Old School Tools

[bonneyman]

Due to the good response of the slide rules thread, I thought I'd sort of resurrect an thread on old school tools. I.E. tools that still do the job but are older technology considered obsolete by younger people and older, more tech-chasing guys.

Old school doesn't necessarily mean non-digital (although many such vintage tools are analog-based) but I would say anything I would call OS would not be wireless. IR temperature guns are the separating point. When they first came out they were like the point of the spear. Now they're almost ubiquitous, everyone makes one but IR reading is definitely 90's technology.

Don't get me wrong - in certain places I'm all-in for modern digital tools. Like CO meters, NCV detectors, pocket digital thermometers are all tools I have and use. But I keep the analog versions handy in case the first line breaks or the batteries die in the middle of nowhere.

Post up you oldies but goodies!

First up is a group of analog meters. Triplett voltometer and a Simpson 260.

[bonneyman]

Chicago ohm meter and a Burnwell continuity tester (before I repaired it).

[bonneyman]

My original Realistic volmeter and my assortment of Amprobe "beetle meter" amp clamp meters.

[bonneyman]

My really old school home phone setup with caller ID box on the landline.

[bonneyman]

Halide leak detector for freon leak testing.

Tester runs off of a propane cylinder. The heat of the flame gets the copper indicator disc hot enough that when any freon vapors get drawn in with the inlet air the fumes react with the heated copper and change the flame color. I messed around with it and found  that - though it was made for R22 (greenish.purplish color) it will work with R410a (very sooty orange yellow color). Though, burnt freon vapor creates hydroflouric acid and phosgene, so, this type of tester if used is for external use only and with a tail wind!

It's not the easiest to see (another reason these types of testers were replaced - hard to see minute color changes in daylight) but there's a slight green tinge in the bottom pic.

[goodfellow]

Halide leak detector for freon leak testing.

Tester runs off of a propane cylinder. the ehat of the flame gets the copper indicator disc hot enough that when any freon vapors get drawn in with the inlet air the fumes react with the heated copper and change the flame color. I messed arounf with it and found  that - though it was made for R22 (greenish.purplish color) it will work with R410a (very sooty orange yellow color). Though, burnt freon vapor creates hydroflouric acid and phosgene, so, this type of tester if used is for external use only and with a tail wind!

I still have one of those -- had to be real careful with that thing. Breathing those fumes and also whipping it around an exposed engine bay is not good -- Thanks for sharing

[goodfellow]

You mind if we post other old school tools in your thread BM?

[bonneyman]

You mind if we post other old school tools in your thread BM?

By all means! This isn't just HVAC stuff. Any older cool analog stuff would be great!

[bonneyman]

Analog dial and mercury/spirit filled thermometers. Plus the "new" non-mercury metallic bulb thermometer - filled with galanstan, a gallium/iridium eutetic mixture. Safer than mercury as it's non-toxic, but liquid at normal temperatures like mercury. Although, unlike mercury (which doesn't like to stick to anything but itself - meaning it forms those wonderful globs we all used to play with - and doesn't stick to glass), galanstan adheres to glass. So the inside of the glass tube is specially treated.

[bonneyman]

Some more loose analog meters.

[bonneyman]

I also have this 300 mm (12 inch) long scientific mercury-bulb thermometer graduated in Celsius. Don't use it because I'm afraid to break it, but being it's so long the distance between marks is larger so it's easier to get a more accurate reading. Housed in a steel tube cover, and I have that in a padded PVC tube

[bonneyman]

And who can forget Yankee spiral screwdrivers?

[bonneyman]

An old school antifreeze dilution tester.

[bonneyman]

My older timing light I got from a forum member. Not even induction reading - the kind you have to disconnect #1 plug wire and insert the spring connector!

[hickory n Steel]

Here's something many people give zero thought to today, many people think of them as antiquated by chainsaws.
I may not have much use for a full sized felling axe, but many people still use them daily and I just had to save it.

I could not let this old SAGER chemicalaxe rust away or end up in a scrapyard.