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  1. #1
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    Default Woodworking Machinery in Australia & NZ - Manufacturers and Merchants

    Hi all,

    Well for those that may not have noticed, Antique and Vintage Woodworking Machinery now has it's own home on this forum, which I think is pretty cool, so thank you to those responsible for making this happen.

    I wanted to get on and post, and I have been thinking of doing this post for a while now. I've been interested in Australian Woodworking Machinery, and have always been surprised by the limited information available. We have seen some great posts on manufacturers and merchants in the past, but I don't think I have seen a post that actually lists all the companies.

    Depending on the interest, I would like to try (time permitting) to maintain a running list (index), and perhaps expand on that with some history, and perhaps some links to valuable posts or other resources for research. I am certain their are people on this forum with some great information to share on this topic, and I think we will all be a bit surprised by the extent of history surrounding the manufacture and supply of Woodwork Machinery in Australia. Hopefully with participation, we might be lucky enough to document some piece of information that might otherwise have been lost.

    To start the ball rolling, this is a bit of a list off the top of my head (it's 1pm and I was supposed to be somewhere at 11am so I will keep it brief).


    Artisan Woodworking Machinery Pty Ltd
    Atom Distributing Co.
    Austral Engineering Supplies Pty Ltd
    L.S. Barker Pty Ltd
    Charles & Hunting
    Chas. E. Skinner Pty Ltd. (Renicks)
    Demco Machinery Co. Pty Ltd
    Durden
    EasyCut Tool Company Pty Ltd
    Gilbro
    Goodall & Co. Pty Ltd
    Hyco Woodworking Machinery
    Macson
    Mcpherson's Pty Ltd
    Premo Woodworking and Sawmilling Machinery
    W. Thornley and Sons Pty Ltd
    Waldown (I add this for their drills)
    Wolfenden
    Woodfast

    So this is a small list (please correct me, if something is not right, I don't claim to be an expert on this topic, I do need to go back and enter some of the company names correctly). Having done just this small list, I am thinking perhaps I should separate the merchants from the manufacturers?

    Please do add to this list!!

    Cheers,

    Camo

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  3. #2
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    Vicmarc wood lathes, Tough wood lathes, Leady woodlathes and accessories (Bruce Leadbeater) are a few that spring to mind. Will have to put the thinking cap on, I'm sure there are heaps more. GMF electric motors made some machinery, they were mentioned in a post on here fairly recently. Does Triton saw benches qualify?

    Then there are heaps of accessory makers, such as Gifkins dovetail jigs.

    Great idea to make a register of manufacturers, the list will get surprisingly long in the coming days.

    Alan...

  4. #3
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    Camo,
    Jeffwood Qld.

    Also a merchant plate on my bandsaw. S. Robertson Pty Ltd. 23 Niagara Lane, Melb.
    The plate is very similar to the Barker plate picture below, (from Matty)
    The buildings in Niagara lane are magnificent, and still have the pulley mounts for lifting machinery.
    Have a look at Google maps....look up....
    23-25 Niagara Ln, Melbourne VIC 3000

    Cheers,
    Peter



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  5. #4
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    Cam I think the agents/dealers should be seperate from the manufacturers.
    Here's a few more manufacturers.

    Fidax. Drill Press. Sydney
    Parken. DrillPress
    Richardson. . Drill.Press. Radial arm saw.
    Sterling. Drill Press. Took over from Richardson

    Jeffwood

    Booth and Blades. Disc Sanders. Melbourne
    Saturn. Bobbin sander. Sydney

    Ezycut. Combo Machines, sawbenches.
    Foster. Case planer
    Ripley. 3 wheel bandsaw.
    Herbert. Jointer etc. Sydney

    I have a few brochures etc on some of these obscure ones.

    H.
    Jimcracks for the rich and/or wealthy. (aka GKB '88)

  6. #5
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    Great idea Camo.

    Here's one:

    H.P. Gregory & Co. Ltd.

    IMG_5498.jpg

    My 1933 Speedax bandsaw, and Hyco table saw came from here.

    Should New Zealand companies be included on this list?

    Graham.

  7. #6
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    And the brand that dare not speak it's name in these hallowed halls.

    591.jpg

  8. #7
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    A.A.Tyson

    Band saws .

    Rob
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  9. #8
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    The list grows! Paulcall at Bankstown Sydney made table saws and jointers, may have made combination machines as well. They also made G clamps and other small hand tools.
    William Adams in Sydney were a machinery merchant, I don't know if they made any of the gear that they sold.

    As Clear Out mentioned, Herbert was actually A.E Herbert & Co. I had one of their jointers, an 8 inch job that resembled an aircraft carrier, and took up nearly as much room in the workshop.

    I know the following aren't antique or vintage, but Yas Engineering, manufacturers of the Torque Work Centre, SlabMaster and RouterMaster, there is the Wood Wizz surfacing machine ( About Us ) and the Lucas Mill, and a couple of similar machines such as Goodwood portable saw mills (Goodwood Mobile Sawmills - Mobile Sawmill l Portable Sawmill Manufactured in Queensland ) and a machine that was demonstrated at the front of the Melbourne WWWS, can't remember the name, but the owner is a forum member.

    This is a great thread Camo, it has really got my my thinking cap working.

    Alan...

