I never heard of International Forge Company but this little ratchet looks very similar to an older model Craftsman. I thought that’s what it was when I saw it at the bottom of a yard sale milk crate full of junk . It had obviously spent some time outdoors or in a flooded basement.

Some white vinegar and a steel wool pad fixed that . When I say steel wool I mean SOS or Brillo not #4. The object isn’t to make the ratchet look like it just rolled off the assembly line, it’s to make it not look like it just traveled through Gamera’s digestive tract. This makeover took about 4 hours and 3 1/2 of them were sitting in the vinegar. Not bad.

Inside however things weren’t so good. Someone hadn’t felt like using a breaker bar and tore the gear. They did so a few times as there were several teeth missing.

To some a tool is just an ends to a means and this ratchet epitomized why I have a box full of import expendables in case some Cro-Mag needs to borrow something.

In my spare parts cache, there were two gears that were very close in size.

Some ratchets are beyond my ability to save so I strip them for parts. The donor gear was from an old Herbrand.

I set my outside divider calipers to the new old gear….

and filed it down to fit. To do this I used a file with a safe edge, an edge with no teeth. That way the file cuts what I want and doesnt bother anything else

Filed a bit then checked with the calipers. When they fit over the new gear I knew that part of the gear is the same size as the corresponding part of the old gear. There were three other parts of the gear that required the same treatment.

When I finished

, what was once junk is now a working ratchet.

The other day I saw a picture of a vintage bit brace in near new condition. That made me think about the two that I have. They were both found in the garbage and are well worn. Not worn out mind you, just not as young as they used to be.

The above brace was made by the great Peck, Stow & Wilcox Company of Southington Connecticut . I don’t know when it was made.  The only legible marking on it is “Pat Feb 11, 1879” so it was made sometime after that.

The specimen below is from the same maker and is stamped “Pat Dec 30 1884”.

Both tools could be over 100 years old and though they still don’t mind working they could use some help too so I decided to get another bit brace. 

        1st stop was a certain undesirable flea market thats so undesirable I wont even mention its name. As I suspected it yielded almost nothing, just a socket wrench and some other odds n ends. Later on I went to my favorite antique store and for the price of a cup of coffee…

There were many many to choose from but this was the heaviest and despite being quite rusty was structurally very sound. Another thing I like about  it is that it will accept old style bits and round shank drill bits.  Below is a comparison of two chucks. The new brace on the left and the chuck of the first Pexto brace on the right.

Some old style bit stock augers, screwdriver bit, drill bit and a reamer.

Round shank drill bits.

After removing some of the rust I could see the Craftsman logo quite clearly.

I also disassembled the chuck

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, cleaned it and put fresh grease in the sleeve. The grease helped reassembly by keeping the little balls from rolling all over the place.

Sometime around WW1 Brown & Sharpe introduced the No. 11 micrometer. At that time it wasn’t called the No. 11. It was called the “Rex”.

The only Rex in my collection is so horrid looking that I have to include some catalog pages. Besides, there are 3 different frame variations.

Below is a catalog page from 1920.

Next is from 1929. Notice the area around the anvil has been slimmed down and there’s  no lock screw. That’s because this later model has an adjustable thimble ( patent number 1,629,406 )
Notice also that the mic is marked 11 instead of Rex.

Here’s my only Rex.

It too has the adjustable thimble but this is probably a replacement since its also equipped with the adjustable anvil.  Notice also the thimble has been finished in hard chrome or “dull chrome” as it was originally called. It makes the mic easier to read and better resists scratches and rust than plain steel. This finish, also applied to the barrel has been polished off the end cap. The other markings on the frame read “Pat Pending” and  “2d Quality”.

I don’t know exactly when, but between 1929 and 1935  the frame of the No. 11 was changed.

(below).

Both mics pictured are missing the original black enamel finish on their frames. I repainted one using auto touch up paint in a spray can. (above)  It seems to be the most durable of all  spray paints available to the general consumer. I’ve purchased spray cans of so called industrial enamels at Home Despot and found them to be no better than standard spray enamels.

Both originally had ratchet stops but one is missing . It looks like it was torn off and then the jagged edges hammered down. (below) What a thing to do to a precision tool.

When the spindles are drawn all the way out another more important difference becomes apparent. Inside the barrel of the mic is a partially split nut through which the spindle passes.   Over time play will develop between this nut and the spindle and accuracy is affected.

Another nut

, screwed onto the slotted section of the barrel nut will take up this play . Originally the whole arrangement was held in by friction but around 1941 it was changed with the addition of another nut to lock everything in place.   (below)

In the early 1950’s Brown & Sharpe began to manufacture micrometers with larger thimbles and dull chrome finish.  Here’s a No. 11 made in the mid 50’s. (below)  It probably didn’t see much use and is in excellent condition.

Notice every graduation on the thimble is numbered as opposed to every 5th graduation like on the earlier made mics. Also, the frame is painted in wrinkle finish enamel, not smooth.

The barrel nut arrangement was improved upon again. This included simplifying things so that one nut could lock the barrel nut and adjust for wear. (below)

The model 11 probably remained in production until 1962 when Brown & Sharpe trimmed their line of mics down to 4 basic models.