Uploaded May 2023 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
I have recreated a "fractal" chair based off a patent from 1913. Similarly to the "fractal" vise that I previously restored, this chair uses the same series of pivoting sections to fully adapt to the shape of someone sitting down. The original patent can be seen here: patents.google.com/patent/US1059545
I used the original patent explanation as best I could to help design the function of the chair which uses stacked tongue and groove steel plates that interface with each other through a series of ball bearings that provide the movement. The design was fully realized with the help of instagram.com/joshsfick who digitally created all the pieces needed to be cut with a fibre laser.
Once the sheets of 1/4" steel were cut, I could start machining and assembling all the other components. Overall the chair weighs about 150lbs.
Sitting on the finished chair is odd. It's comfortable in how it conforms to you, but not comfortable to sit on wood slats that can sometimes be too far apart due to their movement.
There is lots of room for improvement here. Slats that are less thick would help lower the pivot point of each, so that it feels better to sit on. More "sections" would also increase the comfort. Increasing the range of each "section" and making a version where the backrest could pivot as well would be very nice.
Overall this was so much fun and I will constantly sit in it every time I get the chance.
Wrenches, screwdrivers, and socket drivers are now for sale at handtoolrescue.com
Help secure more tools for future videos (if you want):
patreon.com/handtoolrescue
Instagram:
instagram.com/handtoolrescue
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facebook.com/handtoolrescue
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Podcast (with @jimmydiresta and Andrew Alexander) - https://anchor.fm/fitzall
I have recreated a "fractal" chair based off a patent from 1913. Similarly to the "fractal" vise that I previously restored, this chair uses the same series of pivoting sections to fully adapt to the shape of someone sitting down. The original patent can be seen here: patents.google.com/patent/US1059545
I used the original patent explanation as best I could to help design the function of the chair which uses stacked tongue and groove steel plates that interface with each other through a series of ball bearings that provide the movement. The design was fully realized with the help of instagram.com/joshsfick who digitally created all the pieces needed to be cut with a fibre laser.
Once the sheets of 1/4" steel were cut, I could start machining and assembling all the other components. Overall the chair weighs about 150lbs.
Sitting on the finished chair is odd. It's comfortable in how it conforms to you, but not comfortable to sit on wood slats that can sometimes be too far apart due to their movement.
There is lots of room for improvement here. Slats that are less thick would help lower the pivot point of each, so that it feels better to sit on. More "sections" would also increase the comfort. Increasing the range of each "section" and making a version where the backrest could pivot as well would be very nice.
Overall this was so much fun and I will constantly sit in it every time I get the chance.
Wrenches, screwdrivers, and socket drivers are now for sale at handtoolrescue.com
Help secure more tools for future videos (if you want):
patreon.com/handtoolrescue
Instagram:
instagram.com/handtoolrescue
Facebook Group - Share your restorations
facebook.com/groups/handtoolrescue
facebook.com/handtoolrescue
Reddit - Share your restorations
reddit.com/r/HandToolRescue
Podcast (with @jimmydiresta and Andrew Alexander) - https://anchor.fm/fitzall
![Narrated: Antique Jewelry Lathe [Restoration]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/eS91Db1VhAw/mqdefault.jpg "Narrated: Antique Jewelry Lathe [Restoration]
This is my voice.
More narrated videos will be on https://www.patreon.com/handtoolrescue")
![Bird Cannon [Restoration]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/fJY0P5aL5dg/mqdefault.jpg "Bird Cannon [Restoration]
This restoration is on a ZON bird cannon made by the B.M. Lawrence & Co. of San Francisco, CA, USA in the 1950s. This tool is also called an automatic scarecrow, carbide cannon, bird scarer, or orchard cannon and cost $60 USD in 1955 which is about $750 USD today. You can view the original patent here: https://patents.google.com/patent/US3056376
The cannon works by the user mixing calcium carbide and water to create acetylene gas. Once the gas builds up to a certain amount, it is emptied into the explosion chamber and a flint is struck, igniting the gas and creating an extremely loud sound in hopes of scaring away birds and apparently human ears.
