Saturday, January 3, 2009

Galootaclaus 2008

It's been longer than I've meant to post any content. Things have been busy in other areas of my life, but every year the members of the OldTools list holds a gift exchange match-up known as Galootaclaus.

Whoo-Hoo! It's here.... It's here! The Galootaclaus package has been released by the border elves known as customs agents. (Insert little Galootaclaus song here). I wonder what's in it......

The irony here, is that was my wife. Who then stuck her head in the shop, and made me put what I was in the middle of on hold because she wanted to see what was in it. And so, as usual, she handed it over.... with all identifying marks and paperwork neatly removed. Good sized box, and heavy too.....

So without further ado, I ripped the pull tab on the box, and had it break. Tried a second time, and it broke. Pulled the tab on the other side and it broke after 2 inches. Hmmmmm..... dug out the strip and gently pulled managing to open the box up. Pulled out the packaging, and.....


Wow. Or more accurately, WOW!

In my neck of the woods, we have 2 types of moulding planes:
1) exhorbitantly overpriced, often damagaed, and missing most of their components in an anteek maul.
2) The ones Cowtown Eric beat you to.

I've never seen a skewed rebate plane in the wild before, and here is this gorgeous moving filletster sitting in my box. A W. Marples & Sons of Sheffield, Hibernia (Cloverleaf) Trade Mark, full length fence, adjustable depth stop, cute little knicker, skewed blade moving Filletster. Along with a note. And an old box that they used to ship Irwin bits in containing the wedges, blades, and an original Irwin pamplet together with an original cello wrapped 13/16" bit.





The little bit of shavings are mine.... couldn't resist putting it together and trying it out right away.

Now, the good news is that SWMBO returned the customs declaration once I had opened it so I could properly thank the sender.

So, Steve Reynolds, thank you for your thoughtfulnes and generosity. Thank you for the Irwin bit and pamplhet, and the plane. She is beautiful, and I will treasure her and put her to work. It was a fabulous end to my Christmas Holidays.

And thank you to Jim E. for organizing/coordinating the event. Hope we see more participants join in the fun next year.