![Asbestos Shingle Cutter [Restoration] @HandToolRescue](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/qH688syrLww/maxresdefault.jpg)
Uploaded October 2017 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
I had a lot of fun with this tool restoration. Essential Craftsman sent me the Model-F Improved Handy Asbestos Shingle Cutter made by Specialty Tool MFRS. INC. around 1936.
It was in pretty good shape to begin with, but the paint needed to be redone. I think I could use this as a metal brake in the future. I left the screw holes uncovered as they are pretty coarse threads and could use some tightening. I went with a surprise cleat coat on this tool, but it left a finish that is not very smooth and even cracked in some areas. I make some changes to what needed to be painted based on what I think would look nicer.
I made sure to wear a mask and not to bring my workshop clothes into the house after I worked on it. I am not sure of any asbestos on the machine, but I wanted to be safe, just in case.
We breathe in about 1,000,000 fibres of asbestos each year, naturally, so hopefully this restoration doesn't contribute more than that.
Help secure more tools for future videos (if you want): patreon.com/handtoolrescue
Instagram:
instagram.com/handtoolrescue
I had a lot of fun with this tool restoration. Essential Craftsman sent me the Model-F Improved Handy Asbestos Shingle Cutter made by Specialty Tool MFRS. INC. around 1936.
It was in pretty good shape to begin with, but the paint needed to be redone. I think I could use this as a metal brake in the future. I left the screw holes uncovered as they are pretty coarse threads and could use some tightening. I went with a surprise cleat coat on this tool, but it left a finish that is not very smooth and even cracked in some areas. I make some changes to what needed to be painted based on what I think would look nicer.
I made sure to wear a mask and not to bring my workshop clothes into the house after I worked on it. I am not sure of any asbestos on the machine, but I wanted to be safe, just in case.
We breathe in about 1,000,000 fibres of asbestos each year, naturally, so hopefully this restoration doesn't contribute more than that.
Help secure more tools for future videos (if you want): patreon.com/handtoolrescue
Instagram:
instagram.com/handtoolrescue
![Asbestos Shingle Cutter [Restoration]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/qH688syrLww/mqdefault.jpg "Asbestos Shingle Cutter [Restoration]
I had a lot of fun with this tool restoration. Essential Craftsman sent me the Model-F Improved Handy Asbestos Shingle Cutter made by Specialty Tool MFRS. INC. around 1936.
It was in pretty good shape to begin with, but the paint needed to be redone. I think I could use this as a metal brake in the future. I left the screw holes uncovered as they are pretty coarse threads and could use some tightening. I went with a surprise cleat coat on this tool, but it left a finish that is not very smooth and even cracked in some areas. I make some changes to what needed to be painted based on what I think would look nicer.
I made sure to wear a mask and not to bring my workshop clothes into the house after I worked on it. I am not sure of any asbestos on the machine, but I wanted to be safe, just in case.
We breathe in about 1,000,000 fibres of asbestos each year, naturally, so hopefully this restoration doesnt contribute more than that.
Help secure more tools for future videos (if you want): https://www.patreon.com/handtoolrescue
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/handtoolrescue/")
![Triple-Piston Pneumatic Circular Saw [Restoration]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/qIbL5_Px0h0/mqdefault.jpg "Triple-Piston Pneumatic Circular Saw [Restoration]
This restoration is on a 1920s Model B12 Safety Saw pneumatic circular saw made by the Ingersoll-Rand Co.. The Safety Saw name was in reference to the patented design of the retractable blade guard, one of the first of its kind. This saw runs off of a triple-piston Little David motor that Ingersoll-Rand seemed to use in a number of their larger pneumatic tools.
Unfortunately, I could not find any mention of this saw in the literature and therefore it is only an educated guess on how much compressed air this saw need to run.
The saw had many previous repairs that all needed some new attention. The main issue with this item was the completely seized throttle valve and the extra crusty and old grease that had hardened over time.
