High-quality black-and-white photographs of large old machines and tools

[astroscuba]

If your mother was anything like my mother, "I put it in a safe place" is where you need to be looking!

[Toolmaker51]

You know you're getting old when you remember that black and white commercial for Twenty Mule Team Borax cleaner. Good stuff.

Don't know if I recall them or not.
Uh oh.

[TrickieDickie]

I remember the Borax commercials it was used around a western series, maybe early Wagon Train ?

[jackhoying]

That's an amazing photo

[Jon]

Mesta Machine Company lever shear. West Homestead, PA. 1905/1925.

Fullsize image: https://diqn32j8nouaz.cloudfront.net...4_fullsize.jpg

[IntheGroove]

If any tool needed eyes painted on it that's it...

[hemmjo]

If any tool needed eyes painted on it that's it...

HA, I just got that!!! Sometimes it takes me a while, depending on the day!!

[Ralphxyz]

Imagine shearing 7" cold steel!

Ralph

[Toolmaker51]

Imagine shearing 7" cold steel!

Ralph

Recalling what we've seen of MESTA equipment, could be their compact model........

Compared to shears that descend guided at each end, this is a variety known (perhaps colloquially) as an alligator/ aka high angle shear. Both use the inclined blade angle just like scissors do. The blade clearance on the MESTA was probably not good for sheetmetal, but smaller bench shears do it easily.
Never sheared 7" but can report a 6' wide 'gator nipped hot rolled stock for welding coupons 1-1/2" and 2" thick, hardly making a sound. 25-30 minutes or so, would supply a big pile of them. Then handful of guys would eat 50 pound boxes of electrodes running multi pass weld samples.
Neither one a bill I'd like to foot.

[mansworld]

So, after all, a mule is not stubborn and can works. From the common phrase ' stubborn as a mule'.