# Sacred tools



## wareagle (Sep 27, 2008)

I had an interesting discussion with my neighbor yesterday about tools that have been passed down from someone (family or friend) and the personal value of them. I had me thinking of what I had in my collection that had been passed from others, and come up with a whole list of items that have special meaning to me.

So, we all likely have enough tools to be guilty of some law somewhere (in my case, the law of SWMBO ;D). What tool(s) do you have in your collection that have special meaning and what is the brief story behind them? The tools could be useless and have no monetary value, but the meaning behind them is.



I'll give it a start: In my shop I have a great deal of tools that have been passed down to me from numerous people and all of them have special meaning to me, but the couple that come to mind are 1) an old body hammer that belonged to my grandfather and 2) a micrometer that belonged to my dad. Both my grandfather and dad are deceased which adds to the sentimental value of these tools.

The story behind the body hammer: My grandfather was a paint and body man back during the prohibition years. He worked nights. As the story goes, one of the bootleggers would bring their vehicle into his shop late at night and he would fit it with false floor boards with tanks below the false floors and would bring in a red car in the evening and it would leave the next morning a blue car. The body hammer that I have is old and isn't worth $.05 to the average person, but it has a lot of value to me.

The story behind the micrometer: My dad worked at General Dynamics on the F111 project and this was one of the tools he had when he was there. I remember growing up getting my tail end busted on more than one occasion when I would get it out and look at it. Being a young kid, I didn't understand the proper handling and care of precision tools, and I can't tell you how much trouble I was into surrounding that micrometer.


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## Tin Falcon (Sep 27, 2008)

I have an old hand cranked bufalo forge drill press that was my dads. I remember cranking away on it as kid and drilled holes. Also a pedal driven whet stone grinding wheel. also my dads. 
Also inherited a buddies Craftman 109 lathe
tin


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## steamer (Sep 27, 2008)

A 9/16" wrench!

Doesn't sound terribly significant, but the story was.

My Dad was a Master Mechanic for the Fire Department, and his skills and knowledge were quite legendary.

What the guys at the fire house would do just to mess with him would be to steal his 9/16" wrenches.

9/16" is probably the most commonly used American wrench size ( 3/8" bolts) and this would drive him crazy!

"Who was stealing my wrenches!"

He stopped buying nice 9/16" wrenches and started buying the cheap ones and putting a bit of green tape on them.

That didn't stop the disappearances... ;D

The day he retired they let him in on the secret. :big:

30 years went by and my Dad passed. At the funeral one of his best friends gave me this cheap Tiawan made beat up old 9/16" wrench with green tape on it..... 

The nice Craftsman 9/16 is in my tool box. Use it all the time. My dads clunker wrench was ceremoniously hidden in my shop in a place only I know.....a little joke between Dad and me ;D

Dave


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## Tin Falcon (Sep 27, 2008)

The timing is kind of ironic on this an will attempt to make a short story long. 
My niece is having an engagement party next weekend and  getting married in the spring she has asked me to make /design some custom metal work (scroll work) for decorating at her wedding. 

About a year ago, a long time acquaintance had passed away. Kind of a sad story the guy had dyslexia and had been misdiagnosed and placed in a home for the retarded (developmentally disabled) as a child and until he was an adult. As an adult he wanted to play catch up and learn and do as much as he could.He was an avid reader and would talk the ear off of anyone that would listen . He collected many tools But most of them he never used. lacking experience a mentor and being treated like a dummy it was hard for him to get ahead in life. He married a nurse that tried to good care of him. Walter was strong willed and wanted to do things his way and prove himself. So at the early age of 52 he passed away. He had congestive heart failure.
  Well one of the tools Walter had was was a scroll work setup from Metalcraft I purchased that set from his widow. 

