Obsolete skills: Building and using a hand loom

Here's how to do it:


Hand Loom Techniques

Hand Weaving

Jeeps

Jeeps waiting for a ferry, somewhere during WW2

Royal Enfield

Owls' Head Transportation Museum

Forging Tools

We used to make things in this country. # 284: Empire Brass Manufacturing Co. Ltd., London, Ontario

1941

The Empire Brass Manufacturing Company was founded in London, Ontario in 1903.   On incorporation in 1906, this became a limited company, called Empire Brass Manufacturing Co. Ltd and then Emco Brass (Emco). In 1927, Emco entered into an exclusive licensee arrangement with Wheaton Petroleum Valves (founded in 1892 in Newark, New Jersey) creating “Emco Wheaton” for the first time.  The combined company is still going strong.

Messerschmitt 110s fuselages

A few of the 6,170 BF110s built by Germany during WW2

Worrals on the Warpath, 1944

Captain W.E. Johns.  Worrals on the War-Path.  Venture Books for Girls.
The Musson Book Co., Ltd., Toronto 1944.

Wassell Antelope

J.B. Nicholson.  Modern Motorcycle Mechanics.  7th Edition.
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan: Nicholson Brothers Motorcycles Ltd., 1974.

W.E. "Ted"  Wassell started the company that bore his name back in 1946, and eventually became one of the largest manufacturer and supplier of after-market parts for British Bikes.  I don't have to look far in my shop to see examples of things bought from the firm.

In the late 1960's, the company produced its own trial machine using the 175cc BSA Bantam engine.  They showed 3 of their models at the 1970 Motorcycle Show in England but, typically, BSA showed no interest in supporting them.  Priced at only £175, the bike was much cheaper than the Spanish machines that were beginning to flood the market.  Given the limited access to Bantam engines, they turned to the Austrian Sachs firm for the 125-cc, 6-speed unit, and in 1971 signed an order to obtain them.  The company acquired the services Jim Lee and Peter Edmonson, formerly of Dalesman Motorcycles,  and unveiled the 125 Sachs powered trails and motocross machines in late 1972. Both models were originally sold in the UK with a list price of £315.  When Sachs went under, the engines were apparently sourced from another Austrian firm, Steyr-Daimler-Puch.  Wassell was making about three bikes a day.  Eventually, the made arrangement with Penton in the US, selling the bikes under the Penton Mudlark name.  All told, about 3000 were made.

For more, read Best of British.

Walking hatchet

A few years ago while making some trails on our property I determined that I needed to make a specialized axe for the trimming that needs to be done. I figured it should have a handle long enough to use as a walking stick with a light hatchet-sized head, that could be grasped in one hand. The long handle would also allow me to reach small branches to 8 or 10 feet up and also past branches that protruded towards me. I bought a few of the longest handles I could find and found them to be too short to walk with and the thick 34 inch handle was also visually heavier than I liked- for an idea see the utility axe (upper) in the image. A couple of not very successful experiments and I put the idea on the back burner. 
Then my brother surprised me at Christmas with the lower axe. This handle is about 40 inches long, the head is 1/1/2 lbs and it's perfect. Though he doesn't claim to be an artist it's also probably the most elegant axe I've ever seen. I just have to remember not to put too much power into my swing- save the bigger branches for other tools.

1915 Milburn Light Electric

Along with their line of horse-drawn wagons, the Milburn Wagon Co of Toledo, Ohio built bodies for the Ohio Electric Car Company.  When that arrangement broke down they decided to produce their own electric vehicles, believing that they could be made lighter and cheaper than the existing offerings.
The coupe above, introduced in 1914 had a top speed of 20 mph and a range of 60-75 miles. It was powered by a motor made by GE with a 180 amp hour 20 cell lead acid battery. Price was $1485 when a Ford Model T could be purchased for $440.
Despite their ease of operation and ownership, by the early 1920s the price difference and limited range of electrics were slowing sales and production ceased. GM bought the factory in 1923. More history here.