Old tools - - Neat finds....

Fordtech86

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That is an engine combustion testing device and it is capable of testing engine compression by comparing cylinders. That is much newer than the one that I had used back in the late 1960's. Mine was analog, not digital, and a whole lot larger in both height, length, and depth.
very warm. These don’t have cylinders though.
 

Fordtech86

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Excuse my ignorance but what is that?

I used it for vibration frequency in vehicles though, when I worked at a place without an electronic vibration analyzer.
 
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Old_Paint

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Some of my old meters
I've got a Simpson just like the one in the back on the left. Still works, and a lot better for electric motor work than digital meters. One other thing you can't do with a digital meter is gate SCR's on to check them. Two Simpsons, you've got an SCR tester.
 

HVACRoger

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I've got a Simpson just like the one in the back on the left. Still works, and a lot better for electric motor work than digital meters. One other thing you can't do with a digital meter is gate SCR's on to check them. Two Simpsons, you've got an SCR tester.
You are correct, Sir!! Silicon controlled rectifier heard that from Dad few times. He say ohm it or check for proper voltage through that device. Old school usually is a lot more dependable but the newer generation of, I'll call them kids, don't want the big, bulky, antiquated equipment. That meter you mentioned was given to me by my dad when I got my electrical license. I use the one he has, since he is retired. I gave my son my old amprobe the other day because his nice digital one crapped out. He looked at it, handed it back said get me another digital. He didn't have time to rotate the bars around. The old meters are quite expensive to get calibrated now days.
 

HVACRoger

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2021 L2501 Loader, Backhoe, LandPride Grapple, Tiller, Forks, Quick Connect
Dec 20, 2021
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Wilson, NC

I used it for vibration frequency in vehicles though, when I worked at a place without an electronic vibration analyzer.
I would have never guessed it, racked my brain for a short time last night trying to figure it out!!
 

Old_Paint

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You are correct, Sir!! Silicon controlled rectifier heard that from Dad few times. He say ohm it or check for proper voltage through that device. Old school usually is a lot more dependable but the newer generation of, I'll call them kids, don't want the big, bulky, antiquated equipment. That meter you mentioned was given to me by my dad when I got my electrical license. I use the one he has, since he is retired. I gave my son my old amprobe the other day because his nice digital one crapped out. He looked at it, handed it back said get me another digital. He didn't have time to rotate the bars around. The old meters are quite expensive to get calibrated now days.
When I went to work with GE in 1982, I was issued two such Simpsons, an Amprobe analog ammeter, and a tool kit along with my hard hat and a dump truck load of printed instruction books. I didn't get my first digital meter until nearly 2 years later while working on large excavator equipment in the strip-mining industry. Things have changed a bit, but I still have (and use) one of the Simpsons, as well as one of my old Beckman HD110 digital meters.

What made those old analog meters so dangerous was the need to move the leads for different voltage scales or resistance readings or current readings. That's why I never use my Simpson except for low level signals and tests now. Too many "qualified" people did so without first disconnecting the leads at the test point, winding up with a hot lead in their hand, or forgot to move them and the meter goes off like a bomb. I cannot stress enough the importance of education, experience, and qualification in the electrical work industries. But me and big corporations see the importance of those things and profitability completely differently.
 
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Lil Foot

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1979 B7100DT Gear, Nissan Hanix N150-2 Excavator
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When I became a research tech, the boss was an old school guy who insisted on issuing us analog Simpsons, and we even had to take a 2hr class on their use. After I got done with the class, the Simpson went into the back of the bottom drawer of my tech bench, where it remained for the next 25years.
Over the years I bought myself an ever improving list of digitals, and when I retired, I sold the Simpson for $95 in an antique shop.
 

HVACRoger

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2021 L2501 Loader, Backhoe, LandPride Grapple, Tiller, Forks, Quick Connect
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When I went to work with GE in 1982, I was issued two such Simpsons, an Amprobe analog ammeter, and a tool kit along with my hard hat and a dump truck load of printed instruction books. I didn't get my first digital meter until nearly 2 years later while working on large excavator equipment in the strip-mining industry. Things have changed a bit, but I still have (and use) one of the Simpsons, as well as one of my old Beckman HD110 digital meters.

What made those old analog meters so dangerous was the need to move the leads for different voltage scales or resistance readings or current readings. That's why I never use my Simpson except for low level signals and tests now. Too many "qualified" people did so without first disconnecting the leads at the test point, winding up with a hot lead in their hand, or forgot to move them and the meter goes off like a bomb. I cannot stress enough the importance of education, experience, and qualification in the electrical work industries. But me and big corporations see the importance of those things and profitability completely differently.
See your point, lucky for me I was educated, experienced by those “qualified” persons to not make those mistakes. I have my very nice digitals but still like to use the oldies periodically, usually in shop, since they are quite bulky to haul around.
 

DustyRusty

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Nope, not stupid at all.

