At 2:06 I say 'separated into occupation zones', not ' separated in two occupation zones'. Sorry if I didn't pronounce that clear enough. It was four zones in total and three of them were later transformed into what was known as West-Germany. I didn't mention that, becaus this video is not about West Germany, but about the Soviet zone and later the GDR.
Thank you for another amazing video sir! I so appreciate your work. I watched this video recently which I think explains how a native English speaker would distinguish "into" and "in two", I hope you enjoy it :) ruclips.net/video/EaXYas58_kc/видео.html
were it meant to say "separated in two occupation zones" one would have said "separated into two occupation zones" so I heard you loud and clear. You could also say "it was separated in two." and that would be grammatically (but not historically) correct.
That was a pretty good video intro @TPAI !! I must say that when I was stationed in Germany, it was still the DDR and GDR, thus it was still part of the "Cold War Era" and it wasn't until I returned to the States until February of 1989 that I would come to realize that soon such changes were about to take place. So yeah, does this video does bring back so memories! I also had a blue scissor style hinged toolbox that I bought while i was there! The only problem now though is that someone stole it from me and boy was I ever pissed! I just want you to know that I always enjoy your work and videos any way I can get it!
I followed your Channel now quite a while and your videos never stops to amaze me. The beautiful balanced way that you mix history with electronics, tips and tricks, experimental problem solving, remains nothing but amazing and awe inspiring to witness. The masterful way you convey your insights, craftsmanship and your obvious respect for the hardworking men and women who led us here, is honourable to watch. I often feel ashamed that my somewhat dire financial situation limits the way I'm able to support creative people like you. But understand that I choose my words carefully, optimistically wanting them to have a positive impact. I hope you give yourself time to reflect, especially after a good day of work, and truly enjoy, the sometimes silent reward, inspiring strangers is. Thanks for your videos !! Enjoy your weekend.
Been following along with your adventures for several years now young man (I'm old enough to be your father) and I will make two points: 1) I respect your ambition and execution. 2) Your English is quite good and I have little if any difficulty understanding what you are saying (you also speak American pretty good as well 😉)
When I was a boy, we lived in West Germany and visited our relatives in East Germany. I remember "shopping tools in the GDR" from that time. Let's say you need a 14mm wrench and you go to a tool shop. Maybe, likely, they didn't have a 14mm wrench. But maybe they had a 13mm / 18mm wrench or some strange combination like that. And what did you do? You bought it! Because maybe you need such wrench in the future sometime and maybe then they have only 14mm wrenches. That was real life over there at that time. And it was not just one shop. You could visit 5 different shops in towns many kilometers away from each other and you were just not able to find that 14mm wrench anywhere. So whoever had that toolbox at that time was probably very proud to have collected all those different wrenches over time.
@@hanksmith4065 It's been kind of a standard to use English for that purpose for a very very long time, when it was intended for export. People generally knew what "made in" meant even if they didn't otherwise understand English.
As a child growing up in Australia in the 50s, I was fascinated by my father's and grandfather's workshops, and the tools and equipment therein. I inherited it all when they passed away, and am still using it over seventy years later (some of the tools are well over a century old). I have an eclectic mix of British, American and European objects, from wooden planes to a 60 year old arc welder, which are all still in constant use; and it's great to see someone who values and maintains the old technology that was generally designed to last! I really enjoy your repair-a-thons - I hope you keep them coming!
My father came from your era and on that side of the family they migrated from Prussia around the 1900's, my grandfather though you wouldn't have trusted to fix very much! Dad however was a mechanic from the mid-late 60's and his fairly extensive toolboxes and power tools mostly came from Australian manufacturers. Most of those companies got sold off to the Americans and Taiwan back in the 80's so they don't really exist like they used to and there's a couple of the really old Black & Decker drills from that period which still work fine if you don't mind snapping a wrist. My WIA Miniarc welder is an Australian brand as well which still works ok, its not exactly a subtle or complicated machine so its probably why it lasted so long. All the hand tools though are sort of what you expect, well used but have the kinds of tolerances, material and manufacturing which is extremely good and would probably be worth a lot of money, not that I'd ever sell them.
Greetings from Sydney! 😊 It's really impressive that you not only have high-quality tools, but also ones that hold sentimental value for your family. 🙌 It's a shame that tools like those aren't made anymore. 😔ls like those aren't made anymore.
This video is why I love this channel. It’s so much more than a build /restoration channel. It’s an amazing history channel that dives into the social sciences all in a beautifully edited and filmed short movie. Thank you TPAI!!! Let’s go Saturday morning!!!!!!
Couldn't have put it better myself. Not only do I get my repair fix I get a history lesson, and often one that I would otherwise never know living in Canada.
Nice episode. Brings back memories from my childhood when DDR tools were considered the best compared to our eastern block ones. Last October I found a working VEB Robotron drafting table working in our companies sheet metal workshop, and some other older German (east and west) equipment.
Ich habe immer noch die Elektrohandbohrmaschine System 450 Smalcalda und die funktioniert noch. Die habe ich in Erfurt gebraucht gekauft in 1991. Ein Schmuckstück 😂😂😂
8:21 "Klucze nasadowe" Thats polish made socket set from Lubań in southwest of Poland. From logo itself must be ancient. In Poland auction sites you still can find old WMW and other old german tools for sale. They do often cost quite the money and need some love to fix them. From drills to industrial machines.
8:16 what a beauty; all parts still in place. I have a Gedore socket set I purchased age 18 in 1975 but it needs the TPAI treatment. Another interesting video, have fun in Mexico and thanks.
Hey, really great to see you covering tools from our side of the country, because they are very good imo. On the topic of companies: WMW which stands for Werkzeugmaschinen und Werkzeuge, was the Kombinat that all metal tool production was done under. From little clamp on vises for the home craftsman, to machine tools of all sizes, to entire rolling mills, and die presses. WMW encompased several other Kombinate, which focused on different fields (one made lathes, one made mills, one made files, one made wrenches and other simple forgings, etc.) Smalcalda was one of them, they made hand tools and simple powertools. My entire machine shop (large engine lathe, universal mill, a multipurpose machine called a DBF Gerät, similar to the Hommel UWG series, as well as die grinders, hand drills etc.) is all made in GDR, and they are all great machines. If you want to know more about WMW and stuff like that, feel free to ask
Hello, would like to know if they would also be available to consumers of the post with information? But I'm not sure if a "WERKÖ SWU 200" belonged to WMW.
@@raikbusse7697 Yes, the SWU 200 was a universal tool grinder, produced in various plants, under the Brandname "Werkö" (Werkzeugfabrik Königssee) which in itself was a subsidiary of WMW.
