1982 Katana 550 sticker

This lovely 4x14" sticker was sent to me by a friend in Australia, it is a promotional item dating from the introduction of the bike when it was the lesser sister of Suzuki's flagship, the 1100 Katana. The 550 was underappreciated and not a big seller.

Improvements to Bagatelles

This game is generally considered to be the first version of what became the pinball machine. Bagatelles was an old game, played by shooting a ball up a table using a cue, trying to drop the ball into various holes with various values. In this game invented by a man named Montague Redgrave and patented in 1871, the cue was replaced by a spring-loaded plunger on one side and the size was shrunk from the original 21 x84". It was an immediate hit. More here.

https://patents.google.com/patent/US115357A/en

Week-ender sloop by George Lawley &Sons

 Above, the first Week-ender sailboat hull is turned over after being removed from the mold and set on its keel. More here. Introduced just before Christmas 1937 and launched in January by George Lawley & Sons of Neponset, Massachusetts, it was intended as a "stock design" for production. In the next two years they built 39 of the 35 foot sloops, with buyers coming from all along the Atlantic coast and the Great Lakes and even as far away as Texas. 

During the war the company shifted to building tugs, sub chasers, and landing craft. In 1945 they went out of business. 

Ferrari D246

The Dino D-246 was Ferrari's Formula 1 1958 championship winner.  Power came from a 2417cc DOHC V6 making 290 hp at 8300 rpm.  It was the first V6 to win a Grand Prix, also the last front engine car to win a Grand Prix at the Italian round in 1960.

  

General Electric Tachometer

    Electric aircraft tachometer found at a swapmeet and picked up for no particular reason. According to the various labels on it, it was made by General Electric and is a Model 8D, type DJ13. What aircraft it's from isn't clear but as a guess, late fifties and military?

Know your anvil parts

Alex Bealer, The Art of Blacksmithing, Funk and Wagnalls, 1969

The most familiar anvil design is known as the London Anvil, introduced in the 18th century. The numbers found on the side (shall we call it the cheek?) refer to the weight on the tool. The measuring system unique and probably ancient, the first number refers to the hundredweight (112 lbs actually), the next number refers to the quarter hundredweight measure, and the last to pounds.  So as an example, an anvil marked 123 is; 112 lbs, 2 quarter hundredweight is 56 lbs and 3 is the stray pounds left over. so the weight is 171 lbs. Something you should know before finding a bargain and trying to carry it to your car.

Steamboat races

Hard to tell from the coal smoke hiding the details of the harbour but these two rival steamboats are leaving Toronto at the same time. Needless to say someone has to get away first. The Corona of the Niagara Navigation company is in the foreground, the Macassa of the Hamilton Steamboat company is right beside it.

Know your 1949-54 Pontiac starter

The "sparky stuff". 

Formative things. I was 18, driving an old mid-sixties GM van that probably used the same starter as this. The starter was struggling to turn over the engine, and I was considering a rebuilt starter whenever payday came. The mechanic at work suggested I rebuild mine. It's easy, he said, " a couple of wire connections, two bolts and you can bring it into the shop. Go to the auto electric place across the street and get a bushing and brushes."

So, about $6, some guidance (thanks, Ron!) and a half hour later I had a rebuilt starter,  I was king of the world.

Bikes in the 'hood

Early sixties Sportster, but what year? Someone will know...

 The owner is a man of varied taste.

Huck's starter

The RCAF tries out a Huck's starter, a power alternative to manually turning a propeller to start an airplane engine. Looks safe!