Certaindeaf
member
A plumb-bob is kinda like a heart.. never know if it's a Plumb.
Need help ID'ing shingling hatchet
- Thread starter rcmodel
- Start date
- Status
Sam Cade
Member
Have you tried throwing it into relief with a flashlight?
(flashlight on the same plane as the surface, leaving the stamping in shadow)
Certaindeaf
member
Or rub it/do a "rubbing". Sometimes that'll work.
Certaindeaf
member
Certaindeaf
member
Does Plumb still even exist? I've swung a tool professionally now and again but I forget.
rcmodel
Member in memoriam
Yep!
I tried a LED Stream-lite from all different angles.
As well as sunlight, incandescent light, and fluorescent light.
With three different power magnifying lens ranging from 2x to 8x.
I tried a lead pencil rubbing right off the bat.
I'll try that again after I get all the rust out of the lettering.
But I'm afraid the deep pitting has had it's way with the detail of the stamp needed to read it.
I suppose Gil Gruesome & CSI could read it by dripping some ultra-violent poison toad urine on it with a glass pipit steaming from a beaker over a Bunsen burner and read it right after the commercial break???
But I'm fresh out of all that stuff.
Certaindeaf!
You are a genius!!
Plumb Tools is long gone now.
But the heart shaped (Or Plumb) trademark they used on my hatchet head isn't!!
See it here about to the bottom of the page!!
http://yesteryearstools.com/Yesteryears Tools/Plumb Co..html
How that Australian Plumb trademark relates to my great-great grandfather's shingling hatchet in Kansas will remain another mystery forever I'm afraid.
Thank You for the place to look!!
rc
I tried a LED Stream-lite from all different angles.
As well as sunlight, incandescent light, and fluorescent light.
With three different power magnifying lens ranging from 2x to 8x.
I tried a lead pencil rubbing right off the bat.
I'll try that again after I get all the rust out of the lettering.
But I'm afraid the deep pitting has had it's way with the detail of the stamp needed to read it.
I suppose Gil Gruesome & CSI could read it by dripping some ultra-violent poison toad urine on it with a glass pipit steaming from a beaker over a Bunsen burner and read it right after the commercial break???
But I'm fresh out of all that stuff.
Certaindeaf!
You are a genius!!
Plumb Tools is long gone now.
But the heart shaped (Or Plumb) trademark they used on my hatchet head isn't!!
See it here about to the bottom of the page!!
http://yesteryearstools.com/Yesteryears Tools/Plumb Co..html
How that Australian Plumb trademark relates to my great-great grandfather's shingling hatchet in Kansas will remain another mystery forever I'm afraid.
Thank You for the place to look!!
rc
Last edited:
Certaindeaf
member
Heh, that warms my plumb-bob.
Sam Cade
Member
That will work.
Sorta.
Milling the area smooth and etching it will cause the compressed material that was under the stamp to "pop".
It is one of the way The Powers that Be get serial numbers from "scrubbed" guns.
Attachments
rcmodel
Member in memoriam
Milling?
Electro-Acid-Etch Method?
But, I have a repressed urge to grind on it with a fine belt sander or flat disk!!
Or maybe even block sand it with 240 Wet or Dry first??
Regardless, I think the above post pretty much proves the heart stamp is old Plumb Tool.
And that's all I really wanted to know.
rc
Electro-Acid-Etch Method?
But, I have a repressed urge to grind on it with a fine belt sander or flat disk!!
Or maybe even block sand it with 240 Wet or Dry first??
Regardless, I think the above post pretty much proves the heart stamp is old Plumb Tool.
And that's all I really wanted to know.
rc
kBob
Member
I just did a "bing" search for "Plumb tools hatchet" and got a lot of images many of which looked much like your hatchet RC.
It also seemed every Plumb tool shown that was older than say me was marked differently. I wonder if the different markings were for specific hardware stores or mail order houses?
I tried to get someone to give me a plumb bob once. It was recovered inside the factory mountain at Ober Amergau Germany apparently on a level devoted to artillery shell production for the other items included a fuze spanner wrench and the tops of some powder type cans. We were told the area was heavily mined, but some of our dope heads went up on the mountain for a smoke and found what we think must have been a air vent and followed it in. They wandered, stoned, among some machine tools until the pen light they were using began to brown out and the zippo got to hot to hold. They had been so stoned none of the three could show us how to get back to the air vent!
-kBob
It also seemed every Plumb tool shown that was older than say me was marked differently. I wonder if the different markings were for specific hardware stores or mail order houses?
I tried to get someone to give me a plumb bob once. It was recovered inside the factory mountain at Ober Amergau Germany apparently on a level devoted to artillery shell production for the other items included a fuze spanner wrench and the tops of some powder type cans. We were told the area was heavily mined, but some of our dope heads went up on the mountain for a smoke and found what we think must have been a air vent and followed it in. They wandered, stoned, among some machine tools until the pen light they were using began to brown out and the zippo got to hot to hold. They had been so stoned none of the three could show us how to get back to the air vent!
-kBob
rcmodel
Member in memoriam
Well I took it out of the vinegar after two days and cleaned it the rest of the way with a carding wheel on my buffer.
The writing is too badly pitted to read.
Oh well!
rc
The writing is too badly pitted to read.
Oh well!
rc
Last edited:
Certaindeaf
member
I just looked at an old but sweet hatchet and small axe I inherited from my neighbor. The axe has no markings whatsoever (I even had my glasses on!) but the hatchet is stamped "PLUMB".. halfway faint and small but it's there.
I'd almost bet the axe is a Plumb though.
Razor sharp stropped and Johnson Paste waxed, handles, heads and all. I keep them right by the fireplace.
