OFFSITE TOUR: Located between Dexter and Chelsea, Michigan
Enrollment: This tour is limited to 12 attendees. A waitlist will be available.
Earlier generations performed most work tasks with ingenious hand tools rather than the powered tools used today. In this class Tom Friedlander will lead a small group through his two pole barns. We will experience a hands-on examination of many thousands of modern-to-very-old tools. Tom will explain how they were used and answer questions. We will view wrenches of every variety, hammers, turn-screws, axes and hatchets, soldering coppers, pulleys, railroad tools, flax hatchels, Ford tools, blacksmith tools, logging tools, wood and metal jacks, gears, hooks, hay knives, clamps, horseshoes, stove tools, fence tools, toy tools, padlocks, mallets, dehorners, shingle froes, and much more from early industries and occupations. Tom Friedlander is a retired University of Michigan trained tree-and-shrub taxonomist who spent 38 years teaching and coaching at Greenhills School in Ann Arbor. His "classifying gene" exerted itself first in stamp and coin collecting, then jumped to books. In 1989 he became sorely bitten by the old tools bug. Over the ensuing 30+ years he has visited numerous flea markets, swap meets, antique stores, tractor shows, and auctions. Driving and parking information will be sent to class registrants a few days before the tour.
