Thread: Charles and Huntington

Originally Posted by China

Hi,
Does any body have any information on Charles&Huntington machinery

Hi China,
Charles & Hunting Began Works I believe at Sydenham Street Highett, Melbourne Victoria, in the Late 1940's, Their famous single pin Dovetailing machines started to appear in McPhersons catalogue's as early as 1955.
C&H Made a wide variety of machines including Shapers, horizontal Borers twin and single, Dovetail machines, Table saws, Combination Machines, sanding machines, ect.
C&H Made (in my opinion) one of the best small combination machines ever, called the ALTA, these little combination machines appeared in the 1960’s anniversary McPhersons Catalogs (1860 to 1960).
The whole unit had two Rubber wheels under the base so It was very mobile around the work shop. Sporting a 25” X 21” cast iron saw table and a 12” dia blade size, fine adjustment fence and a 17” X 11” Dowlling Table below one side and a choice of two sizes of 6 inch Jointer with a 3 blade cutterhead, Model “A” 34” long table and Model “B” 48” in length.
From what I know C&H’s woodworking Machinery line ran its course some time in the 70’s and the firm going on to concertrate on its line of varable speed motors some of wich they supplied to L.S.Barker woodworking machinery in North Melbourne and later Waterdale Road Heidelberg, for the feed system on their thicknessers.
I recall an abrasive flap wheel sander with a varable speed motor for sanding mouldings where I did my apprenticeship that was made by C&H arond the early 1980’s

Melbourne Matty.

Thanks for that very good info and as you pointed out it is Hunting not Huntington, I did not have the machine when I posted. It is a single pin dovetailer, very well made solid machine as my mate and I found out when we put in in my shed, much heavier than in looks. I will give it a try when my sparky comes back from overseas the wireing needs to be re done

No probs China, If you need a copy of the origional operators instruction papers let me know, I have one of those Dovetailers my self, fantastic machine when they are set up.
Cut my teeth on one of those in my apprenticship making Thousands of draws for bank joinery and fit out work, took me a nother 15 years to find one of my own, or cheep enough rather, they use to go for quite a bit of money...

Melbourne Matty.

Charles and Hunting made variable speed drives, commonly known as C&H drives. Generally for industrial usage, the drive comprised of a bakerlite cup that was sprung loaded on to a slightly curved disc. To incease the speed the cup was drawn across the disc to the outer edge of the disc and so increase the speed. It could only be done so when it was operational, turning it when stationary would chip and or crack the disc.

To the best of my knowledge they are no longer in business and spare parts are rare now. Although the drive are readily available from second hand machinery dealers. The link below shows they have been sold or have gone into electronic drives etc.

Google

Charles Huntington Machinery, it appears they to have gone out of business as well

http://www.machines4u.com.au/view/ad...etailer/29309/

That machine is a nice and clean, hopefully mine will look like that when I blow the dust off forum member L.S. Barker1970 has been very helpfull, he has the same machine and was kind enough to supply me with some paper work, so if I get in trouble I have someting to refer to

Originally Posted by China

That machine is a nice and clean, hopefully mine will look like that when I blow the dust off forum member L.S. Barker1970 has been very helpfull, he has the same machine and was kind enough to supply me with some paper work, so if I get in trouble I have someting to refer to

Matty aka L.S. Barker1970 has help me out too. he's a great chap and has sent me information on wadkin all the way to Canada. cheers Matty.

Your frost bitten friend up top tool613.