Comments on: From the Flickr Pool: Fine Restoration http://toolmonger.com/2008/04/28/from-the-flickr-pool-fine-restoration/ All tools. All the time. Your source for news, information, and reviews of hand tools, power tools, and tools of all kinds. Thu, 16 Oct 2008 03:52:18 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: txinkman http://toolmonger.com/2008/04/28/from-the-flickr-pool-fine-restoration/#comment-294327 txinkman Tue, 29 Apr 2008 21:28:20 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/2008/04/28/from-the-flickr-pool-fine-restoration/#comment-294327 It seems to me (from the pointy end of the stick, as it were) that there's a hefty difference between "patina" and "trashed". Myself, I've got lot's of stuff with patina, in fact I revere patina, but this box was trashed, and headed for the dump. If you follow the Toolmonger Flickr stream, you'll see I took some effort to preserve my old friend's carved initials while updating the rest of the box as a tribute to him and his difficult early days as an apprentice and the machist's trade in general. Without getting too artsy-fartsy about it, rest assured, fellas, I spend way too much time working out what details to keep and which to discard during the restoration of each box. In all cases I purposely keep more original parts than I really should from any sane economic viewpoint. Otherwise, why bother? I could build a new one at a quarter of the cost, in an eighth of the time. Or, hell, just buy a painted metal box from Home Depot and stuff my tools into it. I look at it in the same way that antique car guys relate to "barn finds". So, do I leave it rotting in the barn, full of "patina", or tow it out of the barn and let it live again? Perhaps the point is, for better or worse, that in a hundred years, hopefully my ancestors will be able to take a box to be on Antiques Roadshow, that wouldn't have been there otherwise. It seems to me (from the pointy end of the stick, as it were) that there’s a hefty difference between “patina” and “trashed”. Myself, I’ve got lot’s of stuff with patina, in fact I revere patina, but this box was trashed, and headed for the dump. If you follow the Toolmonger Flickr stream, you’ll see I took some effort to preserve my old friend’s carved initials while updating the rest of the box as a tribute to him and his difficult early days as an apprentice and the machist’s trade in general.

Without getting too artsy-fartsy about it, rest assured, fellas, I spend way too much time working out what details to keep and which to discard during the restoration of each box. In all cases I purposely keep more original parts than I really should from any sane economic viewpoint. Otherwise, why bother? I could build a new one at a quarter of the cost, in an eighth of the time. Or, hell, just buy a painted metal box from Home Depot and stuff my tools into it.

I look at it in the same way that antique car guys relate to “barn finds”. So, do I leave it rotting in the barn, full of “patina”, or tow it out of the barn and let it live again?

Perhaps the point is, for better or worse, that in a hundred years, hopefully my ancestors will be able to take a box to be on Antiques Roadshow, that wouldn’t have been there otherwise.

]]> By: rbb http://toolmonger.com/2008/04/28/from-the-flickr-pool-fine-restoration/#comment-293960 rbb Tue, 29 Apr 2008 14:25:02 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/2008/04/28/from-the-flickr-pool-fine-restoration/#comment-293960 One hundred years from now, when one of his descendants hauls the chest in to the Antiques Roadshow, they are going to give them the bad news that it is worthless because someone scrubbed off the "patina." One hundred years from now, when one of his descendants hauls the chest in to the Antiques Roadshow, they are going to give them the bad news that it is worthless because someone scrubbed off the “patina.”

]]> By: Julian Tracy http://toolmonger.com/2008/04/28/from-the-flickr-pool-fine-restoration/#comment-293942 Julian Tracy Tue, 29 Apr 2008 14:01:12 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/2008/04/28/from-the-flickr-pool-fine-restoration/#comment-293942 I also like the before picture better. That chest was in great shape. A little work on the loose drawers and it wouldv'e been good as new. Looks like a damn jewlry box at Sams Club now. Like taking a great looking dog and girling him all up - just don't seem right. JT I also like the before picture better. That chest was in great shape. A little work on the loose drawers and it wouldv’e been good as new.

Looks like a damn jewlry box at Sams Club now.

Like taking a great looking dog and girling him all up - just don’t seem right.

JT

]]> By: Duncan Margetts http://toolmonger.com/2008/04/28/from-the-flickr-pool-fine-restoration/#comment-293239 Duncan Margetts Mon, 28 Apr 2008 23:45:54 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/2008/04/28/from-the-flickr-pool-fine-restoration/#comment-293239 Maybe its just me.. but I like the "before" chest so much more than the "after" chest.. the "before" chest has the patina of hard work infused throughout it, it conjures up images of a diligent craftsman who cherished the chest and its contents his entire life. The "after" photo is slick and so artificially sweetened. Its robbed the chest of its heritage. Dunc. Maybe its just me.. but I like the “before” chest so much more than the “after” chest.. the “before” chest has the patina of hard work infused throughout it, it conjures up images of a diligent craftsman who cherished the chest and its contents his entire life.

The “after” photo is slick and so artificially sweetened. Its robbed the chest of its heritage.

Dunc.

]]> By: Frank Townend http://toolmonger.com/2008/04/28/from-the-flickr-pool-fine-restoration/#comment-293056 Frank Townend Mon, 28 Apr 2008 19:13:56 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/2008/04/28/from-the-flickr-pool-fine-restoration/#comment-293056 His work is beautiful, kudos. His work is beautiful, kudos.

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