Inherited tools

[David A Morris]

Here are the tools I inherited from my father. Most are in rough shape but I use the first three, from the left, most of the time. They are identified as Buck Brothers cast steel and ps&w co. That's what I have and can't afford a new set at this time. I'd appreciate help in naming them so I know what to call them when I use them. I don't even know if they're all turning tools or just plain ole chisels for woodworking. I'm really interested in the little L shaped chisel on the right.

 

[David A Morris]

Oh wow! I just did an AI analysis of the chisels and it told me some are Buck Brothers cast steel and some are P S & W Co cast stell framers chisels from before 1875. It said cast steel is very durable and desirable to collectors. Well, I don't use them for framing but they seem to work quite well for turning.

 

[Webb Willmott]

You have a mixture. The ones with collar ferrels are lathe tools. The others with cones or flanges are bench chisels designed to take the force of a mallet blow. I’m guess the bench chisels were used as a makeshift lathe tools.

My concern is safety. The way a bench chisel attaches to the handle is not designed for leverage. There is a chance the handle could come loose and separate while turning.

I would pull the lathe tools and clean them up and put the others away. Also instead of buying a new set, get good with the ones you have and buy one good tool that does a lot of different jobs such as a 1/2” spindle gouge.

I see cracks in some of lathe tool handles so I would remove the handles and turn new ones. You can reuse the ferrels. Watch Richard Raffan’s video on turning tool handles.

Cleaned up with new handles would make you and dad proud.

Just one man’s opinion so see what others have to say.

 

[David A Morris]

You have a mixture. The ones with collar ferrels are lathe tools. The others with cones or flanges are bench chisels designed to take the force of a mallet blow. I’m guess the bench chisels were used as a makeshift lathe tools.

My concern is safety. The way a bench chisel attaches to the handle is not designed for leverage. There is a chance the handle could come loose and separate while turning.

I would pull the lathe tools and clean them up and put the others away. Also instead of buying a new set, get good with the ones you have and buy one good tool that does a lot of different jobs such as a 1/2” spindle gouge.

I see cracks in some of lathe tool handles so I would remove the handles and turn new ones. You can reuse the ferrels. Watch Richard Raffan’s video on turning tool handles.

Cleaned up with new handles would make you and dad proud.

Just one man’s opinion so see what others have to say.

Valid opinion, and I've seen Richard's video on turning handles. Thank you.

 

[Bob Sheppard]

I started with a set of Buck Bros. turning tools, probably from the 30s or 40s. While they don't hold an edge as long as modern steels do, they do work just fine. The handles on mine look very similar to the ones you have.
P S & W stands for Peck, Stow, and Wilcox. They are very nice older chisels. I have a couple of them. They are sought after by some collectors.

 

[David A Morris]

I started with a set of Buck Bros. turning tools, probably from the 30s or 40s. While they don't hold an edge as long as modern steels do, they do work just fine. The handles on mine look very similar to the ones you have.
P S & W stands for Peck, Stow, and Wilcox. They are very nice older chisels. I have a couple of them. They are sought after by some collectors.

You still use them? I had heard that collectors like those two.

 

[R Henrickson]

P S & W stands for Peck, Stow, and Wilcox. They are very nice older chisels. I have a couple of them. They are sought after by some collectors.

I have at least several PSW drawknifes of various sizes which I use regularly in making Windsor chairs. All are at least that old as your chisels. The steel is far better than modern, so I prefer and use the PSW as well as couple other brands of old drawknifes. They were made to be used.

 

[Bob Franklin]

I can at least identify some of them and give my 2 cents and thoughts. In the first pic: first 3 are bench chisels, 4 tool is a small skew, 5th tool appears to be a small spindle gouge (is the handle split right at the feral, looks like possibly a little crack ?, 6th and 7th tool are bench chisels,8th tool is hard to see, but maybe could be another small spindle gouge (because of the split handle and loose Ferrel it is not usable in its current state) , 9.10,11 and 12 are bench tools, 13 looks like it was a bedan that was sharpened into a screw driver, or maybe they where attempting to use it for a parting tool? and the last tool is another bench tool. All the bench tools (while being very cool old tools are are not made for wood turning and should not be used for wood turning). Anyhow so out of these the 4th tool could be possibly be cleaned and sharpened, the 5th tool and the 8th tool look like they need the handles replaced before use, and the 8th tool looks like it may be cleaned up and used but needs a better pic to identify further. All the tools in the tray appear to be bench tools

 

[David A Morris]

