![Why Did They Stop Making These? [Restoration] @HandToolRescue](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/gh0SV8aPnMU/maxresdefault.jpg)
Uploaded March 2024 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
This 1930s Leland Electric Co. throttle variable speed and direction electric motor is one of the coolest tools I have restored.
The restoration was fairly straight forward, but the mechanics of how this works were the most interesting. I give a quick explanation near the end of the video on how I believe this works, but if you specifically know, please leave a comment below.
The tag was in the worst condition I have ever seen, and I'd like to thank @joshsfick on Instagram for once again helping model the tag digitally so I could laser it out.
The wiring was also a larger than usual issue as there was a lot of deterioration.
I could see many use cases for this type of motor and I really wish they were still made like this today.
I'd like to thank @CRCAutoUS for sponsoring this video. I've switched to a food-grade penetrating oil from them as a more safe alternative, and it as worked just as well as the usual penetrating oils I've used.
You can check out the products from them used in this video in the links below:
evapo-rust.com
crcindustries.com/evapo-rust
crcindustries.com/smartwasher
crcindustries.com/qd-174-electronic-cleaner-11-wt-oz
crcindustries.com/food-grade-penetrating-oil-11-wt-oz
Wrenches, screwdrivers, and socket drivers are now for sale at handtoolrescue.com
Watch narrated videos and help secure more tools for future videos (if you want):
patreon.com/handtoolrescue
Instagram:
instagram.com/handtoolrescue
Facebook Group - Share your restorations
facebook.com/groups/handtoolrescue
facebook.com/handtoolrescue
Reddit - Share your restorations
reddit.com/r/HandToolRescue
Podcast (with @jimmydiresta and Andrew Alexander) - https://anchor.fm/fitzall
This 1930s Leland Electric Co. throttle variable speed and direction electric motor is one of the coolest tools I have restored.
The restoration was fairly straight forward, but the mechanics of how this works were the most interesting. I give a quick explanation near the end of the video on how I believe this works, but if you specifically know, please leave a comment below.
The tag was in the worst condition I have ever seen, and I'd like to thank @joshsfick on Instagram for once again helping model the tag digitally so I could laser it out.
The wiring was also a larger than usual issue as there was a lot of deterioration.
I could see many use cases for this type of motor and I really wish they were still made like this today.
I'd like to thank @CRCAutoUS for sponsoring this video. I've switched to a food-grade penetrating oil from them as a more safe alternative, and it as worked just as well as the usual penetrating oils I've used.
You can check out the products from them used in this video in the links below:
evapo-rust.com
crcindustries.com/evapo-rust
crcindustries.com/smartwasher
crcindustries.com/qd-174-electronic-cleaner-11-wt-oz
crcindustries.com/food-grade-penetrating-oil-11-wt-oz
Wrenches, screwdrivers, and socket drivers are now for sale at handtoolrescue.com
Watch narrated videos and help secure more tools for future videos (if you want):
patreon.com/handtoolrescue
Instagram:
instagram.com/handtoolrescue
Facebook Group - Share your restorations
facebook.com/groups/handtoolrescue
facebook.com/handtoolrescue
Reddit - Share your restorations
reddit.com/r/HandToolRescue
Podcast (with @jimmydiresta and Andrew Alexander) - https://anchor.fm/fitzall
![Why Did They Stop Making These? [Restoration]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/gh0SV8aPnMU/mqdefault.jpg "Why Did They Stop Making These? [Restoration]
This 1930s Leland Electric Co. throttle variable speed and direction electric motor is one of the coolest tools I have restored.
The restoration was fairly straight forward, but the mechanics of how this works were the most interesting. I give a quick explanation near the end of the video on how I believe this works, but if you specifically know, please leave a comment below.
The tag was in the worst condition I have ever seen, and Id like to thank @joshsfick on Instagram for once again helping model the tag digitally so I could laser it out.
The wiring was also a larger than usual issue as there was a lot of deterioration.
I could see many use cases for this type of motor and I really wish they were still made like this today.
Id like to thank @CRCAutoUS for sponsoring this video. Ive switched to a food-grade penetrating oil from them as a more safe alternative, and it as worked just as well as the usual penetrating oils Ive used.
