just waiting for the next generation’s usages. YRMV

 

During the early 70’s I was going to put some patch panels on the door bottoms of my ‘28 roadster. While I was cutting the rusted lower panels with angle grinder I noticed that I kept hitting something solid . So I started digging down in the bottom of the door and this is what I found (you can see the marks where the grinder had hit it) . I like to think what this wrench had been used for over the many years and always handy in the drivers door . Oh yea still have the roadster and still driving the wheels off it ......

 

I've got dad's Craftsman 1/2 inch drill, I never use it anymore, it's too darn heavy to use except in places you need all the power you can get. It's huge, over 70 years old and my first memory was when dad was building our garage and was out "helping....or getting in the way" and I picked that drill up and pulled the trigger...then I panicked and started to bawl...I must have been wimpy Dad saved the dad I was under five years old, I am pretty sure, dad's been gone for almost 50 years.
I've got a bunch of tools that I've had over 50 years but none as memorable as that big old Craftsman.