Car booty – 14/04/2013

We were planning to go to the Pease Pottage car boot today and then when that was cancelled due to waterlogged fields, to the Sayers Common sale we went to a fortnight ago.

When that got rained off we decided to go to the sale at Brighton Racecourse, as it looked like that was relatively all weather due to the stalls being either side of a tarmac road.

We arrived shortly before 10 and at first it didn’t seem like it was going to be a very good sale for tools, with only a few rusty spanners and cheapo new tools on show, but I persevered and came away with quite a good haul with not much expenditure.

My first find was a book called Working Wooden Toys

• Wooden toy book – £1

Next up up was a nice pair of scissors, which I intend to use for cutting sandpaper (which will stop me having to “borrow” some from the kitchen when my wife’s not looking 😉 ) and a couple of wooden handled screwdrivers.

• Scissors, 2 screwdrivers and 2 books – £5.

On closer inspection the larger screwdriver seems to be a Marples (“W Marples & Sons, Sheffield, Eng”):

The reverse says “Cross ground point” and “Skidproof”:

I think I’ll probably just sharpen the smaller screwdriver to a point and use it as an awl.

Next up was a massive haul from a seller who was setting up the first time I passed, so I only caught him on my second lap:

• Massive haul – £8

• Tenon saw “Warranted Superior”

• 2 large screwdrivers with broken handles
• 1 small screwdriver
• 2 files (1 round, 1 flat)
• 1 rasp (“F. B. Tools, Sheffield”)

• Wooden spokeshave body
• Tin snips (“Gilbow tools”)

Update 29/05/2013: I’ve since derusted these and they have this text on the jaws:

Gilbow 245 14"
Sheffield England

• Needle nose pliers (“Lindstrom Sweden”, “2082”, “GPO”, “70”)

• Round gouge/chisel (tip badly mangled but looks like it has the triple shamrock of Marples)

• 2 ?panel beating? hammers – £2

• Haltrac Midget Hoist – £4

I don’t really have a need for this but it caught my eye. It claims to weigh 1 pound and have a 1000 pound breaking strain.

I think my final finds are my favourite:

• Mitre box, small saw and wooden screwdriver handle – £3

The screwdriver handle is pretty knackered but will at worst give me some inspiration on what to replace the broken handles on the large screwdrivers.

I’ve been looking for a little saw for my daughter to go with a tiny backsaw. It’s slightly bent but nowhere near as one I saw at the last carboot we went to.

The mitre box has been sawn away and will have to be replaced but I really love the metal fixings and will transfer them onto a new box at some point.

It wasn’t a bad sale, but if we go back I don’t think we’ll bother going early and paying extra (after 10:30 admission drops 70p per adult).

• Admission: £7.50 (3 adults “early passes”)
• Total tool spend: £23
• Total other spend: £3
• Grand total: £26