Today I just got around to buying material 1/8 x 1/2 stock to proto- type the work for my niece and find I need to remake a part for the scroll bender apparent factory defect but the machine was bough new 10- 15 years ago. I could probably buy the part but Walter would probably expect me to just make it.
Tin


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## minerva (Sep 27, 2008)

well WE your comments certainly rings bells.
only yesterday my 11 year old Granddaughter was on the wrong end of my tongue when i discovered her holding one of my Grandfathers Micrometers by the thimble and swinging it round and round to open it!!
On reflection it was perhaps my own fault for leaving it out, but on reading this post it really brought home the legacy of my own personal sacred artifact , Pop's tool chest and the memories it invokes every time I open it. Thankfully my Son has requested that he be bequeathed the chest (in his words "if nothing else" )but I sincerely hope I will continue to enjoy the use of its contents for a while yet!!


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## ksouers (Sep 27, 2008)

Well, I have few. Some sacred, some revered.

My maternal grandfather was a painter and wallpaper hanger. When he retired he passed his tools on to my father, his son-in-law. He was a cranky curmudgeon with 9 kids, so I guess giving them to my dad was something special. When my dad passed they came into my possession. Now, I don't know beans about hanging wallpaper so I'll probably never use them. But I'll never toss them out either.

I've acquired some tools from estate sales. Around here is McDonnell-Douglas country. And estate sales are usually the result of someone passing. So, pick up machinist tools at an estate sale there is a better than average chance they belonged to a Mac machinist or one of the smaller shops that supported Mac. The commercial tools, while not sacred, are held in some high regard. After all they could well have been used to help win the Cold War or were used to build the space program.

But it's the shop-made tools I've picked up that are special. Somebody took the time to make them to the very best of his abilities. That person has passed on. The highest honor I can bestow on that person's memory is to continue to use and care for the tools he made.


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## John S (Sep 27, 2008)

Well timed post.
Only this week I called round to see the widow of Dennis Jones who built the Jones racing bikes that feature in my avatar.
He left instructions that I could have something out of his workshop as a keepsake.
I chose his set of engineers drawers because I have been collecting the sets of drawers from other people as they pass on.
Most are more than willing to let me have these knowing I will keep them.
I now have about 5 or 6 sets in everyday use, non are pristine, all are used boxes that led a busy life, usually over a full lifetime.

I don't restore them as that would detract from how the owners used them, all I do is put a small engraved brass plaque on with the owners name and dates.







Dennis was a twin and I also have his brothers, Glyn's, toolbox from when he was Myford's Development Engineer.

.


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## Tin Falcon (Sep 27, 2008)

Good stuff guys. When I was at USAF Machinist school at Aberdeen PG MD in 1997 I had the opportunity to buy a machinist chest with tool from a gentleman in Lancaster PA. William (Bill ) Enners worked for pratt and Whitney aircraft during WWII. Many of his tools are engraved with his name and date of purchase. Some of the tool he made. He lowered the asking price significantly when he found out that I was learning the trade and not a dealer or tool collector. 
My brother in law gave me a brown and sharp catalog of the same vintage. Many of the tools in " Bills " box were brown and sharp.
Tin


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## Tin Falcon (Sep 27, 2008)

'Tin' thought you might enjoy a bit of input from me. In a couple of other places, I use 'p51mom', in honor of our son's favorite WWII aircraft - so I'll use that here as well. (FYI, I am not 'SWMBO'; I'm simply Tin's helpmate/wife.)

Anyway, to the topic...........

My Dad passed away in 1985, leaving behind a few older hand tools. When my Mom passed away in 1998, my two sisters and I started breaking up the household. My brothers-in-law knew there might be a couple of tools that I might like to have, as I had worked with my Dad on projects several times in my growing up years (my sisters were not mechanically inclined!). I ended up with Dad's leather-bound, 50ft tape measure (have to hand-wind it back into the case), his metal-cased, electric hand drill (only one I ever knew him to own, and it still work's great), and his small set of Model A tools (that had come with his Model A many moons ago). The times working with my Dad were the best hours I remember with him; we got along best then. 

Those few tools are not exactly 'sacred', but they certainly are special to me.