I was born in Canada. I lived in Germany for 10 years. My parents come from Berlin. Is a child I visited East Germany very often. I had family on the other side. However believe it or not a lot of East German products were sold in Canada. Usually under a pseudonym a different name. Most of the tools were sold in Canada at Eaton's that no longer exists. They went bankrupt in the 90s. they sold many things from East Germany. Dishes and fabrics and certain other items. Of course they had a different name. Even a different logo. But you would still find the gdr on some of the stampings of their tools and mixers. Yes they even sold kitchen supply items to Canada. Many of these products where put together in Canada. Sounds weird but you can have a product. Put together in your country and it's no longer made in East Germany it's now made in Canada. For instance if you packaged all your items into one box. When the box would be dismantled. And the items would all be put together in a simple carton with the item in the box it is now made in Canada. It's just like the Polish people buying cars in Germany dismantling them and then putting them back together again when they reach Poland. They used to do this to save on tax money. you also mention Western Products. East German products were Western Products. 90% of their products were sold to the West. Most Germans don't know this who lived in West Germany. Just like China now sells the world East Germany sold everything to the world.
Yep, neighbour grew up in East Germany. He said that even if you had the cash to buy the products they were just were not in the stores. Empty shelves everywhere. It took his family a year to find enough wallpaper to redo the lounge. of course they were all different patterns. 😅 Communism is wild.
I'm in Estonia, which was also part of the Soviet Union. I really like your videos and I hope that one day I am as successful on RUclips as you are. God bless you.
Ein Teil meines Lebens . Jetzt soll ich alles in den Müll werfen . Viele Handwerkzeuge davon habe ich auch noch Werkzeugmaschinen und Werkzeuge (WMW) , VEB Werkzeugunion Steinbach-Hallenberg . Danke für das Video .
I like these GDR tools and machines, they have more quality and better design than the el-cheapos we get these days. Back in the 1970's we lived in the Emirates and sometimes GDR products would turn up in the shops, maybe imported by a business or a ship crew bringing them. I also remember seeing that 'VEB' on those products manufactured in the east.
I was flying for a Canadian Airline in 1989, and we were on a two day layover in Amsterdam. Myself, and my old airforce buddies, were glued to the TV for they whole time watching the demonstration at the Berlin Wall, and then watching them begin to tear it down. It was a surreal experience, and we really didn't believe that was how the Eastern bloc was going to end. I thoroughly enjoyed watching this tool episode. You didn't speak to the quality of the tools, and I would have been interested in learning that. I have a couple of 35mm cameras that were made in Dresden, a couple of Exactas, and a practika, the workmanship and the Jena lenses were excellent quality, and I always wondered about the quality of the other machine tools. Thanks for the informal history lesson..
Hope you can get hold of a lawnmower attachment to the drill. What an awesome and hilarious attachment. I saw that attachment at the DDR museum in Berlin and have been wondering how well it functions
Fascinating, Thanks. I've seen similar tools from time to time in the toolboxes of local Engineer colleagues of mine over the last 23 years. I grew up in North Wales but moved to Dresden (which is why your mention of Radebeul pricked my ears up). I started life (after school) as a Toolmaker in Llandudno North Wales. In 1999, I moved to Taiwan in the Semicon field and finally accepted a Job offer in the Semi-Con Industry in Dresden working from the local field office of the worlds leading Dutch Semi-Con wafer exposure machines. I actually lived in a Motel apartment in Radebeul for the first 3 months here (while I sorted an apartment and got my furniture and possessions shipped here). It is a very small world though, since my Great Grandmother was actually born in Dresden (Pirna) and my first trip to Dresden was a spur of the moment thing after a German Friend from Hamburg invited me to his aunt's in Berlin (after the wall fell). Having seen the wall being chipped away by people with hammer's and chisels (and catching many many painted bits (which got handed out as souvenirs to my Family & Friends that Christmas / New Year). My Friend asked if there was anywhere I wanted to go, I replied instantly, "Yes, Dresden!". He recognised and remembered my family history that I had told him, so we got an (old DDR Train to Dresden, spent some hours taking photos and walking about, taking in some of my heritage. I left with a slightly heavy heart; never realising that I would get the chance to come and live here (and yes, I have found my Gt Grandmother's Birth records) and my second Daughter was born here in the same City as her Gt. Gt. Grandmother.
Dresden is an amazing city. I’m an American but worked in Chemnitz, and i would drive to Dresden to attend their big “American” car show. One of the most surreal experiences I’ve ever had. Lol. But it’s incredible knowing how flattened Dresden was, that it was completely rebuilt.
Or even kick in a single donation through PayPal, now and then. You pay for other entertainment, donate to this channel. His entertainment is better than Most! Ya'll Take Care and be safe, John
Gerolf, Quality video as usual! Wanted to say thanks as I just received a belated Christmas present from my better half (Nicci) and to my surprise it was one of your tool boxes! It will be put to good use! Thanks again :)
I worked for Black and Decker from late 70s to early 0s and it didn't matter which tool they were all had high heat grease inserted. Hope you do find this helpful. We used to manufacture over 14 million units a year, now unfortunately the factory has been demolished and only a returns / guarantee repair unit is left in our area.
Keep them coming! Always enjoy the mix of history lesson and practical repair information. Also, the way your videos follow your own curiosity and desire to learn keeps them interesting. Definitely a winning formula, imo. Safe travels!
I had a very similar problem with jigsaw blades. I had an older jigsaw and the blades for it just aren't made anymore. All the newer jigsaws here in the US have quick connect blades. Mine is the type that uses a set screw to keep the blade in. Nobody makes those blades anymore.
I’m American but i used to work for a company located in Chemnitz. I had the opportunity to go to the industrial museum there showing how industrious and smart some of their solutions for materials shortages.
20 - 30 years ago if someone told me one day I would sit captivated watching someone refurbish/repurpose German tools, I would have thought they were insane! This is an awesome channel! Thanks for all your videos!
Thanks for this, Mr P A Inventor! Fascinating glimpse to the past. I have the Prazi Hobbymat milling machine from GDR, about 1980. This desk-top mill is quite popular around the world with hobby machinists and small facilities like university labs. Apparently it was made and sold for export at a very reasonable price with the objective of being a 'class act' and advertisement for the superior East German industry. And well . . . it's actually quite good!
