Books published by Astragal Press

Here, for the first time, is a guide to four of the major woodworking machinery manufacturers: Fay & Egan, Yates-American, Defiance, and Oliver. Leaders in their field throughout the world, their products were used in all walks of life from lumber mills to furniture factories, from schools to arsenals, from shipyards to bakeries. The author''s extensive original research has provided us with a history of each manufacturer, as well as a description of the evolution of its product lines over the years. Accompanying these fascinating histories are numerous beautiful illustrations reflecting each company''s range of products, along with specifications and descriptions, taken from the catalogs of the period. In addition, the book provides invaluable information to collectors and users on buying and restoring old machines. These chapters cover everything from establishing the age and value of an old machine to how to move a piece of heavy woodworking equipment. Special attention is paid to the issues involved in repairing specific kinds of machines. Not only will collectors and users of vintage woodworking machinery prize this book but, as well, those who are simply interested in industrial history and who don''t want this marvelous technology to be lost.

In Colonial America, silversmiths produced objects of great merit, crafting everyday articles with care and skill. The products of the colonial period are well known, but there is little authoritative research on the actual techniques of the silversmith. Henry J. Kauffman fills the gap with this study. He describes the tools and the methods used by these colonial artisans in fashioning the wide variety of silver objects that today are so highly prized. Photographs of the finished products, together with detailed illustrations of the step-by-step fabrication of individual objects, supplement the text.

This compendium of ingenious mechanisms employs simple drawings to explain 507 of the small components that constitute complex machinery. Left-hand pages feature illustrations, and facing pages offer brief descriptions of use and operation. Ranging from simple to complex, the mechanisms include cranks, pulleys, drills, wheels, and screws.

This is the fascinating story of how these important early products were made and used, ranging from the simple tin pot to an elaborate brass chandelier. The book covers items used in the kitchen, living room, and bedroom: sconces, lanterns, trays, candle molds, candlesticks, andirons, ladles, bed warmers, braziers, stills, kettles, pans, and a multitude of other objects

This is the classic work on coach building in all its branches, reprinted from the 1875 second edition. Included are sections on: drafting, designing, and the construction of the frame and all the wooden parts; smithing of the metal, the springs, platforms, axles, wheel hoops, etc., complete with detailed diagrams; painting, applying designs and ornaments, varnishing, gilding, lettering, trimming; other miscellaneous interesting and valuable information. The reader will find this a wonderful reference on an early trade that is now enjoying a strong revival.

This book is as useful today as it was over 100 years ago. It was written then to give machinists practical instruction on how to design and construct patterns; in doing so it describes the actual pattern shop practice of the late 19th century, using the terms and methods of that period. Joshua Rose explains the various types of patterns, how they are constructed, and the tools that are used. This is a reprint of the sixth edition, which gives some indication of the popularity of the book among late 19th century practitioners.

The aim in preparing this little manual has been to make it a guide for the apprentice, journeyman and master sheet metal worker. To this end the author collected everything of value on the subject and then boiled it down to a well arranged series of simple problems on the different phases of pattern drafting which the mechanic has to puzzle over daily. The section on Mensuration will be found both accurate and complete and the rules and examples are reduced to the plainest language so that any one may understand them. Realizing the value of reliable data, he included all the tables of weights of materials, measures of area, capacity, etc., to which the sheet metal worker has occasion to refer, together with many excellent recipes, formulas and rules, which will be found of great service. The present edition has been carefully edited and revised by William Neubecker, expert pattern cutter and instructor at the New York Trade School. While the greater portion of the work remains intact, quite a number of important changes have been made, to insure greater accuracy, and many simpler methods have been included.

The slide rule, with its many variations, has been vital to mathematics and engineering since its invention in the 17th century. Interest in this field has grown dramatically and collectors can still find much material at affordable prices. Unfortunately there has been little information available except for manufacturers manuals and catalogs, making this reprint of Cajori''s classic particularly valuable. Also included with this reprint of the 1910 edition is Cajori''s extensive article On the History of Gunter''s Scale and the Slide Rule during the 17th Century, published by the University of California in 1920, which sets forth his subsequent findings. There is also a helpful explanatory introduction by Dr. Robert K. Otnes, editor of the Journal of the Oughtred Society

This is a vastly expanded successor to Dr. Pearson s earlier Guide to American Brace Patents 1829 1910. Not only are many newly discovered patents included, but these are now cross-indexed and illustrated and, for the first time, the author provides an indication of their rarity. Over 500 brace patents are listed alphabetically by patentee name and chronologically by date and patent number. There is a third index that lists patents by type of brace in four major categories: brace ratchet patents, corner brace patents, brace wrench patents, and brace combination tool patents. An invaluable reference for anyone having an interest in these fascinating examples of American ingenuity.

Art of Coppersmithing: A Practical Treatise On Working Sheet Copper Into All Forms is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This publication is professionally scanned from an original edition of the book, and of the best possible quality. This popular classic work by John Fuller is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of John Fuller then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection.

A unique reference that lists and details over 2,000 transactions occurring at public auctions and private sales from 1979-1992, with the majority of the reported transactions occurring since 1987. Information is arranged alphabetically by planemaker (over 600 are covered) and then by imprint type (619 imprints are illustrated). Each transaction is listed by date (most recent transactions first), source (auction or private sale), a description of the plane, its condition and the price it sold for.

The manuals published by W. & L.E. Gurley, one of America s leading producers of mathematical and scientific instruments, have been used by generations of engineers and surveyors. In this manual Gurley describes all of its various instruments: how they are calibrated, used and maintained, and includes a catalog of its complete instrument line. This 1874 edition is especially valuable since it is one of the earliest and is rarely found. With an introduction by David C. Garcelon.