Blessings.................p51mom


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## wareagle (Sep 27, 2008)

Since reading some of the replies, I have thought of another few toosl that has a lot of special meaning to it.

When 9/11 happened here in the States, I was working as a contractor at a major airline. Once the aviation fleet was grounded, there was nothing to do for several days. The management team at the airline liked us and our work, and so paid us to be there every day whether there was stuff happeneing or not. After a week or so, the card games and dominoes games got boring, so one of the machinists there took me under his wing and he started me into this amazing hobby.

To make a long atory short, he gave me a couple of machinist's items that I feel are the start of my machining tools. He gave me a Starrett double ended edge finder, a Starrett 6" steel rule, and a carbide tipped scribe. None of which is spectacular, but the gift of these tools reminds me of him and those weeks we played with the machinery everytime I grab one out of the tool chest. I am very grateful for him taking the time to teach me a basic foundation to start my skill set on.


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## chuck foster (Sep 27, 2008)

i have tools from my dad and various other guys (some still with us and some not)........but in my opinion the greatest tool i have is all the knowledge and ideas that i have got from these people.............all of you guys are giving me tools every time i log in on this website.

so to ALL of you guys i say thanks for all the tools you have given me over the last year or so  :bow: :bow: :bow:

chuck


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## Cedge (Sep 27, 2008)

Oddly enough I opened the computer to add a post not too different than this one you have going. 

I have a buddy that I've run with for over 30 years. We're pretty tight and enjoy a lot of the same interests, although he isn't into machining. A while back when Zeusrekning was looking to buy a lathe, my friend, Steve offered to check with his uncle concerning one he had. As it turned out that lathe had been sold. Things worked out that Tim got a great deal on his whole shop from another source.

Yesterday, Steve called me and asked if I might be interested in looking at his uncle's tooling. We set up a time to meet today and dropped in on Uncle Clarke for a visit. After spending a while swapping industrial stories and such, Clarke lead us to his small shop out back and began opening drawers on his tool boxes. This went on for a few minutes before he took me by the arm, nudged me in front of the boxes and without saying another word, walked out of the shop and back into his house.

My buddy watched him as he walked away and told me the old guy had just gotten out of the hospital from a massive heart attack on Wednesday and that the trip to the shop had probably taxed his meager reserves a bit. I suspected something much different and probably more painful, but said nothing. 

Let me tell you.... going through a man's tools with the purpose of taking them away is more than a little a bit like going through his personal diary. It leaves both of you a bit uncomfortable and very aware that you are on another man's sacred ground. I was very careful with his things and made sure that those I couldn't use were put back neatly in their proper place. 

It took me a bit to finally get up the mind set to take the tools over to where he sat in his easy chair. The doleful look on his face told me my initial assessment of his hasty retreat was spot on. I sat the tools on the floor in front of him and as he leaned forward to see what I was taking from him, I stopped him. As luck had it, Steve had stayed outside, so I had the chance to speak with Clarke, just he and I. What does one say to a stranger from whom you are taking his most cherished toys? 

Clarke looked a little startled as I told him the choice was still his to make. He could end all of this with no hard feelings, if he so wished. I told him I understood what the impending transaction meant to him and that all I could really promise him was that his tools would be respected and used with care. I also promised I would not be selling them.

I think he came pretty close to tears, but neither of us wanted that, so we looked each other in the eye and he spoke to me in low tones. He thanked me for making the decision easier to bear. He couldn't deal with the thought that I'd be selling his tools. He then took my just completed Water Pressure Engine in his hands and if one can lovingly caress a metal object, he managed it. After a few seconds, he smiled and told me that if his tools were going to produce that sort of thing, he was ready to part with them

Gentlemen.... I've thanked each of you for your sincere compliments on that little engine and I've meant it each time I did so. However, none of you could surpass the feeling that one old fellow gave me with his soft smile and his acceptance of me taking possession of his prized tools. 