That tool box was probably some ones hard earned pride and joy at one time. I'm a retired aircraft mechanic with quite a collection of tools myself, mainly structural repair and sheet metal fabrication tools. I love this. 🙂
i got a smalcalda system 450 at home that i inherited from my grandpa. i got the brush cutting, belt sander and even the tablesaw accessories for it. i also got an HBM 250 with the convertible table mount system for it. its a mini lathe, grinding wheel, drill press, circular saw and even has a flexible axle to be used as a dremel like tool! these are great tools and near indestructible took me quite a while to find all parts when we cleared out my grandparents home and then some to figure out what goes with what and get it back in working condition... sadly i am missing some minor parts here and there but i still got the stuff i had functional
If anyone's interested in old DDR consumer goods, as well as the professional broadcast electronics, AND the people behind them - go visit the Industriesalon Schöneweide in Berlin, in the former factory that first made radio tubes and later made Samsung CRTs. The people who volunteered there (at least who were there 5 years ago) have awesome stories to tell and take great pride in the products they once made.
Die Smalcalda Ringschlüssel sind wirklich ausgezeichnet, die benutze ich noch heute. Aber die Maulschlüssel haben sich doch sehr schnell aufgebogen. Und die Griffe mancher Schraubendreher da löst sich die Plaste auf. Die Qualität heutiger Werkzeuge ist da schon besser.
I too have a bit of fondness for things from the GDR that started in 1982 when I bought an MZ TS250 Supa 5 motorcycle. Things developed, if you can call it that when I became a university student in 1986 and was relatively poor and reliant on what were called 'cheap shops' for kitchen equipment. I soon acquired several frying pans of DDR origin, (not too bad in terms quality) and saucepans (not that wonderful, being made of very thin aluminium). Later came a iron, a toaster and a food mixer, all of which I still have and use, so I guess their quality can be gauged by that. During the mid 80s many of the shops selling household goods at the cheaper end of the market sold products made in the GDR, and most of them were at least as good as their western equivalents, but much cheaper.
i recently restored a VEB Textima Knitting Machine. Works as new again 🙂 There is still a company left which takes care of the last remaining electric models and still offers spare parts.
what i love about this channel is not only do we get to see him fix old tools and repair electronics we get a really informative german lesson and I'm completely here for it.
I have found two exactly similar tool cases loaded with Smalcalda branded tools in my grandfather's shop. They must have been exported to west germany for a while because he lived in Baden Wurttemberg his whole life. Fun fact, I brought one of his Smalcalda hammer over to Canada and I use it everyday in my shop, very handy.
It never ceases to amaze me what people will throw away Great video brother thank you for sharing your knowledge and expertise and hello from Detroit Michigan USA
Fantastic video as usual! In add to the interesting work you already do, you are an historian as well! Many thanks and a warm hello from Middle America
Gerolf, I just got a pair of pliers that had the clear red handles like in your video, but they were also a wire cutters as well, and say Germany on them.
A fascinating overview of the eastern German tool factories. I served in one of the Baltic sea units in former eastern Germany not that long ago. Some of the tools still said they were made in east Germany. So they apparently had to be quite durable. Vielen Dank für die Mühe, die Du Dir gemacht hast!
Great video again! Nice to see even a glimpse of the less known (in some parts of the world) Slovenian manufacturer 'Unior', besides all those also quite unknown to me DDR brands. It's very interesting to see what was still made behind the iron curtain. Asianometry recently had a nice video about semiconductor manufacturing over there. ( How Semiconductors Ruined East Germany ) Can highly recommend!
Ah! I (from the netherlands) have some Unior pliers that have been in my tool box for decades. Good quality. The chrome finish is extremely tough and the blue plastic grips are still as good as ever. I've always wondered where they came from, just never bothered to so a search for the brand name.
@@mfbfreak It's mostly sold here to farmers. But interestingly they also have a line of bicycle tools, not found at any current big German names. So also many bicycle (web)shops sell it. Eldi from Wuppertal used to make lots of such tools, but they disappeared long ago.
This Smalcalda wrenches ar really good, we still use them at work, this wrenches arn't as big as modern spechely shanks are smaller and thethickness. The crazy thing is, even if ther build weaker than modern they bend an slip less, the 12 point socket set is also in dayli use
I love the music at the beginning and end of the video! You put so much attention to detail into your videos, a pleasure to watch. What a wonderful tools and still going strong after some.... here it is again .... some attention! The history lessons behind those tools is also really nice. Thanks for the message of appreciation to older (quality made) tools and history.
This kind of stuff has always held a bit of fascination for me. The history mostly, but also because of my family history as well. My mother was born in Berlin before the wall went up. She had to make a decision and left her family behind to sneak through checkpoint Charlie with false paperwork. She married a guy in the us army and here I am now in the USA. Anyway thank you for the trip and all the information.
Always enjoy your content and history lesson! Such as erroneously believing that Yugoslavia was a Warsaw Pact member. Hope you are well and am excited to see the generator rebuild.
ive been watching alot of your videos lately some more than once ,ive been finding some great stuff on the roadside fixing and restoring to ,thanks for giving me the drive and passion for my hobbie ,
As an American, all I ever heard about the GDR was something like "it's all crap". Your video shows that while none of their tools were cutting edge - ergonomics be damned - they still got the job done. thank you for this insight!!!
I'm from Slovenia and I love watching your channel. A quick sidenote on the Unior wrench... considering it is written as Unior, you found a decently new tool from the noted Slovene factory, which started existing in 1970s with this name. I looked them up and did some homework a while ago when I was restoring my grandfather's old tools, from the same factory and same logo (Z) but a different name (Orodja Zreče), which means that the tools my grandpa used must have been forged between 1950s and 1970s. I also found a large number of variants with slightly differing design at my other grandfather's shop. I also found some Tang tools, Hazet, Stahwille and some other German tools too, which I found interesting to say the least. In any way I find great satisfaction from knowing I get to use tools that those who came before me used as well. Some of which (I'm more into woodworking) are several hundred years old (some planes) and still work like a charm. :)
EP grease commonly known as HTB (High Temperature Bearing) grease ie common grease. Go to the parts store and just buy any old grease that you can use in wheel bearings which is the most common and cheapest grease. Probably doesn't matter in a drill used once a week really as long as there's a bit of fat in there LOL. BTW, I lust for that mower attachment for the drill I must admit.
Actually the EP designation stands for "Extreme Pressure" for heavy surface tension, metal to metal or heavy load bearing and the grease's ability to resist higher temperature as well!
2:00 got this one! A very nice drill, I put it in a stand and use it as a drill press. You recombobulated those power tools so nicely :) Having lived in Poland all my life, I often came across East German gear. Got some of it around my lab. A Soemtron calculator or a CZJ Spekol 11 spectrophotometer, said drill, or heaps of relays or other electronic components. I sometimes see online ads for items where the seller thinks RFT, TGL or VEB is a brand name, haha! RFT is very much like our Unitra in that regard: it was not any particular factory, but a conglomerate of state-owned companies. 20:50 oh, I hate those caps! Pitch-sealed paper, they get leaky and totally unreliable. Oh, you may try using Miflex KSPpz series noise suppression filters too. They are still around and were there in the PRL days :). BTW. Unior is a familiar brand to me, since I've done the bike mechanics stuff. Good luck on your trip!
