The Material Legacy

Shop Tools

These tools belonged to my father prior to 1920. Some of them came from my grandfather who died in 1913.

• anvil
• Cold chisels, punch
• Rachet brace
• Ships auger bit
• Small claw hammer
• Carpenter's square (2′)
• Two hand saws (cross cut)
• Oil stone
• Block plane
• Carpenter level (wooden)
• Carpenter chisel (⅜″)

Desk

The desk was made by me as a manual training class project in West High School, Green Bay, Wisconsin, during the school year 1928-29, the first year in the new building. Mr. Leaonard F. Stacker was the teacher.

The desk has a flat top on tapered legs. There is one wide drawer. Lumber species is butternut, stained walnut color. Dimensions: 29 inches high, 30 inches wide, and 18 inches deep.

Desk Lamp

Flexible (goose neck) study lamp was purchased for my use when I enrolled at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, in September 1931. The dark green color was chosen to harmonize with the green stained dormitory furniture. For two school years I lived in Room 202, Tarrant House, Adams Hall on the university campus.

The lamp was used by me during four student years and subsequently in all the various roominghouses until I entered the army in March of 1941. After the war it continued as part of our household, but was not used so much. During the past few years it has served as an auxillary shop light in the basement.

The electrical cord was replaced once.

Bedroom Set

The set – bed, dresser, comode – was new when my parents (Gilbert and Lillie Cardinal) were married in 1901. The bed no longer exists. The set is made of cherry wood. The dresser originally had a mirror in a frame so that the mirror could be tilted. My mother removed the frame and hung the mirror on the wall in the 1920's. The frame is gone, but the mirror was left in attic at 132 S. Oneida St. until Carl Sippel gave it to me in 1985. The bevel-edge mirror has a broken-out section which my mother concealled with picture post cards.

Sewing Chair

This low wooden rocker belonged to my mother, Lillie Strahl Cardinal (1877- 1948). I don't know when or how it was acquired, but I remember it as an old chair when I was a child.

Originally, the chair was finished with a dark brown stain and had a brown cane seat (fragments of the cane are still there). In the late 1920's, Mother installed a dime store plywood replacement seat. At some time, one of the six back splints was broken; I removed the opposite one to maintain symmetry when I painted the chair gray in the 1950's.

Shop Tools

Acquired by me during high school years (1927-31) or before.

• Work bench (made for me by my father)
• Vise
• Claw hammer (marked Alty on handle)
• Push drill (Mr. Punch)
• Auger bits for brace (6/16″, 8/16″, 10/16″)
• Countersink bit
• Twist bit (¼)
• Brace
• Marking guage
• Try square
• Large screw driver (square shank, wood handle) (bought for me by my Uncle Sam Cardinal)
• Screw driver set (3 in 1)
• Wooden handle containing may tools
• Jack plane
• Carpenter chisels (½″ ¾″)
• Spoke shave
• Hand cranked grinder