We began sorting through the boxes I'd sat in front of him and began a strange sort of negotiation. It was almost a reverse transaction, with him telling me a little about each item's history and trying to make me a fair deal. While I listened to his tales, I also worked to make sure he also got a square deal. It was different man than the one I met when I first arrived and his humor, dignity and easy sharing of knowledge had returned, along with a shy smile. 

My buddy walked in and after watching us, made the comment that he'd never seen a deal done quite the way we were doing it. The old fellow looked up at him and said he hoped that Steve never lived to have to see another one like it. Big boisterous Steve was suddenly quiet, as he too soon realized what the day meant to all of us. 

It was a huge haul with a nice fair price, but somehow I just don't feel like a good tool gloat tonight.

Steve


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## wareagle (Sep 27, 2008)

Steve, there aren't the words....  :bow: :bow:


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## steamer (Sep 27, 2008)

Steve and W/E

...................................................... :bow:


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## Cedge (Sep 27, 2008)

Wareagle
Sorry if the post was a wee bit somber, but it was a spcecial moment I felt needed sharing...... and who would understand it better than this crowd?

Steve


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## steamer (Sep 27, 2008)

I can think of no other.....


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## wareagle (Sep 27, 2008)

Steve, no problem! That was just a very touching story.


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## Maryak (Sep 27, 2008)

Really old guys and their tools - (I ain't as young as I used to be).

Before I retired, one of my volunteer oilers was a man of 90 years and came to the tug every week, still climbing the ladders and oiling the engine when operating.

Without a word he stopped coming for about a month. Then popped back up again. "Great to have you back," says I, "We were getting worried about you."

"I'm fine," he says, "But could you spare me a minute."

I followed him to his car and he opened up the boot and said, "Are these any good to you?". There were 2 micrometers 2-3" and 3-4", an 8" Vernier, a 4" square, a Moore & Wright Combination Set, a threading tool gauge and a beautiful Starret 12" Engineers Trammel!!

I looked at him in amazement, "Are you sure you want me to have them," I asked. "Yes, I know you will care for them," he said, "What about your son?" I asked.

Then he started to cry, his son, (a couple of years younger than me), went bush, got lost and died from exposure etc. (That's where he had been for his 2 week absence)

Then I was crying.

I cannot imagine what it would feel like to bury one of your children. I don't think I have ever felt as privileged as I did at that moment.

I use his tools on a regular basis, think of him often and revere his memory.
Bob


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## steamer (Sep 28, 2008)

My Dad's fire helmet...his first one on the department, hangs on a peg in the shop.

18M3 on the badge ( his department radio call sign)

I guess it's a tool...if your in a building fire.


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## Kludge (Sep 28, 2008)

Steve, I cannot think of a more touching story than yours. Nor can I imagine your feelings each time you will use those tools. I know you'll think of Clarke each time you do. And you know there's a piece of him in each tool so he'll be watching over your shoulder. It kind of works like that, you know.

The only thing I have from my father's estate is a wood burning set and an incomplete rifle stock checkering set. I've used the checkering set on a few of my pens and it may wind up being used on the wooden pieces of some of the engines. But I don't believe they could mean to me what those tools do to you.

Enjoy them.

BEst regards,

Kludge


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## John S (Sep 28, 2008)

Steve, I had a similar experience but with happier endings at the time.

I used to be a partner in a truck garage with a guy and his son who was just a bit younger than me.
In 1990 we decided to pack it in as the Guy was retiring and he owned the property, it would have meant Steve and myself having to take a big bank loan to buy him out with a business that was receding daily.

It was a very amicable split up, the old man wanted very little, his tools a few bit, bench grinder and trolley jack.
Steve was staying in the game and had a new position with a truck leasing company, I decided I'd had enough and went to pull back into engineering as I'd been running a small shop part time for a few years so the split of assets was easy.
I had the lathe, compressor, drill and a few more bits, Steve had all the big sockets and a lot of the tooling.

