Some of us are older than dirt (was it a HAMBer who NAMED dirt??), some of us were born after $1.50 gasoline, but we all use tools. Some better than others, but that's a different story... Here's some of my oldies, still used as intended...most of these are at least 40 years old, the drill press quite a bit more...
What year is that Craftsman tablesaw? Is it the one where the table tilts instead of the blade? I had one and gave it to General Gow when I moved back to Kansas. I had the same grinder wheel set in my shop in RI also. I have two of those drill presses now too.
You had to have rewebbed that lawn chair right? That stuff doesn't last long. At first I thought it looked like leather web. That would last and look cool. I might question that Radarange's ability to keep the radiation from seeping out and eating away your brain.
Some of us are old enough to remember gas price wars as low as $0.17 a gallon. No! That was not the Stone Age. It was the early '60's in Arizona. Some guy named Egon named dirt. I knew him and he was a really clean guy....sometimes. Old tools. No pictures I can post. What I have I treasure and use. - My Dad's carpenters brace and one auger bit. Boy can I drill holes in wood. - My Dad's machinest's square. Its still square and the level works. - My Dad's machinest's vise. Its the only vise I use. Its a cheap Chinese one but it was his and it works. - A handmade knife by my Mother's father. He used this 15 inch blade to butcher hogs. He was a farmer in Michigan and made it out of a file on a foot pedal grinding stone. - A two-pinion (egg-beater style) hand drill I made as a class project in machine shop class in engineering college. I don't have any hogs to butcher, so I don't use the knife; but I have an honored place for it. Everything else gets used. As it should. They're tools.
i am not quite as old as dirt, but i have tools passed down from my father and my uncle. they are old as dirt, or older. you can tell the difference, too. when you pick up my old drill and that new plastic shit you buy at the plastic shit tool warehouse, you know the quality right away. i, too have a craftsman table saw that was passed down to me, it is heavy as hell, and old as dirt, and it will outlast me. i don't have kids, so one of you young fuckers has to be nice to me so i'll leave you all my tools when i pass on. but seriously cosmo, throw that microwave away and get a new one for thirty bucks, that can't be healthy... tred.
He doesn't have kids either. My parents had a radar range type micro through the 80's. And my dad was a designer for a nuclear plant contractor, so he was aware of radiation et al. That thing never skipped a beat, and the only upgrade came when somebody bought them one as a present. Big old monster it was, but contrary to popular belief, never leaked zoomies.
I have a mostly modern tool collection in my box, but I just can't seem to let go of my old computer for doing my "tuning".
I have a GE iron, not sure how old it is. It has a cloth wrapped cord with a bakelite plug. I'm a wash and wear guy, but if something needs ironing I use the thing.
My parents had a radar range type micro through the 80's. And my dad was a designer for a nuclear plant contractor, so he was aware of radiation et al. That thing never skipped a beat, and the only upgrade came when somebody bought them one as a present. Big old monster it was, but contrary to popular belief, never leaked zoomies.[/QUOTE] My Mom finally got rid of her radarrange about 2 years ago. She had it checked and it didn't leak either.
Amana RadarRanges do NOT leak. Littons however... Toaster not for sale, still works perfectly. And it never fails to scare women when it grabs the bread... Table saw's table tilts. Isn't that how they ALL are?? This is the only one I've ever used. Purchased prior to 1958, as that's the first pics I have with it in them (father building a house). Lawn chair given to my grandmother on her 70th, in 1960. Has definitely NOT been re-webbed in the last thirty years, dunno if before. And I have two of them. Webbing material quality has not improved through the years... Cosmo
Im preety young (24) but have alot of old tools around. My parents are both 60 and keep things forever. He has some of my grandfathers old tools from the 30's through 60's and they work just fine. My family still has a amana radarrange from the early 70's that still gets used. My mom demo'ed them at department stores after college in about 70-71. The coolest stuff that is related to this hot rod stuff is my great grandfathers sign painting stuff. He quit painting and leafing when the depression hit and he never picked it back up after that. My dad has over a dozen brushes and a little paint that is still good. The brushes were stored in oil the last 80 years. The best is the authentic german gold leaf that probably dates to the early 20's. I have about 5 books of that stuff. Its great having packrat parents.
