Vintage shop equipment and tools....Who still uses it?

Oh yeah??? Does it happen to be located in some secret, storage container on the Sweet Ranch??

 

Nope.

 

Used one of these in early 70's. It had a base cabinet on casters too. They sure were good diagnostic tools.
Was interesting to watch the meters as you electronically took out one cylinder at a time to see the effects.

Also had a matching distributor machine.

 

My collection of Sun Equipment. I'd like to get the distributor tester up and running soon. Also, a drill press and South Bend lathe i've restored.

 

Nice job on the drill press restoration. My pops has the same one, except he did away with the belt drive.


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That drill press is a thing of beauty!!!!! Excellent job!!

Nice Sun Tester collection too!!

 

Thanks fellas

 

My old p9 pullmax machine from a U S navel shipyard.

 

WOW!!! Talk about heavy duty and purpose built! Does it still work well??

 

Spent a few hours last night and this morning making chips on my 1946 South Bend 9.....gotta love the old stuff

 

My South Bend is 1933,The Bridgeport is 1048 and the bench drill press is flat belt drive.
I also still use my Model T monkey wrench

 

No ancient power tools that I kept and still use, but I still regularly use my fifty year old Proto body hammers and 1/2" Proto socket set. I probably have more old hand tools, but those are the one that still get a lot of regular use.

I still have my old, light duty Victor oxy-ac torches fifty plus years, great for headers and sheet metal. ...but it does not get everyday use.

A number of my wrenches came from my father and are likely pre WWII. Good old tools get regular use with no thought of their age or fragility.

I gave away my Lincoln headstone buzz box ten or fifteen years ago before I got my mig and tig welders, as I just did not use it and had not used it since I boxed a Model A frame with it around 1970.

 

I bought this very nice (but old) Walker-Turner vertical saw at a state auction about 20 years ago. It's made for wood and metal. All the blades I get for it are Starrett brand for metal.

There's a bit of a story connected with it. Prior to the auctioneers getting to the area where it was located, I was looking it over and noticed that the wheels and blade wouldn't turn at all.....they were "locked up".

On this type of machine, there's a gear-box of sorts that is very similar to the back-gear on a small lathe, like an Atlas or South Bend. Someone had engaged the spring plunger and then shifted the gear lever so that it was indeed locked up. (2nd pic)

I got the saw with a bid of $285. Immediately after, a guy walks up to me and offers $300; just kinda shook my head "no". Then he ups it to $350.

Told him I had always wanted a smaller vertical saw and didn't want to just sell it off right then.

He kept at it and his final offer was $425. Was kinda hard to turn that down...where else can ya make $140 in 5 minutes? OK, legally ??

He was still hanging around so I asked him if he wouldn't mind helping me load it into my pickup, and he did.

Later on I got to thinking "I'll bet HE'S the one that put that saw into gear like that, hoping most others would think it was broken."

I use that saw a lot more than I ever thought I would and it's been a great machine. The only thing I've done is replace the "tires" with new urethane type. Those work great but are a bear to get on the wheel.
Had one come off the top wheel about 2 years ago. So I used some adhesive to make it stay put.

I built a frame with wheels that lets me move it around the shop. Then a 1" wrench is used to lower the saw onto the adjustable feet. Seldom does it need to be on the feet, as it just moves back against the wall when sawing.

 

Man....I would kill for that saw!! Talk about handy!

I dig your '40 coupe too!!

 

My latest two tons o' toy is this 16" Springfield gear-head 'toolroom' lathe:



Swings 16" at the brochure (18.5" actual) with a 10HP motor, 12 speeds and somewhere around 5,500 lb. (Depending on which catalog you're reading. ) "Toolroom" meaning it has the taper attachment, single-tooth clutch for threading, automatic feed stops and other goodies. Pressurized oiling (not just a splash gearbox) and even the apron has an automatic oiler.

Most likely made in 1943, possibly Navy judging in part by the four or five layers of grey paints. In the middle of cleaning 'er up now, but I'm starting to think (with some regret) she may prove to be too big for my little shop.

Doc.

 

I still use my grandfather's anvil for beating metal (guessing early 1900's), have my Dad's cousin's all metal Sears 1/2" drill and a drill press from the early 60's. I walked away from a 20's drill press at an auction for $120 because I didn't know if it worked. Turns out it worked like new, and I've been kicking my ass ever since. Shop I worked in years ago used early axle tubes for car stands and I intend to make a set for my new shop when I get it built. I appreciate old machinery more every time I throw out another piece of Chinese plastic.

 

My old slip rollers, square nuts and non modern 1/2" threads, I need to make a nut for the other side.

 

Just today I used my Sun 404 to test the distributor for a friends Chevy 348 truck motor.

 

I used my Sun TUT-1015 to tune a 1989 Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary Edition.

 

I have no idea if they work. Just shop decor I have no room for, but cool:

 

My newest toy (and first lathe). Still tooling up for it, just picked it up this week. late teen's early 20's Artisan lathe, 11x24 w/16" bed gap.

 

I still uses my Sun Timing Light that I found in Dad's Auto Shop.


K


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Taildragger&fenderless

 

just picked up that same light at a junk shop for 4 bucks

 

Just finished restoring this piece. 1952 model.

 

Looks awesome Bryan! Too nice to use now...

 

Thanks much! To late for the virgin restoration, I've already put it to use folding up some 14 ga. for a TIG torch holder.

 

im diggin these vintage equipment ...

and they are still around =)

 

My dad had an old pre-war (WW1 that is) South Bend lathe that he inherited from Joe Tracy, the race driver. I used it a lot as a kid (made some cool brass dope pipes on it). It was fairly small and a bit worn, but a great tool to have. It is in Colorado now, at my brother's house. I picked up a lot of older dividers, squares, trammels,hammers at flea markets. I have an old Atlas table saw from the '50s (?) I picked up at a yard sale for $10. It's real nice to have a good old tool, but it's a bit of a luxury. If I need a tool right now, today, then I will brobably have to get it new.

There was a great tool store (mostly woodworking), Force Machinery, on Route 22 in Union NJ, but they got killed by the recession. I am not sure there actually are any good new power tools, or where I would go to get them anymore.

 

Bertha, my 100# Bradley upright strap hammer. Built in 1932 and been in continuous use ever since. She'll move hot iron like playdough! My favorite though is my first wife a 175# Haybuden anvil from the 1860's we've been through a lot together!

 

I recently had given to me an old Crypton Motorscope (made in the UK). Looking at the manuals that came with it , this literature dates from about 1962. So that seems to date the item to about then. This included a separate Crypton master tacho from the same period. I don't know if any of this still works. I used to work for the fellow who owned it in 1973 who has now passed on . I know he never used it then as he no longer performed vehicle servicing but preferred more challenging work carrying out repairs on cracked cylinder heads , cracked blocks and housings of all descriptions and other work no one would touch. My suspicion is they still work . Over time they will get a clean up as they are a bit crusty but should scrub up okay. Even if it doesn't work it still is a nice talking piece and does hold some memories for me. The wife thinks I have gone over to the dark side and bought a Tardis!
Is this stuff now collectable? As far as I'm concerned it is.