Hey, Neighbor! How About a Free Scroll Saw?
It was a warm day last Sunday. An almost perfect day, really, after the winter we’ve had. And since my shop is in my garage, I didn’t hesitate to open the 16-ft. door to let in some sunshine and fresh air. I was standing at my bench using a coping saw to shape a piece of thin birch plywood for a project. The neighbor drives down the street and stops in front of my house. “Hey, Randy! I’ve got a question for you…”
So I put down my tools and walk out to meet Mike. He proceeds to tell me that he just returned from his storage unit where he keeps his boat and other household items. He points to the back of his truck and asks if I have any use for that old scroll saw. “A friend gave that to me years ago but I don’t do any woodworking. It’s got a little rust on it but runs just fine.” I take a look and it’s an old Craftsman model 103.20720 (made by King-Seeley) from the 1940’s, I’m guessing.
(You can find out more about this and other old tools at “Old Wood-Working Machines.”)
We unload the saw from the back of the truck and my son and I start cleaning it up. All we needed to do was take off some of the old grime and oil with some mineral spirits. I took the cast iron table off and went after it with some 80-grit sandpaper on a wood block, finishing up with 120-grit. A spritz of Boeshield T-9 will keep the top in good shape.
I stuck a blade in it and fired it up. It ran as smooth as silk.
Now, about this time my wife walks out and inquires about my new acquisition. But being the learned scholar and astute observer she is, she says, “Don’t you already have one of those?” The quickest response I could come up with was, “Yeah…but this one didn’t cost me anything. As a matter of fact, the other one didn’t cost me anything, either.” The “other one” is an even older Craftsman “Companion”, also made by King-Seeley (model 103.0402) that my dad gave me many years ago.
I accused my wife of not understanding about guys and tools…especially ones that don’t cost anything (the tools, I mean). But she didn’t get it. She mumbled something about me being “Sanford” and went back in the house. Oh well.
Glenn Lees said,
Randy,
I have one with a modeL # 103.23150 which I bought for $7.00 at an auction about 45 years ago. Do you want a third one?
(posted on March 27th, 2007 at 7:03 pm)