The FE Thomas Beveler

[3creeks]

I was reading in Splitting Cane about Walt Carpenter and that he had the Thomas beveler as well as all of the original patterns. His description of its effectiveness and accuracy made me curious about the machine. Further searches here on the forum reveal that the beveler is in a working museum somewhere in the Catskills.

I'm very interested in how the machine works, as in, is it a mill or a saw beveler? I read a description of it that indicates that it's very compact and lighter than other machines of that vintage. Since it's in a place where it's displayed, are there any pictures of it that can be shared here or private message? I've been intrigued about it since reading the chapter on Walt Carpenter last week.

Jeff

[Caneghost]

Pinky Gillum's bamboo mill is in the bamboo rod shop in the Wulff Gallery at Catskill Fly Fishing Center and Museum, as are all the tools and machines from Everett Garrison's rod shop. Hoagy Carmichael donated the Garrison shop equipment several years ago, and yes, it is a working shop. Students at the Center held rod making classes use this equipment to craft their rods.

Photo shows me planing a curl or two in the Wullf Gallery rod shop. No, I only wish I was a rodmaker. My buddy, beautifully making his third rod at the class, insisted I come by and plane some boo. His finished rod, a Garrison has already impressed a professional rodmaker and other bamboo aficianados!

[cwfly]

The answer may be in post #14 in this linked thread.
viewtopic.php?p=742566&hilit=carpenter+beveler#p742566

[3creeks]

The answer may be in post #14 in this linked thread.
viewtopic.php?p=742566&hilit=carpenter+beveler#p742566

Thank you. Yes, I read that thread (among other ones) and it looks like it's in a separate place from the Catskill museum. I don't know when or if I will ever get a chance to see the museum, or get myself to that area since I live on the west coast, so I was hoping to find a picture of the beveler. It sounds like a hybrid of the Talbot mill in its compact size and the larger Gillum beveler.

[jim royston]

Did Sam Carlson get the beveler when he purchased the FE Thomas Rod Co. in 1958? There is a photo of Sam at his beveler in Keane's book. Noticeably absent in the same book is a good look at the machine in the photo layout of the Thomas Rod Co. at work

[jeffkn1]

Jim

Run that question past Dana. I would expect him to have a pretty good idea of where most all Sam's stuff ended up.

Jeff

[Flamed]

Pretty sure Walt retired.
From Linkedin;In 2015, with the help of the Bendelius Family, I began the establishment of the Hudson Valley Rod Shops Heritage Exhibit, a private museum, near Kingston, NY. It will house many pieces of rod making equipment and tools, which I have used in my business over the past 45+ years. In addition to a fully operational rod shop, the exhibit will display the Carpenter Collection, an archive of historic documents and artifacts, which relate to split bamboo rod making in the Hudson River Valley of New York. When completed it will serve as an extensive resource for those interested in the history of this unique American craft and serve to honor its original shops and past masters.

[3creeks]

It's a shame that the beveler isn't still turning out Thomas blanks in Steve's shop in Brewer. I've read about as much as has been posted here on the forum about the machine including the above quote. As it happens, Chris Lucker sent me pictures of it which came from the Thomas book. I need to find myself a copy of that book.

[thomasrodco]

Did Sam Carlson get the beveler when he purchased the FE Thomas Rod Co. in 1958? There is a photo of Sam at his beveler in Keane's book. Noticeably absent in the same book is a good look at the machine in the photo layout of the Thomas Rod Co. at work

Sam did get the Thomas beveler when he bought the shop in 1958.
He later sold it in the 70s to Walt Carpenter.
I have a few photos of the beveler in the Thomas shop, as well as in Sam's shop.

[thomasrodco]

It's a shame that the beveler isn't still turning out Thomas blanks in Steve's shop in Brewer. I've read about as much as has been posted here on the forum about the machine including the above quote. As it happens, Chris Lucker sent me pictures of it which came from the Thomas book. I need to find myself a copy of that book.

I would have loved to have had it back here in Maine, but unfortunately when Walt offered it to me about 10 years ago, he wanted what amounted to me as all the money in the world for it...
I still think about it all the time, but I'm sadly guessing at this point it will never return home to the Thomas shop...

[3creeks]

It's a shame that the beveler isn't still turning out Thomas blanks in Steve's shop in Brewer. I've read about as much as has been posted here on the forum about the machine including the above quote. As it happens, Chris Lucker sent me pictures of it which came from the Thomas book. I need to find myself a copy of that book.

I would have loved to have had it back here in Maine, but unfortunately when Walt offered it to me about 10 years ago, he wanted what amounted to me as all the money in the world for it...
I still think about it all the time, but I'm sadly guessing at this point it will never return home to the Thomas shop...

I'm deep into that Thomas book already and it's even sadder to me that it's not in Maine at least, if not in your shop.

[thomasrodco]

Yup, I absolutely would have bought it if it had been an amount that I could have figured out a way to pay, but it was way beyond what I could do, especially when I was already making rods without spending a boatload more money.

[Skimpole]

Yup, I absolutely would have bought it if it had been an amount that I could have figured out a way to pay, but it was way beyond what I could do, especially when I was already making rods without spending a boatload more money.

If this video is of you in your shop, then it's quite understandable given what appears to be substantial investment.

https://youtu.be/pZk6Se3JZd4

[thomasrodco]

Yes, that’s me. But I’m a historian at heart, which is what led me down this path, and as proud as I am of the rods I make, being able to have that beveler making Thomas rods again would have been a dream come true..

[Jamie Bendelius]

I occasionally peruse this site and have just come across this.

As for the Thomas/Kosmic beveler, the old girl is still greatly appreciated, well cared for, and living up to her potential. It truly is an amazing machine in that it cuts intricate multiple compounds on adjustable patterns. We have 22 Kosmic and Thomas patterns to make everything from tiny fly rods to large double-built two-handed salmon rods, bait casting and spinning rods, as well as triple-built offshore rods. We also have 9 original Leonard patterns that survived the fire.

The picture is of the Thomas beveler with a pre-1909 FET Mahogany and one my Hewitt Circular Bends. It is currently mounted with Thomas’ parabolic tip pattern, a pattern that produced very few rods. That is Ed and Jim Payne’s mounting lathe in the background.

[munsey w]

This Spring I was fortunate enough to get to visit Jaime's shop and see him operate the machine. The Thomas beveler is housed in a beautiful museum like environment and is in excellent working order!

[3creeks]

Starting this thread has been great for me as I learned that the Thomas book was still available for purchase. While expensive it was worth it and it includes several photos of the beveler as well as numerous tapers of Thomas rods in 1" increments. I would love to witness the beveler in action some day. It's sounds like a marvelous machine.

[Pentalux]

There is an exceptional (6x10") picture of Walt working the Thomas beveler on page 46 in The Collectors Guide to Antique Fishing Tackle by Silvio Calabi. Primary focus is on the spinning beveler blades w/Walt in the background.

[3creeks]

There is an exceptional (6x10") picture of Walt working the Thomas beveler on page 46 in The Collectors Guide to Antique Fishing Tackle by Silvio Calabi. Primary focus is on the spinning beveler blades w/Walt in the background.

I have that book and you are correct!

[Jamie Bendelius]

To put that picture in perspective it was taken from the back side of the beveler after the cane has passed over the table and through the blades.