Anybody remember AMT tools?

[Rick Potter]

One tool company that we don't hear much about here is AMT. I recall their advertising in magazines like Popular Mechanix for years. Somehow I got on their mailing list and they had their own catalog, selling machines like table saws, jointers, etc.

I got curious and googled them. They were a foundry that apparantly made castings for companies like Monkey Ward, Sears, and others. They started selling their own brand and the catalogs listed them without motors. You could use one of your own, or buy the optional motor, the optional saw wings, etc. Kind of like an A'la carte tool supplier.

Never bought any of their stuff, but they were around for years. Originally they cast their own tools, but in later years they farmed it out to Taiwan, just like everyone else.

I never owned one of their tools, but I wonder why they are never mentioned here? I also wonder why I have never seen one advertised on Craigs list.

Rick Potter

PS: Am I having a Senior moment? I seem to remember J. C. Penny selling power tools way back when.

[Bill White]

Funny you should ask. My scroll saw is an AMT. Probably had it 25 yrs. Hasn't really hard use, but the little feller is still kickin.
Bill

[Walter Plummer]

I still have my J.C, Penney block plane and spiral ratchet screwdriver. Maybe some other tools if I looked hard enough. Penney's sold everything just like Sears and Wards. Our store even had the auto center. I think in the early 80's they started doing away with tools, appliances, furniture, etc.

[Curt Harms]

I still have an AMT drill press vice. They were in Royersford, PA. when I bought the vice and a benchop jointer from them. They're still in business but selling pumps as a subsidiary of Gorman-Rupp.

http://www.amtpump.com/

[Dan Henry]

The AMT was my 1st table saw, mine was sold by Sears and had ball bearings the deluxe model. I put a 1 HP motor off of a radial arm saw on it, had good power when I advanced the wood too fast the belt would slip and made a lot pretty nice stuff with it. I got used to using framing square to set the fence. My son still has the saw and still works, must be 40 years old. I made a table for a friend and he still has the saw. As I reminder the saw with sleeve bearings sold for $9.95 and I paid 19.95 for the ball bearing model. Some tool for the money!!
Dan

[Ray Newman]

There also was the Gilliom Machinery Company that sold components to build wooden band saws and other woodworking tools.

Have not seen an advertisement or heard mention of Gilliom in years.

[Don Selke]

I remember them very well, and yes, they sold the tools without motors. I think that I read that the owner passed away some time ago and the family sold the business. As long as we are on memory lane, remember a company called Heathkit. they sold electronic kits. In my active amateur radio days, I built a lot of there equipment and it was good stuff.

[Jack Wilson50]

I built a Heathkit tuner and hooked it up to my power amp when I was in college. I used that think for about 10 years.

[Paul Wunder]

Great memories of Heathkit. Too bad their time has passed. In 1968, while my wife was pregnant we decided to buy a Heathkit color TV. I have no electronics knowledge or experience. It was the most fun project we ever did together. It took us about 40 hours to find and solder hundreds of resistors, capacitors and install all the tubes (remember tubes?) When we got it all together we turned it on and smoke came out of the back. We dragged the assembled TV back to Heathkit and they assessed it, repaired it and apologized because the smoke was due to a bad part. Fantastic TV.. Had it for 15 years. Whenever something went wrong with it, I would call Heathkit, tell them the symptoms and they would tell me to replace some $.25 resistor or a $2.00 tube. Great Company;great TV.

[Harvey Melvin Richards]

I remember AMT, never had anything to do with them. I still occasionally use my Monkey Wards router, it was actually made by Stanley, so most of my Bosch parts work with it. As for Heathkit, I still use the Heathkit soldering iron that I built when I was a preteen.

http://i811.photobucket.com/albums/zz35/HarveyMelvinRichards/SolderIronLarge.jpg

[Bill White]

Just remembered that I also have a Warrington-style hammer and an edge releiving tool from AMT.
Bill