Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Steam Punk Estate Sale Finds

I got this and some other assorted cool junk recently from the unassuming home pictured below. As I've mentioned before, it's surprising how creative, innovative and skillful those old guys in the neighborhood are or were in their younger days. The gentleman of the house must have been a repairman or technician of some kind because his little basement was PACKED with old equipment; some was recent(ish)like stacks of punch cards but much of it stretched well back into the analog age.This is a coil box from a Ford Model-T that I found in the basement. Incredibly steampunk looking.
Not that many old houses in Raleigh have full basements. Most were built on 'slabs.' Those with them often have some dusty cool stuff hidden in their dark recesses.



This is an intercom set up from the 1940s, give or take. The case is homemade out of wood with cool art deco buttons installed at the base of the unit.

This stuff goes WAY back. This 'Belt Stick' was applied to machinery belts to keep them from slipping or catching (I think).  And it probably helped keep them from dry rotting. I would date this from the 1920s, give or take.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

When are they going to film an episode of "American Pickers" in Raleigh?

Trailer Trad said...

Anon 5:00,

If the American Pickers guys show up in Raleigh, I'll take some antique shoes, tie the laces together and sling them over telephone lines to let them know that this is TRAILER TRAD TURF!

Frederick Alston Grenwich said...

Forget all goodness

Trailer Trad said...

Mr. Grenwich,

Did someone have a bad night? A nice Rooty Tooty Fresh n' Fruity at IHOP will make it all better.