Frequency of flat top stoves?

Part of Manhattan? Really? What sort of appliance can people use there? Just imagine, you buy a router, plug in the wall wart ... PHUT. Return it, plug in the replacement from the store ... PHUT.

You know, Joerg, you really "PHUT" too much! Don't people complain of the smell ?:-)

Garments == antique DC motors for sewing machines and power cutters.

And really, Joerg, don't you know AC plugs don't fit DC receptacles? ...Jim Thompson

Only once. Even the Rottweiler left the lab when that happened ;-)

Bench supply transistor had decided it's time to cross into lalaland and do so with gusto. Meaning emitter becomes collector, stuff was connected for a long term test .... phsssssss ... *WHADDABAM*

Yeah, sure, but your said "district". As in parts of an area, not just a few factories. I know plenty of factories where there are still DC motors in use. But are there really any garment mfgs left in NY? I thought this trade has completely gone to Asia by now.

No idea what plugs they used back then. All I remember was that when they changed from 2-prong to PE-grounded in Germany people became rather creative. "Look, ma, I made it work like it used to!". Sometimes with not so great consequences.

Not for a few years (2007?), AIUI.

My routers have universal motors. The only problem would be if they ran backwards. Only the large router/shaper has an AC motor.

Nothing you're likely to hand-hold has an induction motor.

Not in modern tools, but I've seen a few old small drills that did. They were probably from a production line in WW-II. They had a collet to hold the bit, instead of a chuck.

What is it about silver in real army socks that actually does cut down on foot fungus?

I heard that hospitals were shifting to copper door knobs because of antibacterial properties of copper, too.

Are these likely chemical effects or is it possible they are electrical in nature?