Electric or Pedal Power?

A good customer kindly sent me 50 old woodworking magazines he had acquired.  They dated from 1924 through to 1939 and cost sixpence at the beginning and sixpence at the end. I wish we had that sort of price stability now. The last issue in September 1939 was a bit thin and I'm guessing with the outbreak of the second world war this was the last issue for a while, maybe things weren't so good after all.
I've only had a chance to flick through them but they are fascinating.

This advert was in every issue in different forms and was for a treadle operated circular saw and universal machine. I can't imagine how well this would have worked but it claimed to cut 5" thick timber with a 15" blade, that must have taken some pretty hard pedalling!
It also must have required some care pushing the wood through at the same time

One of the adverts offered 10% discount for cash, those were the days!

In this advert things had moved with the inclusion of an electric motor. However it only plugged into a light socket, I think I would have preferred to keep pedalling and keep the light on!

The next advancement was this belt driven jigsaw with a separate motor available as as an optional extra. It was available as a ceiling suspended motor, was this more efficient?

At last by the 1936 edition appeared a fully fledged electric table saw, made in the US, where else?
It was interesting to note that this machine came as standard with a splitter and blade guard, which firms in the US are only just coming to terms with now.

Wooden moulding planes were still being advertised more than the metal ones right up to 1939.
Maybe those old wooden planes you've found in granddads attic aren't as old as you thought they were.

This advert shows a happy woodworker making shavings with his GLT plane.
They took liberties with their advertising in those days as well, these planes were crap and I can't imagine the pipe smoking helped!

Old screw boxes are rare, especially in good condition. The 2" size here cost 44 shillings, just over £2 ($3.00) in today's money. The 2 1/2" screw box I use for the vices for my benches came from Germany and cost nearly £1,000 ($1,500), how things change.