Old Common, Day to Day Technology. Waht do you hang onto?

[k0ua]

I was amazed to find that there are still some shops that sell old valves still and that some are still made, more recently I saw a russian clock for sale that used nixie tubes if anyone remembers them.

Unfortunately I do. I have a lot of hours working with a Cushman 2b radio service monitor that used Nixie tubes. This really dates us..

 

[goeduck]

Cool, does it still work ? My Dad collects and repairs old tube radios, I get to do cabinet repairs on them.

We have an old cabinet tube radio that still works, at least it did about 4 years ago when I last powered it up. I need to make a home for it in the living room. I often thought as a joke when friends come over for a game I would turn on the old tube radio and set some chairs up around it (as a gag).

 

[goeduck]

I had to fix it once, wife pulled a weight down instead of the other end of the chain. Occasionally it doesnt play the song.View attachment 611326

Very cool, mine is not as nice.

 

[Wagtail]

We have an old cabinet tube radio that still works, at least it did about 4 years ago when I last powered it up. I need to make a home for it in the living room. I often thought as a joke when friends come over for a game I would turn on the old tube radio and set some chairs up around it (as a gag).

Not a joke, Mate, do it!

It's a great experience and I highly recommend it. One of my fondest memories of my Dad is turning off the game on the TV and going out into the garage to listen to the game on the radio. Lawn chairs, snacks & beers. (Bonus was an approaching thunderstorm that crackled the sound)

 

[MossRoad]

I listen to the South Bend Cubs games on radio if it's a Friday home game.... they have fireworks after Friday games, and we head downtown in the 8th inning to watch the fireworks. We keep the game on in the car so we know when it's over. One time a couple years ago, that strategy backfired, as it was tied and went into extra innings.... something like 16 or 18 innings! It was the longest game in league history! :laughing: Most of the crowd left after 12 or so innings. We sat around in the parking lot with the locals from the homeless shelter and just enjoyed the evening until the game finally ended and the fireworks were set off. Radio is something I'll always enjoy.

 

[bunyip]

Another old item I keep in the car is my old wheel brace, the new ones are quite short and I find it hard to get any leverage on them, also the old one has 4 heads and will fit most cars and trailers.

 

[Jstpssng]

^^^^^
Someplace I have one of those 4 way bars but don't know where, it wouldn't fit under the seat so I carry an 18" breaker bar, ectension and set of cheap impact sockets.
I can't remember when the last time was that I changed a tire but I used to also carry a speed wrench for taking those stupid plastic covers off which you have to unscrew to get at the lug nuts.

 

[Oaktree]

Another old item I keep in the car is my old wheel brace, the new ones are quite short and I find it hard to get any leverage on them, also the old one has 4 heads and will fit most cars and trailers.

I presume you mean a lug wrench? Never heard it called a wheel brace before. Agreed the old ones had arms that were half again as long as newer ones, then again the new ones fit under a seat much better.

I can't remember when the last time was that I changed a tire but I used to also carry a speed wrench for taking those stupid plastic covers off which you have to unscrew to get at the lug nuts.

Don't think I've had a vehicle that didn't have some sort of alloy wheels (ie-no hubcaps) in 20-odd years, but I did get a flat in the company truck I had at my last job (ran over some sort of road debris)...had to get out the owner's manual to find out where they hid the jack!

 

[Jstpssng]

^^^^
Years ago I worked with an older gent who knew everything... including the best ways to waste time. They had a flat while coming out of the woods and couldn't find the jack handle so he got on the company radio... and made it clear to everyone in two countries that it was my fault it wasn't there. When he came into work the next day he found the hood up on the truck and a long pink ribbon running from the door handle to the jack handle, which was under the hood where Ford had been placing them ever since they had been making the Ranger.

 

[Jstpssng]

Not tech that I've hung on to but actively sought... a hand bellows for my wood heater.

Every so often I'd sleep past the 0200-0330 window to add wood to the fire = embers. I'd have to blow onto the re-built fire until I was blue in the face & light-headed. The obvious answer was to use a bellows but they're really not made anymore.

Picked one up at a local antique shop!

After you posted this I searched for "blacksmith bellows" as I found it hard to believe that nobody makes them anymore. Every day since then I"ve gotten a notice from Ebay about bellows posted there, so if you ever break yours I won't have any problem giving you a reference.