A prop from the movie "The Postman" sits at the corner of East Grant Road and North Seventh Avenue.
Kent Solberg, co-owner of Kent's Tools, sold a drill press to the movie production company and then bought the piece of machinery back when it no longer was needed for filming.
The 1997 movie, with Kevin Costner starring in a story about post-apocalyptic America, was partly filmed in the Tucson area.
Kent's Tools manager Larry Duncan said he's tried unsuccessfully to spot the drill press in the movie. "I looked for it a couple of times, but I've never seen it," he said.
Solberg loosely recalls selling the drill press, which could be anywhere from 75 to 100 years old, to the movie company for about $500.
He has sold or rented other pieces of equipment used as props in films, including for the 1995 movie "Tank Girl."
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"We'd sell them to movie sets and buy them back if they were in reasonable shape," Solberg said.
The drill press that might have had a part in "The Postman" is just one of about 15 drill presses Solberg has acquired over the years.
In addition to the drill press on display, a metal grinder takes up the corner spot in front of Kent's Tools, 133 E. Grant Road. The equipment sits on street corners to market the tool store, which opened in 1978, Duncan said.
The grinder hasn't been operated in more than 20 years, Duncan said. "The grinder would probably work if someone wanted to rewire it and use it. Those motors tend to last forever," Solberg said.
Contact reporter Andrea Rivera at arivera@azstarnet.com or 807-8430.
