Thread: My "new" drill press

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Yes Bob thanks for the link.

The transitional technology of steam to internal combustion to electricity from 1900 to the beginning of the Second World War has always fascinated me. I guess because there was a lot of the stuff in the area where I grew up and my parents and their friends grew up during the era that it was in use (you know the “I remember when” stories).

In my mind the technology was far more advanced than we often give our Grandparents/Great Grandparents credit for. The stuff we occasionally see on display were not just isolated pieces of machinery but were being mass produced and shipped/used all over the country.

Bob you had mentioned a line shaft, I found this short video of one working (with a Hit and Miss) you might like.

YouTube - ‪Hank's engine running a lineshaft!!‬‏

Personally what I would love to lay my hands on to power my old stuff would be a Delco Light Plant and accessories. We had the remnants of one on the farm and my understanding is that almost all the rural farms in the area where I grew up had them from the late teens up until the rural power grids (110V) were established in the 1930s.

Basically they were a gas powered 32V DC generator that charged a bank of batteries. Once the battery level dropped the generator would automatically start (the generator end doubled as the starter), and run until the batteries were recharged.

YouTube - ‪Starting the Delco 752‬‏

Back home most of the power plants were set up in the basement and exhausted to the outside. Planning and Zoning would have a ball with that today, a running gasoline powered engine with extra gas cans in the basement recharging lead acid batteries, there was also a 5 Gal clear glass jug that held extra sulfuric acid used to keep the battery level topped off LOL.

There was quite an array of items available for the system, light bulbs and motors of course and also fans, radios, and even refrigerators, vacuum cleaners and kitchen appliances. Of course all of that became obsolete when the 110V power became available. Unfortunately very very few of the systems or accessories survived the WWII scrap drives.

Yeah Johnboy, you'd have probably had a hard time keeping your hand down at the auction. He also had the most impressive antique firearm collection I've ever seen. The man loved things mechanical. As he took us around it was one discovery after another to delight a gearhead. He had a line of track across his big back yard for that yard donkey that was stored in the shed behind it.

Mike, enyoyed the vids. It should be a reminder to folks that a lot of ideas have been tried before. As for trying to install the Delco system today, just call it "renewable energy"..................no problem............in fact Uncle Sugar would probably give you someone else's money to do it. You'd be another Jeffrey Immelt!

Seriously though, if folks had an awareness of history, and this kind of hardware, they'd be less susceptible to believing in magic pixie dust solutions. I had the good fortune in part of my work life to work in a variety of processing plants, and to see all manner of equipment (some days it was hard to believe they paid me to have that much fun). Pulp and paper mills, saw mills, food processing, hydro-power plants, airplane manufacturing, all forms of mobile equipment..........again, a gearhead dream world.

Originally Posted by Bob Parmenter

Yeah Johnboy, you'd have probably had a hard time keeping your hand down at the auction. He also had the most impressive antique firearm collection I've ever seen. The man loved things mechanical. As he took us around it was one discovery after another to delight a gearhead. He had a line of track across his big back yard for that yard donkey that was stored in the shed behind it.

Mike, enyoyed the vids. It should be a reminder to folks that a lot of ideas have been tried before. As for trying to install the Delco system today, just call it "renewable energy"..................no problem............in fact Uncle Sugar would probably give you someone else's money to do it. You'd be another Jeffrey Immelt!

Seriously though, if folks had an awareness of history, and this kind of hardware, they'd be less susceptible to believing in magic pixie dust solutions. I had the good fortune in part of my work life to work in a variety of processing plants, and to see all manner of equipment (some days it was hard to believe they paid me to have that much fun). Pulp and paper mills, saw mills, food processing, hydro-power plants, airplane manufacturing, all forms of mobile equipment..........again, a gearhead dream world.

Not much more work fun can be had then 'hanging around' old but still operating power plants. Three that stick in my memory had some of the oldest equipment still operating. One was in Monterrey, Mexico where they had a totally mechanical control system on a couple of 300,000 hour gas turbines, one of which I was working on. The next was a steam turbine power plant in Alloy WV that had some 19teens units - operating. These were in the metals industry and were 25Hz instead of the normal 60Hz output. Then the Akron Goodyear plant - their turbines were old and looked like crap, but ran just fine. Great huge slate control panels with those really neat gauges, open frame motors............kinda (really) miss that fun

"......Seriously though, if folks had an awareness of history, and this kind of hardware, they'd be less susceptible to believing in magic pixie dust solutions....."

You know Bob I often wonder what the attitude of the tree huggers (sorry the current PC term for them escapes me) would be if they had to actually work on pre-electric/pre-tractor farm for a year.

Bob the shots of the cast iron tractor seats alone would flip my father in laws lid. He goes to California Antique Farm Equipment Show every year. My wife and I got to go one year and had a blast. The auction area is worth it alone, plus it's cool to see all the old tractors, steam engines, and mini ride mowers everywhere, that people use as scooters between areas! Here's a link.
California Antique Farm Equipment Show

Yeah Stevie. When I met him in 1979 he had just started collecting the seats, "only" had something between 30 and 50 of them hanging on the wall.

Like the show down there, there's a whole group of collectors around the country for this kind of stuff.