Harley Davidson on snow

 

Another artefact from the Log Drivers museum. The AMF days…

KTM in 1966

 You’ve come a long way. Baby!

We used to make things here. Precision saw Co.

 

When I saw this. I thought it was a reciprocating saw. Precision Saw Co. was one of the world's first manufacturers of one-man chainsaws It was founded in Montreal in 1946. 

More info  when I can do some searching-NOT on my phone.

 

The Monstrosity

 Found in a 1966 Cycle World magazine, this custom was the work of one Speedy Babs. Starting with an Indian four frame, he added telescopic forks from an Indian Arrow. Perhaps anticipating Honda's CB750, the engine was a repurposed McCulloch flat four two stroke intended for a target drone. The engine is coupled to a BMW transmission and driveshaft. He apparently said he built it as a lark and named it "the Monstrosity". No word on how well it worked...

“My favorite tool”.

 

 

  We visited the “Log driver museum” in Saint-Aimé-des-Lacs,  operated by a 82 year old self-described “last remaining log driver”. He has amassed a large amount of random stuff from those days. Fun and interesting guy, interesting place.

Forgotten Tonka, Pacer police car

 

Probably not a big seller…

Out travelling…

 

  

Sorry for the inconsistent posting, we’re out driving in the Saguenay region of Quebec, Wifi is rather random, I’ll do the best I can.

Multitool- pliers edition

 

Interesting idea, saves the real-world problem of carrying two pairs… There is a name on the handle, but sadly no longer readable.

Chevy Nova

Nice looking car, maybe a 1972 model? Looks like something that might have been parked in the parking lot when I was in high school. The 350 would move it out nicely.

 

Sidecar Sunday

 

Kerker pipe for your CB750F

 

Fashion Friday, Simpson helmets

 

Fairalloy wrench

  Here's a wrench made by Fairmount just about the time that the use of chrome molybdenum and vanadium was becoming popular among toolmakers. The nonspecific term allowed them to source different steels when steel was scarce in WW2.

The company started in a blacksmith's shop in Cleveland in 1917, they focused on automotive tools from the beginning. During WW2 they supplied the US military with tool kits. After the war they were bought by Frontier Industries which became part of Houdaille Industries which closed up in the 1980s. Eastwood has taken up the name for their line of automotive restoration tools.

 

CB900F Resto-mod

Resto mod looking good.

 The style looked good on the 400 twin too, but no one is resto-modding them...

Datsun, Suzuki and Revell

 Not the GSXR truck promotion, but this is also only in black and white...

Spring tension gauges

These gauges were used to measure and set spring tension on contacts touching another contact in a electro-mechanical relay. 

 P.K. Neuses website

These gauges were part of a tool kit belonging to reader Arthur's father, who was an electrical engineer for Ohio Power, a subsidiary of AEP American Electrical Power.  Below are some tools in the kit.

Thanks, Arthur!

Lark Finalwrench

  AI is suggesting this was a Whitworth wrench made by Thomas Smith & Sons in Birmingham. but it's actually a standard 1/2- 9/16" wrench. The company forged the "Snail Brand" tools but would apparently also do other brand names to order. 

 I can't find any reference to the name. Ideas?

 

Monday Mystery, big hook thingy

 This comes out of rural Maine, looks like blacksmith-made it so it could be part of any sort of old farm or logging machine but the 4 bolt flange might have been mounted to a wooden beam. Another clue might be the hole halfways up the shaft, maybe for a pivot or actuating arm? Anyways, just guesses, any ideas?

No prince of darkness jokes please

 They're trying!

Sidecar Sunday

Seen at the 2026 CVMG Rally.

The times are a'changin...

 The four masted Star of Shetland passes underneath the partially constructed Golden Gate Bridge on September 19, 1936, as it is towed outwards for Osaka, Japan for scrapping. The ship had been launched in 1899 as the Edward Sewell, and was a bulk carrier till it was sold to the Alaska Packers Association in 1922. In support of the salmon canneries, it carried lumber, canned salmon, freight and passengers between San Francisco and Alaska till it was retired. The bridge opened on May 27 1937.

One of my vices is vises, York 125

The York 125 is a heavy duty vise with a 5" wide jaw made in the Czech Republic, probably between 1934 and 1956. Rumour has it the shape inspired the Wilton Bullet vices.  The company is still around today.   History thread at Garage Journal.

Renault 40

 This was the flagship Renault from 1911 to 1928, wheelbase of 3.9 meters, (156 in) with another huge 6 cylinder, this one coming up short in comparison to the Bentley at 460 cu. in (7.5 litre), later 560 cu in. The radiator was mounted behind the engine, and there were w1brakes only on the rear wheels. Despite that, it apparently was an impressive machine... or as we used to say "it cut a mean swath".

Richard Hough and Michael Frostick, A History of the World's High Performance Cars, George Allen and Unwin, 1967

Fashion Friday, 1917

The Saturday Evening Post, 1917

Relevant a hundred (plus) years later....

 

Bentley Eight Litre

 

  Introduced in September of 1930, the new Bentley luxury car cost about $15,000. Powering it was this 487 cu. in. 6 cylinder overhead cam 4 valve engine producing 220 horsepower. Unusually, the cam was driven by 3 connecting rods. The bore was 110 mm (4.3 in), the stroke was 140 mm (5.5 in). Bentley went bankrupt 6 months later. only 100 cars had been made.

Gellman polly wrench

  Polly wrench because the top jaw looks like a parrot's head? Ok. The wrench was patented in 1923 by Israel Gellman  of Rock Island, Illinois. The lower jaw slides and pivots enough to disengage a fine tooth locking mechanism. When the desired size is reached a locking lever pushes the gear teeth together and locks the jaw. 

The Gellman Co. made the wrenches in three sizes but realized they had to diversify to grow, by the thirties they were making kitchen convenience items like can openers. This wasn't enough and in the forties, they pivoted into commercial baking equipment and food packaging machinery. In 1962, they diversified again, becoming distributors of Triumph and Jaguar automobiles, the manufacturing ceased in 1963.

The American Deluxe

   Made by the Dayton Friction Toy Co. during the 1920s, this big 27" long metal toy bus was powered by a flywheel, activated by pushing the toy along the ground a few times, rolling the wheels which spun up the flywheel causing the bus to power across the floor.

 Dayton was a toy manufacturing center around the turn of the century, with around 40 companies located there. The Dayton Friction Toy company struggled during the Depression (maybe due to the sheer size and cost of these toys) and closed in 1935.

 

Draper Tools wrench

  Draper Tools is British tool company, founded in 1919. They started as a reseller of government surplus and tools, becoming an agent for King Dick, Britool and others as the business expanded. They also contracted out manufacturing for their own line of wrenches marked B.D.S. after the company name Bert Draper and Son. The BDS name was phased out in the 1960s, to be replaced with the Draper Tools brand. The manufacturing is now contracted out to Taiwanese and Chinese companies. 

 Draper Tools is still in business and on the third generation of family ownership. Now I have to find a BDS wench!
 

Dremel Model A sander

This is a nice little metal and bakelite corded palm sander, lacking a little in styling perhaps... This unit doesn't look like it was ever used.

 

Cars in the 'hood...

Definitely not the most desirable model of this manufacturer but unique and rare...  How often do we see these on the street?

 

Monday Mystery

 Looks like part of some blacksmith or farmer-made device. The handle look worn by hand use, but no idea what they might have been used for. Any ideas?

Some kinda hook...

I can't figure this one out.