  10. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by clear out View Post
    Sterling. Drill Press. Took over from Richardson
    H.
    These drill presses ended their manufacturing under the label "Pexeme"

    John

  11. #10
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    So, if I put a Forstner bit in my Dawn post drill, and use it to drill a hole in timber (as I do from time to time), does that make it a woodworking machine?



    Cheers, Vann
    Gatherer of rusty planes tools...
    Proud member of the Wadkin Blockhead Club .

  12. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Vann View Post
    So, if I put a Forstner bit in my Dawn post drill, and use it to drill a hole in timber (as I do from time to time), does that make it a woodworking machine?



    Cheers, Vann

    Vann,

    I think most folk will understand what a vintage and antique "WOODWORKING MACHINE" is .... and what a "woodworking machine" is....

    For instance, although it works wood and is a brilliant concept, this probably doesn't qualify...

    BBQ LATHE

    Cheers,
    Peter
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  13. #12
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    Reading through this thread has made me recall visiting a shop in Sydney about 40 years or more ago. They sold a benchsaw/jointer combination made with a hardwood frame. You could either buy them complete of assemble yourself.

    "H.P. Gregory & Co. Ltd. Clarence St Sydney". I don't remember seeing any other machinery on the floor but I know the shop was right "in town"
    Just do it!

    Kind regards Rod

  14. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by lightwood View Post
    Have a look at Google maps....look up....
    23-25 Niagara Ln, Melbourne VIC 3000
    Peter,

    That is very interesting, I'm glad that facade has survived development.

    Quote Originally Posted by chambezio View Post
    "H.P. Gregory & Co. Ltd. Clarence St Sydney".
    So are we putting them under Manufacturers and also Merchants?


    Quote Originally Posted by clear out View Post

    I have a few brochures etc on some of these obscure ones.

    H.
    Henry,

    I'm not sure how this post will evolve (in the limitations of a thread environment), but I would like to expand on things once we start getting a comprehensive list, so if your willing, please keep those catalogues stored somewhere with easy access (perhaps the morgan, inside joke)

  15. #14
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    Thank you everyone!! This is a great start, I am grateful that others share an interest in the topic.

    Based on the list so far, and the sub forum we are in, I guess we need to set a few ground rules (this list is going to be long enough as it is), so may I suggest:

    * We have two lists, a manufacturers and a Merchants

    * Current companies can be included in the list, but I think we need to remember we are under the banner of "Antique and Vintage" (which is often hard in itself to define), but I think unless the company has considerable history in the area of Woodworking Machinery, we should probably keep them out of the list

    * I think it would be right to include NZ companies in the list (Vann might not talk to me again otherwise ). Seriously though I think there was sufficient trade between the two countries and we were isolated enough from the rest of the world that they should be included. Could a moderator please help by changing the thread heading to say "Woodworking Machinery in Australia & NZ - Manufacturers and Merchants"?


    * I think we need to stick to manufacturers and merchants of woodworking "machines" on this thread (we now have two great sub forums under "Hand Tools and Machinery", and I don't want to be responsible for muddying the waters). I think those making or selling drill presses (commonly used for woodworking), slide into the group, perhaps even bench grinders (but that's probably a stretch).

    I guess the test to see if the company should be in the list, would have to be, if you found an item the company sold or made, would you list that item in this sub forum, or would you list it in a different sub forum. If you would list it in the "Antique and Vintage Machinery" sub forum, then I think the company should be in the list.

    So here is what we have so far (some of these companies I have limited knowledge on, so please check the list and let me know if there are any corrections to be made):

    Manufacturers Location
    Artisan Woodworking Machinery Pty Ltd
    Austral Engineering Supplies Pty Ltd
    L.S. Barker Pty Ltd
    Booth and Blades
    Charles & Hunting
    Chas. E. Skinner Pty Ltd. (Renicks)
    Demco Machinery Co. Pty Ltd
    Durden
    EasyCut Tool Company Pty Ltd
    Fidax
    Gilbro
    H.P. Gregory & Co. Ltd
    GMF electric motors
    A.E Herbert & Co.
    Hyco Woodworking Machinery
    Jeffwood
    Macson
    Parken
    Paulcall
    Pexeme Thornleigh NSW
    Premo Woodworking and Sawmilling Machinery
    J.S. Richardson & Co.
    Ripley
    Saturn
    Sterling Machinery Pty Ltd
    W. Thornley and Sons Pty Ltd
    Tough
    A.A.Tyson
    Waldown (I add this for their drills)
    Wolfenden
    Woodfast
    Merchants
    Atom Distributing Co.
    Goodall & Co. Pty Ltd
    H.P. Gregory & Co. Ltd
    Mcpherson's Pty Ltd
    S. Robinson Pty Ltd
    William Adams
    In or out
    Hafco Woodmaster ?
    Leady woodlathes and accessories ?
    Triton ?
    Vicmarc ?


    As I said originally, I do not claim to be the expert on this topic (just an interested student), so please if you find something not correct, question it, and we can discuss it and change it if needed (no need having something inaccurate in the list).
    Cheers,

    Camo

  16. #15
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    Just thought of another , there's probably a lot more ?

    Servian

    They did the edge sander as well as pedestal drills and bigger engineering stuff like mills and possibly Lathes ?
    I'm not sure of any other woodworking gear.

    Rob
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