I hope this doesn't sound too weird. But I actually play your videos to help me fall asleep. Something about your narration and the sounds of tinkering reminds me of a radio station and allows me to drift off. You typically turn the loud sounds down so the mix is perfect for this. Probably the most random comment!
Great history lesson. I really enjoyed this. Thanx for your efforts. Not sure if you have ever seen this technique but you can use super glue with baking soda to repair things and they will be much stronger with the combination. It makes a hard material that can be used for repairing plastic and other things like the switch body you glued with added strength. You can build the part up with this material then file or sand it back to original shape if needed. I try to leave additional material for added strength and support for the repaired part.
Just posting a comment to work those algorithms. I watch your videos all of the time and I appreciate you teaching us how to recycle electronics and other tech.
And let us not forget the biggest engineering triumph of the GDR; the Trabant......... (and by triumph, I am of course using a tone of sarcasm in my head typing that... :P )
Eibenstock is well known here among tilers and bricklayers. Worked with their surface grinders. Excellent tools, up there with Fein. One of the go to brands if you need to cut, grind or route in hard materials... Greetings from Denmark
I have a set of small electricians tools that are stamped "West Germany". i have no information about them at all except that my great grandpa got them at some point. the set includes a very tiny pipe wrench that seems too small to actually be used for anything (its maybe 5 inches long end to end)
Thank you so much for the great toolbox and wrench! I've started using it for all my tools now and it works so much better than the old toolbox I had. They really don't make them like they used to. Hope you overcharged a bit; I hope I contributed a bit to your finances too 🙂
Thank you for confirming some power tool gear grease information. I have found it difficult to obtain NLGI ratings for consumer grease sources here in USA.
I forgot how long older drills in particular used to "run on," after releasing the trigger. First drill I ever used was a Zephyr and it was older than Moses' sandals but still packed a punch.
Thanks for this video. It was very interesting to hear the history behind the tools. They do seem to be robustly made. Enjoy your trip in Mexico. Hopefully people will contact you and you will show you all the interesting places to see. All the best, Mart in England.
I grew up in Argentina , in 1963 as the iron curtain went up , the last great job of Winston Churchill, DKW moved south to set up a plant in Santa Fe to produce their line of vehicles , cars and light trucks , they were Fwd. 3 cylinder 2 stroke Auto Union of the time ,, I remember seen those tools around in mechanics shops when I was a child !!!
Some of my favorite tools are German. Most of my cordless tools are Bosch, and I absolutely love my Wera tools. Wera is very expensive, but they make such cool kits.
i went to berlin in the 1990s and went to a flee market where there where millions of spanners and tools, got two ring spanners smalcalda 24 /27 & 30 /32 2 deutch mark each bargain seeing as a so called good spanner is £30 plus uk... customs didnt like it in my hand luggageincase i beat the pilot🙄 checked it in and 30 years later still using those bad gdr boys. great video
Greetings from Slovenia (right next to the Soča river ;)! Unior is a quite good quality tool maker (for the most part) and is widely used in our country. Keep up the good work! Love your videos
I recently acquired a USSR-made wrench from a thrift store. I tried to use it to loosen a bolt on a bike, but I was unable to do so. To gain more leverage, I utilized an equally old French Peogeot wrench alongside the USSR wrench. Afterward, it was apparent that the USSR wrench's metal was much softer, as it was marred by the French wrench. Additionally, I have a Smalcalda pincer and GDR-made bicycle pump that I found in the trash. Both of these items look to be very durable, but upon closer inspection, their finish is poor, with uneven holes and many casting marks.
Loved the idea of lawn mower combined with a power drill :D Which is a perfect example of a thoughtful Resource management, since the GDR struggled continuous shortage of resources most tools where designed to last long and be repairable. There are warehouses full of GDR tools where you can buy them, because some people prefer them over newer ones.
@@uwejacobs6587 UNIOR and ISKRA are Slovenian companies. :) And while UNIOR is still a brand with high international reputation, ISKRA is merely a shadow of its former self these days.
At 2:06 I say 'separated into occupation zones', not ' separated in two occupation zones'. Sorry if I didn't pronounce that clear enough. It was four zones in total and three of them were later transformed into what was known as West-Germany. I didn't mention that, becaus this video is not about West Germany, but about the Soviet zone and later the GDR.
Thank you for another amazing video sir! I so appreciate your work.
I watched this video recently which I think explains how a native English speaker would distinguish "into" and "in two", I hope you enjoy it :)
ruclips.net/video/EaXYas58_kc/видео.html
were it meant to say "separated in two occupation zones" one would have said "separated into two occupation zones" so I heard you loud and clear. You could also say "it was separated in two." and that would be grammatically (but not historically) correct.
That was a pretty good video intro @TPAI !! I must say that when I was stationed in Germany, it was still
the DDR and GDR, thus it was still part of the "Cold War Era" and it wasn't until I returned to the States
until February of 1989 that I would come to realize that soon such changes were about to take place.
So yeah, does this video does bring back so memories! I also had a blue scissor style hinged toolbox
that I bought while i was there! The only problem now though is that someone stole it from me and boy
was I ever pissed! I just want you to know that I always enjoy your work and videos any way I can get it!
I followed your Channel now quite a while and your videos never stops to amaze me. The beautiful balanced way that you mix history with electronics, tips and tricks, experimental problem solving, remains nothing but amazing and awe inspiring to witness. The masterful way you convey your insights, craftsmanship and your obvious respect for the hardworking men and women who led us here, is honourable to watch. I often feel ashamed that my somewhat dire financial situation limits the way I'm able to support creative people like you. But understand that I choose my words carefully, optimistically wanting them to have a positive impact.
I hope you give yourself time to reflect, especially after a good day of work, and truly enjoy, the sometimes silent reward, inspiring strangers is. Thanks for your videos !! Enjoy your weekend.
Been following along with your adventures for several years now young man (I'm old enough to be your father) and I will make two points: 1) I respect your ambition and execution. 2) Your English is quite good and I have little if any difficulty understanding what you are saying (you also speak American pretty good as well 😉)
When I was a boy, we lived in West Germany and visited our relatives in East Germany. I remember "shopping tools in the GDR" from that time. Let's say you need a 14mm wrench and you go to a tool shop. Maybe, likely, they didn't have a 14mm wrench. But maybe they had a 13mm / 18mm wrench or some strange combination like that. And what did you do? You bought it! Because maybe you need such wrench in the future sometime and maybe then they have only 14mm wrenches. That was real life over there at that time. And it was not just one shop. You could visit 5 different shops in towns many kilometers away from each other and you were just not able to find that 14mm wrench anywhere. So whoever had that toolbox at that time was probably very proud to have collected all those different wrenches over time.
