Early history of cordless tools?

[Stephen Tashiro]

Surely before there were commercial cordless tools, people tried to rig up their own. There must have been people who tried modifying an electric drill to run on 4 lantern batteries taped to its handle. Perhaps someone made a table saw run from four car batteries?

I'd like to hear stories of such efforts.

[Joe Pelonio]

Back in the 60's my father had an inverter that he could hook up to the car battery, not the nice compact flat ones like we all have now, but a big old round thing that was bigger than the '57 Chrysler car generator. Actually now I remember it made a motor sound so may have actually been a 12V powered alternator that put out 110.

He'd use power tools in it as well as sound systems for parades and sports events.