I had tool boxes full of personal tools that was wasn't liable to use again, swivel sockets, crow foot spanners, pipe spanners and many special tools.
I upended by tool boxes on the floor, [ they needed a good sort out anyway ] told Steve to make a pile of anything he wanted and if I wanted it more I'd put it back in my boxes when I sorted out.

He made a big pile of all the nice gear  I removed very little of it when I tidied up. That felt good.

Ironically the boxes are still on the floor in the back plate virtually untouched since 1990 as most of the machines have their own rack of tools and there is a rack of common ones over the bench. I could have just walked away from them.

But getting serious when we had the garage I used to have to work at a quarry on the dump trucks, mainly on electrical work as their fitter wasn't too hot on this, Older guy, really nice and we got on well together, he had this set of crimping pliers that were magic. Long strong handles, well made and with plastic covered handles, one red, one black, a play on positive - negative ? far better than my cheap pressed steel pair which was all we seemed to be able to get.

One day he fell ill and had to pack up work and he gave me the pliers, shortly after that he died. Every time I used those pliers I thought of him. Then one day I had my truck broken into and two toolboxes stolen full of tools, hundreds and hundreds of pounds of uninsured tools [ can't insure toolboxes in trucks here unless you pay very serious money ]

Out of the contents of two tool boxes full all I can remember are the crimping pliers.

.


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## MadKad (Sep 28, 2008)

I have a bench vice that was my grandads and use it alot, I also have a number of other tools that were his I use some of them but the others are just kept hold of by me to remember him by, its strange he was a macanic and he would come home from work smelling of oil and grease, the tools I dont use are in a canvers like bag and they all smell just like he did :big:

I also have some very old wood plains that a old man gave me they are all made of wood like they used to be, and i keep them safe as I thought it was very nice of him.


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## tmuir (Sep 28, 2008)

I have a few special tools but two come to mind as the most special.

My watch makers lathe that my grandfather gave me when I was 13 that was my great grandfathers and my jewellers hacksaw that was my grandfathers that I asked if I could have when I was helping sorting out his workshop after his funeral in 2001. At that point I didn't even know how to make jewellery but I knew I would use it.
It has since been used on every bit of jewellery I've ever made and wouldn't ever part with it.


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## ronm (Sep 28, 2008)

I have too many tools that mean something to even fit in a post, so I'll just tell one story...When I worked at the JD dealer there was a machine shop in the neighborhood that we used for facing flywheels & any other general machine work. It was run by 2 old Okies, one was a machinist & the other a welder, & they both loved their beer...more about that some other time...  Anyhow, after they had retired & closed the shop, & I had gone out on my own fixing tractors, there was an ad one day in the paper for a Starrett 6-12" micrometer...I was interested, so I called. After talking a few minutes, the guy asked, "Is this Ron from John Deere?" I said it was, & he said "This is Jim from Big J machine." So, I went out to his house, & realized the booze was taking its toll on him, & he was selling off his tools, but we had a good talk. He had worked in the defense plants in California, & had forgotten more than I'll ever know about the machinist trade...He was asking $100 for the mike, which I thought was reasonable enough, so I brought out the cash. He took it, & handed me back $10...said, "Since it's you, I know you'll use it & take care of it, so $90 is enough". I protested, saying that was too cheap, but he wouldn't hear of it...Truthfully, I haven't used that big ol' mike much, but it is one of my favorite tools, pristine condition in a wood case, & a reminder of a good ol' boy who could run a lathe better half sloshed than most guys ever could sober...


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## John S (Sep 28, 2008)

You are not going to believe this but it is honestly true.
Got a phone call last night from the wife of a friend of a friend etc who knows I'm into engineering.
Well hubby has buggered off to live with another women down south and she's clearing all his tools out.