In the past, a 13 mm wrench was simply widened to 14 mm on the grinding machine. It was that simple.
Huh, sounds exactly like parts shopping in today's third world.10 different shops, none of them have that one tool you need!
I've always wondered why so many tool say "made in Germany " in english?
@@hanksmith4065 It's been kind of a standard to use English for that purpose for a very very long time, when it was intended for export. People generally knew what "made in" meant even if they didn't otherwise understand English.
Chances are, you still can use tools made in E.Germany 40 years ago while your brand new Bosch tool will barely live till warranty period expires
As a child growing up in Australia in the 50s, I was fascinated by my father's and grandfather's workshops, and the tools and equipment therein. I inherited it all when they passed away, and am still using it over seventy years later (some of the tools are well over a century old). I have an eclectic mix of British, American and European objects, from wooden planes to a 60 year old arc welder, which are all still in constant use; and it's great to see someone who values and maintains the old technology that was generally designed to last! I really enjoy your repair-a-thons - I hope you keep them coming!
My father came from your era and on that side of the family they migrated from Prussia around the 1900's, my grandfather though you wouldn't have trusted to fix very much! Dad however was a mechanic from the mid-late 60's and his fairly extensive toolboxes and power tools mostly came from Australian manufacturers. Most of those companies got sold off to the Americans and Taiwan back in the 80's so they don't really exist like they used to and there's a couple of the really old Black & Decker drills from that period which still work fine if you don't mind snapping a wrist.
My WIA Miniarc welder is an Australian brand as well which still works ok, its not exactly a subtle or complicated machine so its probably why it lasted so long.
All the hand tools though are sort of what you expect, well used but have the kinds of tolerances, material and manufacturing which is extremely good and would probably be worth a lot of money, not that I'd ever sell them.
Greetings from Sydney! 😊 It's really impressive that you not only have high-quality tools, but also ones that hold sentimental value for your family. 🙌 It's a shame that tools like those aren't made anymore. 😔ls like those aren't made anymore.
This video is why I love this channel. It’s so much more than a build /restoration channel. It’s an amazing history channel that dives into the social sciences all in a beautifully edited and filmed short movie.
Thank you TPAI!!! Let’s go Saturday morning!!!!!!
Couldn't have put it better myself. Not only do I get my repair fix I get a history lesson, and often one that I would otherwise never know living in Canada.
Nice episode. Brings back memories from my childhood when DDR tools were considered the best compared to our eastern block ones. Last October I found a working VEB Robotron drafting table working in our companies sheet metal workshop, and some other older German (east and west) equipment.
Ich habe immer noch die Elektrohandbohrmaschine System 450 Smalcalda und die funktioniert noch. Die habe ich in Erfurt gebraucht gekauft in 1991. Ein Schmuckstück 😂😂😂
8:21 "Klucze nasadowe" Thats polish made socket set from Lubań in southwest of Poland. From logo itself must be ancient. In Poland auction sites you still can find old WMW and other old german tools for sale. They do often cost quite the money and need some love to fix them. From drills to industrial machines.
I found a set of these in my step dads basement and actually let me take it :D
8:16 what a beauty; all parts still in place. I have a Gedore socket set I purchased age 18 in 1975 but it needs the TPAI treatment. Another interesting video, have fun in Mexico and thanks.
Hey, really great to see you covering tools from our side of the country, because they are very good imo.
On the topic of companies: WMW which stands for Werkzeugmaschinen und Werkzeuge, was the Kombinat that all metal tool production was done under. From little clamp on vises for the home craftsman, to machine tools of all sizes, to entire rolling mills, and die presses. WMW encompased several other Kombinate, which focused on different fields (one made lathes, one made mills, one made files, one made wrenches and other simple forgings, etc.) Smalcalda was one of them, they made hand tools and simple powertools.
My entire machine shop (large engine lathe, universal mill, a multipurpose machine called a DBF Gerät, similar to the Hommel UWG series, as well as die grinders, hand drills etc.) is all made in GDR, and they are all great machines.
If you want to know more about WMW and stuff like that, feel free to ask
Hello, would like to know if they would also be available to consumers of the post with information? But I'm not sure if a "WERKÖ SWU 200" belonged to WMW.
@@raikbusse7697 Yes, the SWU 200 was a universal tool grinder, produced in various plants, under the Brandname "Werkö" (Werkzeugfabrik Königssee) which in itself was a subsidiary of WMW.
I was born in Canada. I lived in Germany for 10 years. My parents come from Berlin. Is a child I visited East Germany very often. I had family on the other side. However believe it or not a lot of East German products were sold in Canada. Usually under a pseudonym a different name. Most of the tools were sold in Canada at Eaton's that no longer exists. They went bankrupt in the 90s. they sold many things from East Germany. Dishes and fabrics and certain other items. Of course they had a different name. Even a different logo. But you would still find the gdr on some of the stampings of their tools and mixers. Yes they even sold kitchen supply items to Canada. Many of these products where put together in Canada. Sounds weird but you can have a product. Put together in your country and it's no longer made in East Germany it's now made in Canada. For instance if you packaged all your items into one box. When the box would be dismantled. And the items would all be put together in a simple carton with the item in the box it is now made in Canada. It's just like the Polish people buying cars in Germany dismantling them and then putting them back together again when they reach Poland. They used to do this to save on tax money. you also mention Western Products. East German products were Western Products. 90% of their products were sold to the West. Most Germans don't know this who lived in West Germany. Just like China now sells the world East Germany sold everything to the world.
Yep, neighbour grew up in East Germany. He said that even if you had the cash to buy the products they were just were not in the stores. Empty shelves everywhere. It took his family a year to find enough wallpaper to redo the lounge. of course they were all different patterns. 😅 Communism is wild.
Nazi
That's right, GDR goods were sold in our Neckermann catalogue. The GDR was more capitalistic than expected.
Nazi Ukraine
I'm in Estonia, which was also part of the Soviet Union. I really like your videos and I hope that one day I am as successful on RUclips as you are. God bless you.
I had a friend\work colleague from Estonia in New Zealand! The world is a small place aye. I'm a big fan of Arvo Pärt!
Sa pole ainuke siin kanalil😀
Põnev!
@@T.leinus Ei ole tõesti
Слава СССР !