This is the most dangerous tool I have restored thus far. The risk of creating shrapnel was present and real during every restoration decision. The main rubber diaphragm was completely rotten and needed replacing, but if I did not find rubber with equivalent thickness, strength, elasticity, and resistance to acetylene, I could accidentally create a massive problem for my limbs. If the restored firing mechanism jams, it may allow for multiple doses of acetylene to enter the chamber, and remove my face. If I accidentally let water enter down the pressure equalization tube in the calcium carbide chamber while moving it around, it could go off while I am holding it, making me deaf for life.
Modern equivalents are made today, but use propane instead.
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 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")
![1920s Lawn Mower [Restoration] - Part 1](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/fSO9CpPROM8/mqdefault.jpg "1920s Lawn Mower [Restoration] - Part 1
This machine was made by the Coldwell Lawn Mower Co. of Newburgh, NY, USA in the late 1920s. It claimed to cut and roll 3 acres on a single tank of gas using a 25 width reel mower powered by a 3.5HP Fuller and Johnson engine. It cost the equivalent of ~$7000 in current(2024) USD.
This video focuses solely on the restoration of the engine portion of this tool. The engine was not in the worst shape I have seen for something its age, but it is a very odd design and not common at all.
It fought me every single step of the way, to the point where it took me 4 months to fully restore.
I made some choices early in the restoration that came back to bite me in the end. I decided not to replace the piston rings despite a light honing of the cylinder, since replacements were not available at the time and I really didnt want to make new ones like I did for the steam engine restoration. I also decided to use composite cork with a gasoline resistant coating for the carburetor float replacement. Lastly, I decided to lightly repaint the outside of the of the magneto.
Unfortunately, all of these things were a terrible idea that set me back months of work and time. The piston rings did need a full replacement as compression was low and blow-by was showing up in the oilers. I found a single set in Australia. The coating on the cork float completely failed , so I tried coating it entirely in gasoline tank sealer, but that also failed. I ended up replacing the float entirely with one that I custom made out of nitrophyl, which is a plastic float resistant to gasoline. The original cork float was coating in shellac, which unfortunately will dissolve in modern gasoline, which contains ethanol. Lastly, I spent 5 weeks working on the Bosch BA-1 magneto, which decided to completely stop working after just painting the outside. This is a rare magneto with expensive and hard to find replacement parts, so I had to figure it all out myself. I ended up completely tearing the whole thing apart multiple times and investigating every part with my multimeter. Initially, it looked like the secondary coil needed to be rewound, which would have taking a professional several months, but once I got my hands on a more sensitive multimeter, it checked out fine. I also replaced the capacitor within the magneto, but that did not help either. After weeks of disassembly and reassembly, I found a hairline crack in one of the insulator parts that was allowing some voltage to leak and spark somewhere internally to the magneto.
I also chose to restore the radiator for the engine in the next part of this restoration, as I can run the engine for a short period without it, and this video was already running quite long.
In the end I learned that this is the first engine Ive ever restored that has depression and truly hates all its original parts.
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
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")
![1940s Large Bandsaw [DiRestoration]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/fq800mkz5mE/mqdefault.jpg "1940s Large Bandsaw [DiRestoration]
In this video Jimmy DiResta invited me to his workshop to help rescue this 1945 Delta Milwaukee 14 Bandsaw. We decided to not do a typical restoration, but go with a raw steel and brass look for all parts. We both really liked how this turned out and hopefully I can do more things like this every once in a while.
The exposed parts of the bandsaw were fairly rusty, but the internals were in surprisingly good shape. Luckily not all of the bearings needed replacing as I only brought a few new bearings and finding new ones in the short time I was there, was not possible.
I focused on disassembly, cleaning, removing paint and rust, and reassembling the bandsaw. Jimmy focused on remaking the knobs in solid brass, making the blade guard out of oak, welding the new pulleys, making the motor mount, and hooking up the power switch.
Brett McAfee focused on brassing certain steel parts on the saw so it would look even better. You can see his process here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzCXPzENPVs
We all had a lot of fun and I hope to do this again one day. Thank you for inviting me Jimmy!
