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I've posted before about my friend and neighbour Steve who passed away just after Christmas. I have been very fortunate to inherit the contents of his garage and I thought I'd share what I've been discovering. I hope there is something everyone will find interesting. I'll start with something you might expect to find.
Nothing for the Marina?
Nice. I had that self same purple Escort mk3/4 Haynes manual. It was probably 70% oil and grease when I got rid of it.
Think I still have the Haynes manual for my Viva. They were a real part of growing up. Fabulous
One for the aircraft enthusiasts today
Air Ministry 5C/545 Switch Panel
Fitted I believe in a number of RAF WW2 aircraft
After only two photos I really wish I’d known Steve!
Like what you’re doing OP- keep going
Don't worry RicB there is plenty to come, and you would have loved Steve for sure.
One for the motorcycle enthusiasts this morning.
The manuals for his Velocette and a 1974 republication of vintage road tests.
I always chuckled when coming across mk3 Ford Escort manuals at a car boot sale. Every one had the same set of grubby pages in the same place, the self adjusting clutch ratchet, the carburettor section, the hydraulic tappets, the rotten battery tray, the list goes on. 🙂
That's brought back a few memories. As I uncovered a box of imperial spanners, box spanners and Allen keys the other day. Also, as a 16 yr old I had a 1940's Velocette 350 hard tail which I tried and failed to turn into a Chopper, having just seen Easy Rider at the pictures.
My Haynes manuals were for my Triumph Herald and my 1958 VW Beetle. Many a weekend with the herald's bonnet up, sitting on the front wheels, adjusting the tappets and filing the points.
Already all evidence suggests this will be the best thread in a looooong time
Looking forward to tomorrow!
Thanks O.P
You could have saved this for next Christmas's advent calendar.
If we get to next Christmas!
Have you also inherited the Velocette?!
Got any 1/4 in. Whitworth spanners?!
Sadly not timbog 160, the motorbikes went many years ago. There are quite a few imperial spanners, I haven't got round to photographing them yet but this will probably go on long enough to get to them.
At least all the odds and sods have gone to someone who won't just skip them! Looking forward to another installment from the tinkerers museum.
Come across a ball-joint splitter yet? Must be one of them in there somewhere 🙂
I need a bit of help identifying exactly what this came from, and apologies to those who don't like gun threads 😊
I do know he had a Lee Enfield Mk4 for a while as I've seen the paperwork from when he finally handed it in at his wife's insistence!
It a “Martini” action rifle of some sort.
In fact looking at the strap loop looks an awful lot like it’s one of these;
https://www.michaeldlong.com/product/british-westley-richards-martini-henry-1896-francotte-patent/
thanks @timmys that makes sense. As I understand it his father in law spent some time in Africa probably before the First World War and I found this in a box of other items I think probably belonged to him. I've also found some South African coins. It's hard to be sure of much because Steve and Joan didn't have children and there are no relatives left who aren't extremely distant.
Tolls this morning
dont think I've ever seen a proper set of box spanners before without the bars missing
Box spanners - usually rubbish but just now and then, when you've got an out of the way nut on a long bolt, invaluable.
All lovely, interesting stuff but what are you intending to do with it? I assume there will be a selection of really special items you'll keep, but what about the balance of old garage stuff? If you don't rationalise it, you're just passing the problem down to whoever sorts your garage out.
That sounds a bit heartless doesn't? Fortunately the pragmatic Swedes have a word, (and a book) for that.
Love the Haynes manual, although my long-gone copy was for the MkII Escort 🙂
@tthew you’re not wrong, I keep laughing to myself about when my kids have to go through all my stuff! But you see my whole life there has been one place I’ve wanted to live, my dream home is Steptoe’s yard!
I do know someone involved in steam railways and all sorts of engineering restoration so I’ll see if there are some older tools that they can find a home for. There is some stuff that needs putting aside for a proper collection, I’ll post some of that in the days to come. With everything I’ll try and find a use for it, some will just be on display in my house because I just like looking at it.
Love this thread! I was days away from completing a house move before lockdown. The garage had shelves of proper old rusty oxo tins full of screws and what-not. I've asked if they can be left, I'm so hoping they're still there when things re-start (house is empty, going through probate)
yeah a martini action breech.
loved firing them over the old 303's at cadets...
The great thing about this site is that whatever it is someone will come along and share their knowledge, experiences and memories.
So today is especially for @tthew and the Swedish Death Cleaners
An SVEA 5 stove, takes me back to being in the scouts and using Primus stoves. This might just get me into using Plutoline, would be great to give it a new life.
Please tell me the garage had shelves with storage jar hanging down with their lids nailed to the underside.
