What old tools have seen through history

[79bonanza]

I was working in the shop today and I was thinking about how old some of my tools are and what they would've seen had they been people instead of tools.

My arbor press was built in 1912 I believe. That press has been around and would've seen the start of WWI, WWII, The Manhattan project, the first test of the atomic bombs, Hiroshima, segregation being abolished, multiple presidential assasinations, it goes on and on

My bandsaw was built in 1942 and shipped to France via the department of war board. Used by fabricators and machinist during WW2

My drill press was built in 1956 and would've seen the entire rise and fall of the Vietnam war and the hippy revolution Lol

It goes on and on, it's crazy to think about what has happened over the years and the equipment that's lasted that long

 

[CK10]

I don't have anything that awesome, I do have a bottle jack from a C-141 maintenance kit with a pre-Vietnam date on it as well as a home built hydraulic press with a manual pump off some unknown military equipment on it that has a WWII era date on the label. Lots of old hand tools also, I grab every American made tool I can get my hands on at thrift stores and garages sales.

 

[79bonanza]

I love the old home built tools! I have a set of really old wrenches that are home made by some one forever ago. The guy had to be a blacksmith or a machinist or something. They're forged but they are odd ball sizes and not square at all, he stamped his initials into them but that's it. No other Id marks at all.

I'd love to buy some Berkeley labs surplus tools! Imagine having a mill or lathe that built parts for some massive scientific breakthrough, that'd be awesome!

If you've never read anything about it look up all of the things that have been invented or researched at Berkeley over the years, it's awesome.

 

[76zimmer]

I used to work for Eaton/Fuller transmission in Kalamazoo, MI...the original Fuller transmission plant from the 20's...they made the Eaton Roadranger line of transmissions as well as units to power Euclid/GM/Ford/Freightliner/Cat and many other HD truck applications. The machinery they used when I worked there in 1979-81 was still the same broaches/grinders/lathes/hobbing/heat treating equipment from when the plant was built in 1922...and it was still running trouble free. Cool stuff when your a 22 year old "kid"

 

[Bent77]

My paternal Grandfather was the Lead Crusher Foreman for a company that did Eisenhower era highway construction.

When he passed, I inherited his tools, a fair bit of which originated from that time. Kinda fun to go through them from time to time

 

[brian wafer]

my grand pa open our shop in 1933,after working on a dam in new hempshire. me and my brother are the third generation running our shop. we use alot of old tools almost daily. its crazy the junk that they sell today,tools don,t last anymore!

 

[JoshHefnerX]

Old tools rock. I bought an older late 50's - early 60's dewalt radial arm saw. As I was going through it I realized how much the old guys that had to build/use/maintain really know about making some thing last.

 

[FOR MUD]

Start checking your oxygen and acetylene tanks for date codes. My oldest so far is 1923.

 

[79bonanza]

Start checking your oxygen and acetylene tanks for date codes. My oldest so far is 1923.

Dang I never even thought about them, that almost sounds dangerous but I'm sure they're safe

 

[KirsL]

I've had oxygen tanks dated around 1904 or so. The most interesting one was an oxygen tank that actually had a swastika stamped on it. Used to have a picture but can't find it at the moment.