Jimmy DiResta: https://www.youtube.com/user/jimmydiresta
Id 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
Reddit - Share your restorations
https://www.reddit.com/r/HandToolRescue/")
![1960s 3-Phase Electric Chainsaw - Stihl [Restoration]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ft6EWBQs4f8/mqdefault.jpg "1960s 3-Phase Electric Chainsaw - Stihl [Restoration]
The most powerful electric chainsaw Stihl ever made is finally in my hands. This 1960s 3-phase Stihl E-30 chainsaw is something I have been trying to find for a long time. Stihl made 4 different versions of this saw, but only one was made for the North American market.
I have an affinity for electric chainsaws as I absolutely love the torque they can provide when cutting wood, so I had to find this saw. I ended up finding one in Germany and shipping it over to Canada.
The saw was not in horrendously bad condition, as most issues were entirely cosmetic, but I needed to bring this saw back to its original glory. Everything was stripped down and repainted with the original RAL 7035 white and RAL 3000 red colours and finished with a 2K clear coat for durability. I also had to completely remake the decals for this saw as they are unique.
I tested the electric components off-camera to ensure that they are functional, but you never really know until you plug it in. I do not have 3-phase power in my workshop, so testing it before restoration was not an option, unfortunately. I ended up going to the workshop where we make the wrenches and screwdrivers for some 3-phase power, but I had to RENT an extension cord because apparently those are almost $1000 at the length that I needed for a saw with this much power.
In the end, it worked very well and is very quiet without the chain and bar on it. I was worried the oil pump would not function properly, but once up to speed it worked well. This thing EATS wood for dinner and its so much fun to use.
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")
![The Most Unnecessarily Complicated Antique Tape Dispenser [Restoration]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/fxieKFowcjE/mqdefault.jpg "The Most Unnecessarily Complicated Antique Tape Dispenser [Restoration]
This restoration is on a pre-1920s Chauncey Wings Sons mailer/tape dispenser. The tool is one of the most intricate and complex machines I have seen to dispense tape. The modern cost to replicate something like this would be astronomically expensive, but it is beautiful. You can see the original 1894 patent here: https://patents.google.com/patent/US519185
A viewer sent me this specific tool a few months ago to compliment one that I found which was missing too many parts to be functional. Between the two, I could compile one completely functional tool.
I sandblasted almost every part and wire-wheeled them with a very soft brass wheel, so as to not scratch the brass parts. The handles seemed to be made out of cherry that was heavily varnished. I stripped the old yellowed varnish and applied a thick coating of shellac to the cherry wood. I have to remake the wooden roller that sat in the glue holder, as it was missing.
The original glue holder was repaired and filled with water so I could use some water activated tape that I had lying around.
After the restoration was done and cutters sharpened the tape dispenser worked really well and was surprisingly easy to use. Maybe Ill use it once in a while to tape up special packages that I ship out.
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")
![1910s Saw Blade Filer [Restoration]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/gMvVGF7AkTk/mqdefault.jpg "1910s Saw Blade Filer [Restoration]
The restoration of this saw filer was the most amount of work yet!
0:00 Life-changing introduction
0:47 Disassembly
14:34 Head smash
16:09 Pouring new babbitt bearings
19:46 Brazing cast iron
20:47 Machining new brass knobs
24:16 Reassembly
36:38 Pain
This tool is a saw filing and setting machine made by Black Diamond Saw & Machine Works of Natick, MA, U.S.A. sometime after 1911. The original patent from 1909 can be seen here: https://patents.google.com/patent/US942531
Unfortunately, the saw setting attachment has been lost, but I would love to find it one day.
This particular machine showed signed of been very well used and repaired in ways that suggest it was used in a production environment. I ended up needing to pour new babbitt bearings, machine new parts, repair old parts, replace fasteners, and completely change all the paint colours to get the tool back to a more original state.
I absolutely love saw filers and settings since they have some of the highest gizmocity of almost any tools their size. I will be saving this one for my personal collection.
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")
![Hand Tool Rescue Large Wrench [Resurrection]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/gV2Gpxkf2D0/mqdefault.jpg "Hand Tool Rescue Large Wrench [Resurrection]
The large wrenches are for sale here: https://www.handtoolrescue.com/products/mcsqueezatron-5000
In this video I show you the process for creating the Large Wrench along with all its improvements over the original design.
I would like to that the patrons on Patreon for supporting this adventure as well as Colonel & Sons Machine Works for their incredible efforts machining these wrenches. You can contact them at yxecnc@gmail.com.
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")
