# Vintage collection of electrical stuff.



## Frizratz

Hi, I've been lurking around here for a while.
I wanted to share some old stuff with people who would appreciate it.
If you're not an electrician, you can't appreciate this stuff and the leap in technology over the last 100 years.
I will just post my stuff here from time to time for your enjoyment. 


















So everyone in the North Eastern US has prolly seen knob and tube wiring somewhere in their travels. The little tube here is typical and measures about 4.5 inches. The large tube measures 14.5 inches. 
This came out of an old pre-WW1 machine shop where they used to have open cable wiring. 
The cables passed through a masonry wall.
We were installing a new sub service when we came across this and scavenged it. 
I have seen hundreds of little ones but this is the first large one I ever saw.


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## Frizratz

A 1500 watt, 120 volt, mogul base, incandescent bulb.


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## Frizratz

this is a Westinghouse contactor complete with original scheme.
The drawing indentifies it as a " Lift Type Breaker"


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## Frizratz

Couple shelves of stuff


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## Frizratz

Multi-Meter


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## MechanicalDVR

Welcome aboard if nobody has ever done that. Some cool old stuff there.


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## RePhase277

Frizratz said:


> Hi, I've been lurking around here for a while.
> I wanted to share some old stuff with people who would appreciate it.
> If you're not an electrician, you can't appreciate this stuff and the leap in technology over the last 100 years.
> I will just post my stuff here from time to time for your enjoyment.
> 
> 
> View attachment 83057
> 
> 
> View attachment 83065
> 
> 
> So everyone in the North Eastern US has prolly seen knob and tube wiring somewhere in their travels. The little tube here is typical and measures about 4.5 inches. The large tube measures 14.5 inches.
> This came out of an old pre-WW1 machine shop where they used to have open cable wiring.
> The cables passed through a masonry wall.
> We were installing a new sub service when we came across this and scavenged it.
> I have seen hundreds of little ones but this is the first large one I ever saw.


Where I'm from, they're called "one-hitters".


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## PlugsAndLights

Cool stuff, but what's with weird @ss little claw things? 
Regardless, welcome aboard.
P&L


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## flyboy

Welcome aboard...really cool stuff.

...how long have you been with the Taliban?


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## Frizratz

One Hitters is new to me...... 
Like from a crack pipe perspective ? 

Claw things ? .. maybe from the office picture, there is a small piece of fabric insulated, 16 or 18 conductor cable sticking off of the shelf. I kept it because it was in such good condition, like never used. 

Thanks for the " Welcome."
There is good info on this site.
I like it.


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## Frizratz

flyboy said:


> Welcome aboard...really cool stuff.
> 
> ...how long have you been with the Taliban?


Ha, 

That picture was at in the end of April this year !
Spilled coffee on my truck bed and it froze......
Nice clear day tho !


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## lighterup

Keep it coming.

If you haven't visited Dearborn Michigan (Henry Ford Museum) , you should
plan a trip. Among old vehicles , trains etc are some old(er) electrical inventions
on display.

You would enjoy it.


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## ampman

Hell yes very cool stuff , keep them coming


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## circuitman1

neat stuff! i collect old electric meters(watthour), old battery chargers like the TUNGAR & RECTIGON ones.plus old electric motors. nothing like the old repulsion start induction run type. they make a sweet sound! also welcome! great gang here, you will learn a lot!:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:


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## Frizratz

Thank you all for the welcome.
The Dearborn trip is somewhere I would like to go for sure.
I have a real weak spot for old stuff, especially wooden boats, old trucks, old prop driven war planes etc. 
The electrical equipment I have collected over the years is, of course, from work. It's small enough to store around the office.
I do have just a couple of big things too.

Anyhow, thanks, I like this site.


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## fdew

This is way cool. Keep them coming. BTW while we are talking about good places to see this stuff, I recommend Coolsprings power museum. They have a number of working generators with great old control panels and a few buildings wired with Knob and tube. The gift shop is wired with a great display of knob and tube.


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## lighterup

Frizratz said:


> Thank you all for the welcome.
> The Dearborn trip is somewhere I would like to go for sure.
> I have a real weak spot for old stuff, especially wooden boats, old trucks, old prop driven war planes etc.
> The electrical equipment I have collected over the years is, of course, from work. It's small enough to store around the office.
> I do have just a couple of big things too.
> 
> Anyhow, thanks, I like this site.


I promise you will like it there. If you like to throw back a few beers 
you can continue north to Frankenmouth which is an old German type
village with good beer and G:thumbup:erman food too.


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## Frizratz

We've all prolly seen a FPE Stab Loc breaker but I never saw a hippie dippie version.


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## Frizratz

*Vintage Electrical Equipment*

























I need to do some dusting.
This is an old Western Electric continuity tester/ringer.


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## Frizratz

*Vintage electrical equipment*









I do not remember what I scavenged this from but it was too cool to chuck it. from a day when these were your only installation instructions.


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## Galt

Is that a H or a M the farmall tractor on the shelf.


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## zac

Thanks for the pictures. 

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk


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## zac

This isn't mine. I service the building which is 100 years old. The bussing is attached to the marble and is still functioning. 

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk


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## fdew

That is beautiful.


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## fdew

Frizratz said:


> View attachment 83978
> 
> 
> We've all prolly seen a FPE Stab Loc breaker but I never saw a hippie dippie version.


I suspect it was molded from regrind plastic left over from other products.


