An 8" x 12" Framing Square

This square is inch on one side.

And metric on the other.

That sort of inch/metric combination has always struck me as a poor one.

Whichever system you're working in, if you need to flip the tool over for the sake of convenience at any point, you lose the scales you've been using.

That aside, it's not a bad little framing square. It was made in Korea (South Korea, presumably).

The red label on the inch side says,

"8 x 12 SQUARE
Parkerized black steel with etched white markings. Scales in 1/16ths and 1/32nds. Distributed only through the wholesaler by Smith-Wolff Co., Inc.. Mt. Vernon, N.Y. 10553. Unconditionally Guaranteed"

There's also a partially obliterated catalogue number that may be "SW583", and a logo that may read "top-spec".

From what can get from the internet, it appears that the Smith-Wolff firm is no longer with us.

I still have space on the rack where I keep framing squares, so I'll stash this item there with the others.

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A General No. 1201 12" Steel Rule

General still listed essentially the same tool in their January 2014 catalogue, although it's catalogue number was 1201ME. There are slight differences in the scales between the 1201 and the 1201ME.

I already have all the 12" rules I need; this one can hang on the nail where I keep some other rules.

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Bates National Rule BNR-15 15" Steel Rule

It's a difficult subject to photograph well, but there it is.

It's quite a good steel rule, with a cork backing. I really don't care for cork backings on rules -- I can get by just fine without the alleged 'non-slip' feature of them, and the way that the backing raises the rule up off a surface is inconducive to accuracy because of the parallax effect that's introduced.

From what I can see on the internet, the Bates Manufacturing Company of Hackettstown, New Jersey has disappeared into the mists of time.

The rule has a hole in it at one end for hanging, so I'll hang on the nail where I have a few other rules hanging.

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A Stanley No. 399 Surform

I already have one of these, along with the bigger 'plane'-style version. I never use either of them.

The Surform tools are Stanley's refinement of the wood rasp. I never use a rasp, either.

If I didn't find business & commerce to be such a pain-in-the-neck, I'd put the whole works up on Kijiji for five bucks and try to be rid of them.

I guess I'll just try to make room in the drawer for this additional Surform, and stash it with the others. Perhaps something will come up for which a Surform will be just the tool I need.

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Mystery Washer

The opening is just shy of 9/16" across. The outside diameter is 1 3/16"; thickness is just shy of 7/32".

Embossed around the bevelled perimeter is, "SEE MANUAL DO NOT OVER TIGHTEN BOLT".

I have no idea what the washer is for. It can go with my collection of miscellaneous large washers.

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An All-Plastic Hand Screw

Even the screw is plastic. I can't imagine what this might be from or for.

It looks to be quite useless, but it's too nice to throw out. I'll stash it in my UBICTIO (Useless But I Can't Throw It Out) bin.

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A Ray-O-Vac Sportsman Lantern

A lantern from the days when men were men, and a proper portable lantern weighed over four pounds.

The red flasher beacon is articulated so it can be elevated.

The beam is powerful. It ought to be, considering that replacement batteries are about twenty dollars

This lantern has accumulated a lot of grime over the years. I'll clean it up and get it back as close to pristine condition as I can. Meanwhile, here are the bulb specifications:




Flasher Beacon

No. 407
G-4 1/2 bulb
Miniature screw base
4.9 volts
300 milliamps
1.2 candlepower

Beam

No. 4546-1
PAR36 bulb, 4 1/2" diameter
4.7 volts
500 milliamps
6,300 max. beam candlepower

The above bulb complement is fairly common for this class of lantern. Eveready made a similar lantern that took the identical set of bulbs. Replacement bulbs can still be had from the internet.

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And here's the lantern looking reasonably spiffy for the first time in a long while.

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