Another Era Has Ended...

[Volktales]

So after 52 years of business, Thompson Machine in Nanaimo has closed its doors.  The owners have retired, and nobody came forward to buy the business. Machine work is both physically demanding and requires a high degree of knowledge and care.  So naturally nobody wants to do that type of work anymore...  Anyway after all those decades in business, do you think they had any VW related things stashed away???





Inside this box (or the coffin, as they called it), was something very specific to our beloved VWs...





Yes it is one of those Tru-line boring bars, or line-boring tool.  These are considered the best of their type, and this one recuts the main bearing saddles in the Type 1, 2, and 3 style air-cooled engine cases.  It does not do the Type 4 cases.





Also comes with the thrust cutter, as well as the micrometer tool to set up the cutters themselves for whatever oversize you would like.





This part is the automatic feed mechanism, that allows the cutter to work when attached to a 1/2 inch electric drill.  Interesting, but how would it work???





Luckily it came with full instructions on how to use it.  These were kept in the office, so are still in decent shape.  Will I ever use this thing???  We will have to wait and see...


Continued...

[Volktales]

All of the equipment will be sold via Abel Auctions.  Viewing is today!, and the actually on-line auction is tomorrow.  Check out Abel's website and buy a lathe or something!  The line bore tool was offered to me prior to the sale, and I just couldn't say no...



 

And they went through their shelves, and rounded up anything else VW related in their stash.  Here are the best items, although a bunch of misc. used stuff was acquired as well.  Some useful items in there including new gaskets and a decent 009 distributor.  Also included was a couple of flywheels; one a machined and ready to go six volt version.  Who would ever want that???  He offered a "good" type 1 engine case to me, but as it was a bare 1500 single relief case I was able to resist.  In the recycling bin by now...





Also got their bench mount engine stand.  The nice thing is it was an old one from the '70's, and is much thicker and stronger than the crap ones that CIP happily sells you today.  I used to have one of these in the past, but had in fact borrowed it from my friend Brian.  Eventually he needed it back when he built his new shop.  So the holes on my bench were already there, and I hate to admit the bolts that secured it were still lying on the bench despite the previous stand having been removed YEARS before...   That worked out quite well, then...





After taking the bench mount picture, I had a closer look at my Grandpa's old vise that was next to it.  I think it was once his grandpa's as well.  Wonder how old it actually is?





This was the only markings on the vise.  So I did a little research...





That looks pretty much like an exact match.  This is an advertisement from "American Machinist" showing the new Prentiss products.  August 16th, 1879!!  This info came from www.vintagemachinery.org which is another rabbit hole that is easy to fall down...  The exact date of the vise is impossible to know for sure, but the jaw design predates 1909, so that helps somewhat.  Prentiss as a company lasted into the late 1940's, and then was absorbed by others.  So now I know...  The vise still works perfectly well after multiple generations have come and gone, and will certainly outlive me!!!

[stude]

Jim Thomson the old man built my 1939 Studebaker Champion engine and told me to drive it they also balanced my 2010cc green machine motor.

[autobus]

I had my flywheel done recently
Nice guy too bad sad to see him go !
So where does an island bound person now go to to get machining work done ? Victoria ?
And then when he retires ?
Washington state ?

Wow the slow death of our cars !