My Great Grandfather's Tools

I have been a hobbiest woodworker for many years and have made many different projects for my home, church, gifts and my wife's classroom as she is a Special Educator and needs some things built to spec. Some of the tools that I use belonged to my Great Grandfather who was a builder/contractor. He used to have 3 custom tool boxes that he made that would go on the back of the wagon and later into the back of the truck. After he died in 1959, 2 of the boxes were taken by some unscrupulous relatives that sold them for beer money. The 3rd box my dad grabbed to keep it safe and it lived under his workbench in the garage. After my Dad died all the tools came to me and the box went under my workbench for many years. A few years back I pulled the box out and went through the tools and decided that it was time to make a display case for some of the tools as well.

All of the tools were in good shape and sharpened just as my Great Grandfather left them. They had some rust on them so I cleaned them all up and then selected some certain tools to go into the case. All of the tools are useable and I have used some of them over the years. The frame of the case and the doors were made from old recycled oak church pews that were originally installed in a Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles in 1900 that I planed down for use. The back piece is newer oak plywood and the grain pattern is definitely different which annoys me and I may replace it down the road. The doors open easily so that I can remove the tools for use as needed. All of the tools range from the 1890's to 1930's and all are fully useable.

Here is the original box that my Great Grandfather built while he was back in Kansas before moving to Southern California in about 1910.



Here is the interior of the box before any cleaning of the tools. There are multiple layers and custom boxes to fit all the tools.



Here is the finished case.

Very well done!!!

And,,,,,

Those are tools to be proud of!!!!

Well done.

Thanks.

Here is one more photo which is of his original sign that hung outside his shop and has been hanging in my garage many years.

my Great Grandfather was Edward Kaub which is German descent. I can trace the Kaub side of the familiy back to Germany in the 1700's as they came to America as part of the Pennsylvania Deutsch (Dutch) movement as they were Quakers.