Porter Cable Rockwell Finishing Sander

[Ken W.]

I don't usually pick up too many vintage power tools , but this was only a dollar. The plug has been replaced. It seems to work perfectly. When do you think this was made ??

[lptools]

Hello, Ken. I think that the Rockwell Plant here in Syracuse left town around the late 70's early 80's, and then headed to PA. Regards, Lou

[Bill Houghton]

Ken,

An acquaintance of mine on another forum who is a Porter-Cable expert says it was made around 1963.

[lptools]

Hello, Bill, Ken. I didn't see the Porter Cable above the Rockwell. Thanks for the correction.Regards, Lou

[Ken W.]

Cool. Thanks guys.

[Bill Houghton]

Hello, Bill, Ken. I didn't see the Porter Cable above the Rockwell. Thanks for the correction.Regards, Lou

It gets complicated, because Rockwell bought Porter-Cable in 1960, and the nameplates showed both names for a while, then, if I recall correctly, just showed Rockwell for a long time, then went back to Porter-Cable after the sale of the company/product line to Pentair.  Now that it's owned by Blackened Drecker, the name is associated with second line, not very impressive tools, or at least not the substantial professional tools of the company's glory days.

Fans of the old-school tools tend to call them Porter-Cable in honor of the history, regardless of the nameplate.

A short history: http://www.vintagemachinery.org/mfgindex/detail.aspx?id=650

[p_toad]

I had to laugh at "Blackened Drecker".    I have a pro line drill and saw of theirs from back before they bought those yellow tools and they're mighty nice and have held up well over the years (of course, still have my 1/4" drill i ran so hot the grease ran out; but i re-greased it and it still runs ok  )

[Bill Houghton]

Black and Decker was a great company at one time, but, when they decided to focus on the consoomer market, their products declined.  It took a while; some of the consumer-grade tools from the 1950s were and still are very good tools.  But from somewhere in the 80s on, their stuff has been, well, not so good.

[lptools]

Hello, Guys. I drive by the location of the old Porter Cable building here in Syracuse at least once a week, and I see the old Rockwell Plant about once a month. If I'm alone, I give them a nod, if I have a passenger, I usually bore them with the history of those sites. Regards, Lou