Colt metal lathe

   Seen at a yard sale for $400, this 1940s Myford clone apparently was made by the Wei Yii Company in Taiwan probably in the late '50s or early '60s. This one is fitted with a screwcutting gearbox so presumably a later model. Lathes.co.uk has a general section  on various Myford clones (Asian and others) (warning-rabbithole!) but not a lot of specific information on the Colt. They do note that quality is reported to be good and there are some improvements over the original Myford product.

A quick Google reveals the Wei Yii company is still around, making mostly CNC lathes but the website has been translated to English in a rather unreadable way. There is a section for conventional lathes but none resemble this one.

 

Liquid Glass Auto Polish promotion

 

Crazy graphics on this can of car polish. Its c0vered in fine print mostly extolling the virtues of using this product. In the center is the big promotion; Identify the car parts used to build this custom, win $1000!  The car resembles the Harley Earl GM concept cars of the early fifties but was actually a custom built by Bob Metz of Indiana. He named it called La Rocket.

 From  Kustomrama;

 The picture used on the label was taken by Alan Newcomer in Bailey Park, Battle Creek, Michigan in 1963.

 In 2016 Alan told Kustomrama that it was a replacement for the original art work which included the Doctors ex-wife, which he was requested to remove. When the photo was taken, the car had been painted Metallic Gold. The model was Violet Snyder. 

Doc Dorner, the inventor of Liquid Glass promised a 1.000,00 USD reward to the one that could name all 33 cars the car had parts from. The car was last seen in the early 1980s, in the basement garage of Doc Dorner's home in Halbert Rd, in Battle Creek, Michigan. Dorner was the inventor of Liquid Class Auto Polish. Although the car had been sitting for many years, it was supposedly quite impressive. Since then, Doc has passed away, and the house has been sold a couple of times.

One of my vices is vises, Parker No 31

Small Parker vise with 3" jaws. 

 

Elton Piano tuner hammers

Double ended hammer, with socket wrench actually...a high grade professional model... 

 I can say this is a tool I have never once thought about.

 

Ford Trimotor cockpit

 Pretty sophisticated for 1926 I guess, but the single-wall corrugated aluminum body panels would sure amplify the noise from that Wright Whirlwind mounted just in front of the windshield, complementing the two on the wings. But, progress, at least the crew is inside!

199 were built before being discontinued in 1933.

Boss Biscuit box

I can't buy every wooden box I find! No idea when Boss Biscuits went out of business, and I can't find a recipe or description of the actual (famous) lunch milk biscuit crackers.

 

Cadillac, it's all about the practicality...

Fact sheet.

 

Millers Falls multi-blade chisel set

Here's a nice little chisel set, packaged like multibit screwdriver.

SY Cangarda update

 A couple of years ago we happened upon the rebuilt and restored steam yacht Cangarda, wrapped up at Front St Shipyard in Belfast, Maine. Passing by yesterday, the shrink wrap has been removed and there seems to be activity around it.  It appears the owner has passed away and the yacht has been sold. Hope to see it in the water soon.

'50 Ford Custom Deluxe Sedan

Not sure if that paint scheme is original, but it looks nice.

Monday Mystery, a levering tool

Here we have a nice useful-looking tool made by Vaughan in the USA, that has hooks and moving arms and stuff.  No idea what it does. Anyone?

 

Greb #62 gear puller

Here's a nice gear puller made by the Greb Co. of Boston. Inventor Charles Beach received a patent in 1919 for a cam system which makes the jaws tighten against the workpiece when screw pressure is applied, minimizing the chance of the jaws slipping off. Here is a link to the 1927 catalog.

 

Sidecar Sunday

The tandem bicycle is a 1938 Grubb, the maker of the sidecar is not identified. Just the thing for a sporting young couple with their new baby.

 

Barb wire stretcher

The initials on the handle of this tool might be OTC, which I can't find any info on but the tool looks 19th century.

 To operate, the wire is slid between the jaws to the left of the pivot. Rotating the handle a few degrees pinches the wire. The points on the end are jammed against the fencepost which acts as a fulcrum to pull the wire tight.

Always on the level...

Nice useful promotional giveaway.  "We are always on the level"  Groan. 

The ad below comes from a 1960 newspaper, and a story on the business, which closed in 1993 here.

 

Cleveland National Air Races, 1929

 1929 was the first time Cleveland hosted the National Air Races. This is ne of several posters for that event. A biplane rounds the pylon over the grandstand and there is a real person waving a flag in the top of that pylon.

 What it actually looked like, below...

BMW sectioned K100 engine

 

Sammy Miller Museum

Pierce Arrow Service Center, Long Island City

 Pierce Arrow built this four story service center in Long Island City near the east end of the Queensboro bridge, capable of servicing 500 cars at a time. Picture dating to about 1914.

AACA

Another view.

 According to the caption in the AACA forum, this image was in a French magazine for March 1926 and stated that the building was "a great example of a public monument" so far as parking garages went. SO who has the room on top of their building to mount a similar sign? It was illuminated so people in Manhattan could see the logo at night.

More here.

El Camino, 1968

 Nice car... errr... truck. That may be a stock colour but it's been put on a lot better than the factory did. 396 V8, it would move along just fine...

Interkosmosz Space Car

Battery powered tin toy "Holdauto" (translates as Moon Auto or Moon Car). Manufactured by Lemezaru Gyar, Hungary. 
 

Matchless 1953

 Back when the Earls Court show was THE motorcycle show. The last time I was in London I saw that they've knocked the building down.

Made in Taiwan, wrench by Shark

Another import tool, this Shark wrench may be the only wrench with a cartoon animal for a logo. Despite that, the quality seems pretty good.