Oregon Wood Grenade

  This solid hunk of cone-shaped aluminum was intended to be pounded into a log to split it in multiple directions. I like the portability compared to steel but I wonder how soon the head would mushroom over in elm or other hardwood.

Tootsietoy panel delivery truck toy

Shame about the kustom by kid paint scheme, but it's in pretty good condition otherwise,despite the eggshell-like zinc diecast body...This panel was part of a line of diecast toy vehicles produced by Dowst Brothers in Chicago in the post WW2 era. 

 

Boeing 747 postcard, 1971

 

The 747 fleet served El Al from 1971 to Nov 2019.

  Farewell video.

Philips Dyno flashlight

  Here's a fun little device, a pump action flywheel-powered dynamo light (or squeeze flashlight). The fun goes out of it quick, as the pump handle has to be actuated almost continuously. The bulb lens cover is missing on this one.

 According to Wikipedia these were made in occupied Netherlands during the war.

 

Stanley Marsh no 100 mItre box

   Here's the king of miter boxes seen at Liberty Tool in Maine. I thought it was just a big solid professional miter clamp, turns out it's missing the back saw. Bottom image shows a  complete unit, similar but smaller, at another site. Here's another site showing the machine being used.

 

Toolsquirrel

Sidecar Sunday Car and sidecar in Uruguay

 

  Here are a series of stills taken from a video on Youtube. No explanation as this sequence was playing and we have no idea what the heck this is all about. Our friend Marshall sent me this link about a subject we know littke about...The Uruguay car industry.

 Uruguay Once Built Its Own Cars

Bonneville besuty

 

  Beautiful car but I see “Bonneville” six places on the body. Identity crisis?

Fleet 6328 wrench

 

  For some reason there are no “Fleet tool” markings on this wrench (nothing at all on the back) but the 6328 number identifies it as a Fleet made by Penens of Chicago, later acquired by Plomb. Still manufactured in the USA, Fleet was an economy line sold by the company in the 1950s.

Summertime fun!

 Fun for the whole family... 

Chrysler Master Technician Service Conference tools

 

  In the sixties and seventies Chrysler ran the Master Technician Service Conference (MTSC) program for technicians. Awards consisted of gold plated tools from various tool manufacturers including this ratchet set from Bonney. I wonder how many of the award sets saw usage. If I only owned a Chrysler or Dodge...

One of my vices is vises, Stanley #702 corner vise

  Introduced in 1957, the Stanley 702 was a development of the #700 clamp-on vise (patent 1,765,321 of 1930) which utilized a screw mounted below the bench surface level and L shaped jaws allowing work to be clamped on the bench as well as vertically. Instead of iron, the #702 was aluminum, helping with portability and probably kinder if a chisel or blade slipped.

 

Steam engine

  Someone thought I should have this and I'm grateful! It is purportedly a pre 1900 Locomobile steam car engine, but I haven't had time to confirm that. Can't wait to put a little air pressure to it. 

Gray 212C Ball Pein hammer

These hammers made by Canada's quality tool maker should turn up more often than they do, but maybe everyone makes sure they keep theirs. This was another rescue, and has been rehandled.

1973 Catalog

Garrard Speke Sociable

Vintage Car Poster book by Colour Library Books Ltd. 1983

   Charles Garrard started his bicycle company in 1900, They started adding small 143cc engines from the French company Clément in 1902 but because they didn't have the capacity they contracted James Lansdowne Norton to manufacture the frames. A V twin was introduced the next year and they added a forecar to the line which in 1911 became this front engine 2 seater three wheeler.

 Coincidently 1911 was also the first year for the Morgan 3 wheeler. Garrard was out of business before the start of WW1, and very few of these sociables remain.

On the hunt...

  Found! On a wall of an old bar, a poster worth posting (ha ha). A little photoshopping and we have a tolerable image. But with the miracle of modern AI, can we make it better?

   At random, a possible candidate was discovered (Pixella.ai)) and with the instructions "clean up the red areas, clean up the white areas", the bottom image was produced. For 99¢ I can get it without the watermarks and for $49 per month I can get a subscription. Not going to happen. 

  I prefer the photoshopped version (with remaining patina)... or with a bit more care in taking the photograph maybe just a image of the original grungy framed bar ornament.

Artist; Hugo Koeke

 

Williams Superslim Spanners

  Found this British-made black finish wrench in my overflowing wrench drawer, it stood out from the rest, it's a nice tool. They were made by T. Williams of Birmingham and were apparently supplied in various vehicle tool kits, but the "superslim" name isn't just a trademark, it is indeed quite thin, about 7mm- when a standard 7/8" (across flats) nut is about 1/2" tall. It's a keeper.

Previous post on the company here.

 Below, a complete set still in box seen at a swapmeet some years ago. They're still available at http://www.smithfrancistools.co.uk/ though probably not at this price.

Ad from 1962

Cycle Guide, Feb 1970

 4 shillings in the UK... (that's the old money...)

Wow! The new 1990 Makita catalog is here!

 Like a kid in a candy store! Lots of money for cordless tools back then but I was making good use of the anemic and adequate 3.5 V B&D cordless screwdriver I had...

 

Aviation Meet, Los Angeles

1910 was a big year for airshows. 

"What should we feature on the poster?"

 "Everything! Everything you can find that flies. Or looks like it could fly!"

 

Sidecar Sunday

Sorry for the belated post,  gone fishing...

 

Basic tips for tool users

 

Masonry hammer

 

Just an old masonry hammer in for rehandling.This type of head is used to texture concrete or soft stone. I carved up the handle from a scrap of hickory left over from making an axe handle. Questions in the comments led me to disassemble it, driving out the tapered pin.