Gomes had a wood shop in Kakaako in Honolulu. The photo might be from that shop. I read somewhere that he made the first boards that Tom Blake designed, and that he moved to California to keep Alan away from bad influences.
The Green Badge Mystery. Earlier in this thread some lime green badges were shown. My theory was they were UV faded black over red badges. I have two sanders from the same era with black over red badges so I took the scientific approach and placed one in a windowsill for the summer. The red turned the lime green color. So there were no badges that were produced black over green, they were just made after they got the lead out.
Very clever sleuthing Inspector Chan. I wouldn’t have thought of that in a million years. Onya Mista Coop.
Fun Stuff!
Is there a serial number list for Skil 100’s to help narrow down the year on a planer?
Thanks-
At the time Pete wasn’t doing the bead blast and repainting and cosmetics; But he did all the mechanical on that 5.5. Belt, bearings, blades and cord. He did however get rid of the fluorescent Pink paint some carpenter had marked it with. Pete or Gene could tell you more about it if you pass along the Type and serial # to them. I was going to send you some extra Phillips Screws I had, but sorry, I never got around to it. If you PM me your address I’ll make sure I do. Nice to just pick up one type of screwdriver when you’re working on it.
I couldn’ t really give the family much. Most of what I know was 2nd hand. I did run into a guy on the North Side of the Pismo pier once who had a Gomes foam board. Early sixties. He knew what he had and wasn’t interested in getting rid of it. They also did a lot of the early glassing for a few shapers. There was some kind of connection to Hap Jacobs. Miki supposedly knew them and had some connection to them. Wonder if that # is still good?
I don’t really have the serial numbers/dates dialed in yet but at some point I’ll connect the dots. Right now the date can be estimated using and the type on the badge and the letter code in front of the serial #. For example “type2” on the badge with an “A” is approx. 1959-1960. Type2 on the badge with a “C” about 61 to 65. These are rough estimates. Like I said at some point I’ll map it out.
1953 skil catalog shows the 190 planer on one page, and the 676 planer on another page. Catalog for sale on ebay, I don’t own it.
Hi Rooster, please let me know the type number and serial number. Also PM me with your address and I’ll send you a complete set of new screws. - Pete
Gene;
This is just my 2c based on observation. I have always been interested in old tools and got my first Skil back in ’76. I think that Abel is holding the Skil oscillating sander as pictured in the lower left corner of this 1955 catalog page. Also, I have a feeling the blanks are not foam but wood. My dad was born in 1922 and up until he enlisted in 1939 he rode a Tom Blake paddle board. After the war he glassed on a balsa “skeg” the same outline as the fins in the back of the picture. Those boards also look like post-war balsas to me. I found it interesting that in 1953 a Skil 676 was $139.50. That would be $1,288.43 in today’s dollars based on Consumers Price Index Inflation numbers. Pictures aren’t mine, collected off Pinterest, etc… Again, just my 2c… Thanks for all the work putting together the display & sequence, I hope to see it the next time around as I am now retired!
In 1958, a Skil 100, could be purchased new in San Diego, for $125 dollars. Or, as I did, they could be rented for $5 dollars per day. It wasn’t until 1964 that I could pop for a new Skil 100, and alas, the price had jumped to $150 dollars ! So, I paid the price, and still have and use that same planer. That’s now 54 years of service, and still going. Not a bad track record, eh?
Hi Bill, is that 1964 Skil say type 2? Or type 3? I think that’s about the time of that transition. Serial # with a “C” or a “D” code? I’m going to guess 1964 is a type 3 with a C code. Do you have any purchase record? That’s a long shot I know.
Yeah it could be balsa, just thought that those front ends looked like early molded foam. Definitely no earlier than 1952 because the Skil planer.
Aloha Gene,
The purchase record is my memory. I finally bought a Skil Planer in either Feb. or March, of 1964. I’ll go out to the garage, after the rain stops, and check the spec’s on the plate on the motor housing. It is a 5.5 amp. I’ll get the serial number, and type, for you.
EDIT: ATTENTION GENE COOPER… Plate indicates, Skil Corporation…Type 3…Serial # C 871170
Aloha Gene,
The plate on my early 1964 Skil 100, indicates: 5.5amp, Type 3, Serial #C 871170. Bottom of the plate, Skil Corporation.
I love old tools and want to post some of mine on the other old tools thread. Anyway, Petec kindly told me some of the history of my planer. It’s older than me(be 60 in a couple of months). Stoked on it! Hope some of the others out there will share their planers. Thanks again, Pete! Mike
It’s interesting to me what some folks consider the word restored, rebuilt or refurbished to mean on EBay. I once sent an email to someone who had listed a Skil as restored and asked him what he meant by that and what he had done to it. He had taken it apart, cleaned it and made sure everything was in working order. Put it back together and that was it.
Thanks Bill, that really helps to fill in the blanks. I got a Type3 with a D serial number from Greg Liddle that he bought in 68. Every bit of info helps. Printed dated material is most reliable and recall is usually second. But you’ve got a mind like a steel trap so I’ll take it to the bank with a probability factor of 100%. Got you and Greg on the record.
Well Mike, the best part is that your Skil is still newer than me or Lowel.