I can at least identify some of them and give my 2 cents and thoughts. In the first pic: first 3 are bench chisels, 4 tool is a small skew, 5th tool appears to be a small spindle gouge (is the handle split right at the feral, looks like possibly a little crack ?, 6th and 7th tool are bench chisels,8th tool is hard to see, but maybe could be another small spindle gouge (because of the split handle and loose Ferrel it is not usable in its current state) , 9.10,11 and 12 are bench tools, 13 looks like it was a bedan that was sharpened into a screw driver, or maybe they where attempting to use it for a parting tool? and the last tool is another bench tool. All the bench tools (while being very cool old tools are are not made for wood turning and should not be used for wood turning). Anyhow so out of these the 4th tool could be possibly be cleaned and sharpened, the 5th tool and the 8th tool look like they need the handles replaced before use, and the 8th tool looks like it may be cleaned up and used but needs a better pic to identify further. All the tools in the tray appear to be bench tools

That's exactly the info I was looking for. Thank you

 

[Bob Franklin]

That's exactly the info I was looking for. Thank you

David, As i recall you are a fairly new turner? I am going out on a limb here and maybe going to hang myself ,lol so please correct me if i am wrong but in your post here you mention that these are the tools you have to work with right now (to turn with?) and cant afford others, So i am assuming (maybe incorrectly) that these are what you are turning and working with?

 

[David A Morris]

David, As i recall you are a fairly new turner? I am going out on a limb here and maybe going to hang myself ,lol so please correct me if i am wrong but in your post here you mention that these are the tools you have to work with right now (to turn with?) and cant afford others, So i am assuming (maybe incorrectly) that these are what you are turning and working with?

That is correct. I use the first four from the left.

 

[Bob Franklin]

oh man, well you are doing an awesome job with them, but these have to be very difficult to use for wood turning. Honestly though the first 3 should not be used for turning as they are not made for turning and with the short handles will be dangerous for it, so until you get some other tools please be very careful and do not put much of the tool over the tool rest and wear a face mask as you are asking for trouble. I'll tell you what, I have a few extra turning tools that i will donate to your cause (nothing fancy and they are just HSS but they work) and I will look through what i have today and sharpen them up, off the top of my head I think i can come up with a skew, a spindle gouge and possibly a spindle roughing gouge for sure and maybe more . If so we just need to come up with a parting tool and a bowl gouge for you, with these 5 tools that's really the basics of what you need to start with and all that many turners ever use. Please PM me your address and i will cover shipping as well, call this a Christmas present from one turner to another All i ask is that you pay it forward some day to some other turner if you can. In the mean time ANY OTHER TURNERS here with the Christmas Spirit have a bowl gouge or parting tool to donate to the cause???

 

[Kent Reisdorph]

Oh wow! I just did an AI analysis of the chisels and it told me some are Buck Brothers cast steel and some are P S & W Co cast stell framers chisels from before 1875. It said cast steel is very durable and desirable to collectors. Well, I don't use them for framing but they seem to work quite well for turning.

You know this, but I wouldn't depend on a single thing AI tells me. That 1875 date, in particular, is suspect. Run it through several AI tools to get a better idea.

 

[Brian Gustin]

I have to agree with @Bob Franklin - Most of those tools appear to be carver's chisels , and quite unsafe for woodturning especially for a beginner. Problem with cast steels I would imagine is they may be brittle enough they could break or even shatter if you got a bad catch... Those socket handles are made so that the handles are intended to be hit with mallet (for carving) so they can also come loose so the handle falls out (very dangerous situation if using one for turning) out of them all from looking at your pictures, I'd say that only #4, #5, #9, #10 from the left might be usable in turning - #4 might work as a skew, 5 Might work as a spindle detail gouge (I have one much like it Ashley Isles brand) and 9 & 10 might serve as spindle gouges, but none of them in any way shape or form should be used in bowl turning... AT ALL! I'd highly recommend if you are going to use them, to learn bench carving , and park the lathe until you can buy a couple of decent turning gouges (You can get a halfway decent set of Benjamin's Best for under $100 last I knew of and they may serve to get started with, and far better than any of those old chisels you have now..)

 

[David A Morris]

I have to agree with @Bob Franklin - Most of those tools appear to be carver's chisels , and quite unsafe for woodturning especially for a beginner. Problem with cast steels I would imagine is they may be brittle enough they could break or even shatter if you got a bad catch... Those socket handles are made so that the handles are intended to be hit with mallet (for carving) so they can also come loose so the handle falls out (very dangerous situation if using one for turning) out of them all from looking at your pictures, I'd say that only #4, #5, #9, #10 from the left might be usable in turning - #4 might work as a skew, 5 Might work as a spindle detail gouge (I have one much like it Ashley Isles brand) and 9 & 10 might serve as spindle gouges, but none of them in any way shape or form should be used in bowl turning... AT ALL! I'd highly recommend if you are going to use them, to learn bench carving , and park the lathe until you can buy a couple of decent turning gouges (You can get a halfway decent set of Benjamin's Best for under $100 last I knew of and they may serve to get started with, and far better than any of those old chisels you have now..)

Thank you for your concern. That last part about learning bench carving isn't a half bad idea. I have a 2'x2' panel of cherry that I want to carve my logo on. Maybe the time is now.