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MG TD TF 1500 - TC TD TF screw driver ?

Might anyone have a very close up photo for the above screw drivers? My wife turned up a screw driver that I bought 30+ years ago at the Carlisle Import show when it first started. There are no markings on it for a manufacturer, the tag just sez TC TD TF. It has a chipped blade and is well used but I don't remember ever seeing an original. What are they worth nowadays, the tag also sez $1. TIA JR
JR Jack

This is an original 1950(?) screwdriver that came from a TD or an Y-type. The guy I bought it from thought it was from the Y-type, which was an early one, so late 40's.

The wooden handle has perished, so my question is, does anybody with better woodworking skills than me provide these wooden inserts?

Willem van der Veer

Here's another picture of two screwdrivers. One is slightly longer than the other and has no (Shelley) makers mark on it.

Willem van der Veer

Willem: Sometimes they did not have the 'Shelley' mark but more desireable with it.

Once you get the wood fitted into the screwdriver and rivet it, it's just a simple process to run it over a sanding belt to shape the wood. Hard part would be to get it cut and beveled to fit into the slot.
Christopher Couper

Here is one with the wooden handle in-tact. I got it as part of a set of tools purchased of eBay, so not sure what it would have sold for on its own.

S Griffin

$1 is a great buy, chipped blade & all. They can sell on Ebay for about US $50 or more. The worn, split or missing timber handles can be replaced with a suitable timber, (I used Australian Red Cedar on a couple that I've repaired) as it's a beautiful cabinet timber & fairly easily whittled into shape by hand using a Stanley knife & some coarse then fine sandpapers. Glued in place & finished with a varnish. They were originally about 9 1/2" long but they tend to 'shrink' a little with use. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

A pair of a original timber handles from a Shelley screwdriver replaced for obvious reasons. Note that the rear is flat & was presumably secured with two pins through the visible holes & perhaps some glue. Cheers
Peter TD 5801

P Hehir

A view of the back of the handles

P Hehir

Many thanks fellas. Mine is the same but no Shelley on the blade. Is this also common for TC's?
JR Jack

Just for the fun of it, I polished a similar smaller screwdriver, that was very rusty and dented, to a very high chrome like shine.

It took some hours of hand sanding and polishing on the wheel, but it has been like this for more than 5 years, so the steel must be of a high quality?

Willem van der Veer

I agree Willem. Good quality steel. As you have a guide in the smaller screw driver you should have a go at making some handles for the other one. You've got nothing to lose, just some time & two small pieces of timber. I know you'll be surprised in discovering a skill that you didn't know you had & very satisfied with the result. My guess is it would be Jack. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

King Dick also supplied screwdrivers for the TD and TF models. Attached a pic of my KD screwdriver as well as another underneath which is unmarked but maybe Shelley. I replaced the wood inserts on that one.

There is also a rarer KD screwdriver with a Bakelite or early plastic handle found in some TF kits. There will be posts in Archives on this.

Matthew.

M Magilton

In our TF1250 toolkit,a Shelley screwdriver is evident. I think the type is referred to as 'Perfect Pattern' ie. wood inserts in the handle.

With the TF1500 toolkit, I have a King Dick screwdriver in Perfect Pattern form,and also a Bakelite type King Dick screwdriver. I include both drivers for Display as I suspect the late produced TF1500s
had the Bakelite screwdriver as standard. No one seems to know when the Bakelite screwdriver cut in over preference to the wood handled version.

Cheers
Rob Grantham
Rob Grantham

This thread was discussed between 12/02/2017 and 15/02/2017

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