You can check out the products from them used in this video in the links below:
https://www.evapo-rust.com
https://www.crcindustries.com/evapo-rust/
https://www.crcindustries.com/smartwasher/
https://www.crcindustries.com/qd-174-electronic-cleaner-11-wt-oz/
https://www.crcindustries.com/food-grade-penetrating-oil-11-wt-oz/
Wrenches, screwdrivers, and socket drivers are now for sale at www.handtoolrescue.com
Watch narrated videos and help secure more tools for future videos (if you want):
https://www.patreon.com/handtoolrescue
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/handtoolrescue
Facebook Group - Share your restorations
https://www.facebook.com/groups/handtoolrescue
https://www.facebook.com/handtoolrescue/
Reddit - Share your restorations
https://www.reddit.com/r/HandToolRescue/
Podcast (with @jimmydiresta and Andrew Alexander) - https://anchor.fm/fitzall")
![1960s Electric Chainsaw [Restoration] (Part 2 of 2)](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/h4WbWFbPFCk/mqdefault.jpg "1960s Electric Chainsaw [Restoration] (Part 2 of 2)
I always love doing chainsaw restorations. This chainsaw (Model C. E) was made by the Strunk Manufacturing Co. in the 1960s. The chainsaw happens to be electric and has a massive 26 amp motor, which puts the saw at around 4HP. That is a LOT of power for an electric chainsaw. Strunk also made versions of these for the U.S. Army in the 1960s. I have not been able to find a photo of this saw anywhere on the internet.
This saw was very dirty, especially inside the motor, which is probably the reason why it did not run. I couldnt sandblast the paint off as it contained lead. I decided to go a little bit further with this restoration and add a polished handle and bucking spikes.
The chainsaw bar oil can was the most damaged and needed a lot of work to get back to original condition. The clutch being present on this saw probably signifies a small production run. The patent for the chainsaw chain is here: https://patents.google.com/patent/US2508784A/en?oq=2508784
This was the first of the modern chainsaw tooth designs.
In this video I check that the electrical motor is functioning correctly and put the saw back together to get it running.
All graphics were provided by FORMA Graphics. You can contact him at formagraphicart@gmail.com. He has a passion for old tools and will help you make the decal/sticker that you need.
Purchase wrenches here:
www.handtoolrescue.com
Help secure more tools for future videos (if you want):
https://www.patreon.com/handtoolrescue
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/handtoolrescue
Facebook Group - Share your restorations
https://www.facebook.com/groups/handtoolrescue
Reddit - Share your restorations
https://www.reddit.com/r/HandToolRescue/
Music: http://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music")
![1920s Paint Sprayer [Restoration]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/hsnMcIMz6u8/mqdefault.jpg "1920s Paint Sprayer [Restoration]
This restoration was on a 1920s paint sprayer made by the Crown Spray Gun MFG. Co.. Once again, there is not much information on this tool online and my access to American library sources, but from what I could find, this company began in 1913 and produced products until at least the 1950s out of their Los Angeles, California location.
I picked up this paint sprayer/compressor a few years ago because its design caught my eye. It was made with two diaphragm pumps that push air into a long tube and finally out to the spray gun. You can see a version of this paint sprayer in a 1929 photoshoot here: http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/ref/collection/p15799coll170/id/69
I replaced all gaskets and diaphragm with oil-resistant fabric-reinforced rubber to match as close to original as possible. I left the aluminum bare as I really dont like to paint over aluminum. I had to completely remake the top tube and fasteners as they were too pitted to be salvaged. I also made sure to oil this tool like crazy during assembly.
I ended up powering it with a drill as my original motor setup was making the tool spin way too fast. It seem to work, but not as well, at the lower rpm.
Maybe I can actually use this to do some airbrushing on future restorations!
I would like to thank Evapo-Rust for sponsoring this video.
Wrenches are now for sale at www.handtoolrescue.com
Help secure more tools for future videos (if you want):
https://www.patreon.com/handtoolrescue
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/handtoolrescue
Facebook Group - Share your restorations
https://www.facebook.com/groups/handtoolrescue
https://www.facebook.com/handtoolrescue/
Reddit - Share your restorations
https://www.reddit.com/r/HandToolRescue/")
![1930s Thor Gun Drill [Restoration]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/iHMgPrY3iUQ/mqdefault.jpg "1930s Thor Gun Drill [Restoration]
The restoration of this 1930s pneumatic Thor gun-style drill made by the Independent Pneumatic Tool Co. was not supposed to happen.