Very reminiscent of my Dad's garage. Having grown up in the era of "Make do or Mend" he had a lot of "it may come in handy" items. Fortunately he did have a big tidy up over his retirement- mainly caused by cars getting bigger. He had an early Audi 80 - the big boxy late 70s/early 80s version and then a Volvo 440 that we thought were a squeeze in there after the likes of Anglia 105/Viva/Datsun Sunny. However The last 3 cars he had were Focuses and they needed the wing mirrors folding in to fit.
When he died there was still some junk in there so my sister and I cleared it out to make it easier for Mum to park the car. There were still a lot of tools that have memories of working on cars with him; restoring my first Spitfire and so on. I got there just in time to stop my sister putting a fair amount of lead solder sticks in the junk pile.
Even managed to find 2 Paramo no1 vices. They need some tlc but as I've already got a Record for use they are low on the list, despite the temptation following the vice thread here. Maybe lockdown and furlough will be the push, unless there are any others who want to take them on.
An SVEA 5 stove, takes me back to being in the scouts and using Primus stoves. This might just get me into using Plutoline, would be great to give it a new life.
Be ideal that for making a cuppa while you're tinkering in the garage. With the door open.
Please tell me the garage had shelves with storage jar hanging down with their lids nailed to the underside.
You've just given me an idea! My grandfather just had biscuit tins full of misc springs and screws.
Wow! Got one of those buried somewhere in our loft - it's in a battered yellow tin box IIRC. My grandad gave it me for my first camping trip with my mates decades ago.
Even managed to find 2 Paramo no1 vices.
I have found a small Paramo 34 which will come in handy once I actually get my garage in a state where it has a roof that doesn't leak and doors I can actually open! Luckily I have a large area under the floor I can access from the garden.
Plenty of jars of screws but none nailed through to the shelves. I've had to rip them all out as they were full of woodworm, some bits just crumbled into dust.
I also found a sump key yesterday that goes with the Melco box spanners.
I have always been useless with tools, DIY etc, but have great respect for those who can do it.
This thread is fascinating and perfect lockdown reading
Love the stove. I've a small collection and still use them (much to the annoyance of the wife). Give it a clean and see if there are any instructions engraved around the side.
Spares available:
Best to be careful though: (My favourite petrol stove)
@Marko I'll be careful and if I don't burn the house down with the stove I can always try again with these
I looks like a may have a good home for the Velocette manuals. I was speaking to an old friend yesterday and telling him about all this stuff. It turns out his father in law is mad keen on them and still has one in storage. Unfortunately deteriorating eyesight means he can no longer ride it or work on it but hopefully they will remind him of better days.
Only just seen this thread - love it, can practically smell the turps soaked wrags from here....
Ah, the Browning MkI and MkIII close combat flame throwers developed for SOE in WWII! The MkI was designed for female operatives, small enough to fit into a handbag. Only drawback - they could never find the damn thing in there.
Throughly enjoying this and looking forwards to each instalment.
Got a French President to assassinate?
Or maybe you just want to hide the fact that you're making unnecessary journeys.
No problem, respray your car with this simple kit, perfect for jackals and illicit ramblers alike
@Marko I have fond memories of using the Optimus Hiker in the back of a Transit van parked at Les Arc 2000 in winter. All good fun until you forget to put the lid back on after refuelling it (and you're in a sleeping bag)!
I also had a Soviet knock off that I bought in GUM at the time of Regan / Gorbachoz summit in 1988.
An extra post for Friday evening
The Nottage Hill went down the sink but I'm happy to report that the Hardy's has lived up to it's name and has survived 12 years in a garage and I'm sure has probably almost certainly developed enhanced anti viral properties.
I'm hoping to cover most of the forums favourite subjects on this thread. And what hoover is always popular.So forget your Henrys and your Dysons and join the space age with a Hooverette 2944.
And yes it still works 😊
When we moved into our place the shed was absolutely bare, just a load of old empty kitchen units along the wall for storage.
Hidden in the most inaccessible one, wrapped up discretely was a load of gentlemen's periodicals from the early 80s.
avdave2
A few of these post have items I remember clearer out of my Grandads sheds. The “jackal spray kit” and the Hooverette. Countless Haynes manuals.
Thanks for posting and keep up the good work.
This is great.
Here's hoping the garage was full of enough stuff to last for many postings.
Loving that Hoover. I swear they had one of those in the science museum when I went there before Christmas.
Not what I was expecting from the thread title. Lovely, heart warming stuff.
I had a Triumph 2000 (or 4!) mk 2s though. Would've loved a Mk1.
Here’s hoping the garage was full of enough stuff to last for many postings
If I run out I'll start on the stuff from the house, we'll not run out too soon, don't worry.
The hoover is fantastic, just great to look at and so reminiscent of it's time. I've been thinking it might lend itself to being converted into a floor lamp.
One for the woodworkers this morning
The brass one needed a lot of polishing to remove decades of tarnish. It'll probably look better when it dulls down a bit but it was quite therapeutic to spend the time cleaning it.
