Things haven't changed that much in 80 years

[Bluekingfisher]

The link below is to an old Laurel & Hardy movie. In the movie "Busy Bodies" the calamitious duo start work at a wood mill. In the opening scenes some "real" footage highlights men working on machines very recognisable today.
Just thought it may interest some?
I wonder how much the Firkin full of Shellac was worth.

https://youtu.be/6Jtjo3UtL7E

 

[hawkeyefxr]

When i saw that blade i went cold lol, but true L&H comedy, i often wonder if anyone did actually get hurt on set.

 

[whiskywill]

Anybody have an opinion on how he sharpened the plane blade?

 

[Cinimod]

Absolutely flippin hilarious, the rest of the family are looking at me with resigned looks on their faces as I sit there crying with laughter. But I feel so much better for it.
Best bits fight scene and the brush stuck on his chin and the removal of it.

Now I know what I'm doing for the rest of the evening...............dom

 

[Honest John]

Absolutely brilliant! Got me in trouble with SWMBO though. Withering looks, followed by tutting, followed by her leaving for another room. I was watching on my iPad with headphones on and she apparently was watching Marcella. Didn’t realise I was giggling so loudly :roll:

 

[Bluekingfisher]

The best comedy duo ever in my view.
However I had always considered woodworking machinery in the 1920's and 30's to be oh, so primitive? Yet the pre movie footage of the machinery replicates much of what we see today, albeit without digitisation.

Apart from the large belt feed wheels, of course, which Hardy fell down. The H&S police would be in their element.

 

[heimlaga]

Most of the machines used in a one man or two man production workshop today have changed very little since the 30-ies when line shaft drive gave way to integrated electric motors.
Better guards and in some cases better dust collection and easier adjustment is just about all progress that's been made since then..... all while the build quality and ease of maintainance has gone downhill.

 

[Just4Fun]

Better guards and in some cases better dust collection and easier adjustment is just about all progress that's been made since then..... all while the build quality and ease of maintainance has gone downhill.

Based on my limited experience of power tools I would agree with that and just add that the weight has also changed dramatically in recent decades. The old kit I have used weighs a great deal. This can be an advantage in some ways but today's lightweight tools must be a blessing for hobby woodworkers who regularly need to make space in their work space to convert it back to a garage or whatever.

 

[Tasky]

I want that massive bandsaw!!!

It's actually quite interesting from a historical perspective, in that there are little parodies of what was the known working culture and habits of the craft/trade. While they're obviously parodied, a cunning historian would be able to extrapolate from that and (through cross-referencing with other sources) probably build quite an accurate picture of professional woodworking culture from things like this.