Joiners


The tool with the dial was called a Saw Set. I went to work in Holland in 1980 and they were so far advanced compared to us it was unbelievable. For fixing skirting they had a SDS drill mounted on a trolly and a big fuck off lever to push the drill with, then you'd hoy a plug in and screw it up with your Yankee. 20 times quicker than us with our plugging chisels.
First cordless drill I ever got was a Bosch, about 6 months later Makita came out with a better one. I remember racing Irish lads putting 4" screws in with their Yankees, they usually won.

The tool with the dial was called a Saw Set. I went to work in Holland in 1980 and they were so far advanced compared to us it was unbelievable. For fixing skirting they had a SDS drill mounted on a trolly and a big fuck off lever to push the drill with, then you'd hoy a plug in and screw it up with your Yankee. 20 times quicker than us with our plugging chisels.
First cordless drill I ever got was a Bosch, about 6 months later Makita came out with a better one. I remember racing Irish lads putting 4" screws in with their Yankees, they usually won.
Plugging chisels 🤣🤣 You on about the ones where you belted the end with a hammer trying to turn it at the same time with the hand you were holding it with ?
 
I use to sharpen my hss drill bits on the flat side of a big bench grinder ,still do now ,none of that argos plastic box crap that you put the bit in ,they don't work as you have to turn the point and pull off which a plastic box can't do.
 
Plugging chisels 🤣🤣 You on about the ones where you belted the end with a hammer trying to turn it at the same time with the hand you were holding it with ?
No that was a rawl tool, plugging chisels were what you used to remove the mortar from a joint then take your axe and cut a wooden plug that you put a twist into then drive it into the brickwork. Brickies still use them.
 
To be fair I got on quite well with most of my customers, couple of oddballs but that's bound to happen.
Remember 1 young lass though, gave her a quote for the whole job, not a dayrate, she was happy with the price so I got the job, did a couple of days graft then had to go somewhere else just for the 1 day, then went back to job the next day and finished off. Lass was adamant I needed to knock some money off because I had gone somewhere else for a day. She couldn't grasp I had gave her a price for the work regardless of how long it took me. 🤣
Aye. Thats pretty standard customer fare.
Ive been down in the SE since 1983 the crap they can come out with is unreal. People from all over the world down here and a lot want it at the rates they'd get back home. Fuck em, better off shop fitting or bar referring or similar specialist stuff
I only use it for cross heads. Don't trust myself enough otherwise.😅
Only use mine for taking stubborn screws out now. The extra leverage/grip makes all the difference.
All old school joiners worked around me( ex Binns) so i learn't off them .
Made mine and the tool with a dial with numbers to set how far your teeth were pushed out and you clamped every other one then turned it around to do the other side then your triangle saw file on a 35°angle both ways and away you go ,as someone mentioned the disposables came in the early 80s .
I remember when we fitted the bakery shop at the bottom of blanford st using our yankee screwdrivers and the counter people came from sweden( for some reason) but they rocked up with cordless drills banging the screws in and we were like w.t.f ! So we all went out hunting them down, i found a grey black and decker one that was nearly a weeks wages ,bought it ,you could put 20 x 2 inch screws in then flat ,had to charge it up :lol:,wasn't till a few years later tgat the Makita range came out.

Still got me oil stone mahogany box ,french polished by the polishers.
Sweden? Elu drills? They were far better than as Elu before De Walt bought em out for both drills and flipper saws.
 
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No that was a rawl tool, plugging chisels were what you used to remove the mortar from a joint then take your axe and cut a wooden plug that you put a twist into then drive it into the brickwork. Brickies still use them.
Ah that's right I remember now. Remember the twisted wedges anarl used to get a great hold for a year or 2 until the timber dried out and then became loose 🤣🤣
 
Jesus's father Joseph's canny enough iirc....
Be worth money in years to come as the paslode generation can’t make them.
They buy a new set of chisels when they need grinding up :lol:
I starting serving my time in 2003, with a one man band, who was 32 year old.

I wasn't payed well, in fact it was about 60 a week to start with whilst the lads on site, Persimmons etc were all on CTB and £220 a week.

Anyway, they house bashed and found it mad what I was doing.

My gaffer wouldn't let me use nail guns/chopsaws etc.

I had to do it all by hand for the first year....brace n bit, cut my own mitres, knocking nails in, especially on facial to avoid 'half dollars'...we also had cut roofs in, hips, valleys you name it. I never braced a roof up until I went onto site....which was an wye opener. Rough.

Nevertheless, the shortich of pay then has payed off now.
Be worth money in years to come as the paslode generation can’t make them.
They buy a new set of chisels when they need grinding up :lol:
I starting serving my time in 2003, with a one man band, who was 32 year old.

I wasn't payed well, in fact it was about 60 a week to start with whilst the lads on site, Persimmons etc were all on CTB and £220 a week.

Anyway, they house bashed and found it mad what I was doing.

My gaffer wouldn't let me use nail guns/chopsaws etc.