Ein Teil meines Lebens . Jetzt soll ich alles in den Müll werfen . Viele Handwerkzeuge davon habe ich auch noch Werkzeugmaschinen und Werkzeuge (WMW) , VEB Werkzeugunion Steinbach-Hallenberg . Danke für das Video .
I like these GDR tools and machines, they have more quality and better design than the el-cheapos we get these days. Back in the 1970's we lived in the Emirates and sometimes GDR products would turn up in the shops, maybe imported by a business or a ship crew bringing them. I also remember seeing that 'VEB' on those products manufactured in the east.
It stood for Volks Eigener Betrieb, -Peoples Own Business (my translation)
As soon as I wrote this I thought Peoples Own Enterprise might be better.
I was flying for a Canadian Airline in 1989, and we were on a two day layover in Amsterdam. Myself, and my old airforce buddies, were glued to the TV for they whole time watching the demonstration at the Berlin Wall, and then watching them begin to tear it down. It was a surreal experience, and we really didn't believe that was how the Eastern bloc was going to end.
I thoroughly enjoyed watching this tool episode. You didn't speak to the quality of the tools, and I would have been interested in learning that.
I have a couple of 35mm cameras that were made in Dresden, a couple of Exactas, and a practika, the workmanship and the Jena lenses were excellent quality, and I always wondered about the quality of the other machine tools. Thanks for the informal history lesson..
This man is amazing along his videos. He always bring the good parts of the pasts without opening the wounds.
Just don't mention the war.
@@jo300hn You can mention the war; just not who really engineered it all, from behind the curtain.
@@jo300hn "I mentioned the war once, but I think I got away with it"
Hope you can get hold of a lawnmower attachment to the drill. What an awesome and hilarious attachment. I saw that attachment at the DDR museum in Berlin and have been wondering how well it functions
Fascinating, Thanks. I've seen similar tools from time to time in the toolboxes of local Engineer colleagues of mine over the last 23 years. I grew up in North Wales but moved to Dresden (which is why your mention of Radebeul pricked my ears up). I started life (after school) as a Toolmaker in Llandudno North Wales. In 1999, I moved to Taiwan in the Semicon field and finally accepted a Job offer in the Semi-Con Industry in Dresden working from the local field office of the worlds leading Dutch Semi-Con wafer exposure machines. I actually lived in a Motel apartment in Radebeul for the first 3 months here (while I sorted an apartment and got my furniture and possessions shipped here). It is a very small world though, since my Great Grandmother was actually born in Dresden (Pirna) and my first trip to Dresden was a spur of the moment thing after a German Friend from Hamburg invited me to his aunt's in Berlin (after the wall fell). Having seen the wall being chipped away by people with hammer's and chisels (and catching many many painted bits (which got handed out as souvenirs to my Family & Friends that Christmas / New Year). My Friend asked if there was anywhere I wanted to go, I replied instantly, "Yes, Dresden!". He recognised and remembered my family history that I had told him, so we got an (old DDR Train to Dresden, spent some hours taking photos and walking about, taking in some of my heritage. I left with a slightly heavy heart; never realising that I would get the chance to come and live here (and yes, I have found my Gt Grandmother's Birth records) and my second Daughter was born here in the same City as her Gt. Gt. Grandmother.
Dresden is an amazing city. I’m an American but worked in Chemnitz, and i would drive to Dresden to attend their big “American” car show. One of the most surreal experiences I’ve ever had. Lol. But it’s incredible knowing how flattened Dresden was, that it was completely rebuilt.
I can't believe videos like this are free! This guy is so amazing. Every video is a 10/10.
they aren't
shame those stars don't get from the platform owner enough appreciation.
Stay safe duderino
U could contribute to his Patreon fund.
Or even kick in a single donation through PayPal, now and then. You pay for other entertainment, donate to this channel. His entertainment is better than Most!
Ya'll Take Care and be safe, John
Eine kleine Zeitreise, wirklich sehr interessant!
Gerolf, Quality video as usual! Wanted to say thanks as I just received a belated Christmas present from my better half (Nicci) and to my surprise it was one of your tool boxes! It will be put to good use! Thanks again :)
Hey Nicci, yo happy to hear it got there safely and in time. Please send my best regards to him! Cheers, Gerolf
Love that old tools, that are made to last for a long time and easy to repair. The military Trabant at 6:57 looks so steampunk :)
Enjoy your trip to Mexico. It's always a pleasure to watch your videos and hear you talking about history and technology!
What a great way to start my Saturday. Hope all is well. Thank you
I worked for Black and Decker from late 70s to early 0s and it didn't matter which tool they were all had high heat grease inserted. Hope you do find this helpful. We used to manufacture over 14 million units a year, now unfortunately the factory has been demolished and only a returns / guarantee repair unit is left in our area.
Keep them coming! Always enjoy the mix of history lesson and practical repair information. Also, the way your videos follow your own curiosity and desire to learn keeps them interesting. Definitely a winning formula, imo. Safe travels!
I had a very similar problem with jigsaw blades. I had an older jigsaw and the blades for it just aren't made anymore. All the newer jigsaws here in the US have quick connect blades. Mine is the type that uses a set screw to keep the blade in. Nobody makes those blades anymore.
I’m American but i used to work for a company located in Chemnitz. I had the opportunity to go to the industrial museum there showing how industrious and smart some of their solutions for materials shortages.
20 - 30 years ago if someone told me one day I would sit captivated watching someone refurbish/repurpose German tools, I would have thought they were insane! This is an awesome channel! Thanks for all your videos!
Thanks for this, Mr P A Inventor! Fascinating glimpse to the past. I have the Prazi Hobbymat milling machine from GDR, about 1980. This desk-top mill is quite popular around the world with hobby machinists and small facilities like university labs. Apparently it was made and sold for export at a very reasonable price with the objective of being a 'class act' and advertisement for the superior East German industry. And well . . . it's actually quite good!
That tool box was probably some ones hard earned pride and joy at one time. I'm a retired aircraft mechanic with quite a collection of tools myself, mainly structural repair and sheet metal fabrication tools. I love this. 🙂
i got a smalcalda system 450 at home that i inherited from my grandpa. i got the brush cutting, belt sander and even the tablesaw accessories for it.
i also got an HBM 250 with the convertible table mount system for it. its a mini lathe, grinding wheel, drill press, circular saw and even has a flexible axle to be used as a dremel like tool!
these are great tools and near indestructible took me quite a while to find all parts when we cleared out my grandparents home and then some to figure out what goes with what and get it back in working condition...
sadly i am missing some minor parts here and there but i still got the stuff i had functional
If anyone's interested in old DDR consumer goods, as well as the professional broadcast electronics, AND the people behind them - go visit the Industriesalon Schöneweide in Berlin, in the former factory that first made radio tubes and later made Samsung CRTs.
