Got some new tools

[tiptop]

Hi All,

I heard through the local grape vine that a lady was selling her deceased husbands tools. As it turned out I knew her and ended up buying all of them. For those of you who took the scraping class last spring with Forrest, that I hosted, these belonged to Rod, the gentleman and friend of mine who passed away just before the class began. Rod was a machinists for 45 years in the aircraft industry. Here is a link to some pictures of the tools.

http://imageevent.com/aatiptop/tools...romrodmccready

Jay

[R W]

A great collection

[gt2ride]

I would rather have the friend then the tools

[wierdscience]

Better that the tools go to someone who will appreciate and use then,than out in the trash.

Good haul!

[rockrat]

Use them. Every time you pick one up and do something with it you will think of him. The best way I can think of to remember a friend.

rock~

[thebigron]

Yea, what Rockrat said. After his death, I have been bringing home a few of Dad's machinist tools a lot of trips to the old shop in the basement. It's special to be using a 6" Starrett rule of his and think of his hands being on the same. Kind of like he is in my shop offering advice. I find myself studying the old hand ground hss lathe bits that he had ground over the years. Each one has its own character. Each tells of a special need. A lot of them ground in the late forties when he started out for 25 cents an hour in a machine shop. I can only hope that one or both of my grandsons will cherish some of my old tools someday.

[jkilroy]

Yep, I've got tools in my will, if my son has an interest I'll have to leave thestuff to him but it will be a while to tell, he is not a year yet. I don't look forward to saying goodbye to my pals anymore than family. Good friends are hard to find.

[richep]

firstly let me introduce myself richep all the way from trinidad(carribbean)
you did real good there tiptop you must of known the wife first, just kidding.
out at my end that stash would set back a fellow some pay checks well,the family might not eat for weeks.real glad for you i know you will miss u pal.

[tiptop]

- Thanks -

Thanks for all the responses. Yes I would rather have the old timer with me out in the shop, teaching me the ways of this profession but fate seems to rob us of those pleasures sometimes. I gave his wife a very fair amount for these items and will cherish them each time I use them. His wife did not understand the precise nature of these tools. When I got to her house, I saw, she had all the tools out of the Kennedy boxes and had dumped them into large cardboard boxes. I asked why she had done this and she replied that she was trying to make it easier for someone to load up the tool boxes. She didn't know the drawers could be taken out and loaded separately. When I got it all home, I spent two days cleaning up the Kennedy boxes and sorting the tools back out. I feel very fortunate to have Rod's tools and miss him and think of him often.

Jay

[Tim Clarke]

Sorry for the loss of your friend. Looks like he had a nice collection. You're probably who he'd choose to get them, anyway. Take good care of them and maybe a good man will get them when you're gone. OOPS sexist comment, good people come in nboth genders, and I've met a few women who had outstanding mechanical abilities. Maybe more will embrace metalworking in the future.

Regards, TC

[doctor demo]

Jay if some thing should happen to Me , and You are still around ya better come south and save My stuff from My wife's hands. To her it is just clutter and the reason the car stays outside, oh ya and that "oil smell".

You are a good guy, and I'm glad You could help Your friend's widow.

Steve

[tiptop]

Ya as I said, I will miss Rod. What is most disturbing to me I think, other than our friendship, is all that knowledge, up and gone. I was just starting to get some of it to. Steve, I will try and help your wife if she asks, but don't be surprised if you outlast me.

Jay