Gerry writes:


I bought a "Portable Electric Tools" 1/4" drill from CTC for $17.00
in 1957 and still have it. I don't use it very often but have wired
several houses with as well as driveing 4-5 inch grind stones,
buffing wheels and sanding discs with it over 60+ years. I did give
a 1/2" "D" handle drill from 1948 to my Plumber neighbour across the
street when he expressed an interest in it, I had grabbed it for
$2.00 at a yard sale. All it needed was a new cord (the old one had
eleven patches, mostly duct tape or masking tape) and a good chuck
cleaning.

I may have recounted this before. I have a B&D 1/2" pistol-grip drill
that's listed in a 1925 catalog for $58.00. Weighs 16#, all-metal.
Bought it, aong with a B&D end grinder of same vintage, in '67. Circa
1978, a brush holder broke. Drove 70 miles to the city to the B&D
repair depot.

Man started at the left end of the long catalog shelf with the big
microfiche ringbinders (no computers then), worked his way down past
the paper ringbinders, fat catalogs, small catalogs to the very last
item on the shelf. Thin, about 20 pages, greasy and tattered, paged
through it. Went off to his parts racks and came back with a tray
containing 3 of the needed parts. So I bought 2. Drill is still
going great and I haven't needed the 2nd holder yet.

Fast forward to circa 2004. My B&D, all-metal 1/4" drill --
inherited, probably circa 1970 vintage -- needed a new bearing.
Called B&D. Young feller I talked to went clicky-cliccky on his
computer, said, "Oh, jeez, that's *OLD*." And they didn't have the
bearing.

--
Mike Spencer Nova Scotia, Canada