And for you and @DustyRusty, the tool I posted yesterday is a compression tester for a rotary engine. Was wondering if we had any RX enthusiasts here 😁.
I had a 1971 Mazda Cosmo that I fixed after it had an interior fire. Took some time to find an interior, but I found a yard in Yonkers NY that had 2 of them in inventory. When it was finally done, my girlfriend at the time asked if she could take it for a Sunday ride. It apparently was too much car for her, because she rolled it over a half-hour later. Insurance wouldn't total the car, so I went back to the yard and bought the glass, 1 door, and the roof from the car that they had. Three months later, it was all put back together, and I advertised it for sale. A young girl was interested in the car, and she went for a bank loan. I priced it low because of its history, and the bank loan officer told her that the car had to be stolen. I got a visit from 2 state troopers asking about the car and why it was so cheap. I explained everything that had happened to the car, showed them all my paperwork, and they said that they wanted to take the car back to the barracks for a VIN inspection. I handed them the keys at 10 AM and they didn't come back till 4 PM. They even filled the tank when they brought it back. Then they told me that if she didn't buy the car, to call them, because they wanted to buy it. Later that week, a friend told me that he saw my car on the turnpike, being chased by 2 state police cars behind it, and there was one in front of it clearing traffic. That is when I realized why they like the car so much. If you knew how to drive, it was like a rocket ship with wheels. Only wish that I had kept that car.
 
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HVACRoger

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2021 L2501 Loader, Backhoe, LandPride Grapple, Tiller, Forks, Quick Connect
Dec 20, 2021
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Wilson, NC
I had a 1971 Mazda Cosmo that I fixed after it had an interior fire. Took some time to find an interior, but I found a yard in Yonkers NY that had 2 of them in inventory. When it was finally done, my girlfriend at the time asked if she could take it for a Sunday ride. It apparently was too much car for her, because she rolled it over a half-hour later. Insurance wouldn't total the car, so I went back to the yard and bought the glass, 1 door, and the roof from the car that they had. Three months later, it was all put back together, and I advertised it for sale. A young girl was interested in the car, and she went for a bank loan. I priced it low because of its history, and the bank loan officer told her that the car had to be stolen. I got a visit from 2 state troopers asking about the car and why it was so cheap. I explained everything that had happened to the car, showed them all my paperwork, and they said that they wanted to take the car back to the barracks for a VIN inspection. I handed them the keys at 10 AM and they didn't come back till 4 PM. They even filled the tank when they brought it back. Then they told me that if she didn't buy the car, to call them, because they wanted to buy it. Later that week, a friend told me that he saw my car on the turnpike, being chased by 2 state police cars behind it, and there was one in front of it clearing traffic. That is when I realized why they like the car so much. If you knew how to drive, it was like a rocket ship with wheels. Only wish that I had kept that car.
Interesting story
 

Tim Horton

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Mar 22, 2018
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Several years ago at a garage sale in the swanky, McMansion money part of town I found some old wrenches I'm sure they inherited from somewhere.. Not the kind of place, people that would work on anything themselves... The kind of "we need to call someone" people..

One item they had was about a 12" crescesnt type wrench that said John Deere on it.. Like new shape and I got it for like $2...
 

Old_Paint

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I can see now I need to drag out some tools that I have that were old tools when I was a kid and take photos. When my mother was diagnosed with cancer, I sort of inherited my step-dad's old tool box with quite a mix of tools in it. She knew I was the mechanic in the family and was the main reason the tool box still had most of the tools in it. I've got several similar tools to what is already pictured in this thread. I also have an old 4 foot ratcheting furniture clamp that's probably older than I am. I just used it last week building a mobile workbench for my shop. Most of the long clamps you get these days flex and bend when you try to tighten them. Not this thing. It weighs at least 20 pounds and is SOLID. I just wish I'd gotten my hands on the old cross-cut saws my step-grandfather taught me how to use. He also taught me to make axe handles from hickory and how to cure them without warping or cracking. I have a double bit axe that still has the handle in it that I made when I was 14. That was 50 years ago. I can still remember spending my summers tinkering around in his old shop and trying to find some trouble to get into.
 

Lil Foot

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1979 B7100DT Gear, Nissan Hanix N150-2 Excavator
May 19, 2011
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Peoria, AZ
Picked this up at an estate sale today.
It's a hydraulic hose & coupling ID kit.
Has a 14 page guide with definitions, styles, sizes, drawings, and such; a crude inside/outside vernier caliper, a thread pitch gage, and a nifty seat angle gage.
Never seen one before, but it will now live in my metrology section.
IMG_0002.JPG IMG_0003.JPG IMG_0004.JPG
 
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Lil Foot

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1979 B7100DT Gear, Nissan Hanix N150-2 Excavator
May 19, 2011
7,515
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Peoria, AZ
The owner of the home had passed on, and judging by the rest of his tools (a garage full) HE knew what they were, but someone just hired a liquidation company to organize, price, and sell off an entire house full of stuff.
 
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