The people who volunteered there (at least who were there 5 years ago) have awesome stories to tell and take great pride in the products they once made.
Die Smalcalda Ringschlüssel sind wirklich ausgezeichnet, die benutze ich noch heute. Aber die Maulschlüssel haben sich doch sehr schnell aufgebogen. Und die Griffe mancher Schraubendreher da löst sich die Plaste auf. Die Qualität heutiger Werkzeuge ist da schon besser.
I too have a bit of fondness for things from the GDR that started in 1982 when I bought an MZ TS250 Supa 5 motorcycle. Things developed, if you can call it that when I became a university student in 1986 and was relatively poor and reliant on what were called 'cheap shops' for kitchen equipment. I soon acquired several frying pans of DDR origin, (not too bad in terms quality) and saucepans (not that wonderful, being made of very thin aluminium). Later came a iron, a toaster and a food mixer, all of which I still have and use, so I guess their quality can be gauged by that. During the mid 80s many of the shops selling household goods at the cheaper end of the market sold products made in the GDR, and most of them were at least as good as their western equivalents, but much cheaper.
Always educational and a joy to watch. Enjoy your trip!
I always enjoy learning about East/West German history through your videos.
i recently restored a VEB Textima Knitting Machine. Works as new again 🙂 There is still a company left which takes care of the last remaining electric models and still offers spare parts.
So many lessons in one video. Love what you're doing . Thanks John
what i love about this channel is not only do we get to see him fix old tools and repair electronics we get a really informative german lesson and I'm completely here for it.
I have found two exactly similar tool cases loaded with Smalcalda branded tools in my grandfather's shop. They must have been exported to west germany for a while because he lived in Baden Wurttemberg his whole life. Fun fact, I brought one of his Smalcalda hammer over to Canada and I use it everyday in my shop, very handy.
Captions @17:56 😄. Nice video as always.
It never ceases to amaze me what people will throw away Great video brother thank you for sharing your knowledge and expertise and hello from Detroit Michigan USA
Fantastic video as usual! In add to the interesting work you already do, you are an historian as well! Many thanks and a warm hello from Middle America
I always learn something new watching your videos much love to you and safe travels
What strikes me is the quality of those old power tools. Even some name brands from today seem to avoid aluminum parts wherever they can.
Gerolf, I just got a pair of pliers that had the clear red handles like in your video, but they were also a wire cutters as well, and say Germany on them.
A fascinating overview of the eastern German tool factories.
I served in one of the Baltic sea units in former eastern Germany not that long ago. Some of the tools still said they were made in east Germany. So they apparently had to be quite durable.
Vielen Dank für die Mühe, die Du Dir gemacht hast!
Great video again! Nice to see even a glimpse of the less known (in some parts of the world) Slovenian manufacturer 'Unior', besides all those also quite unknown to me DDR brands. It's very interesting to see what was still made behind the iron curtain. Asianometry recently had a nice video about semiconductor manufacturing over there. ( How Semiconductors Ruined East Germany ) Can highly recommend!
Ah! I (from the netherlands) have some Unior pliers that have been in my tool box for decades. Good quality. The chrome finish is extremely tough and the blue plastic grips are still as good as ever. I've always wondered where they came from, just never bothered to so a search for the brand name.
@@mfbfreak It's mostly sold here to farmers. But interestingly they also have a line of bicycle tools, not found at any current big German names. So also many bicycle (web)shops sell it. Eldi from Wuppertal used to make lots of such tools, but they disappeared long ago.
This Smalcalda wrenches ar really good, we still use them at work, this wrenches arn't as big as modern spechely shanks are smaller and thethickness. The crazy thing is, even if ther build weaker than modern they bend an slip less, the 12 point socket set is also in dayli use
Thank you for the interesting video - always a pleasure to watch you bring new life to old tools.
I love the music at the beginning and end of the video! You put so much attention to detail into your videos, a pleasure to watch. What a wonderful tools and still going strong after some.... here it is again .... some attention! The history lessons behind those tools is also really nice. Thanks for the message of appreciation to older (quality made) tools and history.
Greetings from Mexico City, I just discovered your channel and I'm glad you are visiting the country.
IM FROM THE UNITED STATES, AND FIND YOUR CHANNEL VERY VERY INTERESTING, AND INFORMATIVE!
THANKS FOR SHARING!
👍👍
This kind of stuff has always held a bit of fascination for me. The history mostly, but also because of my family history as well. My mother was born in Berlin before the wall went up. She had to make a decision and left her family behind to sneak through checkpoint Charlie with false paperwork. She married a guy in the us army and here I am now in the USA.
Anyway thank you for the trip and all the information.
Always enjoy your content and history lesson! Such as erroneously believing that Yugoslavia was a Warsaw Pact member. Hope you are well and am excited to see the generator rebuild.
ive been watching alot of your videos lately some more than once ,ive been finding some great stuff on the roadside fixing and restoring to ,thanks for giving me the drive and passion for my hobbie ,
As an American, all I ever heard about the GDR was something like "it's all crap". Your video shows that while none of their tools were cutting edge - ergonomics be damned - they still got the job done.
thank you for this insight!!!
I'm from Slovenia and I love watching your channel. A quick sidenote on the Unior wrench... considering it is written as Unior, you found a decently new tool from the noted Slovene factory, which started existing in 1970s with this name. I looked them up and did some homework a while ago when I was restoring my grandfather's old tools, from the same factory and same logo (Z) but a different name (Orodja Zreče), which means that the tools my grandpa used must have been forged between 1950s and 1970s. I also found a large number of variants with slightly differing design at my other grandfather's shop. I also found some Tang tools, Hazet, Stahwille and some other German tools too, which I found interesting to say the least. In any way I find great satisfaction from knowing I get to use tools that those who came before me used as well. Some of which (I'm more into woodworking) are several hundred years old (some planes) and still work like a charm. :)
EP grease commonly known as HTB (High Temperature Bearing) grease ie common grease. Go to the parts store and just buy any old grease that you can use in wheel bearings which is the most common and cheapest grease. Probably doesn't matter in a drill used once a week really as long as there's a bit of fat in there LOL.
BTW, I lust for that mower attachment for the drill I must admit.
Actually the EP designation stands for "Extreme Pressure" for heavy surface tension, metal to metal or
heavy load bearing and the grease's ability to resist higher temperature as well!
@@craigtegeler4677 Yeah I know I'm a mechanic. EP is on every grease tub in every workshop I've ever worked in.
@@ThePaulv12 Gotcha! Thanks Paul!
2:00 got this one! A very nice drill, I put it in a stand and use it as a drill press.