Funny you should post this. I just came in from pulling the front wheels on the 32 - new disc pad time. After I broke em loose I used granddad's old Plomb 1/2" drive speedwrench to spin the lugnuts off and was thinking just where this old (still works like new) wrench had been in it's life. Places I know of; Nebraska wheat farm to the Brea-Olinda oil fields, to the Ventura oil fields, to many parts of SoCal, up to Visalia in Central California and now in Arizona. Earlier I used some of the Craftsman combination wrenches to re-install a piece. I got those 49 years ago in Ventura and they were a few years old then. Still in great shape. Dad's Lufkin aluminumTM framed micrometers, about 54 years old and like new. Sweetie's 22 Remington Special pump with octagonal barrel and steel crescent plate butt. Darned thing still shoots better than I can. My 27 year old Buck Stockmans pocket knife. Sweetie's dads old stainless hip flask. Gotta find that, winter's coming.... Some of that old stuff is a pleasure to use and way better then some of the stuff available today. Nice part is, it's not rocking chair dreams, but useful everyday items. Cool post....
I've got an old scroll saw from my grandpa, the motor on it is a century... 1/4 or 1/2 hp, I can't remember... anyway it's got a label and the patent says 1912 and it has oil pots on both ends, still works good. We've got quite a collection here at the museum, several aisles in storage of old tools.
Also.... speaking of cutting, I just set up a display on civil war surgical instruments and I got to build mounts for these blood letting tools: http://www.kshs.org/cool/coolmed.htm
I bought my Craftsman Radial arm saw back in '74. It has built an entire house in WV,an addition in Alabama and lots of cabinets and furniture here in PA. Still going strong. Also have my Dad's Shopsmith from 1952-multipurpose tool that still works as well as the day Dad got it.
not really a tool but a tool box. I recently rediscovered an inscription on a small toolbox my grandfather gave me. He dated everything it was 1976. I was born in 1972 so I was 4!! I can definately say it was my first tool box, and I still use it today. Grandpa passed away a few years ago but it is seeing things like this that keep the good memories alive.
Cosmo, is that a Buffalo Forge drill press? I was given a #16 last month. Nice piece of equipment. jerry
My toaster had to retire the old cord tho The insulation was falling apart I still have the ends tho. Dawg
This is funny! My mom has the exact same iron shown in one post (and still works great), and I've got a match to the Remington .22 mentioned in another. I've got a 1939 Snap On roll-around tool box (top and bottom) that is on the "to be restored...someday" list. It had some fixes that are just very poorly done, so it's past "patina and character" and just looks rough. I have an old Black & Decker 1/2-inch electric drill that I use a ton. Model Number 1 My dad found it in an Illinois snow bank when he was a kid in the early '50s. 15 years ago, he said I could have it if I had the cord replaced. For $16, the local B&D store replaced the brushes in the motor and put a new 3-prong plug on it. It's a big ol' monster. Aluminum case, so it's fairly light weight (considering), has a D-handle on the back of it, a pistol grip with a trigger on the bottom, and a piece of 1-inch round tube handle that threads into the top, so you can grab the drill like a T-handle. Motor spins at 350rpm, with enough torque to break your wrist. I've effortlessly made well over 100 1/2-inch and 3/4-inch holes through double-stacked 6x6 treated timbers with 12-inch long wood auger bits, as well as concrete, and several 1/2-inch and 3/4-inch holes in 1/4-inch steel. EVERY shop guy needs a big ol' drill. Have a full set of vintage Craftsman 1/2-inch sockets, with a breaker bar, speed handle, T-handle, 8-inch extension, and an early lever-type reversible ratchet that still says "Patent Pending." And one of the very first versions of a Craftsman ratchet. Have my Grandfather's tap & die set, and his set of Victor torch tips (but no torch to use them with), his set of very small Snap-on chisels/punches, regular size Mac punch/chisel set, and several 3-pound malls and ball pien hammers with his initials punched in them. 3-foot long 2-inch thick pry bar from my great uncle's farm, and his big ol' bolt cutter (both of which have been used more than you'd think! Another must-have for a tool hound) Restored and converted an old bench-top arbor press to a valve spring checker, using the gauge kit (for use in a vise) from Power House Products. Full set of Snap-on Clutch-head screw drivers. One from Grandpa's collection, the rest (of the same vintage) picked up here and there. There are four of them. If you work on '50s Chevys and GMs, these are invaluable. That about sums up the old stuff, I think. -Brad
my bridgeport mill was built in 1956, my pexto shear is 1953. i have my great-grandfathers lead/oakum pipe joint packing tool set from the 20's. also have his pipe threading set from 1917, but the dies are really dull. i use his newer set from the 40's when i need to thread pipe.
[/QUOTE]My Mom finally got rid of her radarrange about 2 years ago. She had it checked and it didn't leak either.[/QUOTE] you'd be amazed at how little it actually takes to block radiation in small doses that is.
I dig that microwave with the knobs. Just don't stand in front of it too long, you'll sterilize yourself.
Funny you should mention it. I was in Lowe's the other day, and Shopsmith had a demo set up. The guy was at lunch, but it was nice to see the machine again.