Blast from the past - Wood Magazine #1
 

Im not sure if this issue is still under copyright after 26 years, if it is, please delete this post.

Here is the download link: http://rapidshare.com/files/35564284...1984_09_10.pdf

Its funny to see old ads :)

The first MechMate?
 

Was this the first MechMate?

probably this one, if you read the description it can perfectly describe a MM, obviously not the size :)

http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/4961/millroute.jpg

Surely that was more than 26 years ago? Nice find! :)

Wow that's a good one! Pricey one back then. Good find!

Here is a picture of the way old factories were setup to run off of a main shaft driven off a steam power.

Attachment 9431

My granduncle had one of the Mill-Routes (or similar). Funny enough, when I showed my father the MechMate plans, he told me then that it reminded him of that Mill-Route...

Not really an ad, but here is a shot of our old family sawmill. My great-grandfather built it originally, early last century. Uses parts off of a Model A or T, can't remember which. Can handle about a four foot diameter blade and now runs off the PTO of our old Farmall tractor. My grandfather and father recovered it from the old place in the early 70's and rebuilt it on our place. Some of my best memories are of watching my grandfather lace up all of the belts on that thing with leather strips. It is a beast! Roll the logs up onto the carriage, dog it down, square it off and then rip your lumber. My job used to be stacking the lumber to air dry. Great memories... Angle iron for the rails to boot!

Attachment 9432

Ted did it have oil leaks since it was made from Ford parts ?:D

No oil leaks, but talk about loud! Also unforgiving, you do NOT want to get distracted if you are operating the feed lever as you are about two feet away from the spinning blade of death! Flying belts, cables, pulleys... so many ways to lose a finger, arm or other appendage. One of my other jobs was greasing everything because I was small enough to climb all up in it. Perfect place for a kid like me to be. I'll never know how I survived my childhood.:D

The only thing she's missing is a few steppers, gheckos and MACH 3