I'd almost bet the axe is a Plumb though.
Razor sharp stropped and Johnson Paste waxed, handles, heads and all. I keep them right by the fireplace.
Deltaboy1984
Member
Sad to hear Plumb is out of business.
Bull Nutria
Member
Looks like this hatchet dates back to "when a hatchet was a hammer"!!
interesting old tool, with family meaning. thanks for sharing. I'll bet there is an antique hatchet expert somewhere that could tell you more than you wanted to know about your hatchet--just need to find him??
Bull
interesting old tool, with family meaning. thanks for sharing. I'll bet there is an antique hatchet expert somewhere that could tell you more than you wanted to know about your hatchet--just need to find him??
Bull
rcmodel
Member in memoriam
Well here it is after grinding the flared hammer head level again and doing a little pit removal.
After noting all the peened edges on all surfaces, I'm thinking grandpa or somebody used it mostly for a log splitting wedge and pounded the snot out of it with a small sledge hammer.
Now I'm off to see if I can find a curved handle for it, like a scout ax.
Went to Home Depot yesterday to get a handle and they laughed at me!!
I was told people don't replace hammer / hatchet handles anymore.
There is an old hardware store down town, and he probably has something left in stock from 1900!
If I can find a handle I like the looks of, and will go ahead and weld the cracks and do some more finish grinding on it.
rc
After noting all the peened edges on all surfaces, I'm thinking grandpa or somebody used it mostly for a log splitting wedge and pounded the snot out of it with a small sledge hammer.
Now I'm off to see if I can find a curved handle for it, like a scout ax.
Went to Home Depot yesterday to get a handle and they laughed at me!!
I was told people don't replace hammer / hatchet handles anymore.
There is an old hardware store down town, and he probably has something left in stock from 1900!
If I can find a handle I like the looks of, and will go ahead and weld the cracks and do some more finish grinding on it.
rc
Sam Cade
Member
I hate Home Depot. I have a similar experience every time I go in.
Do-It centers will usually have a fair selection of handles but you will likely have to sort through a bunch before you ever find one with decent grain orientation.
On that note, here is an old True Temper that I salvaged a while back.
I hung it on this handle just for you.
Attachments
Certaindeaf
member
Heh, excellent. I like it way more better. A "hooked" handle is more my preference also.. unless you're going to use the hammerhead equally.. then just a good flare/swell or something.
kBob
Member
The Lowe's I use has tool handles. Axes picks et are in the garden center and hammer handles are in the tool area.
I think your work on this relic has been great. I never thought of vinegar for that before. Wish I had known as a kid when I ruined some rusty blades with naval jelly.......
-kBob
I think your work on this relic has been great. I never thought of vinegar for that before. Wish I had known as a kid when I ruined some rusty blades with naval jelly.......
-kBob
kBob
Member
OK I am a moron.
As I was typing the above a drawer on my desk fell apart and I went to the shop to get stuff to fix it with. I di not actually post the above until I returned from the shop.
Looking for a hammer I noticed this on the wall......forgot I had it. I bought it last year at a yard sale around the corner and a mile down the road for $10.
Yeah I really think you have an older PLUMB. I tried to chalk the logo to help folks see it. Wow I need to clean that puppy up.
-kBob
As I was typing the above a drawer on my desk fell apart and I went to the shop to get stuff to fix it with. I di not actually post the above until I returned from the shop.
Looking for a hammer I noticed this on the wall......forgot I had it. I bought it last year at a yard sale around the corner and a mile down the road for $10.
Yeah I really think you have an older PLUMB. I tried to chalk the logo to help folks see it. Wow I need to clean that puppy up.
-kBob
Attachments
rcmodel
Member in memoriam
Well, I'm back from the old hardware store downtown.
Plus Coast to Coast hardware, Westlake's hardware, Tractor Supply, and Orchilans Farm Supply.
Found a few hammer handles, two straight hatchet handles, and one curved hand ax handle like I wanted.
Unfortunately, it was about three sizes too big for the eye in this hatchet.
I can shape it down, but it would ruin the lines of it I think.
I may have to settle on a straight handle after all.
Or just refinish the one I have?
rc
Plus Coast to Coast hardware, Westlake's hardware, Tractor Supply, and Orchilans Farm Supply.
Found a few hammer handles, two straight hatchet handles, and one curved hand ax handle like I wanted.
Unfortunately, it was about three sizes too big for the eye in this hatchet.
I can shape it down, but it would ruin the lines of it I think.
I may have to settle on a straight handle after all.
Or just refinish the one I have?
rc
Certaindeaf
member
Well that sucks. I'd probably just pimp out that existing handle.
Jim Watson
Member
The word is Bing. Or Google.
www.TennesseeHickoryProducts.com is just one vendor.
Sounds like you want a Boy Scout hatchet handle, their standard lath and shingle hatchet handles are straight.
eBay has a Hickory Handle Store.
http://stores.ebay.com/Hickory-Handle-Store
www.TennesseeHickoryProducts.com is just one vendor.
Sounds like you want a Boy Scout hatchet handle, their standard lath and shingle hatchet handles are straight.
eBay has a Hickory Handle Store.
http://stores.ebay.com/Hickory-Handle-Store
Certaindeaf
member
When it's dark and taking the dogs out, sometimes I'll slip a small hatchet or axe into my robe belt. they are pretty light for what they'll do.. knock on wood
rcmodel
Member in memoriam
Well the blade cracks are now TIG welded.
And the old handle is refinished with two coats of Tru-Oil.
Now back to the basement to finish grind the welds down and put the handle back on.
rc
And the old handle is refinished with two coats of Tru-Oil.
Now back to the basement to finish grind the welds down and put the handle back on.
rc
- Status
