MTFCA Forum

Well, for the last 2 weeks of the year I think that Ebay was very kind to me and I thought I would post and share what I was able to find. Just like going to a swap meet, some of the best deals that you find are from guys that don’t normally deal with “older” items. Some of my best swap meet finds have been from the tables of hot-rod/Chevelle/Hemi/Mustang guys that don’t know the earlier items, Ebay can be just the same. Instead of walking around a field or building looking at tables you spend the time looking through listings, different but the same.

This first one is not Model T but is “old” car and Ford related. It is a K.R. Wilson Clutch Spring Compressor and Alignment tool. This is for use with the earlier Multi-Disc clutch setup used until November of 1928 (Baby-Lincoln clutch). To disassemble and then reassemble the Multi-Disc clutch in the safest way possible, you really need one of these tools.

This is one of those jobs that has one of those springs that will throw everything around the shop at the speed of light if not held securely in place and inevitably your face is always in the path of most destruction. I have wanted one of these for a quite a while so I could have the clutch discs re-lined, but when it came time to get one I was always able to find another “good” clutch pack so I just never got one (I think Johnson was in office when I started thinking about finding one of these). With good clutch packs being harder to find than ever before, I thought the time was right to find/buy the right tool for the job so I can re-line the clutch packs I have and get them off the shelf and back out into the world. Lo and behold, there it was at a good price and Buy-It-Now, so I did and now I can clear out some shelf space (at least that is the rational).

Next is nothing super-special or spectacular; a set of Bonney, Battery Terminal and Grease Cup Pliers.

I always used to keep a set of these in the running board tool box on the Model T (there was always one sticky grease cup, no matter what) and they walked-off at a car show about 8 or 9 years ago, those and my wooden gas gauge stick. That’s like breaking in to someone’s house and stealing their ice cube trays. I have never seen another brand that labeled them as “grease cup pliers” other than Bonney. I am happy to have them back.

I don’t even know how I came across the reamer that I got, I was looking for a replacement tapered pin reamer and this popped up.

They listed it as used, but it is definitely N.O.S. just a time ravaged and beaten-up box with a pristine Reiff & Nestor reamer for the “Ford Car” spindle and tie rod bolts. Not a well-known name, but they have always made (and still make) great cutting tools. The box said “for Ford car” but the seller didn’t list that in the description, it only showed in the photo.

Continuing from above (5 picture limit).

This one I actually went looking for just like the K.R. Wilson tool, I didn’t just stumble across it.
A combination reamer and tap for the Stevens Front Axle Reaming Fixture. Mixed in with a random lot of taps with a low Buy-It-Now price, good for the seller (and for me) that they actually listed the Stevens name in the description or it never would have come up in the search. The condition is better than what is shown in the photo and it cuts fine.

This one I just couldn’t pass up, a Cantrell-Miller Rear Axle Sleeve Puller.

Listed as a “vintage Ford tool” it is in excellent condition (very little use) and it just needs to have a dummy axle made for it so you can remove the inner bearing sleeves. For some reason, the pin that indexes into the hole in the bearing sleeve was taken out and turned upside down, so the tool would not have worked if you had tried to use it. Maybe this was a way to keep other mechanics from using your tools?

This last “Lot of Random Vintage Woodworkers Handymen Tools” that I was able to get was probably the best find of all the other items, and not for the one thing that a lot of you can almost immediately spot.

I was more interested in the item to the left of the Stevens Axle Reaming Fixture, the Cantrell-Miller Dust Cap Puller.

Again, just continuing from above.

I have only seen original ads from period trade journals and publications that show the puller but I have never seen one, extant.
Now having one in my hand, this is a seriously over-built piece of kit for the job. This tool would make the removal of the dust cap a lot easier and will definitely prevent damage and deformation. I am sure the original price of this tool was almost cost prohibitive to ownership. This was the tool for the mechanic that needed to have every tool.

In an earlier post of mine, someone had asked if Cantrell-Miller ever made a cap puller and I was only able to post an ad, well here is the real thing. It was also nice to get the Stevens Reaming Fixture too, but I was/am a bit more excited about the puller.

Both tools the Stevens and Cantrell-Miller still have their original paint on them and have been used, but not much. All I have to find now is the hub puller and I will have “most” of the set. I won’t say never, because I “never” thought I would get to see (let-alone have) one of the axle housing/dust cap pullers. I will post another thread with some more photos of the axle housing/dust cap puller, for those that may be interested.

Good stuff!

Nice finds, I do the same kind of searches. Looking for the mis labeled and unknown tools. I almost bought the reamers and taps with the Stevens front axle reamer. I even contacted the seller for better pics. Since I already have a complete setup I decided to pass. It was a great price. I recently bought a Cantrell miller dust cap puller from Model T Haven. Like you I have never seen another one. That collection of tools with the dust cap puller and the Stevens axle tool was a great find. I never saw that auction in my searches. And I am a fairly accomplished Ebay searcher as well as a very active "bottom feeder". That is where I may be bidding on hundreds of items, and bidding ridiculace low prices. I may only win one or two out of a hundred auctions, but when I do win, what a deal. So I tip my hat to your good luck and e-bay skills.

But it does look like I may have more competition.

dobro1956 wrote: ↑

Fri Jan 03, 2020 6:51 pm

That collection of tools with the dust cap puller and the Stevens axle tool was a great find. I never saw that auction in my searches. And I am a fairly accomplished Ebay searcher as well as a very active "bottom feeder". That is where I may be bidding on hundreds of items, and bidding ridiculace low prices. I may only win one or two out of a hundred auctions, but when I do win, what a deal.

That auction listing was buried and hidden pretty well. I was doing a search for Stevens related items when that one popped-up. The dust cap puller, if you can see it in the photo, there is no T in Cantrell (just a space) and the M in Miller is upside down for some reason. In the description he had it listed as a CAN RELL WILLER thingy. I was bound and determined that I was not going to let that that one get away, at least not without taking a very healthy stab at it. The puller and reamer fixture were the 2 main points of interest, but there were some other good items in there as well. The piece under the reamer fixture in the photo from ebay that looks like a live center is a really nice and well made die holder for the tailstock on the lathe, a real nice bonus.

As for your "bottom feeding" I agree with the practice and logic behind it very much and I am fairly accomplished myself at that practice. Rather than put items on my watch list, I bid on them. If I can get them for that low bid, great and if not, it's just like waiting for a bus, another one will be along eventually.

The link below is to a post about the dust cap puller with some more detailed photos:
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=9483