Time has changed all of our lives — how we live, how we work and the things we work with. This week let me tell you about something that I found to be truly amazing, and I think you will, too. The time was around the 1860s; the occupation was a finish carpenter and the remarkable tools that this man worked with.

Today when you are building a home, either you or your carpenter go to the local lumber yard and select different types of molding that you will need to finish your home. In a couple days the molding is cut and nailed into place, and you are finished.

What if you lived around the 1860s or before? You could not jump in your car and go down to the local lumber company and buy the molding or fancy wood work, so what did you do? Well, I can tell you what you would do because a few months ago I was able to find a finish carpenters tool box and was totally amazed and could not believe my eyes.

The tool box is about 3 1/2 feet long, about 2 feet wide and about

1 1/2 feet deep. It probably weighs

at least 200 pounds with all the tools inside. On the inside of the box you will find 54 planes, all different and used to cut different tyles of molding. Also inside are six different types of hand saws, eight different types of measuring devices, 15 types of drill bits and 20 different bits for making some type of holes. There are also five assorted sharpening stones, two hand drills, two different hammers and several types of wrenches, one draw knife and a wooden mallet, and the list goes on and on.

Many of the tools in the work

box have patent dates that range from the 1860s and to the late 1800s. You see, back then everything was made by hand and carpenters

took pride in their workmanship.

He might work on one small piece

of lumber all day, but it was to

perfection when he finished. It is hard to imagine what it took to be a carpenter years ago. Looking at the wear on the tools in this box, I would love to see some of the finished work that was done by this finish carpenter.

The tool box and the tools are so incredibly amazing that they will be on display at the Louisiana Treasures Museum located at 10290 Highway 22 West Ponchatoula, La. Hours of operation are Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sunday, noon-4 p.m.. Tours available upon request by calling 225-294-8352.

If you are a carpenter or just enjoy working with wood, you will not want to miss seeing these tools from the 1800s. This is a tool collector’s dream tool box.

Wayne Norwood is a lieutenant with the St. John thhe Baptist Sheriff’s Department and owner and operator of the Louisiana Treasures Museum.