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## Frizratz

Galt said:


> Is that a H or a M the farmall tractor on the shelf.


That is an H model


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## Frizratz

fdew said:


> I suspect it was molded from regrind plastic left over from other products.


Yeah, I thought that too. Only ever saw 1 though out or the many, many we swapped out.


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## Frizratz

zac said:


> This isn't mine. I service the building which is 100 years old. The bussing is attached to the marble and is still functioning.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk


Somewhere I have a picture of a much smaller version of that apparatus that was in a customer's home. It is on slate though, not marble and each copper bar that feeds a branch circuit has the circuit number stamped into it. That picture is around here somewhere I will look for it later.


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## Frizratz

*Vintage Electrical Equipment*

































The Plaster Eye sees all............


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## Frizratz

*Vintage Electrical Equipment*

















Two more shots of the mysterious Plaster Eye.
I imagine eerie music whenever I see the Plaster Eye...:vs_shocked:


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## Frizratz

PlugsAndLights said:


> Cool stuff, but what's with weird @ss little claw things?
> Regardless, welcome aboard.
> P&L


I just figured out what you were asking about! 
They are telescopic back scratchers.
Not old by any means but suitable for holding the scheme open while taking pictures.


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## gnuuser

Frizratz said:


> View attachment 84010
> 
> 
> View attachment 84018
> 
> 
> View attachment 84026
> 
> 
> I need to do some dusting.
> This is an old Western Electric continuity tester/ringer.



the generator is great for waking the unwary apprentice up (taped to their chair) a lot gentler than a megger :laughing:


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## Majewski

Very cool dude!


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## Frizratz

Here are a couple spools of wire.
My Dad used to re-wind washing machine motors on the side when he was pretty young. 
I found these while cleaning out his basement a couple years ago. 

These spools are probably 70 years old or more. 
They are made of wood and have a copper skin around the edge of them. 
Manufactured by the Philadelphia Insulated Wire Company.


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## Frizratz

This is a Reed Relay.
I never used one of these in this form.
The only reed relays I ever installed were similar to a definite purpose contactor with a coil and reversable contacts. 

Manufactured by Strothers Dunn company, Pittman NJ. 

This even still has the original box.
I think it is from the 60's but I'm not positive of that.


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## dmxtothemax

Frizratz said:


> View attachment 84010
> 
> 
> View attachment 84018
> 
> 
> I need to do some dusting.
> This is an old Western Electric continuity tester/ringer.


Oh I remember these little geenies !
Had one as a child
I used to zapp everybody i could with them 
I thought it was hilarous
Funny nobody else did thou
Least of all the school teachers
They used to get quite irate !


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## dmxtothemax

zac said:


> This isn't mine. I service the building which is 100 years old. The bussing is attached to the marble and is still functioning.
> 
> 
> Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk


Whose job is it to polish the brass ?
Do they shut the building down to do it ?
Brass doesn't stay that shiny after 100 years
without some polishing.

:whistling2:


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## zac

dmxtothemax said:


> Whose job is it to polish the brass ?
> Do they shut the building down to do it ?
> Brass doesn't stay that shiny after 100 years
> without some polishing.
> 
> :whistling2:


Good question. It's behind an enclosed shutter. I never turn off any breakers in the panels above for fear they won't come back on. I believe many of the panels are from the 40s - 60s.

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk


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## splatz

Frizratz said:


> View attachment 84282
> 
> 
> View attachment 84290
> 
> 
> Two more shots of the mysterious Plaster Eye.
> I imagine eerie music whenever I see the Plaster Eye...:vs_shocked:


from Pop Mech


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## Majewski

splatz said:


> from Pop Mech


That's it, I'm sold. I need one!


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## fdew

This is useful in meetings.


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## Frizratz

Compton Parkinson Amp Probe. 
Made in England and held together with mason's twine.


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## Frizratz

Tong Test amp probe with modular meter heads.
Columbia Manufacturing Company, Cleveland Ohio.

" CAUTION This Frame Is Not Insulated "


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## retiredsparktech

Frizratz said:


> View attachment 84954
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> 
> View attachment 84962
> 
> 
> View attachment 84970
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> 
> View attachment 84978
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> 
> Tong Test amp probe with modular meter heads.
> Columbia Manufacturing Company, Cleveland Ohio.
> 
> " CAUTION This Frame Is Not Insulated "


 An extremely accurate instrument! There were used for engineering testing. Accurate on DC as well, without any trick circuitry.


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## beneckart

*Emico Kondu Porcelain Box cover*

I am looking for Emico Kondu Porcelain Box cover like this.








but with only 2 holes. I need two covers and the conduit box that they go with. They do not need to be Emico, any brand will work. 

Thanks


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## Johnnyboy99

Some old fixtures I came across in and old farmhouse. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## MechanicalDVR

Johnnyboy99 said:


> View attachment 98794
> View attachment 98802
> View attachment 98810
> 
> 
> Some old fixtures I came across in and old farmhouse.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Wow, if only they could talk. Got some history there.


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## Johnnyboy99

The last picture is actually an old gas lamp that they converted to electric. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Jesseduvuvei

i work electrical maintenance in a mill about 20 miles south of pittsburgh. the majority of stuff you just posted is still in use here


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## B-Nabs

Jesseduvuvei said:


> i work electrical maintenance in a mill about 20 miles south of pittsburgh. the majority of stuff you just posted is still in use here


Let's see some pictures! 

Sent from my SM-G920W8 using Tapatalk


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