Progress is fine, but it's gone on for too long.

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Tool Porn: Record 148 Doweling Jig

L. Donald Meyers & Richard Demske. Furniture Repair and Refinishing, Reston Publishing Co. Inc. (Prentice-Hall), 1978.

I've got a Stanley doweling jig, but this one looks so much nicer!

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Machine Shop on Wheels

From The Metalworking Lathe, Instructions on its Care and Operation, Algrove Reprints 2001
originally published as How to Run a Lathe, 1935

1986 Suzuki GSXR 1100

From the 1986 Suzuki brochure. First year for the big Gixxer, these motorcycles redefined the sport bike market.

The Enemy Listens!

Robert Jackson. Unexplained Mysteries of World War II. Eagle Editions, 2000.

Today, as a member of the "Five Eyes" (the intelligence alliance among Australia, the US, UK, Canada and New Zealand), there are increasing allegations that it is the U.S. that is spying on Australia. Google the topic.

Olympia typewriters

S.L. Mayer (Editor). Signal. Years of Retreat 1943-44.

Jet Tales. The Lufthansa Magazine. 4/78.

Olympia was founded in Germany in 1903. After the Second World War, their factory was taken over by the Soviets, but some employees managed to escape to the west to re-start the company. By the early 60's, they were providing almost half of all the typewriters used in that country. Considered the Mercedes-Benz of typewriters, they weren't cheap either: in 1964, an Olympia SM7 cost $142.50, over $1,000 in today’s currency! The company was innovative, producing a model with the Dvorak keyboard, but just couldn't compete against the computer revolution and shut its doors in 1992.

Monday, February 23, 2015

Safety everywhere!

Zeppelin L32

Launched on August 4th 1916, L32 conducted only 11 missions in her short life, including three bombing raids to London. She was shot down on September 24th 1916, killing all 22 members of her crew. Her sister ship L33 was also shot down in the same raid and caused the Germans to reconsider their airship strategy.