Monday, September 30, 2024

Centrifugal governor


 This was a nice object to find. I didn't buy it, how would you display it?

Monday Mystery, ETF snips

Ok, not a great mystery, more of a question... the jaws on these snips are very sharp but only in the ends of the jaws, almost like they were for a special purpose, but for what? The maker Engineering Tools and Forgings, we've covered in a previous post.
 

Sunday, September 29, 2024

Tone 1/2" metric ratchet

This is great, I've needed a good 12.7 ratchet to match my smaller 9.5 set. 

Tone seems to be a full line tool hand tool supplier with a 24 page catalog here. Tools also appear on Amazon so they should turn up more often!



 

Saturday, September 28, 2024

Wrench lamp art


One use for a bunch of old wrenches...but whether it's art is subjective...

Friday, September 27, 2024

E.C. Stearns C clamp


 Here is a nice plain C Clamp from the company, their regular line was hardware, auger bits and other tools, they also manufactured a line of very nice eccentric clamps, I've never seen one in real life..

 E C Stearns was a machine manufacturer located in Syracuse NY. The company started in 1864 and aside from hardware and tools,  branched out in several directions at different times, bicycles, steam cars, typewriters and others. One division manufactured the Knight sleeve valve engine. the company appears to have been bankrupt in 1956. Company history here.

1924 catalog here.

1920 Stutz Bearcat


 Someone needs to acquire the Stutz name and release a modern car named "Bearcat". Rules state; It cannot be a electric or an SUV.

Thursday, September 26, 2024

Back when we smoked...

Old pistons recycled into ashtrays... what can we do nowadays with old ashtrays?


 

Wednesday, September 25, 2024

Focke Achgelis FW-61 1936


The first successful helicopter, with side by side rotors mounted on the fuselage of a Focke-Wulf Fw 44 aircraft, made its first free flight on 26 June 1936. Although it lasted all of 28 seconds, the flight was a success. A second prototype was built during 1937.

Two years later,  it was demonstrated indoors at the Deutschlandhalle sports stadium in Berlin.  This helicopter was capable of 70 mph and set an altitude record of 11,250 feet in June of 1938. A larger version, the FA-223, was developed for transport use and was flown in the fall of 1939. However, development seemed to slow down after that and by the end of the war only 20 had been built and they saw limited service.

Cannon act at Paola, Kansas


 Here we have a dare devil act featuring a balloon, a cannon, an aeronaut and a parachute. Seven years before the Wright brothers flew at Kittyhawk. 

Rittman chisel

Just another run-of the mill 3/4" cold chisel but nothing to be found online about this manufacturer. 

Update: Dave in the comments mentions the Rittman Tool and Die company in Rittman, Ohio. (Thanks, Dave!) 
The Summit Tool company mentions the company in their history here.

Monday, September 23, 2024

Illinois Iron & Bolt Company Screw Jack

 

Thanks, John!

The first time I saw these screw jacks they were forming the lower portion of the jackposts in an old farmhouse. The conversion was done well, and they had been there long enough that I thought they were just a decorative Victorian version of the familiar support column. 

But they were just a common late 19th century utility screw jack. In 1864 Charles Valentine Carpenter established an iron foundry and blacksmith shop called the Illinois Iron & Bolt Company. The company later acquired the Star Manufacturing Company, which produced agricultural and other industrial machinery. These jacks on various sizes were part of the line. By 1912 Carpenter's two companies employed 2,000 people. 

Star Manufacturing remained in Carpentersville Ill. until 1977. 


Discounts on Dodges


 Wonder of there are any left? I see that location is still a Chrysler dealer. (Cooksville is a suburb of Toronto) Sorry about the low res scan. More on Argyle here.

Sunday, September 22, 2024

Millers Falls Langdon Acme Mitre saw


 

I've never owned a good mitre box/mitre saw, the lower quality units I've used seem to be just awful. When I saw this one at the Liberty Tool Company in Maine I got momentarily excited, but it's missing too many parts, including the all-important saw!

 While I was looking for information online it became apparent that there is quite a following for this device. All you might ever need to know, here.

1949 catalog page 49


Sidecar Sunday


 Two of hundreds of Harley Davidsons that were sold to the Chinese army in 1928 to 1930.

Saturday, September 21, 2024

Hawaii for two weeks

Artist unknown

 $150 First Class for a two week cruise in 1933 doesn't seem too bad, roughly $3500 in today's money...

Also the colours used for the poster seem odd to me, Yellow, green and red doesn't really say Hawaii to me, or for that matter, sea cruise.

Stunt rider


Motorcycle stunt-riding on a stage. I think it's a poor example of special effects pre-Photoshop.

Circle cutter bit


 A fine accessory for your brace and bit. Put it in the chuck, make the necessary adjustments and scratch your circle.



Friday, September 20, 2024

Thursday, September 19, 2024

Barcalo Buffalo Nail puller prybar


This carpenters nail puller seems like an unusual tool for the Barcalo operation who made mostly wrenches and tools for mechanics. Too bad this one is quite corroded, but it looks like a good solid pry bar. We covered Barcalo in this 2016 post.
 



Isotta Fraschini

The Isotta Fraschini pushrod inline eight cylinder engine was introduced immediately after WW1 in this Tipo 8 luxury car. The engine was enlarged and improved over the years and was still in use 20 years later.
 

Wednesday, September 18, 2024

O.I.T. wrench


 Here's another middling-quality wrench from an unknown Taiwanese toolmaker. Maybe someday people will collect these unloved imported tools and we'll find out more about the manufacturers.



Sandow engine

 Detroit Motor Car Supply Co. of Detroit built a line of Sandow-named engines from 1912 till 1920. 

More info on the Sandow engine here.





Tuesday, September 17, 2024

Brooklyn Navy Yard drydock


 Another very early photograph. Taken in 1846, this photograph shows the Brooklyn Navy Yard's first dry dock being constructed. It was completed in 1850 and has been in operation ever since. The image below is from a 2018 article in Curbed New York. 




Allen brand ratchet


In 1910 William G. Allen  patented a setscrew with an internal (socket) hex for tightening the screw, this became known as the Allen screw and the Allen Manufacturing company was set up in 1913 to produce the setscrews and accompanying hex keys.  Although Mr. Allen left the company shortly thereafter, the company prospered, branching out into regular wrenches and related tool sets. Somewhere along the way they became part of the Armstrong tool company which was swallowed up by Danaher in 1994. In 2012, Danaher sold their tool business and it became part of Apex Tool Group. 

This ratchet has the Danaher era logo so must have been made post 1995. 

datamp.org