It won't be long before the Acura has the special birthday, in a little over a month it will be 20 years old. I was chatting to a couple of friends last week and I told them about the compressor we have, well we have two, one very modern, made in China no doubt and the second, that I use to inflate tires and blow out dust bunnies on computers. I decided to take a photo or two for posterity.
It was bought at a Gibsons public auction 10 or 12 years ago, I think it was my $20 bid that was a bit too rich for all the other bidders, and this little baby became mine until the end of my tenure with it, whenever that may be, it is a piece of history that has been travelling through time and has ended up in my workshop.
It has travelled in time that is for sure, and space too, originally manufactured by Webster Air Equipment Ltd in London, Ontario. Webster founded in 1932 bought an Oakville die-casting company back in 1936 and through the passage of time sought CESA and then CSA applications for their various compressors. An approximate date of manufacture for mine would be between 1945 and 1955 based on a similar model on the web that was CESA approved. I am sure that model and serial number could help me find a more exact date, but information is often elusive.
This heavy little unit, with the little cart and wheels, but missing it's handle, holds a lovely warm place in my heart, it was from an age when we manufactured stuff like this in Canada, is built like a brick outhouse and will outlast us all, and of course, it still works like a champ. I think my $20 was a reasonable price....