Once cleaned of grease, repaired, and reassembled the saw would idle when I applied a bit of compressed air from my air compressor which can only put out 90 psi @ 20cfm. The idling is either due to the low flow of air not providing enough force on some valve to completely seal it, or there is a leak somewhere within the saw. Either way, I decided not to fix that issue because an idling pneumatic circular saw sounds AMAZING and I could listen to it all day.
Despite the reduced air flow, the saw still cut just fine and definitely had tons of torque. Ill be sure to use this next time I need to cut a thick wood beam with the most ironically named tool Ive restored.
Wrenches, screwdrivers, and socket drivers are now for sale at www.handtoolrescue.com
Help secure more tools for future videos (if you want):
https://www.patreon.com/handtoolrescue
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/handtoolrescue
Facebook Group - Share your restorations
https://www.facebook.com/groups/handtoolrescue
https://www.facebook.com/handtoolrescue/
Reddit - Share your restorations
https://www.reddit.com/r/HandToolRescue/
Podcast (with @jimmydiresta and Andrew Alexander) - https://anchor.fm/fitzall")
![Antique Forge & Anvil [Rescue]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/r4JYRbhJUP8/mqdefault.jpg "Antique Forge & Anvil [Rescue]
I had a tough time choosing between a forge restoration and an anvil restoration. I decided to rescue them both instead!
The forge was made by Thompson MFG. Co out of Grand Bay, New Brunswick, Canada around the 1920s. It is made of solid cast iron with pipe legs. The clinker breaker was missing and I replaced it with one I had on hand, but I cannot seem to find photos of the original breaker design. Usually the clinker breaker is further into the firepot that what the forge seemed to be designed to use. It is also odd that the firepot doesnt really fit the forge very well. The broken piece for the pipe housing was not worth repairing. Both of these pieces just need to be functional.
The anvil was made by Soderfors in Sweden in 1928. I found this anvil with large amounts of torch damage and grinder marks all over it. The hardness of the face was most likely affected by the heat of the torch. Although not shown in the video, the anvil was heated up before it was stick welded. I got a friend to help weld and mill the anvil and that is why there is not too much footage of the anvil being welded. I think it actually came out pretty well, the hardness seems to have stayed about the same, but I am not sure if there is an improvement. The bottom of the anvil was flattened lightly also.
The blower is now packed with grease and filled with oil and seems to be running great. Link to the blower restoration is here: https://youtu.be/adJ2PMVg7Hq
Cant wait to do some blacksmithing! I just need to find some nice hammers, hardie tools, and a vise to help with the blacksmithing setup.
Help secure more tools for future videos (if you want): https://www.patreon.com/handtoolrescue
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/handtoolrescue/")
![The Secrets of the Sock Machine [Restoration]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/rAFlLEoFilM/mqdefault.jpg "The Secrets of the Sock Machine [Restoration]
This restoration was on The Worlds Star circular sock knitting machine with ribber attachment made by Creelman Bros. of Georgetown, ON, Canada. This particular model was patented in 1874 and was most likely made around that time as well since the company ended in the 1930s with different models. You can see what is left of the original manual here: https://www.angoravalley.com/sockmachines/manuals/Creelman%20Bros%20The%20Worlds%20Star.pdf
I won this tool at an auction several years ago and it came with several other important parts including the cast on basket, bobbin winder, weights and yarn stand. At the time I had no idea how much these types of machines were worth and was very surprised to find out how in-demand they are.
The sock machine was no in a massively poor condition like some other tools on this channel, but it did need some parts fixed, a full replacement of all the japanning, and a general clean. I was also happy to accidentally discover that the original gilding was able to be seen under UV light. This allowed me to have it recreated digitally and then as beautiful waterslides to get as close to the original designs as possible. I used a product called Micro Sol to soften the decals allowing me to blend the edges in better and to press the decal flush into the uneven cast surfaces.