Lang:- English, Pages 142. Reprinted in 2015 with the help of original edition published long back[1884]. This book is in black & white, Hardcover, sewing binding for longer life with Matt laminated multi-Colour Dust Cover, Printed on high quality Paper, re-sized as per Current standards, professionally processed without changing its contents. As these are old books, there may be some pages which are blur or missing or black spots. If it is multi volume set, then it is only single volume. We expect that you will understand our compulsion in these books. We found this book important for the readers who want to know more about our old treasure so we brought it back to the shelves. (Customisation is possible). Hope you will like it and give your comments and suggestions.Original Title:- Handbook and Illustrated Catalogue of the Engineers'' and Surveyors'' Instruments 1884

For 75 years Millers Falls was a leading tool manufacturer, particularly noted for its hand and breast drills. This fully illustrated early catalog contains these drills and many other items, including boring machines, levels, saws, treadle lathes & mitre boxes.

The last catalog issued by this important wooden plane manufacturer, containing its complete line, including weatherstrip planes, coopers tools and other interesting items. Many illustrations and molding profiles.

One of the most important of the 19th century wooden plane manufacturers. This catalog includes the rosewood and ebony classic centerwheel plow and the Morris patent, among others. Many illustrations and molding profiles.

Buck, founded by immigrants from Sheffield, England, became world-renowned for its chisels: turning, firmer, paring, carving, millwrights, framing, corner and just about any other type imaginable.

This is a reprint of the complete 1938 Catalogue No 15 of Record Tools together with an introduction detailing the complete history of the company and its products from its founding by the Hampton Brothers in 1898 through the acquisition of the Preston List in the early 1930s to the present day Record Tools. The introduction by Leslie Harrison concentrates on the planes Record produced from 1931 onwards and includes the acquisition of planes formerly made by Edward Preston; and it contains details of all planes advertised and produced since 1938. This No 15 Catalogue was the most comprehensive and representative of the Record line of tools ever produced. The lists and catalogues since then have been largely updates. This volume is printed on high-quality gloss paper and includes illustrations of the tools and parts throughout the text. Appropriate patent documents are included. The catalogue is divided into six sections: Planes and Spoke Shaves; Hand & Breast Drills; Vices for Metal and Wood; Pipe Vices, Wrenches, & Cutters; Bolt Clippers, and Cramps. Leslie Harrison has been collecting and researching Record planes for years. He has a definitive collection of them and is acknowledged as an authority. He has had full cooperation in this study from Record Tools and the Hawley Collection Trust at Sheffield University. Hundreds of B&W images

"The book" of Christopher Gabriel, planemaker and tool seller in London from 1770 until 1809, has fortuitously survived to give those interested in tools and trades a unique insight into a family business in late 18th century London. From this andother sources it has been possible to draw a picture of a small but developing business in an uncommon trade-planemaker and tool seller-and to trace Gabriel''s connections with othertoolmakers of the time, both in London and elsewhere. Perhaps the most valuable parts of the Gabriel legacy are the two inventories of his stock that have survived and are reproduced in full in the book.

This is one of the very few manuals written by a recognized professional smith; in this case, one with over 50 years'' experience, whose work appears in hundreds of restorations throughout the country. The book has long been unavailable and a collector''s item; this eagerly awaited reprint completely reproduces the original edition. Here traditional smithing techniques are presented in clear, step-by-step text and photographs, enabling the reader to produce high-quality, hand-forged small iron work. Included are detailed descriptions of work space layout, specialized tools and techniques, whitesmithing, toolmaking, and locksmithing. Mr. Streeter demonstrates not only how things are done, but how they can best be done by others. There is special emphasis on the crafting of early high-quality, handforged kitchen utensils, fireplace tools, locks, keys, and decorative ironware: hinges, hasps, latches, bolts, hooks, springs, and more. Students and professional and semi-professional smiths will find this volume of great practical value, as will collectors of early American ironwork, owners of colonial houses, historians, preservationists and restorationists in fact, anyone interested in knowing how these early products were made.

With its initial publication in 1983, A Guide to the Makers of American Wooden Planes profoundly transformed the emphasis and direction of tool collecting. Since then, it has been the definitive guide to American planemakers, from the earliest individuals who worked before the Revolutionary War to the last few manufacturers of the twentieth century. Now, after several years of meticulous research, a new edition of this extraordinarily influential reference book is available. The 4th edition, completely revised by Tom Elliott, reflects the tremendous amount of new information on planemakers that has come to light since the last edition. Included are: over 4000 biogrtaphical entries, over 5000 imprints, almost 2700 wedge outlines, almost 3000 individual ratings for judging relative scarcity and value. This represents twice as much informaiton as the 3rd edition and overe 4 times more information than the 1983 edition! The scope of the book is expanded by the "What's a Plane Worth" section, providing insights helpful in buying and selling planes, an illustrated glossary of plane terms and styles, and an extensive bibliography for further help in research. Comprehensive and up-to-date, A Guide to the Makers of American Wooden Planes IV is an absolutely essential reference for any tool collector or dealer.

In the hopes of "preserving these delightful devices for future generations," this collector of slide rules covers everything one could possibly want to know about this crude form of analog computer: from its invention in the 17th century to manufacturers- retailers, 1850-1998, and the Oughtred Society for collectors. Includes a glossary with biographies, patent data, component specs, dating and valuing, care, historical milestones, and illustrations