Saturday, April 27, 2013

We used to make things in this country. #15: Waterloo Metal Stampings Ltd., Kitchener, Ontario

They say you can never have enough clamps.  I say that the same is true of sawhorses.  However, unlike clamps, they tend to take up a lot of room when you're not using them.

At some point, the Waterloo Metal Stampings company designed and patented neat folding sawhorse hardware that locks in place when opened up.  I keep this one in my shop.  Below, open and folded:


Below, legs folded up on the left; folded down and locked in place on the right.  Clever and simple.



The company was around since at least the 1940's, making metal stampings and trunk and bag hardware. The company was mentioned in a 1956 promotional brochure for the city of Waterloo.  It subsequently moved into the manufacture of door and desk hardware and was still being assigned patents up until the early 1990's.  Then, poof, it disappeared.

It doesn't look like anyone even makes brackets like this anymore, let alone in Canada.  Pity.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

The company isn't gone, exactly, but a bit of it is closing soon... http://www.therecord.com/news/business/article/928821--230-to-lose-jobs-with-furniture-plant-closing