When my basement flooded this tool was exposed to enough water to make it rust. Luckily, the tool is mostly aluminum, so not too many parts were affected.
I decided to use rust remover and sand-blasting to make sure all parts were de-rusted. I gave everything a decent polish, even the brass name plate. I am fairly sure the drill used grease instead of oil, but I decided that oil would be enough for the use its going to get.
The drill runs very well now and makes noises like a jet-engine and R2-D2 had some fun. I chose to let you all hear the drill without any sound editing.
Id like to thank Evapo-Rust for sponsoring this video. The drill needed a good soak as I couldnt reach all the steel parts!
This seems close to the original patent: http://pdfpiw.uspto.gov/.piw?PageNum=0&docid=01099392&IDKey=AC24BCA13C42%0D%0A&HomeUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fpatft.uspto.gov%2Fnetacgi%2Fnph-Parser%3FSect1%3DPTO2%2526Sect2%3DHITOFF%2526p%3D11%2526u%3D%25252Fnetahtml%25252FPTO%25252Fsearch-bool.html%2526r%3D539%2526f%3DG%2526l%3D50%2526co1%3DAND%2526d%3DPALL%2526s1%3D19140609.PD.%2526OS%3DISD%2F6%2F9%2F1914%2526RS%3DISD%2F6%2F9%2F1914
Help secure more tools for future videos (if you want):
https://www.patreon.com/handtoolrescue
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/handtoolrescue
Facebook Group - Share your restorations
https://www.facebook.com/groups/handtoolrescue
Reddit - Share your restorations
https://www.reddit.com/r/HandToolRescue/")
![1920s Hobart Coffee Mill [Restoration]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/iM6wQkyx0Q8/mqdefault.jpg "1920s Hobart Coffee Mill [Restoration]
This restoration is on a 1920s Hobart coffee grinder that I recently found at auction. You can see the patent for this tool here: https://patents.google.com/patent/US1291534
The smell of ~100 year-old coffee is now something I can never forget. The coffee bin was missing so I ordered a replacement off another Hobart grinder. The hopper was significantly dented and may not be original to the machine. The tool was also coated in over 7000 layers of paint for some reason. The burr disks were in excellent condition and seems to be made of some of the earliest stainless steel I have come across so far.
The machine needed a fresh coat of paint and pin-striping, new nickel-plating, insane amounts of body filler, some new wires, and a lot of oil. Removing the dents in the aluminum hopper was a lot of fun since I was able to use high-powered magnets on the lathe. I did not resharpen the burr grinders as the customer does not plan on using this as its more for decoration.
In the end, the grinder murders coffee beans at a rate that is completely unnecessary at a home level. This was most likely used in a grocery store or hotel setting.
Wrenches and screwdrivers are now for sale at www.handtoolrescue.com
Help secure more tools for future videos (if you want):
https://www.patreon.com/handtoolrescue
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/handtoolrescue
Facebook Group - Share your restorations
https://www.facebook.com/groups/handtoolrescue
https://www.facebook.com/handtoolrescue/
Reddit - Share your restorations
https://www.reddit.com/r/HandToolRescue/
Podcast (with Jimmy DiResta and Andrew Alexander) - https://anchor.fm/fitzall")
![1926 Bergman Tool Mfg. Co. Corner Brace Drill [Restoration]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/iPcxfiBgixc/mqdefault.jpg "1926 Bergman Tool Mfg. Co. Corner Brace Drill [Restoration]
This corner brace restoration required a lot of work. A previous owner attempted to repair it, but at some point, the repair failed and the brace would not turn.
I ended up having to do some welding to get this brace back in working condition. I love the rosewood handles.
https://www.instagram.com/handtoolrescue/ for upcoming projects.")
![Antique Earphones [Restoration]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ieTsN-rvgX8/mqdefault.jpg "Antique Earphones [Restoration]
I restore these ~100 year old earphones so that they work with modern equipment. These earphones are most likely around 100 years old as the patents were filed in 1923. This restoration was on a pair of C. Brandes Inc. earphones. You can have a look at the original product catalog from 1916 here: https://www.sowp.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/LR-1801211901-Brandes-Catalog.pdf
These sold for around the equivalent of $150USD in 2019 and all patents can be found under Dietrich Frederick.
