Old or Unusual Power Tools

[Sideways]

I needed to do a bit of demolition just now - dice up an old cold water storage tank to get it through the loft hatch. It happened that this was the easiest tool to do the job and make the least mess.
Elu routers and power planes are justifiably well known to power tool enthusiasts but it occurred to me that this old recip saw is much less known and there aren't a lot of photos of it online.

So here we go. Something a little unusual from the days of corded, brush motor tools. I bought it new, probably in the 90's and always suspected that this was a Black and Decker Professional tool badged by Elu. That range was genuinely good back in the day. The box says made in USA, the nameplate says made in Germany. Either way it is a very smooth motor and properly up to Elu standards. Variable speed. No pendulum action so not as fast in wood as saws with pendulum but still a lifetime tool.

If you have anything old / good / unusual in your armoury that isn't well known, please share some pics and stories here.

 

[okeydokey]

If it was a plastic tank good! If it was galvanised steel wow I bet you ears are still ringing!

 

[Sideways]

plastic.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Years ago my wife used to drink cold water from the bathroom until I hacked a roof tank in half (galvanize, cut with a jigsaw) and passed it down to her through the hatch (I had to get it out of the way, I couldn't just leave it in situ). She heaved when she saw the gunge in the bottom and never did it again.

 

[toolsntat]

Proper gear built to last, not, last long enough...
Cheers, Andy

 

[hlvd]

I needed to do a bit of demolition just now - dice up an old cold water storage tank to get it through the loft hatch. It happened that this was the easiest tool to do the job and make the least mess.
Elu routers and power planes are justifiably well known to power tool enthusiasts but it occurred to me that this old recip saw is much less known and there aren't a lot of photos of it online.

So here we go. Something a little unusual from the days of corded, brush motor tools. I bought it new, probably in the 90's and always suspected that this was a Black and Decker Professional tool badged by Elu. That range was genuinely good back in the day. The box says made in USA, the nameplate says made in Germany. Either way it is a very smooth motor and properly up to Elu standards. Variable speed. No pendulum action so not as fast in wood as saws with pendulum but still a lifetime tool.

If you have anything old / good / unusual in your armoury that isn't well known, please share some pics and stories here.
View attachment 170136

View attachment 170137

View attachment 170139

Got the exact same one I purchased twenty years ago when Machine Mart were clearing out their Elu stock.

It’s got plenty of power but does suffer a bit with vibration.

 

[Sideways]

Here's another piece of history.
This is the base of an Elu MOF11 router.
I don't own the router but after reading @custard 's excellent comments about this, I jumped on this base when I found it for sale 2nd hand. The base is barely used and I'm thinking of making up an adaptor to use a modern chinese router spindle or a mafell/kress type motor unit with it.

Here's the source of inspiration
https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/threads/elu-mof-11-elus-first-router.113367/
Here are the pics:

Single column plunge with a strong spring to counter the weight of what's probably a heavy motor. Machined socket holds the router in a similar system to the euro 43mm collar but is bigger so will reduce down.
Two fully adjustable stops allow the motor unit to pivot left and right on the column for cutting wide housings. There is about 45mm of movement max from side to side and the assembly can be locked anywhere within that range.
Depth settings have multiple 10mm detents and a spring loaded plunger, plus fine adjust.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

43mm collar?

 

[Dabop]

I put this one up before- I was asked to use my trailer to take a 'load of rubbish' to the tip- they had bought the place and were getting rid of the old stuff lying around- including the 'garden ornaments'- being an old 'milk container' (stainless steel, still with top), old wooden wagon wheel, and other old assorted bits and pieces- one being this...

That was how it looked fresh from the trailer- and despite its appearance- still worked (well- everything but the chuck- amazingly it both still spun freely and the lift works)- it is currently in pieces getting a rebuild and freshen up, when its finished, be mated with a 48v electric motor running from my battery bank (I'm offgrid) and be put back into service
48v 1.2kw 'electric bike motor'
I also bought a matching multispeed belt pulley and have grafted that onto the motor- now just got to finish rebuilding the drill...

 

[Sideways]

43mm collar?

No, i think it predates those.
It measures 64.5mm as nipped up on the insert that is in there. I'll probably try 65mm OD when I start making a reducer down to 43mm.