If there’s one thing we all know, it’s this: "you’ve gotta have the tools to do the job."
Boy, have I got tools. And there’s no better time than the present to get ’em out, dust ’em off and get ’em in tip-top shape for the summer work ahead.
Take your average Sawzall, for example.
The smaller Ryobi you see in the picture is a piece of cake to bring up to speed.
Fix it with a new blade and charge up the battery and it’s good to go.
On the other hand, the giant "SAWS ALL" you see with it would take a little more prep.
Especially one like this that probably hasn’t been used in the past 50 years. This would need to be de-rusted (not hard, just tedious) and — of course — sharpened.
I don’t really know what this giant saw is for, but my guess would be cutting ice blocks.
Whatever — I’ve got a fair amount of this kind of stuff in my sheds that I’ve "saved" over the years, just because I thought somebody should.
I doubt there is a practical use for a saw like this these days, other than maybe painting a picture on it. Besides, nobody’s strong enough to use it. Think of the shape you’d have to be in to use this baby efficiently.
This saw — and others like it — is why some exhausted, exasperated guy invented the chain saw!
Good man (or woman). Big hug.
I also dragged out some giant tongs for prep season.
A couple of bouncers I know around town want to use them to haul really annoying drunks out of their pub, or drag the unconscious ones off the parking lot.
In reality, I’m guessing they are ice tongs, used to pick up the blocks of ice the big saw above just freed from the lake.
You have to be strong just to lift these tongs. Imagine the muscles one would need to clamp them onto a big block of ice and drag or carry it to the sled or whatever is being used to haul it!
These tongs and others like them are why one day, some exhausted and exasperated human being invented the ice-making machine and made a world full of people very happy.
Oh, what a different world it was back then.
I also have a blade with two handles on it. It definitely needs a cleanup and a sharpening.
Women used this tool for their annual leg shave and you had to be strong to operate this baby as well — and careful. Very careful.
This was a razor men stayed far away from and the only time it was ever used on a man was by an angry woman, probably to remove that annoying back hair.
Back to reality, you say?
Okay, this handy blade was no doubt used in woodworking and probably still could be today by artists, carvers and such.
I’m thinking I’ll keep it to shave my head and save a few bucks every two or three weeks.
I might even be willing to rent this out if the demand is high enough. If there’s money to be made, I’m all for it.
I may be wrong, I know I was once before — another time when I thought I was wrong — but I believe the brand name on the blade is Bobbitt. I’ll check.
I also came across an old popcorn popper, which is good for downtime between sawing, slicing and carving things.
It has a screen container on the end of a long wire handle and, of course, a wooden handle to keep your hand from getting branded.
I remember using one over a cook stove, or gas, or electric.
Those who’d had a little too much to drink and tried to use them around the campfire didn’t live very long.
This popcorn popper was the reason some constantly burned person invented the microwave oven. Let’s have a round of applause for that person, because that was good work.
I also have a large crank drill that was probably used in the construction of log homes, barns and possibly even by some very tough pioneers to remove warts, bunions and other such growths. It’s very effective.
But again, think of the muscle power it would take to crank on one of these all day.
Power tools, we love you.
Now the nifty-looking pot with the drain hole at the bottom — or perhaps it’s a place to put a tap, I don’t know — I will clean up and have ready.
I’m not sure what it was used for, but it does have "sanitation for the nation" printed on it, so I’m thinking I’ll just keep it handy to serve warm beer to people I don’t like.
Breaking news: a friend just told me the pot is a stoneware soap dispenser.
I’m still planning to serve warm beer out of it, but now I won’t have to clean it first.
Tool time has arrived, folks. It’s called SPRING — and don’t we love it!
Comments or feedback, love to hear from you!
lmustard1948@gmail.com
