Tool Talk
Classic Power Tools => Classic Power Tools => Topic started by: rusty on September 05, 2011, 01:07:40 PM
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I managed to put together a rough timeline...
They are older than I thought, and made quite a lot of things over the years...
Speedway Manufacturing Co, Cicero,IL
1925,,Simplified practice recommendation, US NBS
Mentioned,probably index entry, Cicero,ILL (Not readable)
Included because it is the earliest reference I can find....
1929,,Saturday Evening Post
Unreadable,Electric wrenches??????)
1930,,Contractors & Engineers V20
"THE Speedway heavy-duty electric hand saw"...'Type 175', 14 pounds,12 inches long,
6 inch diameter blade,3800 rpm, AC/DC 12/110/220 Volt
1933,,National Safety News, V27+
Mentions ad Circular for 'Constant level oilers for ring oiled
and waste packed bearings' no address to send to to get circular...duh
1933,,American printer & lithographer V97
"Speedway Manufacturing Co., Cicero, Ill., makers of
Speedway portable electric tools, announces a
line of automatic oilers, known as Speedway Oilers"
1933,,Rock Products
Offers Chart of 29 different types of electric motors
1935,,Domestic Engineering...V145
"Electric Hammer SpeedWay Manufacturing Co..."
1936,,Who's who
Mentions that James S Knowlson is president Speedway, and Chairman Board Stewart-Warner...
(*Might* set start date at 1910??) (Knowlson was previously at General Electric)
1936,,Camera V53
"Speedway Electric Agitator, the efficient agitator for miniature film tanks "
1937,Heating & Ventilating
"Flea power electric motors"
1940,,American Builder
Index, 'Electric screwdrivers'
1941,,Aero Digest
Index, unreadable,?? Probably listed under Selenoids,no address
1943,,Aerosphere
Index, 'Portable electric tools & small motors' ; 52 Ave Cicero
1943,,Aerospace engineering
AD,B&W, Small Motors
1945,,Instruments & Controll systems
'Post war' Ad for small electric motors, S.Laramie ave, Cicero,ILL
(This is the only reference I found to this address)
1947,May,PM&PS
B&W ad, features #89,#209, #69,#229
1947,Aug,PS
B&W ad, no 'BlueLine tools reference. ;S. 52nd Ave, Cicero,IL
Features #89 1/2 drill, #209 drill stand
Ad reads '35 years electric drill manufacturing' (1912?)
1947,Nov,PM
AD 'Blue Line Tools'
Features #117 bench grinder
Shows #129,#69 #229,#209,#89, GA kit (#129+)
1948,Apr,PS
AD Logo transparent, 'Speed Way' with circle through it
Features #117 Bench grinder, adds 'Electric' (apparently this was a question?LOL)
1948,Mar,PM
AD Logo transparent, 'Speed Way' with circle through it
Features #117 bench grinder
1948,Apr,PS
AD Features #117 bench grinder
Shows #129,#69 #229,#209,#89, GA kit (#129+)
1948,Oct,PM
AD Combo kit
1948,Nov,PS (Pg 275)
AD Logo 'Speed Way' transparent, with solid blue circle behind it
Features Lg Combo kit (no #??)
# Combo kit is 'New', #69 drill+#129 mini drill/dremel, +sanding/buffing pads etc
1949,Apr,PM
AD Combo kit ad
+#117 bench grinder
1949,Nov,PM (Xmas ad)
AD Trapazoid logo with circle overprinted, solid blue filled trap ; Cicero,IL
#79 3/8 drill is 'New', has oval barrel, jacobs chuck
#89,#89J 1/2 drill, jacobs chuck
#209,#229 drill stand
#60 1/4 drill, 69K sanding/polishing kit,
#?? bigger kit w 69K+dremel like #129
#700 SpeedSaw (unusual open frame guard,worm or bevel, not drill powered?)