Oh nice.
The brass infill shoulder plane is probably worth a tidy sum.
What are you intentions with all these things.
Any more woodworking to come?
A great thread! Incidentally, I’ve move into a new place recently with a couple of barns and in one there was this fine vice, any ideas of heritage?
There are things I'll keep but I'll try and find a good home for everything else. A good friend of his wants any old rusty tools. She used to look after all the trees in his garden and later when he could no longer do it all his gardening. She was very fond of him so I've put aside all the tools for her to go through.
There are some nice old woodworking chisels, haven't photographed them yet, they are under my floor in one of a large number of boxes! There is other stuff that I think actually belongs in a museum, I'll post some of that soon.
I like that vice, looks like it's built to last several lifetimes.
Not something you expect to find stuffed away in plastic bag in a garage draw with a load of old rolls of wallpaper.
Wow - what regiment, and does anyone know the medals?
39-45 star, France and Germany star, Defence medal. Royal Marines Commando on shoulder patches.
46 Royal Marine Commando
We have the original medals as well, they are the 39-45 Star, the France and Germany Star and the Defence Medal
The sleeve crossed rifles
are the marksman badge, Steve was a sniper, in fact the best shot in 9th Commando which later became 46 Commando, we also have the engraved silver teaspoon he won for that achievement.
We have a sniper married into the family. They have a different outlook on life.
Man was an obvious legend. Must have been a pleasure and an honour to know him.
This thread needs the like button.
Like!
One born into our family. Normal day might be jumping out helicopters into the sea or cross country skiing across the arse end of nowhere in Norway. Not the average desk job.
Wow, do you have a picture of the garage in its entirety? Curious how it looks.
Have you done something to the Imgur links - I can't see the pics 🙁
I haven't done anything different with the photos so not sure why it's not working for you
I didn't actually take a photo at the beginning, it was only when I suddenly had all this time I thought I'd photograph some of the interesting stuff. The amazing thing was that if he needed you to get something out of there for him he could tell you exactly where it was although it had been a last 3 years since he'd last been able to get to it.
This thread whilst not really being my thing, is really interesting. However, it’s like watching a tv series that’s on weekly, when you want the box set 😀.
This is better than most telly.
I haven’t done anything different with the photos so not sure why it’s not working for you
Realised I was using my work laptop on the work VPN...
Only just had the chance to catch up on this thread but so glad I did.It's incredible and I bet that jacket could ell some stories.
My mum had one of those hoovers.
You may well find him in one of these:
http://gallery.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/units/Royal+Marine+Commando+Units/46/
You may well find him in one of these:
X-Troop, second row up far left, taken on the I.O.W shortly before D-Day. I'll post some pictures of him at the end.
I’m not into military stuff at all, but that jacket (tunic?) is an impressive find. Imagine the places that’s been, things it’s seen...
It probably didn't actually see any action at all DezB, his first would have been badly damaged when his patrol commander threw a phosphorous grenade too close to him when trying to create a smoke screen to get to him after he'd been shot in the foot and it's replacement would have fared no better when he'd recovered from that and was hit by shell fire in March 45 as his troop led the Rhine crossing. By the time he'd recovered from that the war was over so he didn't return to his unit until they were back home.
Oh that blowtorch.
Methylated spirits for ignition.
My Dad had one, and I vaugely remember, that as a young child the blood* thing ignited in his face, and my Mother screaming and wrapping him in wet tea towels.
I don't know if he went to hospital or what the injuries were, but (much later on), no scarring evident.
ps. Great thread by the way. My kids are going to ask what is all this stuff in Dads workshop - tap, dies, precision marking out tools, measuring instruments, surface table, spanners, power tools, stocks of collected timber, stocks of steel angle (re-cycled metal stillages containing Japanese motorcycles - The dealers just chucked it all out and more.
Warning duly noted drnosh, I'll not be trying to light up either of them!
Steve obviously loved working on his motorbikes and had kept all these
Awesome thread!
As I went through everything over many many day days I kept moving this around without doing anything with it. It looked like something that had been used to test a stamp.Right at the end before I put it in the scrap metal pile for recycling I thought I wonder who AFRS who I assumed were a company formed in 1759.
Well thanks to Google it's not in the scrap pile and I'm off to buy a beer in a Swedish bar, it should get me at least a pint in Stockholm 😊
It's not a companies stamp it's actually Swedish plate money from 1759. This lump weighs 366g but the 10 Daler plate weighed 20kg! It goes back to when Sweden produced most of the world/s copper and wanted a way to control the price of it. It was no surprise to me when I read that Sweden was the first country in the world to produce paper money.
Today it's the perfect multitool for the Victorian gentleman
The Billings and Spencer pocket screwdriver patented March 18th 1892
That screwdriver needs a feature in the trail pack tools article in the current magazine!