My Dad had a creative mind. One time he took on a contract to cut up a bunch of surplus steel plate for a fabrication shop. This was just after WW2. The drive system came from what Dad called a gun turret. Dad had some railroad car like wheels turned, at a local machine shop, for the 32 volt DC power unit. All four wheels are driven. The now carrier held an oxygen/acetylene counter balanced cutting torch and drove in a straight line on a length of 4 inch steel channel. If I remember correctly, Dad made this tool from war surplus pieces he bought at Princess Auto.
Princess Auto supplied a heavy duty generator that Dad converted into a PTO driven welder. Dad built a couple heavy duty shop screw clamps from surplus steam tractor parts and PA surplus.
Dad had two useless brothers. Dad often referred to the two of them as being as useless at tits on a boar. Out of meanness and to bug my Dad, the two useless brothers painted
NIKKINUTSHOP on Dad's shop. I took Nikkinutshop as my own. Dad said we should not raise family problems. My uncles were afraid to confront me because I was a frightening ball of fury and they dared not push their luck. I was 6'2" in grade 8 and 210 pounds and off-the-hook, so to speak.
Dad had me in his shop welding before I started grade one. Dad had two gasoline motor driven welders. One had a Ford Flathead V8 and the other had a Dodge straight 6. I stated grade one with glasses to correct my astigmatism.
Princess Auto used to sell lots of war surplus. The company is named Princess from the street the original store was on, in Winnipeg.
https://www.princessauto.com/en/?gclid= ... RkQAvD_BwE