You recombobulated those power tools so nicely :)
Having lived in Poland all my life, I often came across East German gear. Got some of it around my lab. A Soemtron calculator or a CZJ Spekol 11 spectrophotometer, said drill, or heaps of relays or other electronic components. I sometimes see online ads for items where the seller thinks RFT, TGL or VEB is a brand name, haha! RFT is very much like our Unitra in that regard: it was not any particular factory, but a conglomerate of state-owned companies.
20:50 oh, I hate those caps! Pitch-sealed paper, they get leaky and totally unreliable.
Oh, you may try using Miflex KSPpz series noise suppression filters too. They are still around and were there in the PRL days :).
BTW. Unior is a familiar brand to me, since I've done the bike mechanics stuff.
Good luck on your trip!
I hope this doesn't sound too weird. But I actually play your videos to help me fall asleep. Something about your narration and the sounds of tinkering reminds me of a radio station and allows me to drift off. You typically turn the loud sounds down so the mix is perfect for this. Probably the most random comment!
Amazing videos as usuall, I enjoyed the "flashback" music from the early eighties....thank you for that memories
Great history lesson. I really enjoyed this. Thanx for your efforts. Not sure if you have ever seen this technique but you can use super glue with baking soda to repair things and they will be much stronger with the combination. It makes a hard material that can be used for repairing plastic and other things like the switch body you glued with added strength. You can build the part up with this material then file or sand it back to original shape if needed. I try to leave additional material for added strength and support for the repaired part.
Just posting a comment to work those algorithms. I watch your videos all of the time and I appreciate you teaching us how to recycle electronics and other tech.
And let us not forget the biggest engineering triumph of the GDR; the Trabant.........
(and by triumph, I am of course using a tone of sarcasm in my head typing that... :P )
Thank you for sharing your passions. Love them.
Eibenstock is well known here among tilers and bricklayers. Worked with their surface grinders. Excellent tools, up there with Fein. One of the go to brands if you need to cut, grind or route in hard materials...
Greetings from Denmark
I have a set of small electricians tools that are stamped "West Germany". i have no information about them at all except that my great grandpa got them at some point. the set includes a very tiny pipe wrench that seems too small to actually be used for anything (its maybe 5 inches long end to end)
Great saves! It's so great how you revive the discarded. Love the sparks in the motor @19:04! haha
Thank you so much for the great toolbox and wrench! I've started using it for all my tools now and it works so much better than the old toolbox I had. They really don't make them like they used to.
Hope you overcharged a bit; I hope I contributed a bit to your finances too 🙂
Thank you for confirming some power tool gear grease information. I have found it difficult to obtain NLGI ratings for consumer grease sources here in USA.
I forgot how long older drills in particular used to "run on," after releasing the trigger. First drill I ever used was a Zephyr and it was older than Moses' sandals but still packed a punch.
I love your wonderful explanations of the tool manufacturers and the history lessons. Thanks TPAI! Great stuff.
Thanks for this video. It was very interesting to hear the history behind the tools. They do seem to be robustly made. Enjoy your trip in Mexico. Hopefully people will contact you and you will show you all the interesting places to see. All the best, Mart in England.
Watched you grow up to be a fine young man, I'm so proud of you.
All of your videos I automatically like as soon as I start them...
gerolf, thank you for the great video, loved the music and content of course.
hope you have a nice trip!
I grew up in Argentina , in 1963 as the iron curtain went up , the last great job of Winston Churchill, DKW moved south to set up a plant in Santa Fe to produce their line of vehicles , cars and light trucks , they were Fwd. 3 cylinder 2 stroke Auto Union of the time ,, I remember seen those tools around in mechanics shops when I was a child !!!
And now you are also my favourite DDR documentarist!
Pretty cool video and tools! I like the use of stock footage and the strichtarn uniforms.
In Australia.
I am not handy at all. I love your repair videos though.
Thanks for your content.
Great information, not just about the tools but about the world !!
In the US, "Morse Cone" is usually called Morse taper. (That's taper, not tapper.)
Some of my favorite tools are German. Most of my cordless tools are Bosch, and I absolutely love my Wera tools. Wera is very expensive, but they make such cool kits.
congrats on 500k subscribers. I love the pacing of your videos.
thx for sharing, really nice to see the restoration program :)
Another great video as always. Thanks so much for your efforts. Happy journeys!
Excellent video! Thanks for your time and effort. In one moment I was thinking you are on good way to rebuild DDR with their own tools =) .
As always good to see new episode with old tools repairs 👍 Have a good time in Mexico🇲🇽 🍹
Your videos are always great
i went to berlin in the 1990s and went to a flee market where there where millions of spanners and tools, got two ring spanners smalcalda 24 /27 & 30 /32 2 deutch mark each bargain seeing as a so called good spanner is £30 plus uk... customs didnt like it in my hand luggageincase i beat the pilot🙄 checked it in and 30 years later still using those bad gdr boys. great video
Nice to find an old generator and have it work so well. You did a great job in the restoration.
Greetings from Slovenia (right next to the Soča river ;)! Unior is a quite good quality tool maker (for the most part) and is widely used in our country. Keep up the good work! Love your videos
I really like your you tube blog , and I have a great admiration for Germany so keep up the great work and thanks!
I recently acquired a USSR-made wrench from a thrift store. I tried to use it to loosen a bolt on a bike, but I was unable to do so. To gain more leverage, I utilized an equally old French Peogeot wrench alongside the USSR wrench. Afterward, it was apparent that the USSR wrench's metal was much softer, as it was marred by the French wrench. Additionally, I have a Smalcalda pincer and GDR-made bicycle pump that I found in the trash. Both of these items look to be very durable, but upon closer inspection, their finish is poor, with uneven holes and many casting marks.
Still the best RUclips channel that exists 😀😀😀👍👍👍
Loved the idea of lawn mower combined with a power drill :D
Which is a perfect example of a thoughtful Resource management, since the GDR struggled continuous shortage of resources most tools where designed to last long and be repairable. There are warehouses full of GDR tools where you can buy them, because some people prefer them over newer ones.
There are also jigsaws, circular saw, sander and other things you can connect to these drills xD
As a slovenian I am suprised that you havent encountered more UNIOR tools and ISKRA tools.
He is from West Germany and stuff from former east Germany is hard to come by.
@@uwejacobs6587 UNIOR and ISKRA are Slovenian companies. :) And while UNIOR is still a brand with high international reputation, ISKRA is merely a shadow of its former self these days.
I can't wait to view this production. Thank you TPAI.
Love your videos always interesting i saw on youtube someone was using a blowlamp to refresh plastic have a safe trip
Regards
Steve UK London
Excellent video as usual - Thanks