#117,#128 Bench grinders
1950,,Fleet Owner, V45 I6
"UL approved, 3 wire grounded plug (Drill)
1954,,Roads&Construction V92
"Thor Power Tool Co., Aurora, Ill., have expanded their manufacturing
operations into the low-price electric- tool market with the purchase
of the Speedway Manufacturing Co., Chicago, Ill
1954,Oct,Life
Small B&W ad
25 Piece SpeedSander kit (Palm sander&sandpaper in a box)
1955,Sep,Billboard
Index entry, (Speedway was also a maker of
small motors and selenoids, perhaps pinball machine parts?)
1956,Nov,Life
AD Div Thor power tools, 'Thor Speed tools' Speedway in fine print, Thor-circle logo on tools
#450 SpeedSaw (different than speedways'),#25 1/4 SpeedDrill ,#15TK SpeedSander (palm sander)
1956,Dec,Life
Thor Speedtools, Speedway Manufacturing,Div of....(Cicero,IL)
small B&W ad, shows cheap 'Home workshop' kit, no model #'s,
drill,drill powered saw,drill stand, and tiny table saw stand, buffing kit
1956,,Wood & Wood products V61
" Further expansion will be achieved when a new plant is
completed for Thor's division, Speedway Manufacturing
Co., in LaGrange Park, Ill. ..."
1957,American Machinist
Article, mentions Thor's 'SpeedTool division', Speedway still in Cicero
1957,Woodworking digest V59
"SpeedWay Manufacturing Co.. division of Thor Power Tool Company. Prudential Plaza. Chicago "
1958,,Red Tractor Book
Article "...THOROUGHLY TESTED AT THOR RESEARCH CENTER SPEEDWAY
MANUFACTURING CO. LAGRANGE PARK, ILLINOIS DIVISION OF THOR POWER
TOOL COMPANY QUALITY PRODUCTS SINCE 1906 "
1959,,Macroni's Register
Lists Speeday address La Grange Park,ILL
1961,,Hardware Age V188 I7+
Speedway,Div Thor, La Grange Park, IL
1961,,American Beef producer
"The Thor speed heater , developed by Speedway Manufacturing Co., Aurora, Ill.,
is a portable oil-fired unit for temporary heating of work shops, sheds, barns, etc
1961,,Sales Managment V87
"SpeedShiner electric shoe shiner ..."
1964,,Florest&Nursery exchange
SpeedVac - A powerful electric lawn vacuum and sweeper,
1965,,Furniture design & Mfg V37
SpeedVac - electric vacuum and sweeper for easy plant maintenance
( I guess the lawn industry was too competative LOL)
PM - Popular Mechanics
PS - Popular Science
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Holy crap Rusty! How many bags of cheetos and mountain dews did that take you?? Awesome research.
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Holy crap Rusty! How many bags of cheetos and mountain dews did that take you?? Awesome research.
I Agree! Do You Do Taxes As Well? Lol ! Nice Job, Thanks for the Nice Reference Guide!
Wayne
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Nah, I'm old school...Muncho's and Iced coffee - P
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Thanks, Rusty! Great job!!
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Yay Rusty!
>1959,,Macroni's Register
Lists Speeday address La Grange Park,ILL
>1961,,Hardware Age V188 I7+
Speedway,Div Thor, La Grange Park, IL
My "all purpose electric hand saw" is marked Speedway,Div Thor, La Grange Park, IL So you have provided me the first date point!
Thanks for your research. Nothing I have done got me any of this information.
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Think I can add some data points: in 1926 they offered an electric drill and an electric saw, BOTH for just $1.00 down: see http://www.popsci.com/archive-viewer?id=pCkDAAAAMBAJ&pg=132&query=SpeedWay (http://www.popsci.com/archive-viewer?id=pCkDAAAAMBAJ&pg=132&query=SpeedWay). The total price for them, plus two drill bits, was $31.00. The address is shown as 1830 S. 52nd, Cicero Illinois. I have a drill like that one! It is marked “Electro-Magnetic Tool Co., Cicero Ill., Adjoining Chicago, USA”. Two other drills just say "Cicero Ill." while another says "SPEEDWAY Manufacturing Co., Cicero 50, Ill." Yet another says "SPEEDWAY Manufacturing Co., LaGrange Pkwy., Div. Thor Power Tool Co."