I was really excited to see if I could get these headphones working again. This was my first attempt at vintage electronics, so I tried to stay away from the more sensitive electrical components. Ideally I would have liked to have the coils all rewound, but the wires are 0.002 and that stresses me out. I need to work my way up to that.
I decided to make only one modification and that was to remove the nickel-plating off the solid brass components. Nickel-plating was fancy back then, but now brass is fancy! Soap and water went a long way with cleaning up the headband. Sanding and polishing worked really well for the earphone covers.
I was so glad I was able to hook these up to a modern headphone jack and listen to that sweet sweet sound of all metal speakers.
Wrenches are now for sale at www.handtoolrescue.com
Help secure more tools for future videos (if you want):
https://www.patreon.com/handtoolrescue
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/handtoolrescue
Facebook Group - Share your restorations
https://www.facebook.com/groups/handtoolrescue
Reddit - Share your restorations
https://www.reddit.com/r/HandToolRescue/")
![1920s Power Hammer [Restoration] (Part 1)](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/johaTKyrEBM/mqdefault.jpg "1920s Power Hammer [Restoration] (Part 1)
This is a tool restoration I have been wanting to do for a while! It is a A. B. Jardine & Co. power / trip hammer from around the 1920s. These were called Canadian Giant hammers as they closely resemble the Little Giant hammers made by a different company.
Out of the two models they made, this specific hammer is the 25lb model vs the 50lb model. This hammer was $150 in 1915, so it puts the value at almost $4000 USD in 2018 dollars!
I picked this up locally about a year ago with plans to restore it once I had the space. In this video, I take everything apart and inspect all bearing surfaces. The babbitt bearings are in fantastic condition and must have been re-poured at some point recently in its life. The other moving parts of the hammer are not in good condition. Many parts have been poorly welded back together and every single hole is worn out. In the next video I will repair all these pieces and add bronze bushings to all the holes so this machine is safe to use again. Even the die blocks need replacing as I cannot trust the welds to hold.
You can actually still buy new parts for these hammers since they are so similar to Littie Giant hammers, but the parts are quite expensive.
I am definitely excited to see this thing running, but I do plan on selling this hammer, since I have found an even larger one!
Id like to thank Evapo-Rust for sponsoring this video.
Wrenches are now for sale at www.handtoolrescue.com
Help secure more tools for future videos (if you want):
https://www.patreon.com/handtoolrescue
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/handtoolrescue
Facebook Group - Share your restorations
https://www.facebook.com/groups/handtoolrescue
Reddit - Share your restorations
https://www.reddit.com/r/HandToolRescue/")
![[Stapler Plane Experiment] Making a Chisel Plane from a Stapler (Kind of)](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/kJOoh4vTfrI/mqdefault.jpg "[Stapler Plane Experiment] Making a Chisel Plane from a Stapler (Kind of)
https://www.instagram.com/handtoolrescue/ for upcoming projects.
I thought I could make a chisel plane out of a stapler. I may have thought wrong...
It planes things, but not much better than just using a chisel. I really should have sharpened the chisel a bit more to get a better idea of how functional this stapler plane could be.
The idea was to replicate this: http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?cat=1,230,41182,41192&p=32661")
![The Most Broken Tool I Have Ever Restored - Part 2 [Restoration]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/kTqpPArIvLs/mqdefault.jpg "The Most Broken Tool I Have Ever Restored - Part 2 [Restoration]
Part 2: The restoration is on an Excelsior 21 Royersford Foundry & Machine Co. drill press. These older drills are sometimes referred to as camel-back drill presses since the drive train pulleys and frame design apparently make it look somewhat like a camel.
This machine arrived from Texas with more broken pieces than anything I have ever restored. Furthermore, during disassembly I discovered that it was even repaired many years ago in a few places. This is such a large undertaking that multiple videos are warranted. In this video I focus solely on broken castings and quill components. Several broken pieces needed to be fixed with bronze brazing and several more needed general repairs.
Id like to thank @CRCAutoUS for sponsoring this video.
You can check out the products from them used in this video in the link below:
https://www.crcindustries.com/handtoolrescue
Wrenches, screwdrivers, and socket drivers are now for sale at https://www.handtoolrescue.com/
Watch narrated videos and help secure more tools for future videos (if you want):
https://www.patreon.com/handtoolrescue")
