Thread: Why the lack of Australian made table/cabinet saws?

There's a couple of Durdens listed on machines4u at the moment, but larger rips rather then cabinet makers saws. Not cheap, but good value for money gear that will last a lifetime.

Last a lifetime is where the older style gear was at, and I suspect what killed it for domestic manufacturers. Australian manufacturers never made the shift from heavy cast iron to aluminum - post war economic austerity made investment in the then new technology difficult, and later wages growth killed any hope of resuscitation. All the old Aussie firms (Durden, Barker, Smellie etc) were associated with foundries, and when the foundry business closed up through lack of other work then the woodworking machinery subdivision had to go too.

I get to play with sliding table saws other then my own on occasion: Altendorf and SCMs mostly and I love the functionality of them. But there's something about the ( literally) cast iron stability of my old White that they lack, I don't think I'll ever part with it and sure as hell I'll never wear the thing out!