In October 1927, Popular Science had a 1-column ad for "The Speedway Shop": see http://www.popsci.com/archive-viewer?id=UikDAAAAMBAJ&pg=114&query=SpeedWay (http://www.popsci.com/archive-viewer?id=UikDAAAAMBAJ&pg=114&query=SpeedWay) In November 1928, they ran a full-page ad; see http://www.popsci.com/archive-viewer?id=tCcDAAAAMBAJ&pg=97&query=SpeedWay (http://www.popsci.com/archive-viewer?id=tCcDAAAAMBAJ&pg=97&query=SpeedWay). In December, the ad was changed only slightly. The address was shown as 1832 52nd Ave., Cicero Illinois. I don't know if they moved their front door, or the post office changed the numbering, or . . .?
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>1832 52nd Ave., Cicero Illinois...
For giggles, I playes with google maps to see what's there now. The street isn't there any more, it's got a new name. and the area where that address most probably would be, seems to have been redeveloped. The closest place to that address is a parking lot with a tipped over port-a-john in it...
(The area is in a double width city block, so i would guess there was a mill or other large building there, that burned down or was condemmed or such)
So, we may never know...
>Cicero Ill., Adjoining Chicago, USA”.
Hmm, in case the post office fellows didn't know where Cicero is?
Heh, Cicero is famous in the 20's for a totally different reason:http://www.myalcaponemuseum.com/id169.htm
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Rusty I am replying to you to see if you have any information on the Thor Power tool Bench Grinders. I want to know if you could send me any Operation, Installation, Maintenance manuals on the B6 series bench grinders. This information would be greatly appreciated because i am researching information these grinders to do some PM on them.
Thank You
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I don't, but others here may....
Vintage Machinery has a catalog downloadable, but does not yet have much else for manuals for Thor...
http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/detail.aspx?id=2439
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Any chance that the company has affiliation or ties to Speedway, Indiana, home of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which has the Indy 500 every year?
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I'd say it is very doubtful: every address I've ever seen for SpeedWay lists Chicago or a suburb (either LaGrange Park or Cicero). It's a long way between there and the Indianapolis area - and would have seemed even further back in the early or mid 1920s when the company started up. The town of Speedway, Indiana, was incorporated in 1926, and named for the already existing Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which had been there since 1909. While both the town and the manufacturer took their names from the track, that doesn't connect them directly with each other.
The manufacturer routinely spelled its name as SPEEDWAY (all capitals), SpeedWay, or even Speed Way, but not normally as Speedway.
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Very interesting, Ron.
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Whoever looked in Aurora missed it, The building is still there ! Around 1973 I received some pictures of the Thor Motorcycle,& Automobile ! I am under the impression they only made 3. (sure would like to own one of them !) (Auto's). I have also heard they gave motorcycles to the local Police dept. Is this true ? Also is it possible to get a hold of these pictures ? I sure (after 3 wives) would like to have those again ! Also, I remember Thor really well, I worked with this guy that worked for them in the 1930's, (in Cal.), I had a foreman that was one at Thor. My Uncle was a foreman at Thor,(both in Aurora) thank You very much ! G mail me if you'd like !
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I have some new information. My father has what is called a "mini bass" that looks nothing like a bass. It fits in the palm of your hand, and works through a little thumb pick. It was made by Bob and Lou Rust, and manufactured by Speedway Mgf Co. All of that information I have only gotten off of the bass itself, there is nothing about it online. Please comment back if you know anything about this, I would really appreciate it. I know that this is just about power tools, but I'm getting desperate!
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Hi, Hannah!
That SOUNDS like it might be from an entirely separate company, but . . . that's purely guesswork. Any chance that you can add a photo? Are there any musical instrument forums that might have similar areas for unidentified instruments?
