Carts, Carts, Carts...

Four of the main Workbench manufacturers also supplied carts that could accompany their merchandisers. Here are some of those models.

 
 

Shure seems to have only built this cart for a limited time.

Lincoln looks to have had three different styles of their “Servmobile”.

Graco’s are very rare, and we haven’t seen the “Tool Caddy” early model in the wild.

and finally, the cart built by Alemite, or as they referred to it the
“portable work bench”.

1930's Alemiters

Alemite offered these streamlined, roll-around, lubrication units in the later 30’s. Ties with Tecalemit influenced these early designs for the Company. The photos from the day show how one of these cabinets would have been a centerpiece for a garage.

 
 

Excelsior Workbenches

Three long-time friends in Australia embraced a dream and built these remarkable Work Stations from 2018-23. The design has its roots in the great history of these Merchandisers, and we applaud that they went out and actually accomplished this. Fabricated with heavy gauge steel and powdercoated, these modular cabinets are more sturdy than most built in the 40’s, and that is saying something.

We wish there was more of a market for this type newly built, high quality garage equipment out there. Perhaps in the future when Harbor Freight units are giving out, and more look back on the amazing era of post war design, the world may be ready again.

I am very lucky to be the custodian of one of their early proto-types (#001) and I go up to look at it daily.

Unknown Cabinets continued

Here are some more unidentified cabinets from ads and images we have collected. Our image archive now has nearly 5000 photos of these fine merchandisers and closely related lubrication equipment, but we do run into some that we cannot diagnose.

Do you know who any of these manufacturers are? Thank you

Barrett Brake Service Workstations

Barrette Brake-Dokter System consisted of carts, and there were also two different style workbenches to hold lathes and other precision service equipment.

There is small manufacturing ties to some of the Barrett equipment and that of Borroughs

United Motors Benches and Cabinets

United Motors made a few styles of workbenches over the years. Here are a couple and a bonus.

 
 

This beautiful stacked shelf cabinet consists of very hard to find sections. Thank you to a viewer of our site for sending this one over!

Auto-Lite Battery Display Racks

These distinctive Battery Display shelves built to show off Auto-Lite products were seen with individual manufactures names on them as well, ie. Packard like below.

The waterfall back design makes these an appealing addition to any garage.

American Brakeblok Workbenches

Brake components offered up with a work top bench and side cabinet storage. I have only seen four of these mid 40’s workbenches. They measure in at 4’ wide x 34” tall x 21” deep and have nice machine age rounded legs and trim.

As a Bonus; Here is a stylish Raybestos Brake Service bench as well.

AIR-BOY Lubrication Equipment

Produced in the 50’s out of San Fransisco, Air-Boy built these Oil Dispensing cabinets for dealerships. Most had four filling spouts, but we have seen one with six. Later models were smaller, lost the hyphen in the name and were manufactured in Denver, Co. There have been rumors of other AIR-BOY cabinets models, but we have yet to find any workbench configurations over the past decade.

Esso Map Cabinet

The Esso “Happy Motoring Travel Center”
Was a vertical cabinet offered to Esso Stations to display maps and help travellers.

Here is another travel desk made by Standard Oil:

 
 

Packard Workbench Display for Certified Re-Wiring Service

The 1940 Packard Wiring Equipment bench came with storage for spooled cable, battery and ignition cable as well as a soldering iron, voltmeter and bulb socket voltage adapter.

Sun Equipment Backgrounds

From 1948 into the ealry 50’s, the Sun Electric Corp. produced 5 different styles of Diagnosis cabinets. Built to house their varying testing equipment.

As touted in their ads;
”Modern as tomorrow, is the new eye-appealing Sun Utility Background that attracts customers to your new Diagnosis Department.”

I really enjoy that they were producing a large wall cabinet, with thought put into rolling your testers back in and out of these. Bumpers lined the lower alcoves, and the service desk area always had a catchy advertisement or wording.

3 Rare Cabinets Surface this Week

This week was a phenomenal one, as we got to see three scare units go up for sale, and gather some more history and images.

First up is this 1950/51 ARO Wall Cabinet

Next is a more intact example of this Unknown manufacturer, Alemite style doors, Oil Display Shelf Bench. This one still has history to give us, more to come…

Lastly is an extremely rare Borroughs Cabinet set. This is only the second Borroughs we have seen in the wild.

Aluminum Alemite Cabinets?

Yes, that is right! For a short amount of time, most likely in ‘46, Alemite built their side cabinets as well as back tool board area out of aluminum.

We are unsure why or if it was supply they had on hand. But this is yet another in a long line of oddities we have seen on the different makers work stations.

1945 Lincoln Large Emblem Workstations

When first introduced in ‘45 Lincoln’s new style Merchandiser posesed a large, concave back, emblem in the top center of the unit. In 1946, after the Series C’s, it was gone and the smaller emblem we all know took its place.

You can really see the size difference in this pic

Here are a few more images of the 1945 units.

 
 

Uncovered; New Style Workbench Found

This unique workstation has a 4 piece step-down roll door, side shelves, a top light-up window, small handels, and horizontal vents on the front of the bench.

Although sections of this unit, like the pull-down door, look similar to an Alemite I do not believe it was built by them. No known benches have flat stainless trim around them or venting. The side shelves and front vents make me think this may be repurposed from a kitchen unit, or was built as a mfg. display.

If you have ideas about a maker or what this cabinet may have been used for, please reach out!

Gilbarco Lubrication Cabinets

Gilbarco made a stylistic line of wall batteries and lube cabinets in the late 40’s. To date, we have not unearthed a merchandiser built by this company.

Here is a few examples of their smaller portable lubers and drains

New in April of 1948 the below Deluxe Tri-Lube Wall Battery was promised to speed up your work with Gilbarco’s heavy duty quality.

 
 

Kent-Moore stand alone bench

The seldom seen Service Bench that Kent-Moore produced with a tear-down backsplash and no side cabinets.