Don't like the adverts?  Click here to remove them

do we still make stuff like this?

chapel gate

Well-Known Member
Supporter
Promoted Company
Joined
May 26, 2014
Messages
4,740
Country Flag
england
Having a reet good clear out. need the space for pastures new.. im being brutal, the axe is swinging..
Said good bye to this old girl. Weighs about 1 1/2 tons.
Very well engineered.
20190118_145750.jpg

20190118_145729.jpg


ahh well. Shes off to south america for a life In the sun housed In the luxury of a open sided shed.
no doubt contributing to the demise of the rain forest...
 
Love old machinery like that Mike, as long as it’s in someone else’s yard :lol:

But the answer’s no really, I can’t imagine anything modern being serviceable in 100 years’ time.
 
Some years ago when my old school was closed I enquired about the machinery in the engineering dept. Vertical and horizontal milling machines, shaping machines, several lathes ranging from quite compact bench mounted models to large floor standing, all Herberts as I remember. I’d used them all in my last 2 years there. I’d heard that they were to be sold off but someone stepped in and bought the lot. I guess all the new CNC machinery has pretty much killed the demand for the old hands on kit these days.
 
There are still a number of British machine tool makers going strong, usually specialist stuff like big mills and grinders. One of the łargest being colchester lathes.

There is a big demand for the 2nd hand stuff in the 3rd world and eastern europe.
 
There’s still a need for manual machines. I’m rewiring a small engineering works atthe moment that still does press work and build the press tools. There’s a joinery shop locally that’s full of machinery like that you’ve shown. Bomb proof.
 
When I was in Sri Lanka visiting in 2000, some Tea factories, some of the machinery there went to to the early 1900, made in England
 
Don't like the adverts?  Click here to remove them
If you have a look at project binky on YouTube the guys do some amazing fabrication, some on new cad stuff, but also a lot on old and home made stuff
 
I think the old solid machinery off which we all speak so fondly was made the way it was because that’s the only way they new how to make stuff back then, before mass production and the “low unit cost x high numbers = more profit” equation took over.
 
I think the old solid machinery off which we all speak so fondly was made the way it was because that’s the only way they new how to make stuff back then, before mass production and the “low unit cost x high numbers = more profit” equation took over.
As well as the only way they knew, I think that it was a sense of wanting to build the best, something that would last. I'm sure that back in the day someone would have thought of saving on costs by reducing materials used to increase profits, but that took second place to pride in the job.
 
No strangly i have no Wadkins, i have Cooksley bandsaw & ripsaw & crosscut saw, Dancart Thicknesser & overhand planer, Multico morticer, Dominion Spindle moulder, that's the beast that removed my fingers.
 
I’ve just lost the battle to save a 1972 45kw induction braze unit. British made of standard components in a great big aluminium cabinet. Real shame as it punched a hole in its insulation (runs at 6000v :scared-shocked: ) and sent a high voltage back feed to it’s major component an RF triode which was going to be £4000 to replace. New smaller machine coming unless anyone’s got a 45 Kw RF triode sittinhbin their shed. :cry: I don’t like unhappy endings.
 
Last edited:
No strangly i have no Wadkins, i have Cooksley bandsaw & ripsaw & crosscut saw, Dancart Thicknesser & overhand planer, Multico morticer, Dominion Spindle moulder, that's the beast that removed my fingers.
I was going to say to Mike to get the lad to count his fingers before and after restoring that saw. Woodworking machinery is one of the worst for injuries.
Mind you metalworking stuff can get you too.
 
New smaller machine coming unless anyone’s got a 45 Kw RF triode sittinhbin their shed. :cry: I don’t like unhappy endings.


I’ll have a rummage in my box of old radio spares SC, there’s bound to be one lying around:icon-biggrin:.
 
Dang! Gave one away only last week :laughing-rolling:

Looks like something from a 1950’s low budget science fiction film:thumbup:
Funny I had a feeling you might have. :think:Frankenstein’s workshop. Scares the crap out of me but I’ve got used to it. It’s all interlocked so you can’t run it with the doors open. Would probably teleport you into next week if you did! :techie-offtheair:
 
Back
Top