Liberty Tool & Hulls Cove Tool Barn, Liberty and Hulls Cove, Maine

[cooperhill]

Spent this past week at Acadia National Park. Took two trips to Liberty Tool and one trip to Hulls Cove Tool Barn (right outside of Bar Harbor).



I got lucky at Liberty as there were two really nice axes (a plumb and a Maine wedge pattern (haven't deciphered the maker's mark yet)) for $6.50 each.



Picked up a huge 4# Collins Legitimus Michigan (not my favorite pattern) for $2 and a Ames Plow Co. axe for $2.50.



Also picked up about 10 mill bastard files in good condition. Easy to check them to see if they have bite left.

Some other photos. Lots of stuff here. Not sure there are any axes left .

[jwaj]

Good find on the axes. That store looks like you could spend hours in there and not see it all. Nothing like that on my coast.
Thanks for posting the pictures.

[Crazyotter]

D'arvit, thats what I get for not going to Liberty in two months. Nice find Coop! I honestly thought that place to was too popular (too visited) to have anyone score a find like that in there.

[czscotia]

I still have a set of 0-1 micrometers that my dad picked up from Liberty Tool many yrs ago. I think its an amazing store, thanks for reminding me of it.

[FortyTwoBlades]

Great place. Love it there.

[M3mphis]

I wish we had places like that here. Looks like a tool collectors fantasy come true.

[Operator1975]

Nice round up friend. Well done.

[bearhunter]

I wish we had places like that here. Looks like a tool collectors fantasy come true.

That's what I was going to say

[markv]

I wish we had places like that here. Looks like a tool collectors fantasy come true.

my sentiments exactly
i love shops full of tools like this

thanks for posting

buzz

[cooperhill]

I wish we had places like that here. Looks like a tool collectors fantasy come true.

That's what I was going to say

Come and visit brothers.

Was able to successfully remove the handle from this one and rehang. Did some work to reprofile the bit. The toe is badly worn. Still life in this one for small chores. Got my new linseed oil soaker almost ready and will test it out on this.

[bearhunter]

I just built one if those linseed oil soakers a couple of weeks ago.
It works great

[M3mphis]

What's great about it???? Serious question. I've wondered. I usually apply one to two very thin coats of BLO and that's it. Why the saturation?

[bearhunter]

It just makes it a little simpler and I believe it more economical over the long haul. Granted, if someone just did an axe or two a year, it wouldn't be worth the investment. I thought about the cost/benefit of it, and decided it would be worth it for me.
It's pretty nice, you just 'throw' it in for ever how long you wish and just forget about it. It's also less messy.
They certainly look really nice after a good soak over a couple of days.
I actually just did my first ones over the week end and I was pleased with the results.
I also think that the saturation would save folks from having to retreat the handles as much over time.

Or maybe I just think its cool

[M3mphis]

Red, I think a few pics are in order! You too, Chris! You guys are getting pretty fancy!

[bearhunter]

I actually wasn't going to do it because of the cost, but the wife was very encouraging about it and also thought it was a good idea.
So I said what the hell! I may as well do it. I had been thinking about it for a long time anyway.

[cooperhill]

Cost? For the linseed oil?

I'm just doing this as a test. Mostly for cosmetic reasons - to see if I can some nice colors out of some old handles.

[bearhunter]

Cost? For the linseed oil?

I'm just doing this as a test. Mostly for cosmetic reasons - to see if I can some nice colors out of some old handles.

Yeah... I'm cheap

That's what I was thinking too coop.
I really thought/think that saturation can bring out some real nice colors.
So far, it seems to be a success!

[cooperhill]

So how much linseed oil does it take to fill yours?

[bearhunter]

1 gallon...

[Square_peg]

I'm going a different direction. I'm starting to like a tung oil finish. I still use BLO, I think of it as being a penetrating wood rejuvenator. But the tung looks so good and does a much better job of keeping out moisture. My last couple hafts have been given 3 coats of BLO followed by 3 coats of tung oil. The tung oil leaves a glossy finish and gives a grippiness to the haft that BLO doesn't do.

I want to know Frank's formula for his BLO/Turp/Tung coating.