On 1/20/2018 11:39 PM, Martin Eastburn wrote:
Good one Leon -
My dad also worked for Western Electric and Bell Labs.Â* He started in
the 20's in a vacuum tube plant in Chicago.Â*Â* I have his Iron some hand
tools and tool pouch.

Actually I may have a pair of Western Electric side cutter and long nose
pliers. AKA diagonal and needle nose.



Â* He retired long after 50 years and Bell Labs held
retirement up while he completed his 250,000 page manual.

Jeez that is a lot of writing.


Research
Design and Director of Western.Â* He retired out of one of his babies -
Concrete North Dakota.Â* Big Radar. It is still working.Â* Sisters to
this, solid state for the most part are in Hawaii and Alaska .....
They were designed to protect us from the North Korean missiles.

Electrical hum.Â* I discarded my 1949 two wire metal case Drill motor
two years ago.

My surface grinders 50's and my Metal lathe 1952 are likely the best.
Metal lathe is a Sheldon L-44 Dad and I bought in the basement of a very
large Hardware store, Sacramento.Â* We brought the War G case home with
us and box after box of tools and cutters.Â* The box was new. And it sits
next to the Lathe.Â*Â* War grade means the beautiful Oak cabinet was
covered with Silk and then Painted Black.Â* The box opens to oak faces.
[ I still have (last I looked) the bill of sale for the lathe ]
Martin

On 1/19/2018 9:25 AM, Leon wrote:
On 1/18/2018 4:39 PM, dpb wrote:
On 1/18/2018 2:01 PM, Electric Comet wrote:
mine is a skil saw from the 70s i think

seems to run fine

am curious because i wonder if they can become unsafe to use in the
electrical sense and what to do besides replacemnt

guessing that replacement parts might be hard to come by

Oldest still in active use would be B&D 1/2" drill in press that had
been around quite a while when I was a pup...I'd guess it dates from
mid-50s; certainly had been in the shop for a number of years by time
I finished HS in '63; I don't remember ever _not_ having it.

There are several others of roughly same vintage in hand drills,
saws, etc.Â* The small B&D saw is one of "go to's".Â* All that's been
done to any of 'em replace power cords and a couple of bearings that
I know of.

As long as internals don't fail as in wearing out or breaking gears,
etc., what's to do?

Oh, I did replace the power switch on the saw a few years ago...a
close-enough match to fit was in the selection at the local Ace; of
course there are no actual parts available.

The latter bugs me immensely as I have at least three 3x24 belt
sanders (B&D 7440 iirc) that have the motor mounted _between_ the
wheels so the balance is better than anything on the market today.
Unfortunately, the drive gear matching the end of the rotor wears out
and there are no replacements available any longer (nor have been for
20+ yr now) and haven't been able to find anything on open source
that fits.Â* Having one machined was excessively expensive altho that
raises the recent question of what might be done with new 3D printer
technology?Â* Maybe I'll take one in to the local community college
machining class and see what they can do...

--


My dad used to work for Western Electric back in the lat 40's and
early 50's.Â* I inherited his company soldering iron and it has to be
at least 63 years old, he no longer worked for Western Electric when I
was born.

My oldest power tools that I still have is aÂ* B&D drill, I got for
Christmas, when I was 13.