How this machine functions eluded me until it was finally and entirely put back together. It was also very neat to see how the stitching works in slow motion, so that I could better understand what was going on.
I hope to make some full socks one day with the actual heal and fully ribbed ankle as those were just too much of a learning curve for now and potentially filled with fines and excommunications.
Id like to thank @CRCAutoUS for sponsoring this video. Ive switched to a food-grade penetrating oil from them as a more safe alternative, and it as worked just as well as the usual penetrating oils Ive used.
You can check out the products from them used in this video in the links below:
https://www.evapo-rust.com/
https://www.crcindustries.com/evapo-rust/
https://www.crcindustries.com/smartwasher/
https://www.crcindustries.com/food-grade-penetrating-oil-11-wt-oz/
Wrenches, screwdrivers, and socket drivers are now for sale at https://www.handtoolrescue.com/
Watch narrated videos and help secure more tools for future videos (if you want):
https://www.patreon.com/handtoolrescue")
![1930s Exercise Machine [Restoration]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/rPHnoOkg9LU/mqdefault.jpg "1930s Exercise Machine [Restoration]
This restoration is on an exercise machine manufactured in the 1930s by the Health Developing Apparatus Co. Inc., of Bridgeport, Conn. USA. Aptly named The Seat of Health originally came folded up in a small suitcase for some reason. I assume it was so you could discretely move it from location to location without alerting the public to your need to improve your health.
Most of this machine is made of aluminum, but the steel parts were all originally nickel-plated to prevent rust from forming due to sweat. Interestingly, some of the pulleys and bearings are made of some type of wood. I think it may be rosewood or lignum vitae, which are both fairly hard and wear resistant. The original springs were still effective enough to be reused, but several other steel parts were either broken or missing. I ended up having to either completely remake or repair those parts as no replacements are available.
Apparently, there were 20 different exercises that you could do with this machine including some where you mounted it to a wall.
I will personally keep this one around the shop as something neat and ornate to look at from time to time.
Id like to thank @CRCAutoUS for sponsoring this video.
You can check out the products from them used in this video in the link below:
https://www.crcindustries.com/handtoolrescue
Wrenches, screwdrivers, and socket drivers are now for sale at https://www.handtoolrescue.com/
Watch narrated videos and help secure more tools for future videos (if you want):
https://www.patreon.com/handtoolrescue")
![1900s Hay Trolley [Rescue]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/rp-3nNFf4uA/mqdefault.jpg "1900s Hay Trolley [Rescue]
I decided to go with a different finish for this antique tool rescue / restoration. This is a Boomer Double Swivel Hay Carrier/Trolley made by the Milwaukee Hay Tool Company. The company lasted until 1931, but this trolley was likely earlier and possibly in the 1900s. The original patent is for 1906 and is located here: https://patents.google.com/patent/US839287A
This is one of the few antique tools I have restored that is malleable iron and not cast iron. It is really nice to deal with that instead of cast iron as I can be more rough as I am taking the tool apart. Malleable iron can also be bent and not shatter into a million pieces.
The trip took a long time to find and definitely seem to be more rare than the trolley itself. I used 3/4 natural fibre rope in this video. I also used a simple recipe of boiled linseed oil, polyurethane, and paint thinner to make a simple danish oil finish that I like to use on bare metal to preserve patina. I feel like I should have welded the metal track differently with it ending in a U shape instead of a T shape, as that would have made installing the trip much easier and allowing more strength to the track.
I hope to actually put this in my new workshop with some lights hanging down from the ropes. It would work great for some extra lighting right above the workbench.
Id like to thank Evapo-Rust for sponsoring this video.
