GLOAT:
On my way home after work Saturday morning I couldn’t pass up an ‘Auction’ sign in Greensboro. I lucked into an estate auction that included quite a large amount of high-end woodworking tools. Fortunately for my wallet I arrived 2 hours late and so missed about half of an amazing collection of well-cared-for hand and power tools. I had to leave after staying just 2 hours as well.
I’ve alway done rough and framing carpentry as part of my DIY home maintenance, and for the past 15-18 years some cabinetry and casework. I’ve always wanted to expand my skills and learn about planes, but never took the time and money to progress beyond a small shoulder plane and an simple Stanley bench plane. I’ve just gotten by with chisels, sanders or a router table as substitutes. .
I did make an impulsive decision that I HAD to leave with one lot (a cardboard box of 13 planes) which had these:
I’ll be selling the Clifton 3110 and the miniature Lie-Nielsen No. 1 Smoothing Plane to blunt the impact of my purchase since I wouldn't really need a second shoulder plane nor a L-N mini since the Veritas planes should handle that work. I now look forward to learning to use the remainder of my haul. I missed another box of ~12 Lie-Nielsen fancy planes, but that went for just over $2,000 and I certainly wouldn’t have made that big a leap into the deep end.
I also sat next to a pair of fascinating woodworkers: a youth pastor that builds guitars, and an older builder who had done exposed-beam and finish carpentry to build his current house. All of us wound up with some treasures. Between trying to track the auction, coordinate meeting up with my wife returning from out-of-town for a week, and hearing some of their stories I neglected to get contact information. The older master craftsman did remind me that whenever I used my planes I’d remember this sale!
REQUESTS FOR ADVICE
1- I've looked through some old PLANE threads in the Hand Tool forum, but until COVID gradually becomes an endemic respiratory virus I won't be able to do in-person woodworking classes. Can some experts here suggest good sources to educate an experienced woodworker (with essentially NO KNOWLEDGE of how to adjust/tune my new collection of bench and low-angle/cabinetry planes)? I prefer books but on-line videos are OK too.
2- Is the trio of tiny rosewood & brass planes a miniature set for display or intended for real use (for detail work)?
3- Is the little black plane (center photo #2, only mark is the number 102 beneath the handle) anything special or should I sell/donate it?
On my way home after work Saturday morning I couldn’t pass up an ‘Auction’ sign in Greensboro. I lucked into an estate auction that included quite a large amount of high-end woodworking tools. Fortunately for my wallet I arrived 2 hours late and so missed about half of an amazing collection of well-cared-for hand and power tools. I had to leave after staying just 2 hours as well.
I’ve alway done rough and framing carpentry as part of my DIY home maintenance, and for the past 15-18 years some cabinetry and casework. I’ve always wanted to expand my skills and learn about planes, but never took the time and money to progress beyond a small shoulder plane and an simple Stanley bench plane. I’ve just gotten by with chisels, sanders or a router table as substitutes. .
I did make an impulsive decision that I HAD to leave with one lot (a cardboard box of 13 planes) which had these:
I’ll be selling the Clifton 3110 and the miniature Lie-Nielsen No. 1 Smoothing Plane to blunt the impact of my purchase since I wouldn't really need a second shoulder plane nor a L-N mini since the Veritas planes should handle that work. I now look forward to learning to use the remainder of my haul. I missed another box of ~12 Lie-Nielsen fancy planes, but that went for just over $2,000 and I certainly wouldn’t have made that big a leap into the deep end.
I also sat next to a pair of fascinating woodworkers: a youth pastor that builds guitars, and an older builder who had done exposed-beam and finish carpentry to build his current house. All of us wound up with some treasures. Between trying to track the auction, coordinate meeting up with my wife returning from out-of-town for a week, and hearing some of their stories I neglected to get contact information. The older master craftsman did remind me that whenever I used my planes I’d remember this sale!
REQUESTS FOR ADVICE
1- I've looked through some old PLANE threads in the Hand Tool forum, but until COVID gradually becomes an endemic respiratory virus I won't be able to do in-person woodworking classes. Can some experts here suggest good sources to educate an experienced woodworker (with essentially NO KNOWLEDGE of how to adjust/tune my new collection of bench and low-angle/cabinetry planes)? I prefer books but on-line videos are OK too.
2- Is the trio of tiny rosewood & brass planes a miniature set for display or intended for real use (for detail work)?
3- Is the little black plane (center photo #2, only mark is the number 102 beneath the handle) anything special or should I sell/donate it?
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I picked up a few nice buys as well. I also tried to get the auctioneer to separate the tools but got the same response from the auctioneer. Then we had to sit there while he sold off the coin collection painfully slowly, seemingly one at a time. Oh well. I have never seen so many high-end hand tools at what appeared to be a hobbyist auction in a backyard shed. I bought a $10 box of sandpaper at the end that had a set of 12 Italian riffle files in it. Looked them up and they are priced at over $300 at Woodcraft. Doesn't look like they have ever been used.