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Here are the pictures of the Mini Bass. My dad tried on the talkbass forums and the mini bass created quite a stir, however, nobody had ever seen or heard of such an instrument. https://plus.google.com/101501955160136703348/posts/AmLfStB3tms (https://plus.google.com/101501955160136703348/posts/AmLfStB3tms)
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Guys
What is amazing is that I grew up in LaGrange Park and my husband in Cicero. We have a Speedway Blue Line Speed Circular Saw from his grandfather. Until I found your site, we could not find out anything about it or the company. The only thing we knew is that it was manufactured in Cicero, because the label said so.
In LaGrange Park, they were not to far from where I lived. In fact we drove by there a great deal. Their address was THOR POWER TOOL COMPANY 1421 Barnsdale Road LaGrange Park, IL 60525.
I have searched and searched everywhere and cannot find another one like it. The side mount vertical motor is something that I have never seen before. I have pictures that I would enjoy posting so that others could see it. However, I don't seem to be able to attach them to this reply.
Best always,
Sharon Pikul
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Not certain, but very often, it is necessary to be a member of a forum in order to post photos (and sometimes, even to post hyperlinks). You (and your husband) have a tool that fits into this section of Tool Talk - and there's even a suitable thread to start from! - so, why not sign in? We hardly ever bite: this is probably the best-behaved forum I've ever been on, anywhere, in fact. And we LOVE pictures. You can even tell us a little bit about yourself / yourselves on the Welcome Board, if you'd like.
Another possibility would be to place copies on one of the photo-sharing services, and provide a link to that place.
I don't recognize the Barnsdale Rd. address, but most of their nameplates just listed either Cicero or LaGrange Park. Some early ads listed numbers on S. 52nd, but that was long before the connection with Thor. Likely, official headquarters got changed several times, especially during the time around the purchase of Speedway.
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> 1421 Barnsdale Road
Shows up in the 60's, 70's in newspapers...
Sharon, by all means, sign up and post pictures, we love pictures :)
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Here are 3 of the pictures of the saw. Thought that I uploaded them to the picture section of the board, but could not find them. I will be cleaning shining it up and cleaning it this winter and then post some better ones.
Enjoy,
Sharon Pikul
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Cool saw! I like the look of it, but question its comfort in use. Looks awkward.
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That's cute little bugger of a saw!!!
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It gets a 10 from me for the cool factor. I'm with papaw on the comfort factor.
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Sharon, thanks for posting the pictures, I have never seen one like that.
the good part is the family histoty behind it.
it also reminds me of a sign that was given to me long ago;
PRIMITIVES
FOR THEM, THEY WERE NECESSITIES,
TO US, THEY ARE HERITAGE.
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Hello all,
I've recently had a Speedway Bench Grinder model 119 come into my possession. Looks just like a 117, but I can't find any info about it. Says Cicero. Illinois on it, Serial 529. Any idea what year this might have been made or anything else?
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Thanks, Sharon! That's pretty cool. And it demonstrates, again, that there aren't many new ideas. DeWalt adopted a very similar motor orientation on its worm-drive saws for a little while:
(http://imgs.ebuild.com/tott/2005/SeptOct2005/Images/2Test_a.jpg)
I'm willing to bet the DeWalt marketing people were claiming (and may even have believed) that theirs was a radical new design.
It got good reviews, but the design didn't last (I had to go back to a 2005 tool review to find a picture); not sure why. Could have been conservatism in the trade, or it could have turned out to be a badly balanced design; just don't know.
And welcome. We hope you'll find this place enough fun to come back and visit.
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Hi guys, I just bought a SpeedWay Speed Drill. type 79 3/8 at an auction. This thing still works. Puts out lots of ozone. I love the slanted pistol grip. I've never seen one before. Does anyone here have any info on this drill?
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I have the very same drill. Still works too. Don't remember where I got it.
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I didn't realize Thor and Speedway were connected.... I've started grabbing every Thor power tool I come across, as I just love them. But my Grandfather had an old Speedway drill, presumably from the mines, which I inherited. It's really neat looking, I thought about restoring it and hanging it on a wall or something, though I don't normally do that. My old tools get used, like they were supposed to :P
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Twilight, yes, hang it on the wall, then put an open frame around it.
then wait for the fun, see who will ask you, " what's the story on that thing."
every shop should have at least one "whatchamacallits"