Sawyer Tool Mfg square and old iron bell ringer

[peter]

I got a couple goodies this morning and like to share. First this Sawyer Tool Mfg Co square made in Fitchburg Mass.

I like this because the information is hand engraved. Condition not so good, but I collect more for my own satisfaction than top book value. It would be nice to have a cleaner example. I am just saying, feeling pretty good with what I got. I feel same way about old coins. I'd rather have something I can carry in my pocket than encased in a piece of plastic.

I did not know there were two distinct sawyer tool company's in Fitchburg. These guys who moved to Ashburnham and became Almond (or chuck and drive fame) and the Sawyer Watch Tool company, separate operation, that made lathes and also small tools in Fitchburg.

Here is a good link for Sawyer Tool Mfg:

The Davistown Museum

Now something totally new to me. A bell ringer. I have a big cast iron boiler base that looks like the bottom 1/3 of a bell and this ringer will get combined with that for the next little project. I am a sucker for old cast iron. This is held together with blacksmith wedge type fastener rather than a bolt. I took some pictures. The last image was lifted from the web to show how this worked. Sorry, I don't have whole bell. last is old boiler bottom which might re-purpose as bell bottom.

 

[gwilson]

I'm pretty sure the info was engraved on a pantograph with a script style font. There is no variation at all in the width of the engraved lines.

 

[rivett608]

Nice square..... Those were engraved on a special machine, I think there ruling engines and engravers were by John Hope of providence ri........ I have one of their ruling engines......

Aren't sales fun..... In the last 2 days I bought 4 17th c. Candlesticks, a200 year old telescope by Dollond and 4 kitchen chairs for my GF. You just never know what your going to find.

 

[James H Clark]

Peter: Just curious, how square is the square? Do you have any inkling of when it was made. Nice catch.

JH

 

[HUMPHREY MACHINE]

Nice finds!!! A friend of mine restores tower clocks and I have had the opportunity to help him on several projects so have some experience with this style of bell clapper. It is the type often used in conjunction with tower clocks which have a striking train in addition to the time train. I’ve also seen them used on fire alarm systems. It was not uncommon in days past to have the city or town’s fire alarm system set to ring a bell in the town hall or church, etc. The bell ringing mechanisms had attractive legs similar to a tower clock’s as well as similar cable or chain suspended weights which were needed to drive the striking train and clapper. Large bells which were rung by hand generally had a large diameter rope sheave/pulley attached to the bell’s yoke which swung the entire bell once the rope was pulled many stories below. This type of bell generally had a large forged iron capper suspended within.

On edit – I see that the bell you show was set up for both manual ringing and automatic striking by either a tower clock or fire alarm system.

 

[peter]

Rivett,

I am in the wrong country or going to the wrong flea mkts. I dont ever see 200 year old instruments or 17th century anything.

James,

I dont have any way to judge the squareness. Based on the link, Sawyer moved from Athol to Fitchburg in 1898 and moved to Ashburnham in 1912. Just a 14 year window.

HM,
One aspects of this that surprised me was the weight. I mean heavy. I would have though the mass of this striker would be enough to eventually destroy any bell. The iron is worn flat! Apparently it worked. Soft iron and hard bells? And a big bell, I would imagine.

 

[rivett608]

No, not in the wrong place... I just got lucky, sort of..... I had a appointment way in the south of town as I rarely leave my neighborhood..... I had got a email about a pretty good Sounding estate sale a 1/4 mile from where I was going to be... So I went over and got there a hour before the sale opened.... This put me 6th in line.... So I chatted with a dealer couple in front of me without ever hinting at what I was there for... See I collect early candlesticks..... When the sale opened they went right towards a bunch of (junk) sticks in the next room... I went left... All the 17th c ones were my way... I grabbed them all and then put one back down... They jumped on the one I put down.... In hindsight I should have kept it but I had a moment of cheap... These were $ 125 each and I felt 500 was enough to spend on stuff I don't need anyway, hence I put one back feeling like I was being frugal...... At least a half dozen people asked me if I were a dealer and would sell them before I even got to the check out. BTW... There were 100-200 people in line by the time the sale opened so my hour wait was time well spent. Anyway after checking out I decided to go back in for one last look to make sure I had not missed anything and found the Dollond telescope, c 1790 to 1810 , it was only $295, quite a bit under current value....... Some days you get lucky....... Then some days you don't get everything, a E. Walker surface gauge sold yesterday... I didn't get it, but then I already have one..... There are only a handful known to exist. But I have no complaints........