The portrait at the top of this article on cash register repair is priceless. I also appreciate the praise the younger Mr. Faerman lavishes on NCR. Industrial archeologists can still sift through evidence of the Dayton company’s manufacturing supremacy at Mendelson’s. Once you see those custom-made wooden bins, you’ll understand.

My grandfather works on some cash registers like that too; here’s a photo of him and some of his finished products: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bavetta/83652529/
He get them in often pretty bad shape (sometimes left outside for years, with the wood rotted and metal corroded) and sandblasts them, remakes parts and makes them look pretty amazing.