Why plumb bobs are cool

If you are constructing something outdoors, typically the frame of a building, or foundation, sometimes you need to determine a straight vertical line. There are of course laser-like devices to do this, but I have found them to be somewhat finicky, and let’s face it, there is a simpler solution – the plumb bob. A plumb bob is nothing more than a weight at the end of a string. The weight is often pear-shaped, or shaped like a rocket, with the broad end uppermost, attached to a cord. They are usually made of lead, brass, or steel.

Traditionally they may have been made of stone, and used in both carpentry and masonry work. From them, a type of level was also developed used to set horizontal lines. Below is an illumination from the Hortus Deliciarum of Herrad von Landsberg, (1175-1185) showing a plumb bob and a square used at the construction of the tower of Babel.

The use of a plumb bob

Plumb bobs are also easy to use. Get a plumb bob, add a cord, and lower from the point you wish to determine is straight – it will always give a true line – with no batteries required! I have two steel and one brass bobs. The brass one is a Hercules brand, and has a replaceable steel point, and a detachable rear through which the cord is drawn and knotted. Super cool knurling over nearly the whole surface.

Two ends of the bob.

Interested in more plumb bob info? Head over to the International Plumb Bob Collectors Association.

The Millers Fall No.1455 block plane

Millers Falls were late into the game of building planes, and this block plane, the No.1455 is a product of the 1950s. The No.1455 appeared in 1956 and disappeared in 1974, and was essentially a rebranding of the Millers Falls No.66 (itself the equivalent of a Stanley No.61). It is 6″ in length, has a blade width of 1-3/8″, and a blade angle of 12°. It has a non-adjustable throat, cam-lock cap, screw-type depth adjustment (with sled) and hardwood knob.

Early models featured a red cap and gray body, but by the late 1960s, the plane became black-enamelled, likely resulting in the addition of the “B” to the plane number. Marking on the box, and often in catalogs specify this as being 7″ in length, but it was a 6″ plane. This plane had no adjustments, except for a depth adjustment, although the holes in the blade to lock into the depth adjustment sled are oblong, implying lateral adjustment could be manually done (which is always a lot trickier).

The inner workings of the No.1445B showing the blade and depth adjustment mechanism

Looking closely at the plane, you can see the cheaper machining which was characteristic of this later period of tool manufacture, when companies like Millers Falls and Stanley likely cared more about profit, than quality. The images below show some of the imperfections. The bed of the plane shows milling marks, as does the top of the base for the lever cap machine screw. It looks like the base was painted first, then milled. The side of the plane also has rough milling marks.

A lack of quality?

It is hard to determine the rationale for re-introducing a plane with a different number. For all intended purposes, the No.1455 is just a less expensive copy of the earlier No.66. The main differences on the No.66 is that the depth adjustment knob has cross-hatched knurling, and a Hand-y finger depressions on the side.

The Millers Falls No.66 (1929-1944)

The Picquic

One of the best tools in my “toolkit” that I use around the house is my Picquic screwdriver. The one I bought originally from Atlas machinery is the STUBBY, which is the perfect screwdriver for tight places. I remember a similar screwdriver when I was a kid, it had a proprietary connection (no hex chuck), and the bits were stored in the handle. It seemed like a good idea, except that to figure out which bit you needed you almost had to open the back and tip them all out. As I recall it may even have been some sort of ratchet screwdriver. There is a long history of these multi-type tools, but likely one of the best comes from Canadian Company Picquic.

The Teeny Turner

Picquic makes their products in Canada. In all they have 10 different screwdrivers, for all types of environments: Home use (SIXPAC Plus), tech and gadgets (Teeny Turner), hex-key (Hex-Calibre), and even a weatherproof one (Mariner). They aren’t expensive, and are super easy to use. The biggest innovation with these tools is that the bits are visible and easily accessible – easy to change and hard to loose. They come with 7 bits, six stored, and one in the chuck. To change a bit you use the existing bit to push through the bit needed – the old bit then is locked into place. There is no chance of loosing bits, or having them rattle about. The tools have a solid feel, and the bits for the larger tools are a good size (3″), and are built well. There are even replacements available should you accidentally lose one. For many of the drivers, bit sets are available in both US and Canadian (more square bits) combinations.

Changing bits in a Picquic

I recently bought a combination pack to expand my repertoire – containing the Teeny Turner, Multique, and SIXPAC Plus for C$30. They come with a bunch of different handle colours, which are nice and bright and stand out when you’re looking for them! For extra torque, the SIXPAC Plus has an aircraft alloy shank with a hex bolster that will receive a 7/16” wrench.

The combination pack