Help secure more tools for future videos (if you want):
https://www.patreon.com/handtoolrescue
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/handtoolrescue
Facebook Group - Share your restorations
https://www.facebook.com/groups/handtoolrescue
Reddit - Share your restorations
https://www.reddit.com/r/HandToolRescue/")
![Someone paid an equivalent of $2000 for this in 1914 [Restoration]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/rw_8FWJuSho/mqdefault.jpg "Someone paid an equivalent of $2000 for this in 1914 [Restoration]
This machine has the most odd combination of functions Ive ever come across. It was made in 1914 by the F. Bissell Company of Toledo, Ohio, U.S.A. and combines a vacuum, grinder, buffer, blower, and pulley. The tool is so old that this would have been one of the first introductions to an electric motor that a household would have had.
These are quite rare and I had a very difficult internal struggle with removing the unique decal and having it recreated. The original decal contained only a partial image of the Bissell Frog and with no high quality images of the full decal online, I was stuck until I came across an old F. Bissell Company catalogue with a large image of a frog on the front that matched. A fantastic graphic artist was able to use it to digitally recreate the decal in its entirety. After that, I sent the file to an awesome print shop that uses modern and old methods to reprint the decal on waterslide paper, just like the original. I think its the best decal Ive ever had remade.
You may be thinking this was made by the modern day Bissell vacuum company, but this is actually a completely different Bissell, so much so that they changed the company name to National Super Suction Company, and had to specifically state that they werent related to the other Bissell vacuum company in there advertisements at the time.
The rest of the restoration showed how well built this tool was for its age and I am absolutely loving the original colour. I made a vacuum bag out of an old pillow case and I dont think what I truly needed exists anymore, but maybe I will come across something more authentic one day. This tool was sold for $67.50 USD in 1914, which is ~$2000 USD today. You can see the original design patent here: https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/ca/61/97/2d97780b0b7262/USD43837.pdf
Id like to thank @CRCAutoUS for sponsoring this video. Ive switched to a food-grade penetrating oil from them as a more safe alternative, and it as worked just as well as the usual penetrating oils Ive used.
You can check out the products from them used in this video in the links below:
https://www.evapo-rust.com
https://www.crcindustries.com/evapo-rust/
https://www.crcindustries.com/smartwasher/
https://www.crcindustries.com/qd-174-electronic-cleaner-11-wt-oz/
https://www.crcindustries.com/food-grade-penetrating-oil-11-wt-oz/
Wrenches, screwdrivers, and socket drivers are now for sale at www.handtoolrescue.com
Watch narrated videos and help secure more tools for future videos (if you want):
https://www.patreon.com/handtoolrescue
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/handtoolrescue
Facebook Group - Share your restorations
https://www.facebook.com/groups/handtoolrescue
https://www.facebook.com/handtoolrescue/
Reddit - Share your restorations
https://www.reddit.com/r/HandToolRescue/
Podcast (with @jimmydiresta and Andrew Alexander) - https://anchor.fm/fitzall")
![1902 Champion Blower & Forge Co. No. 400 Forge Blower (Part Two) [Restoration]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/sWNOapWrtNs/mqdefault.jpg "1902 Champion Blower & Forge Co. No. 400 Forge Blower (Part Two) [Restoration]
https://www.instagram.com/handtoolrescue for upcoming projects.
In this video, I paint all the parts and reassemble the forge blower. It is too cold here for me to put thick oil into the crankcase as it would then be too difficult to turn over. It is also too cold to seal the fan case with some silicone, so I will do that during the summer. I am sure I could adjust the bearings to make it run even smoother, but I will do that when I go to use it in its final place. Final thick greasing will be done then as well, until then, the poor lithium grease will work for this video.
Champion Blower & Forge Co. really knew how to make something last a long time and still run great!
My hope is to pair it with a forge table one day.")
![Underwater Pneumatic Reciprocating Saw [Restoration]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/t7In-zbH42I/mqdefault.jpg "Underwater Pneumatic Reciprocating Saw [Restoration]
This restoration focuses on an underwater pneumatic reciprocating saw made by the Wright Power Saw and Tool Corp. in the 1940s-1960s. The saw design was first filed for a patent in 1947 and granted in 1952 (https://patents.google.com/patent/US2598480). The decals on the particular saw in this video mention that the patents are still pending, so it may have been made in the late 1940s/early 1950s.
