Collections
The through-line in all of these is the same: precision mechanisms built before the electronics that would later replace them, and the pleasure of getting one working again. Restoring them — cleaning, repairing, and adjusting decades-old mechanisms back into service — turns out to double as a genuinely effective way to unwind from engineering coursework: focused, hands-on, and close to a flow state. It was enough of a pattern that it became the subject of a class presentation on stress-reduction techniques.
Each list below reflects what I’ve catalogued so far, not the full extent of what I own. Missing years, serial numbers, and photos mean I haven’t logged that detail yet.
Typewriters
67 machines, spanning an 1890 Hammond Model 1 to mid-century portables — the largest and best-documented of the collections. See also 3D-Printed Type Elements for the replacement parts I’ve designed for several of them.
Pocket Watches
American pocket watches — Waltham, Elgin, Hamilton, Illinois — catalogued by movement grade, size, and jewel count, with railroad-grade movements called out.
Other Machines
Everything else mechanical: adding machines and calculators, sewing machines, electric fans, and cameras.