I had to do it all by hand for the first year....brace n bit, cut my own mitres, knocking nails in, especially on facial to avoid 'half dollars'...we also hand cut roofs in, hips, valleys you name it. I never braced a roof up until I went onto site....which was an eye opener. Rough.

Nevertheless, the shit of pay then has payed off now.
 
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Love old tools but no idea why, I’m sodding useless with them :lol:

My old man was a plumber/fitter and I’ve still got all his old tools lovingly racked up in the garage. The chances of me ever needing a whitworth (or even AF) spanner these days are slim to none.
 
Interesting topic.

I’ve got my Granda’s joiners toolbox in the garage. It’s beautifully made. Dovetail joints, piano hinge, sliding drawers and a leather handle.

In today’s society, who would pay for the joiners time to make their own toolbox?

Crying shame really.
Your post has just reminded me that i still have my first tool box, as above but just butt hinges instead of the posh piano ones.

Made for me by the old joiner i started serving my time with on the direct labour (sites) at Felling UDC. That was 1969. Thank you Billy Nicholson. A smashing old bloke.

Its a bit battered but still has some tools in it 54 years on.

Made a one myself to replace it about 35 years later, but that was rubbish.

I was also given a pre-war Diston (Philadelphia) by the same bloke, and still use it. Cross cut.
 
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Love old tools but no idea why, I’m sodding useless with them :lol:

My old man was a plumber/fitter and I’ve still got all his old tools lovingly racked up in the garage. The chances of me ever needing a whitworth (or even AF) spanner these days are slim to none.


I’ve still got some imperial and whitworth gear in my tool box and socket set from when I served my time back in the 70’s

A quick spray of WD40 once or twice a year is all they get nowadays.

Never even thought of getting shot of them .
 
Had a good reminisce today on site with a few of the lads.
Anyone on here remember putting stramit partitions up?
Used to use a chainsaw to cut it,horrible stuff,compressed straw weighed a ton to carry up stairs.
 
Had a good reminisce today on site with a few of the lads.
Anyone on here remember putting stramit partitions up?
Used to use a chainsaw to cut it,horrible stuff,compressed straw weighed a ton to carry up stairs.
Donkeys breakfast I’ve heard it referred to.
Before my time like.

How old are you ?
Jesus's father Joseph's canny enough iirc....

I starting serving my time in 2003, with a one man band, who was 32 year old.

I wasn't payed well, in fact it was about 60 a week to start with whilst the lads on site, Persimmons etc were all on CTB and £220 a week.

Anyway, they house bashed and found it mad what I was doing.

My gaffer wouldn't let me use nail guns/chopsaws etc.

I had to do it all by hand for the first year....brace n bit, cut my own mitres, knocking nails in, especially on facial to avoid 'half dollars'...we also had cut roofs in, hips, valleys you name it. I never braced a roof up until I went onto site....which was an wye opener. Rough.

Nevertheless, the shortich of pay then has payed off now.

I starting serving my time in 2003, with a one man band, who was 32 year old.

I wasn't payed well, in fact it was about 60 a week to start with whilst the lads on site, Persimmons etc were all on CTB and £220 a week.

Anyway, they house bashed and found it mad what I was doing.

My gaffer wouldn't let me use nail guns/chopsaws etc.

I had to do it all by hand for the first year....brace n bit, cut my own mitres, knocking nails in, especially on facial to avoid 'half dollars'...we also hand cut roofs in, hips, valleys you name it. I never braced a roof up until I went onto site....which was an eye opener. Rough.

Nevertheless, the shit of pay then has payed off now.
Get a imperial Swanson roofing square.

Some Lads over the years think I’m a magician cutting all the rafters to length with plumb cuts and birds mouths without even getting onto the scaffold.

Worth leaning how to use one.Class for hand cut roofs.
 
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Started in 1990
Also familiar with the term.
Worked for Persimmon in the early 90s through a Barron.
How old are you?
Read your posts a lot and can’t help thinking we must have crossed paths.
 
See what he drags out his van now he’s nearly 30

Scratch fuck out of your work.

Catch them with saw blades.

Cumbersome.


Yet the diluties hide behind “ya not allowed wooden stools them on the sites”

They do t know how to make them that’s the problem

I don't make them any more I breed them.

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Donkeys breakfast I’ve heard it referred to.
Before my time like.
Donkeys Breakfast was what it was called, it was also used on flat roofs as insulation.
 
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i still use some of my dad's spanners and tools. still got a radio he got from the greenshield stamp shop in blackpool and was still working last time i tried.
also got a plane the father in law made when he served his time which must've been around 1946ish.
 
I don't make them any more I breed them.

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used to make em with braces connecting front n back legs to strengthen and allow cutting mitres by hand.

my mate used to glue long shavings to the arses for a tail just before going home. thought it the height of humour he did, couple of little trimmed off cuts for beneath the tail for manure as well. did it for years and chuckled away to himself every time.
 

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