Now this is the classic case of "Sell my tools / car/ plane etc and send me 1/2 the money" so the wife sell his priceless car etc for 10 quid and sends him 5. That spoof has been going round for years and 'everyone' knows someone who knows someone who has bought the car etc

Well this one is slightly different, she doesn't want anything for this lot and he's not getting anything, it's just a clearance.
Now I could post that there are priceless tools, monarch lathe etc but vaguely knowing this guy from years ago i think it will be a clapped out Black and Decker drill and a box of screws who knows but I'm not getting excited.


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## Shadow (Sep 28, 2008)

I have tools that belonged to my grandfather and father but one that means the most to me is a tool that my mother used. Probably never having been 50 miles from home, she packed up and went halfway across the country to Seattle to work for Boeing during the war. Being of smaller stature she worked in the fuselage section where the tail joined on B17's and B29's. The tool is a bucking bar for rivets. Just a steel rectangle with a hole and a couple wide grooves it could easily go unnoticed. Every time I see films of these planes coming back shot full of holes I think of this and remember my mother.


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## MadKad (Sep 28, 2008)

John Stevenson  said:
			
		

> You are not going to believe this but it is honestly true.
> Got a phone call last night from the wife of a friend of a friend etc who knows I'm into engineering.
> Well hubby has buggered off to live with another women down south and she's clearing all his tools out.
> 
> ...



You never know though, will be intresting to see the out come


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## John S (Sep 28, 2008)

Well I'm going tomorrow night, got to go that way anyway so it's not a complete wasted journey.
I know there is a pair of welding bottles but they won't be legit and will have to be handed back in to BOC, might be hoses and gauges I don't know.
I'll post what there is but as I say he never had a workshop and these will probably be a few tools he had for working on his car and house. His wife doesn't have clue and she genuinely not interested, all she wants is this garage cleared so she can sell up and move on.


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## John S (Sep 29, 2008)

Well just got back from clearing out, no pics at the moment as it's all still loaded in the Donald and it's cluttered and dark here.

Opened the garage doors and stood there gob smacked because I didn't know he had an Emco lathe.

Neither did he and he hadn't ;D ;D

No it was much as I expected, one big set of gas bottles [ empty ] that will have to be handed back in, one small portapack sized bottles that can be sold on as you buy these bottles and may a 5 year contract to get them filled and changed.
These have regs, hoses and a small Sapphire torch, 5 or 6 packets of gas welding and and brazing rods.
A 140 amp buzz box welded in fair condition.
An Edwards vacuum pump powered by a single phase motor looks to be rigged up as a small compressor.
Sack bag with air grinder and a few fittings [ siezed ]

Small router in blow moulded box with tooling, looked newish but her son grabbed that.

And yes there was a lathe. When I saw it I recognised it as belonging to her first husband who was killed racing and who was big friend of mine.
I may even have got it for him but it's so long ago I can't remember.

It's a Pooles lathe http://www.lathes.co.uk/pools/index.html
It has the bottom plate, no legs and was setup as a bench lathe with the genuine countershaft and a single phase motor.
A very basic lathe but it looks complete and will make someone a decent starter lathe.

None of this stuff has been checked or tested so no idea what works and what doesn't. Probably swap the buzz box welder for mine as mine is crap, keep the vacuum pump for a vacuum table project for the CNC router and farm the rest on


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## ChooChooMike (Sep 29, 2008)

chuck foster  said:
			
		

> i have tools from my dad and various other guys (some still with us and some not)........but in my opinion the greatest tool i have is all the knowledge and ideas that i have got from these people.............all of you guys are giving me tools every time i log in on this website.
> 
> so to ALL of you guys i say thanks for all the tools you have given me over the last year or so :bow: :bow: :bow:
> 
> chuck



Excellent reply Chuck +Karma !! 

I too learn stuff EVERY time I log into this site 

Mike


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## ChooChooMike (Sep 29, 2008)

Cedge  said:
			
		

> Oddly enough I opened the computer to add a post not too different than this one you have going. ....


Brought a tear to my eye (not kidding), wonderful story ! A man parted with his cherished possessions and passing them onto a worthy successor. :bow: :bow:

Mike


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