Local Swap Meet Score

[ron darner]

Last weekend was the Jefferson WI Spring Auto Show & Swap Meet.  I went, looking as usual for power drills, conversion tools, and magazines of the Popular Science, Popular Mechanics, Mechanix Illustrated, or tool-using hobby varieties.  Had a pretty good three-day weekend (with decent weather for a change; "Jefferson" is notorious for bad weather, both in spring & fall. It's both the earliest & latest such event in this area).  I had good hunting: came home with 15 [more] drills, and 134 magazines & books of "Shop Notes" or "Home Kinks" put out by Popular Mechanics.  Biggest disappointment, so far, is discovering that the October 1967 issue of Mechanix Illustrated had an article called "Guide to King Size Drills" starting on page 110, and that someone had torn out pages 111 through 114, inclusive, losing nearly all of the article except the introductory portion, a photo, and some "continued on" pages with a few concluding paragraphs deep in the end section.  The heart of the article is not there...  I bought this on Saturday, and passed up a duplicate issue on Sunday because I knew I had it already!
Best scores: a Wards Powr-Kraft drill and matching hedge trimmer, with a latching feature to join them that looks like one that Skil used decades ago.  Haven't yet tried to interchange; if they fit, it probably means that I know who made the Powr-Kraft for Wards, at least this model drill and hedge trimmer.
Also got my first Keen-Kutter drill.  No idea who actually made it (my understanding is that it would have been made by some other manufacturer for sale under that name), and it has an unusual "styled" housing that is unfamiliar.  Only other Keen Kutter drill I've ever seen was offered at a VERY high price a couple of years ago; it was larger and in a recognizable housing, just with a special label or nameplate.  I think that I paid less - combined! - for the 7 or 8 most expensive drills I've bought, than what they were asking for it.  Might see it again: going to the same grounds (Baraboo WI) this coming weekend, as where I saw it.  Spring Flea Market there; supposed to be very large.
Got a 1/2" Sioux Industrial Drill that is absurdly heavy.  Seems to have a baked enamel finish on the housing.    Got to believe that it is powerful, but haven't gotten far enough to check ampere rating.
Friend also picked up a B & D for me, looks like never-used, in original printed box.  So, 16 more added to the stack that haven't been cataloged.  Will get larger Saturday, I'll bet!
I also picked up a large Craftsman oscillating sander, a power planer, and a nice little "Artisan" saber saw sold by Gamble-Skogmo.  One of the 15 drills was an "Expert", also by Gamble-Skogmo.  Ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamble-Skogmo.

[JessEm]

Interesting link on Gamble-Skogmo. I live right down the road from St. Louis Park and, amazingly, I've never heard of them.

I had one of those big Sioux drills once... Big brass badge. Picked it up at an estate auction. It was in one of the 3 airplane hangers full of stuff the guy had. Probably used it on planes I guess. ... Just a beast. Mine didn't have reverse. .. I still have the Thor drill I bought with it.

I think Shop Notes plans are great. I've picked up quite a few over the years of things I might like to build. Now if I could get around to building just one of them...

Do you have, or would you have any interest in, a 1943 Popular Science Home WORKSHOP Annual? 256 page book. The bottom of the cover states, Ideas For Home Owners - How To Make and Repair Furniture, Toys, House and Garden Conveniences - 350 Working Drawings, Diagrams, Illustrations.  It just collects dust so if someone can use it.... Maybe we could do a swap of some kind. I'm currently on the lookout for a older B&D jigsaw and Cummins Model 600 circular saw, off the top of my head...

[ron darner]

Definitely interested in the Home Workshop annual; will PM you.
The Sioux I got at Jefferson was much later than the era of brass badges.  I have a 1926 Black & Decker, and several (various brands) that are slightly later, with those great nameplates.  I also have some from the 1930's, and possibly the very early 1940's, but I think that they were replaced as quickly as possible when wartime material priorities came along.  There may have been some use post- WW II, also, but mostly I see steel or aluminum then, with plastic stick-on labels and even decals too often taking the place of real identification.  My recent "Unknown Drill" thread in this forum was begun because the plastic sticky had been lost.
The Shop Notes book that I bought is not connected with the woodworking "Shop Notes" and their plans.  I have scanned the 1949 copy, and will attach here for reference.