Progress is fine, but it's gone on for too long.

Sunday, June 21, 2026

Sidecar Sunday

Nimbus with sidecar, seen at the Canadian Vintage Motorcycle Group rally.

This unconventional bike was made to chase world speed records. It drew huge crowds when it was show at the Olympia Motorcycle Show in 1928. Despite its straight line performance it was unstable enough that it was not used. More here.

Gray Bonney 3/8 ratchet

I picked this up today for 75¢. The reversing lever is broken off but it works ok in both directions. Checking Alloy Artifacts, they suggest the ratchet was introduced in 1936 and show a slightly different version with just the Bonney name. Another difference is that this version is assembled with screws opposed to the Bonney's rivets, might be innovation from Gray.

I might try to renovate the thing just for fun.

Friday, June 19, 2026

Corvette!

Sweet. I'll guess, 1960?

The G man meets C & B Rods

No relation to me, but Clawson & Bal's business practices led to a 1939 tax lawsuit regarding whether a connecting rod is a taxable item.

Bone chisel

I always get a bit queasy when I find these surgical tools, I would definitely need anesthetics for this one. Nasty. Text stamped in the handle looks like Teur a Paris, Google Translate says Author in Paris but we'll just leave it there. Futuristic (for twenty years ago) Ridgid hammer included for scale.

Thursday, June 18, 2026

Early farm innovation...

As Wilbur tested the new machine gun mount on his biplane, it occurred to him that it would make an excellent rowcropping agricultural tool, battling both potato bugs and groundhogs.

This picture was taken while I was flipping through a book at an antique market, so I don't know what's actually going on.

Google Lens tells me this is a Blériot XI- the first plane across the English Channel, it it is obviously not.

One of my vices is vises; Lakeside

Lakeside was a brand name that Montgomery Ward used for their tools, a little googling shows people certain that they were all American-made but this 3" one comes from Belgium! Too bad the swivel base is missing, it looks like a nice home workshop vise.