Member postings for Martin King 2

So very sorry to hear this very sad news, my condolences to his family.

Hi Jon,

I went for the Stuart 10v as my first go at this great hobby and am enjoying it immenslel when I get time to work on it. Some of the tasks seemed soooo daunting at first but with great advice from here it is slowly coming on.

Yup, did have to get a new bed casting when I misread the drawing but as my old dad used to say, 'You've got to pay to learn'....

Not sure where you are in N Dorset but we are in Broadmayne about 3 miles from Dorchester and you are welcome to pop by and use my Warco WM18 mill if it helps you out on some of your parts when you get started.

Kettle is always on too...

Best regards and welcome to the nut house.....

Martin

Hi Jon,

Not sure where you are in N Dorset but we are in Broadmayne about 3 miles from Dorchester and you are welcome to pop by and use my Warco WM18 mill if it helps you out on some of your parts when you get started.

Kettle is always on too...

Best regards and welcome to the nut house.....

Martin

Hi Bugbear, long time no hear about you! Hope you are well. Regards, Martin (mahking51)

+1 for a clockmakers tapered pentagonal broach

Martin

Manzie, Do find out what it is made of BEFORE attacking it with anything strong as you may damage the metal if it is non ferrous.

Had loads of fog horns and steam whistles, nearly always brass or bronze or gunmetal, they look great when cleand up and can be quite valuable.

Cheers,

Martin

Hi All,

Bought a very uusual beading tool at auction last Friday that was described as possibly being by Edward Preston. I am pretty sure it is NOT by him but the only marks on the tool are Rd 181534 (short for Registered I guess)

Just wondered if anyone had a magic way of tracing this number down, have tried Google etc to no avail?

Michael G to the rescue hopefully!

Cheers, Martin

Ditto, welcome back Michael G !

Martin

Hi Guys,

The earlier Rabone (& Smallwood, Preston et al) levels all had clear liquid vials and are much more desirable than the later green or orange tinted ones.

Some were sold in 'foil backed' or 'line backed' or 'paper backed' versions to help see the bubble.

IMHO these should all be left well alone and not tinkered with as the bubble WILL shatter if you breathe on it.!

I have totally given up on ever trying to remove a bubble intact. Instead I go to my diminishing hoard of spares that I paid an absolute kings ransom for at Stanleys Auction a few years ago.

There are modern replacements available but at ludicrous prices and high minimum order numbers so not worthwhile for me.

I have a REALLY rare Mathieson level that I have beeen trying to find a vial for now for over 8 YEARS!

I use a surface plate shimmed against my Precision Level when fitting vials to old levels and set them in Milliput not plaster. Works fine.

Cheers, Martin

Hi Andy C, not too far away from you in Broadmayne just outside Dorchester, used to go to Greenslades by the bridge to deliver Scallops every evening!

If you are ever over this way drop in for a cuppa!

Regards,

Martin

Hi All,

To all of the people who have PM'd me re these bearings, please do not think that I have forgotten about you, just not been very well lately but a bit better now so will get to them as soon as I can.

Regards,

Martin

Hi Andrew,

Got quite few if those cutters, mostly what I might call thick slitting saw types if you need any.

No use to me except for this kind of fun stuff.

Martin

Hi All,

Bit off the wall but I have been messing about with the bits and pieces left over from a large haul of micrometers and milliing cutters and finally came up with this but not sure which 'shade' looks best (if any!)

Its been fun doing it and even 'The War Office' approves!

I am clearly losing the plot.... Cheers, Martin

Sean, if going to an auction beware the 'helium balloon' attached to your bidding arm, very easy to get carried away with 'just one more bid'; then a serious shock when you pay and remember the commissions etc!

Cheers, Martin

Hi Sean,

My wife and I hit at least 4 or 5 a week down here in Dorset and Devon, they supply most of our 'stock' and have done for about 6 years now. We go less and less to auctions because of the high costs.

You will often find all sorts of smaller bargains but obviously not large machinery.

Thye best stuff (cheapest) seems to come from sellers with normal household stuff and kids toys, cltohes etc who have no idea what is in the box of rust on the ground at their table!

Recently we looked at a huge selection of very posh china and glass on a nice table cloth held down at the corners by 4 chunks of steel. The guy was gobsmacked when I asked if he would sell me the steel bits which he did for £4; got a really nice set of 4 chairmakers adjustable spindle rounders by SWAN which went back to the USA for £100+!

Your local paper will list local boot sales in your area, usually on a Friday.

Cheers, Martin

Hi All, Salaman is THE bible for woodworking tools but he also did one solely for tools of the leatherworking trades which is superb. I pick up one or the other nearly everyday to get a tool description right in my listings.

The other 'go to' reference I use is the Edward Preston 1909 catalogue reprint fron Astragal Press; the bible for anything EP but also logs most vintage and antique tools of all sorts.

I have a huge selection of tool catalogues from various makers and merchants so can usually find info on most oddities when they turn up.

Cheers, Martin

Some interest via PM etc which I will try to help out with.

JS, I can certainly see what you mean, just seems a shame when they may be useful to someone.

Nick G, There are quite a lot in non original but sealed packaging but the rest are as you say exposed etc.

I have taken out a few small ones for possible future small projects, one of them thar thingies for pushing work in the chuck to make it run true etc ; grinding spindle etc etc

Have used one already to make my rusted up wind vane go round again, wondered why the wind was ALWAYS NE!

Cheers, Martin

Nige, Dorchester Dorset DT2 8XB, kettle is always on! Martin

As you can see many are not boxed, quite a few have labels showing what they are.

I am tending towards just taking them to a car boot and selling the lot to a trader perhaps but if anyone sees something that is of use let me know.

Ther is no way I'm going through that lot with a magnifing glass!

Cheers, Martin

Some pics: