ARO Workbenches and their Different Styles

In 1948 ARO introduced this box top work station, that was built off of a Lincoln bench.

They complemented their portable lubrication line, but sadly only lasted a few years.

Sometime after 1950, they changed the side cabinet style to this round, short top, and added on a taller middle section and different marquee. You can see the Lincoln lower bench still being used.

By the mid 50’s the company was no longer putting out their own cabinets, but attaching their badges on Shure workbenches, with added reels underneath.

Mystery Cabinets - Can you ID them?

Here are a few unknown cabinets we wanted to share. If you have thoughts as to what they are or a manufacturer, please reach out to us.

First up are these two below Lubrication Ad wall units. The left one has an Alemite next to it but the unit isn’t from their line. The right one has ARO gear but a very cool Zephyr display shelf.

I haven’t found any maker close to the look or trim on this unique red service cabinet. There is no id plate on this unit.

This 1944 image from a Vancouver Dealership has always interested us. The handles and cabinets look like kitchen equipment.

The below image is also from the same repair shop, and it appears that they repurposed other household cabenitry behind this gentleman.

 
 

We know this strange red, horizontal opening cabinet was built by Kent-Moore, but what is it used for?

This last image has some cool vertical work stations with illuminated departmental signage.

Uncovered; Unique John Bean Visualiner Cabinet

We believe that this cabinet was produced before the standard Visualiner long cabinets were built. It appears that this cabinet was manufactured out of a Lincoln Merchandiser, with a longer top and wider side doors.
The bench, hinges, spacing, marquee signage, back bracing, and handle shapes all mirror the Lincoln’s.

John Bean probably commissioned Lincoln to make these benches for them, rather than modify them in-house after delivery. It is interesting that at this early stage they attempted to project right on the widened doors, only to later build in an alcove for each projection surface.

 
 

The car in this below promotional image looks to be a 1946 Buick Roadmaster. This would most likely put this interesting cabinet being tested out in ‘46 before the 1947 roll out of the standard above Visualiners.

Thanks to a friend of the site; Here are some images of a surviving version of this wide door Lincoln/Visualiner. There is a different rounded and thinner top trim as well as the spacers between the desk and side door have been swapped with wider sections.

There are still new merchandiser styles out there to be found…

Alemite later model emblems

What years did the last sytle cabinets have these round Alemite badges on their doors vs the cutout style? As well as how many were there?

Those are questions that I do not have a solid answers for. But, below is what I have gathered about them over these years.

 
 

You can see that the two emblems have different oriented mounting studs.

Almost half of the trim-topped cabinets that I have seen, without badges, possess 4 mounting holes in their doors. This would allow the company to use either of the two emblems.

Below are what the other half of the cabinets mounting holes look like. Just two vertical ones for the cutout A badge.

This non-round A emblem is present on all lower workbenches for the whole run from 1948-55.

The Round A door badge is present in a few ads in ‘49 and ‘50, But all other ads show the other style even over these same years.

 
 

Out of nearly 400 images of these cabinets - 35% less cabinets had the round circle than the A alone. These quantities would roughly mean the round emblem cabinet was produced for 3 years, and the other cutout style for close to 5 years.

My current guess would be that the Round emblem was in use from 1948-50 and the other from 1951-55, with the 4 mounting holes lingering just past 1951.


As door badges can go missing, the round ones are more readily available, because they are on the lubers produced through all these years.

Merchandiser Catalog Front Pages

A collection of all the main Workbench manufactures catalog front/ad pages. Recently, I found this Lincoln Engineering pamphlet from 1947, of all places for sale on Etsy.

Almost all of the companies referred to their work station cabinet units as Service Merchandisers, outside of Alemite and Balcrank.

Little seen Alemite options

Alemite offered a few add-ons or units that we have seldom seen.

This Bench has the optional 4” back panel, and the right has the built-in hose reel.

 
 

We have yet to see any of these early 40’s short, side cabinets out in the world.

This ad from Mexico shows the top window model with a built in Oil Bar option.

Finally a rare Alemite Vacuum, and the Super De Luxe stationary Service Desk.

Kent-Moore Emblems

We finally got our hands on a NOS emblem for a 1945 and above Merchandiser. These badges don’t fair well over the years, and we had yet to see what the true red color was til now.

Many of the emblems we see look discolored and worn away like the one on the right.

This is the best example we have seen of the the early 1940-45 Kent-Moore Orgination badge.

Graco Differences

Thru the years Graco made some very subtle tweaks to their Merchandisers. They are the only manufacturer to have this long of a production run and keep their Work Stations unchanged.

Here are two different ID plates; displaying the change from ‘47 to ‘48

The most common version of this bench came with lower square handles and this round bucket parts-washer.

In some of the later model Graco’s, the washing bin was a bowl shape, and the lower bench had a simple round pull knobs present.

About half of the models have an electrical plug on the back tool-board as well as the right side of the lower bench

Recently we found out that these Oil Bar benches, with the drain in them, were 4 inches less deep than the standard merchandiser benches

1950 Kent-Moore round top Workbenches

This Kent-Moore made its debut starting in Febuary of ‘50.

Built for at least three years; there was two configurations of this low style merchandiser. One with the side cabinets and another with just the rounded end caps instead.

 

This modular design and the one style of a right hand swing cabinet, allowed the company to offer these two models without building many extra components.

Lincoln Engineering Early Merchandisers

As early as March 1940, Lincoln started producing these deco styled workbenches.

They came with a built in front light, wall surround and a unique waterfall top marquee sign. These early door badges state Lincoln Systems.

 
 

The flip down door on the bench was for access to the parts washer bin.

Around ‘41 the company added in a left cabinet door on the front of the rounded top bench.

Sometime before ‘45, they included their straight sided desk into this model with the more standard double door access.

Alemite Service Memorabilia

Sharing some of the Alemite items we have collected over the years.

Here are a couple awards for years in the sales department

We now have over 50 different catalogs from their company

Their Service signs and a Custom glass set sent to us by a merchandiser friend

 
 

Rare Alemite Configurations

These unique variations on the layout of Alemite cabinets do not show up very often.

This Diagnosis merchandiser was sold by Allen as a package with their Electrical testers.

 

the only image we have found of one of these in use

A drawing and an image of a long Alemite lowboy layout with extra spacing between units

And lastly a new one for us; A double bench stretch top layout.

Cabinets that look like they belong with Merchandisers

These light-up back cabinets appear like they may be part of some long lost workbench, but they are actually part of a self-service ice cream cabinet from the 50’s. It looks as though a few different models were built by, companies like Schaefer, Coldin, Nelson, and Savage.

Another display cabinet with styling that could easily put it in with Lincoln’s and Alemite’s is this Smith’s welding supply cabinet.

 
 

I really like the curves and trim on these, but they are getting harder to find.

Another similar cabinet is this Westinghouse roaster. The one on the right has been customized to actually go with a Work Station.

Shure Mfg. Workstation Differences

Here are all of the different unit model numbers and style changes for these Shure Merchandisers from 1946 thru the late 50’s… Or is it possible that these cabinets were available to buy from the company up into the 1970’s?

If the model number ended in 50, that unit had sliding lower front doors instead of swinging.

Manufacturing changes are very small on these cabinets over the years. The hinges changed from a screwed in chrome hinge to a welded on two-piece pin style. The front of the bench had a thin inlayed stainless vertical trim on some of the chrome hinge units. And the handles went from sweeped to an arch style.

This later model has full length piano hinges on the cabinet doors and plastic handles.

A friend of the website found this interesting Shure catalog, that shows these styles of Workstation available for purchase in 1971. Is it possible they were still using the original tooling, or did they have overstock available? We are waiting to hear from the Company about this new development.

All Alemite Badges through the years

Here are the Alemite Emblems used from the 1930’s til the 70’s. From pumps and cabinets.

 
 

1930’s Lubester

1930’s Alemiter

1940 - 48 The Merchandiser years 1948 - 55

and 70’s

1950’s 60’s

They really stayed with this style “A” for quite some time, from 48’ up to almost the 60’s

Workbenches we have never seen photos of

Over the years, these are the two Merchandisers that we have been unable to find any real-world images of. Anyone out there seen one?

The 1940 Balcrank Service Salesman

And the 1946 AMPCO Mechanic’s Bench, from Amarillo TX

 
 

Also, here is an early styling Lincoln lube cabinet that we have yet to see.

Alemite's in use with Test equipment

Sun Equipment and other test units show up in many old dealership images, and these have some nice Alemite cabinets along with them.

Here is an interesting article about preventing shop fires, drawn over an early Alemite.

The Tecalemit / Alemite Connection

There was Lubrication Company that was established in Paris in 1922, that sold lubrication equipment under the name of Techla. Alemite was interested in their simple coupler clip design, and traded patents with them to get use in Europe. By the early 30's Tecalemit was in the UK and the main supplier of garage lubrication equipment.

The partnership influenced some Alemite units like this rounded lubrication island, with stripes in the late 30’s. Possibly sold by Tecalmit as well. A couple of these have been found in use up in Canada too.

The crossover continued with items like this “Handy Set” with their logo on it.

Tecalemit built a full line of Lubrication Wall Batteries, grease guns, and other service equipment. But sadly no merchandiser type cabinets.
I really do enjoy their lines, colors, and trim though.

It appears Tecalemit designs inspired other Alemite styles of the 30’s. Check out the top sign on this ‘38 Alemiter.