I was browsing a 1936 Popular Science magazine (Google has digitized them way back) and saw an ad for a 6-in-1 tool by General Electric.  Very interesting.   Unable to post the ad, but here's one for auction.  https://woamadison.hibid.com/lot/69457-57111-18857/general-electric-5kh29da3-workshop-combo/

 

 

Interesting. 

My Shopsmith has a Grandfather!

Found a pic of a restored one.   Featured "direct drive" -- no pullies, no belts.   But I cannot imaging using a table that small. 

 

43 minutes ago, Artie said:

My Shopsmith has a Grandfather!

More than one Artie. 

Surprisingly this is the second GE I've seen in just a few days.

But there were others.

1927 Delta Handy-Shop

 

And a 1935 Walker Turner Add A Tool, also sold under the Craftsman Name.

 

Edited August 8, 20196 yr by kmealy

Very interesting bit of history.  Always enjoy reading stuff like this.

23 minutes ago, kmealy said:

 

Those are actually individual machines ran off of a single motor through a line-shaft, pulleys, and belts. There were quite a few manufactures that offered such setups. For those without electricity they could be ran off of a gasoline engine.

Here's a look at one of the offerings from Delta.

I'll be doing something similar with some of my old machines.

In the average household now I bet a hammer and a screwgun are the most you find. 

 

If it ain't something to do with a computer, a smartphone or has WIFI, forget about it!

 

Who needs a hammer? 

53 minutes ago, Woodbutcherbynight said:

In the average household now I bet a hammer and a screwgun are the most you find. 

 

I suspect "back in the day" there were not many of those in homes. Between 27 and 35 most folks in this part of the country were struggling to keep food on the table. I could see a model maker using them but would be rough to build furniture.

I had the great privilege to actually see and touch about 3 of these systems.  Two of them were Craftsman.  I had a friend who developed Parkinson's and his dad had purchased these units to make plaques for Boy and Girl Scout clubs.  He was very involved in Boy Scouts and after his death, he had many plaques ready to be worked up.  His dear wife sold all for about $200.  Really neat machines.  You could connect the shafts and run all at the same time or move the motors to connect the belt to each piece.  However, there was little speed control.  Some pulleys had 2 or 3 steps and that was it.  Fascinating stuff.  Thanks for this thread.  

12 hours ago, Gerald said:

I suspect "back in the day" there were not many of those in homes. Between 27 and 35 most folks in this part of the country were struggling to keep food on the table. I could see a model maker using them but would be rough to build furniture.

My Grandfather had several of the Delta machines, and to supplement his income as a milkman back in those days built cabinets for houses being built in the neighborhood. He would give a few of the guys that worked at the Milwaukee Delta plant a ride to the old North Shore Railroad Depot in Kenosha on his way to go do his milk route. That would have been the mid 30's though.

Edited August 8, 20196 yr by Larry Buskirk

 I was talking with my neighbor this morning, and he stated he's got several "old" horizontal shaft gas engines. 

 

… This might get interesting!!! 

 

 

From the 1932/33 Walker-Turner Catalogs.

 

 

That is really cool Larry, boy it sure would be nice to acquire all the parts and restore one of those.

28 minutes ago, John Morris said:

That is really cool Larry, boy it sure would be nice to acquire all the parts and restore one of those.

Some of these old machines are probably about the same size as some of your SS attachments.

Also some of these old machines had attachments/tooling available that allowed you to do things that you wouldn't expect them to be capable of. Some were pretty unique.

W-T had an attachment that allowed you to change your BS into a SC.

Delta had so many attachments for the DP's etc., that it's easier for me to post a link to one of their catalogs.

This one's from 1934.

http://www.vintagemachinery.org/pubs/1141/20103.pdf

This topic moved to Old Woodworking Machinery Forum.

17 hours ago, John Morris said:

This topic moved to Old Woodworking Machinery Forum.

I guess I got carried away..

46 minutes ago, Larry Buskirk said:

I guess I got carried away..

Not at all Larry, it belonged here from the first post. The first post was about Old Woodworking Machinery.