Old Publications & safety

[Tin Falcon]

I love the old machining books that are available in pdf format. There is so much to learn about the old ways of doing things and ways of machining that the modern books do not show. The popular mechanics books of old also has a lot of applicable info that is related to this hobby. One warning these old books are poor safety guides.
For example one PM article advised that the Glass guard on the grinder was considered adequate eye protection. Wrong . I was taught use safety glasses and a face shield when grinding. The illustration on these old books rarely show the people wearing safety glasses.
Tin

 

[Beachside_Hank]

I like the old time Delta, Sears and other ads that depict dad working on the lathe wearing his hat, tie, smoking his pipe, and no glasses.

- Beachside Hank

 

[Tin Falcon]

The other thing in the illustration is the teen pre-teen son watching again no safety glasses.

I think the idea was was to portray hobbies as relaxing and enjoyable. As well as stylish
ties were a big thing in days past and machinists are expected to show a neat orderly appearance,.
Cops wear ties as well to portray neatness and authority. But in in this day and age not as much and they wear clip on ties.
The whole smoking thing was another norm of the late 40s and fiftieths that was realized to be a health and safety hazard.

Times they are a changin,

Tin

 

[Beachside_Hank]

I just had to post this one- there's a million ads like it out there, thread is destined to be a legendary sticky.


http://blog.modernmechanix.com/motorize-your-boys-wagon-for-1870/

I love the guarantee, might now read as: "Money cheerfully refunded if child can be separated from steel bits and pieces plus survive intensive care unit."

 

[Tin Falcon]

I can see someone putting a way too big motor on that. scary stuff some of the toys of old . I can remember in grade school a classmate got a go cart for Christmas she ran it into the family car and punctured a lung.
Another acquaintance ran a sled into the road and was hit by a car. A hammer is dangerous if you hit yourself in the head with it.
remember cars did not have seat belts til IIRCC 1960.
I do shake my head though at some of the user tips in PM magazine. the one that comes to mind is putting barbed wire between layers of hay bails on the wagon to keep baila from slipping. That tip was published and someone got money for the idea!! stupid !! I stacked plenty of hay bails in my youth ,it aint slippery. I would not want barbed wire near hay or any animal feed. and that is an accident and tetanus waiting to happen when someone gets barbed unloading the hay.
Tin

 

[TroyO]

Heh, my uncle had a go-cart with a 250CC motorcycle engine on it. It was ungodly way too fast.

I loved it.

 

[thayer]

The worst I ever got was a minor burn from the neighbor's mini bike. Oh yeah, and I once dislocated the last joint of my pinky falling off my unicycle. I just reset it myself before I really realized how odd it was for it to be going 45 the wrong way and carried on. Couldn't have been too bad as I don't know and can't tell today which side it was on.

 

[RollaJohn]

remember cars did not have seat belts til IIRCC 1960. Tin

I took my driver training class in 1959. The car that was used was a 1958 Ford and it had seat belts. I don't know if the belts were available on all Fords of that year or just the school's option to protect the instructor.