These saws were apparently used in bridgework, but also had different saw blades for meat or ice. I believe this one may have been used for ice as the saw blade teeth do not have any set to them.
The internal components of the saw were in great condition as they are almost all aluminum and covered in oil. The external steel components were fairly rusted. I rebuilt all the internal components and de-rusted, sanded, painted, and polished the external components. Remaking the decal was difficult as most words were missing and photos online did not give a clear example of what it should. Eventually, I found enough different photos and catalogues that let me piece together the wording (https://imgur.com/pM1qFhp). The digital recreation of the decals was done by Forma Graphics (formagraphicart@gmail.com).
There was no information whatsoever on how much air was needed to run this specific saw. All I could find was an advertisement of a similar later model smaller saw made by Wright that mentioned 60CFM at 80-100psi, so I decided to rent a 70CFM compressor and hope for the best. Unfortunately, it wasnt enough and the saw did not cut well through wood. The fact that the teeth had no set also may have made things worse. My guess is that this needs 100-150CFM to function properly.
You can see parts of the saw explode out the front of the saw during the first test. The rod that the springs slide onto snapped in two and needed to be completely remade before the saw would function again. You can see on instagram (https://www.instagram.com/handtoolrescue/) how I remade that part out of tool steel.
I also wish I could have tested this in some nice clear water like a pool, but all of those are now closed, and the saw spits out an INSANE amount of oil to function.
I am really excited to add this saw to my collection as it is not common and sounds absolutely amazing when in use!
I would like to thank Evapo-Rust for sponsoring this video.
Wrenches are now for sale at www.handtoolrescue.com
Help secure more tools for future videos (if you want):
https://www.patreon.com/handtoolrescue
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/handtoolrescue
Facebook Group - Share your restorations
https://www.facebook.com/groups/handtoolrescue
https://www.facebook.com/handtoolrescue/
Reddit - Share your restorations
https://www.reddit.com/r/HandToolRescue/
Podcast (with Jimmy DiResta and Andrew Alexander) - https://anchor.fm/fitzall")
![Antique Drag Saw [Restoration] - Part 2: Will It Run?](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/t9rkPif0Oi8/mqdefault.jpg "Antique Drag Saw [Restoration] - Part 2: Will It Run?
Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGGlaOozLPs
In this restoration I tackle the largest project I have done to date! This is a 1920-1930s drag or log saw made by the Ottawa Mfg. Co. of Ottawa, Kansas, USA. This is a TE model with a 5HP 4-stroke engine on it. The saw mimics the sawing action of two people using a non-powered crosscut saw. The saw blade itself is 5ft long.
I have not dealt with 4-stroke engines very often in my restoration history, so it was a lot of fun learning along the way.
The tool itself shows signs of many repairs over its ~100 years, including a lot of brazing due to large frost cracks and completely broken castings in other places. The wooden base is rotting away and is cracked in many places. The magneto does not produce spark and the piston is stuck as well!
In this video I tackle the repair of the wooden base as well as reassemble everything for testing. I decided to only paint certain parts and to leave the new wooden base rustic looking to match the rest of the saw. I plan on bringing the saw to antique engine shows, so I thought that making it look old would be the right choice.
This project was entirely funded by patrons so I want to keep this tool and show it off when I can as a way to remember everyones contributions.
I would like to thank Evapo-Rust for sponsoring this video.
Wrenches are now for sale at www.handtoolrescue.com
Help secure more tools for future videos (if you want):
https://www.patreon.com/handtoolrescue
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/handtoolrescue
Facebook Group - Share your restorations
https://www.facebook.com/groups/handtoolrescue
https://www.facebook.com/handtoolrescue/
Reddit - Share your restorations
https://www.reddit.com/r/HandToolRescue/
Podcast (with Jimmy DiResta and Andrew Alexander) - https://anchor.fm/fitzall")
