Today I fixed a light, by taking out a bad switch that was integrated into the socket, soldering the wire around it, and adding a new switch to the base from junk I already have.
And, yes, I also made the base (years ago), out of an exercise weight. At least that's what I'm told it was--I personally haven't been to a gym since high school.
But that's not what I'm here to talk about. Instead, I want to mention this can of solder flux that I found last Summer when we cleaned out my Dad's workbench.
Unfortunately, he seems to have mixed some epoxy on the lid at one time or another. I'm not sure how old this can is. He and his brother used to visit the dump of one of the radio manufacturers in Philadelphia back in the 1930's and I suspect he found it there. It still has a quarter of a can of flux in there (probably close to what it had when he acquired it), and it worked great when I soldered the wire to the switch terminal this morning. The top label mentions the image was designed and registered in 1903.
Around the can:
Love the last picture, suggesting the product's use by dynamo builders. It seems just possible this can is a hundred years old. Slightly possible the guy who wrote the sentences on the side might have remembered the Civil War!
BTW, I was surprised to see Nokorode is still sold today, and still uses the crossed soldering irons in its logo. Lot more warnings and such on the modern can. Remember: Apply a very little only, and you can hand it down to your grandchildren!
Tom
