Tubes and how to bend them

Tools and their uses, Prepared by the US Navy (Bureau of Naval Personnel)

 

Velocette, 1955

 

Sidecar Sunday

 Hans Haldeman and unnamed passenger in the 1949 Swiss Grand Prix. The passenger is rarely named in these old pictures, but is in what might be described as the "full cower" position. 

Foul weather Typhoons

Crewman sits on wing of aircraft to guide the pilot while on the ground. He was probably happy to get a ride.

Crewmen try to push a Typhoon out of the mud. 

Armourers of the RCAF 440 squadron trudge through the mud to re-arm Typhoons at a makeshift airfield. 

Eindhoven, Holland, 1944

Whiz Electric Tool

1937

1941

Autoglider Model D Deluxe

There was a scooter boom after WW1, the various manufacturers of military products needed something quick and easy to make to keep the doors open. The Autoglider company of Birmingham started with a simple stand-up scooter with a Villiers 2 stroke engine mounted over the front wheel with the power transmitted by chain.

 The next model was the one in this post, a development in the same general concept, improved with the addition of a seat and a novel leaf spring suspension system. It was also nicely styled, until you get to the front end at least! The engine was now a Union 292cc 2 stroke engine capable of powering the machine to 40 mph. However, no kickstart was provided and pushstarts were the norm, the highmounted engine making manipulating the machine awkward. 

By 1921 the boom was over and the company failed to last the year.

 

Suzuki GS1100 cutaway

 One of the great engines from Suzuki, a 16 valve air cooled inline four.  Built from 1980-1983, then with 50 more ccs, a different head and sharper outer case styling, it continued till 1986 as the GS1150. 

 Nice illustration, the Japanese manuals don't mention the artist.

Hirsh drill powered wood lathe

This ultra basic tool must date from the sixties or seventies, back in the days that an electric drill was gods gift to the handyman. Still, it would do the job if you wanted to make a candle stick or a short banister spindle... 

They turn up often enough online, but no company information or history, just some weird pdf webpages with lorim ipsim body text. 

 But it makes the crappy piece of junk I used as a kid look positively quality.

 

Kodak cameras

With the new simple Kodak process, the "snapshot" arrived. 

100 years later, if it wasn't posted on facebook, it never happened...

 

The American Champion grader

Patented in 1875, and improved in the next few years, it was in production till 1925. Requiring 5 teams of horses for heavy work, the grader could be used for regular work with 3 or even 2 teams of horses. The angle and attitude of the blade were adjustable by the operator while in motion with the use of handwheels.

 The rear axle extension (below) allowed the horses to stay in the road while the blade was used for ditching and for moving a heavy furrow of dirt from the side to the middle of the road with slipping sideways. 

The internal combustion powered machines replaced this unit.