Styling 1958

But did those fins need accentuating?

 

Gray Batavia speeder

 Here's an interesting speed handle made by a Canadian company famously known as the only manufacturer of wrenches and hand tools in Canada. It would date to the 1920s as it was made at their new American subsidiary located in Batavia, New York, perhaps as a tie in to the (also Canadian) Massey Harris factory located there. More interestingly, look at the drive end, it's a hex. When they introduced their drop forged line of sockets perhaps it made more sense to continue the 6 point hex theme at both ends? 

 The reader who sent me the pictures (Roy) tells me the tool is "surplus to requirements" and is available. I will forward any requests.

  Gray Manufacturing & Machine Company Limited had opened for business in 1912 in Toronto as a Manufacturer of steam and power pumps and special machinery. They introduced their tool catalog in 1922 in both countries, the Canadian address was listed as the Gray Ball Bearing company on St Clarens Ave. Toronto, the American side address was the aforementioned Batavia. The US site only lasted a few years but was supplying the automotive market, especially Ford. No word on when the hex drive was discontinued.

The company was in the Gray family till 1912, when it was sold, Alex Gray III was retained as chairman. The company is now located in Brampton, Ontario. Previous post on Gray here.

 

Gray Tools

Remco press

Says easy to own, but in 1938, minimum wage in the US was 25¢ an hour and the average hourly wage was 55¢ an hour. I expect not many of these made it into a home mechanic's garage or workshop.

Vintagemachinery.org has a short history of Remco/Manley.

 

Rise and fall of Ford tractors

 From a book on general technology as it looked in 1986. Wow that's 40 years ago! Ford had just purchased New Holland. The Ford-New Holland company went on to be purchased by Fiat in 1991, phasing out the Ford name by the late 90s. New Holland and Case then merged to become CNH and the Ford name was long gone. 

  Ford had gotten into tractors in 1917, rapidly becoming a industry leader with the Fordson and later the 9N, 2N and 8N tractors... 

Sunbeam S-7 cutaway drawing

 A nice cutaway of the inline twin said to be inspired by the prewar BMW twins... 

Mr Fooks was an British motoring artist who turned out drawings for magazines of bicycles, motorcycles and cars from the 1930s through the '50s.

Trident- electric ships log, 1938

 Definitely a must-have when you didn't have time to send a crewman aft to take readings on your minesweeper-sized yacht. 

Lube NSU

This is the first Lube-NSU I've seen. Parts are probably close to impossible to find, these bikes were made in Spain and do not show up often. Previous post on a Lube race bike here. Tank logo below.

 

David plane

Here's a little hobby trimming plane made in Holland. By the wing nut and the groove on the bottom, it must be part of a system but I can't find much information on it. Its different than the one in this old post and appears to be very similar to the Australian-made plane in this ad.

 

Discard sculpture?

  I was skulking around an industrial area of Toronto and came upon these statues out behind a factory. I just have to wonder, are they factory seconds, defective castings or ??? They don't seem to be cared for...

 

Sidecar Sunday

     Officers from the West Riding Police Force in Yorkshire taking delivery of seven new Brough combinations from the Brough Superior factory in Nottingham. 1933