Things we used to do

[Gravity Aided]

carbon tetrachloride used to be used in certain types of fire extinguishers so is presumably quite good at outting out fires.

Somewhat unhealthy stuff I gather

Also used to use it in dry cleaning. So toxic, in the States, if you wish to remove a dry cleaning building and its tanks from a property, you also have to remove the surrounding soil. Last time I saw that done, it looked like they removed about 15 feet of soil. That is also treated as hazardous waste.

 

[Profpointy]

Watch a carry on film and think its funny.

(I think Im going to get into trouble with this one. You oldies seem to love carry on films)

Some are close to genius: Khyber & Cleo, but others indeed woefull

 

[Profpointy]

On the hazzardous materials thing, I remember being given a small phial of mercury by the dentist for being good. It was all lost in the carpet / evaporated after a few months playing with it so it never did me any harm

 

[vernon]

Buy Bic pens without the anti asphyxiation holes in the pen tops.

 

[Illaveago]

You used to be able to type things without your worms being changed for you.

 

[Rezillo]

Back to solventy-type things. Victory V lozenges, which tasted great before the makers removed the ether and chloroform. After that, they were a pale shadow of their former selves.

 

[Illaveago]

Having to buy a fountain pen for school, the one with a syringe type filler was a must have at one time.

 

[Profpointy]

Having to buy a fountain pen for school, the one with a syringe type filler was a must have at one time.

compass sets were the other status item for your '70s schoolboy

 

[Poacher]

Aged about 14, thinking I could blend my own fuel for a diesel model aero engine. As I recall, it was equal parts castor oil, paraffin and ether, with a few drops of amyl nitrate as an ant-knock additive. First two, no problem. Boots sold me a pint of ether without a second glance, but wow, did I get the third degree interrogation when I asked for the amyl nitrate! In the end, I did without and it worked just fine.

 

[raleighnut]

Along with a set of 'french' curves

 

[Gravity Aided]

Some fellows, with the slide rule,(with holster) as well. I had the Rapidograph technical pens, also.
Still available, very much unchanged, $105 *#@^* dollars a set!

I used to be quite expert in both high school and university at repairing and rehabilitating these.

 

[PaulSecteur]

...make lemon curd sandwiches with far more lemon curd than was really needed.

 

[Salar]

Some fellows, with the slide rule,(with holster) as well. I had the Rapidograph technical pens, also.
Still available, very much unchanged, $105 *#@^* dollars a set!

I used to be quite expert in both high school and university at repairing and rehabilitating these.

Yes, the rotring rapidographs. I used them for years on the drawing board,(drafting table in USA I believe) 0.18, 0.35 ,0.5 ,0.7. was my favourite selection.
Remember cleaning them and bending the tiny wires?, also soaking them overnight in special tubs and solvents.
And yes, they were very expensive back in the early 70's.

 

[Salar]

Along with a set of 'french' curves

And railway curves and the very fancy blue flexi curve which I think had a piece of lead in it .

 

[raleighnut]

And railway curves and the very fancy blue flexi curve which I think had a piece of lead in it .

Still got my flexicurve, but it's orange.

Mind you these days I also own an A0 parallel motion drawing board with a built in fluorescent tube (ex BT) and an A0 plan chest (also ex BT) Maz worked in 'Network Records' and when they moved offices, and went digital, they were having to pay to have all the 'drawing office' kit removed (not allowed to sell it due to H&S issues, it had to be disposed of) so if anyone wanted to take stuff they could help themselves (again not allowed to sell it)
Very useful for designing furniture installations and I've also used it to plot out the garden (to scale) for the new flagstones and drew up plans to build my 'logstore'.
The plan chest is also just the right height to sit my 2 B&W enlargers on the top for my photographic hobby.