dragoneggs
Super Star Member
- Joined
- Jun 9, 2013
- Messages
- 13,627
- Location
- Seabeck, Washington
- Tractor
- Kubota BX-25D, Kubota Z122RKW-42
Okay Happy... here is a story and a few humble finds.
I got an email from my widow neighbor lady a couple weeks ago to a short few of us neighbors inviting us to rummage through her husband's shop. They were married 65+ years. He passed away a little more than a half year ago. A US Navy WWII veteran who joined voluntarily underage, cheating a year on his application. I called her and said I would be honored.
Most all of the power tools were claimed or sold (I would of passed on them anyways) but she wanted us to take what we wanted of what was left. I spent an most of an hour walking through and touching most of the hand tools, jigs, and so many remnants of projects. I kept grabbing a lot of modified chisels, saws, files, scrapers, and pry bars and got to wondering what all he did. Nostalgic.
I know he worked most of his years in the Puget Sound Navy Shipyard in the wood shop, and later built a few homes including their own. A real craftsman. Got to pondering more about the modified tools and came to the conclusion that he probably broke many of them over the years... and then machined, and worked them to be 'custom'. Obviously he got a lot of use out of his tools and himself. His modest garage/shop just wafted of pride. He passed at 89 years, using his tools to the end... and that's my goal now. Anyways... so much of his life there but I only took three items not because they are especially treasures but because all are the most basic tools and said, made in U.S.A. It just didn't feel right to take more. R.I.P. Lawrence.
P.S. you gotta love what a little WD-40 does to a struggling tool!
P.S.S. I should've saved some of those tired, worn, modified, no-name tools just for the memories.
I got an email from my widow neighbor lady a couple weeks ago to a short few of us neighbors inviting us to rummage through her husband's shop. They were married 65+ years. He passed away a little more than a half year ago. A US Navy WWII veteran who joined voluntarily underage, cheating a year on his application. I called her and said I would be honored.
Most all of the power tools were claimed or sold (I would of passed on them anyways) but she wanted us to take what we wanted of what was left. I spent an most of an hour walking through and touching most of the hand tools, jigs, and so many remnants of projects. I kept grabbing a lot of modified chisels, saws, files, scrapers, and pry bars and got to wondering what all he did. Nostalgic.
I know he worked most of his years in the Puget Sound Navy Shipyard in the wood shop, and later built a few homes including their own. A real craftsman. Got to pondering more about the modified tools and came to the conclusion that he probably broke many of them over the years... and then machined, and worked them to be 'custom'. Obviously he got a lot of use out of his tools and himself. His modest garage/shop just wafted of pride. He passed at 89 years, using his tools to the end... and that's my goal now. Anyways... so much of his life there but I only took three items not because they are especially treasures but because all are the most basic tools and said, made in U.S.A. It just didn't feel right to take more. R.I.P. Lawrence.
P.S. you gotta love what a little WD-40 does to a struggling tool!
P.S.S. I should've saved some of those tired, worn, modified, no-name tools just for the memories.
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