Studley Tool Chest Final Exams – The Mallet

This was the final opportunity I had to examine the H.O. Studley ensemble prior to submitting the manuscript.  The next time I encounter Studley in person will be after the book is out, and I show up to pack it for shipment to the exhibit.  With that in mind I showed up for a full week of final exams, complete with many pages of notes and hints of things to check out.  Armed with my measuring tools, lights, camera, notebooks, microscopes, and laptop I set to work.

I had three days to myself with the chest before Chris and Narayan showed up on Wednesday night for the final “formal” photography and video sessions.  Highest on my “Things To Do” list was to examine as closely as possible the tools I believed were the product of Studley himself.  Sure, I already had thousands of photos in my camera and dozens of pages of notes, but are these ever really enough?  Did I overlook anything?

Sure enough, even at this late date after two dozen days of examination prior to this episode, I discovered some jaw dropping stuff.

For example, the head of the mallet is a single piece of sand cast brass.  A. Single. Piece.  Folks, that is just showing off.

The moldings on the faces and around the collars are integral to the casting, not pieces brazed on.  Being from the patternmaking/metalcasting trades myself I know how he did it, and that makes it all the more spectacular.

One of my goals for this final trip and this coming winter was to document tools enough that I could replicate them and have those replicas in the exhibit “The Tool Cabinet and Workbench of Henry O. Studley.”  I had already mapped out the strategy, workspace, materials, and a series of blogs on the subject of cutting, brazing, finishing, and assembling this magnificent tool.

I still have that plan, although now all I have to do is change my strategy, workspace, materials, and the concept of the blog.

Henry, Henry, Henry, what am I going to do with you?