Urgent Attention: threaded rod factory closing very soon

[jhovel]

After searching all over the place for ACME or Trapezoidal threaded rods and matching nuts at a sensible price in mild or low carbon steel, I was being told by lots of people who should know better that they are not available anywhere 'ex stock' and are only available on 'special order' and similar nonsense etc...
Eventually I got a Melbourne phone number to call from a stainless steel threading manufacturer.
The number was for "M.P. Sinclair Pty. Ltd." at 12 Lens Street, North Coburg 3058 - phone 03 9354 2588, Fax: 9354 6760
I called and was given a price 'per foot' for whatever I needed - at very reasonable prices indeed!
I asked if I needed to order it in advance (given the advice I had previously), and was told that eveything I could want was in stock and would be cut off for me in any size up to 12 foot length.....
Today I went there to pick up a 3 foot length of 3/4"x6TPI and a bronze nut to suit - total price $60
When I arrived, I found a very old small factory in a small side street in an old industrial pocket area in an old Melbourne suburb. The only open door led me straight into the middle of a machine shop with LOTS of old lathes and milling machines (all 30's 40's and 50's machines or older). OH&S wasn' invented when this place opened 65 years ago.....
Threaded rods of all kinds and sizes all over the place in huge quantities!
Three elderly gentlemen were quietly busy messing with machines and doing maintenance.
Someone asked if I was Joe who who rang last week and told qanother that I was after 3' of right handed mild steel 3/4" threaded ACME and a nut - they remembered me! How nice.
The older of the three went to a rack and looked expertly at a jumbled mess of threaded rods. I asked if he had a piece with a blank end (3/4" diameter without thread)? Yes, he would find a piece "over there".
He found one a showed it to me - totally unpreturbed by me walking with him through the place ducking under gantries and squeezing between machines.... how refreshing!
He found what I was looking for and carried it to a cut off saw. As soon as he had cut it, he spotted a small flaw in the thread shape at one end and said "I think I'll have to give you a discount", if that piece is acceptable...." - it was.
We got talking, I thanked him for the friendly service and that I admired his machines and promised to come back.
He then said he was turning 90 on Monday, he was the owner and it was time to close shop for him after 65 years - "the writing is in the wall and I can't reach it any more to wash it off".

So, the place is closing either at Christmas or next June. Another piece of history going.....
His reduction of stock discount is 50% for any order of 10 length "and better".
Anyone here needing threaded rod of any kind - call them and get yourself a bargain. I dread to think what happens to it all when the time comes to close shop......

Cheers,
Joe

[azzrock]

what r u going to use the acme thread for?

[bluegum30]

The Greens:rolleyes:

[jhovel]

Leadscrew for my "new" lathe.
It used to be a double-head boring lathe with longitudinal feed but no leadscrew. I'mn building an "Electronic leadscrew" for it, to do any thread and feed without any gears....

[Dave J]

Hi Joe,
I am after a piece of 1/2inch x 1 1/2 foot (will have to double check) acme thread rod and a nut or 2 if possible. Do you know if they will post it?
Also what do the nuts look like, square round? do you have a picture of yours?

Dave

[pipeclay]

Dave give them a call.

[jhovel]

Sorry Dave, I have no idea. I imagine that they used to or still supply all over the country, so I imagine they post or courier their goods.
The nuts I saw for ACME threads were steel hex nuts, bronze cubes with an internal thread through the middle and cylindrical bronze nuts, about three or four times the screw diameter long and about 5/16" (8mm) wall thickness. I got one of the latter bronze ones.
Anything you want to know from them - call them. I live 150km away from Melbourne, by the way.

[neksmerj]

I also had an occasion to visit this factory about 12 months ago. Entrance was difficult to find, just a single door leading in, no signage if I recall. I have never seen so much stuff occupying every square inch of floor space and wall space. There is barely enough room to navigate a path around a mulitude of complex machinery. The factory is a living museum, it will be a pity to see it all go.

I was after a piece of acme thread with nut. "No problems, it's over there", and within minutes, I had what I was after. There was no scratching of the head and searching through a million lengths of threaded bar, the old fella that was looking after me, knew exactly where to look.

I was unable to leave, I didn't want to leave. The old chap and I got talking, and that was it. He was one of the most interesting blokes I've ever met. His knowledge of engineering and life in general was outstanding for his senior years.

Even if you don't need anything, just go there, it will open your eyes. When this establishment closes, a piece of history will be gone for ever.

Ken

[Dave J]

Thanks for the reply, will give them a call next week. I didn't realize you lived so far away.
I am after a new cross slide screw for a taper attachment I am making for my lathe.
I will need to drill out the center as I am making a telescopic screw for it, they might have some ideas.

Ken,
It sounds like disney land for guys with our interest,lol
If I lived closer I would love to go and have a look around and have a chat with him. Nothing better than talking with old experienced guys and listening to the stories of old times and how things are and were done.

Dave

[rowie]

G'day Dave,
I live in Coburg nth. I can grab what you need and send it up (if the guys at the shop cant do it for you):;

[Dave J]

Rowie,
Thank you very much for the offer, it's people like you that make this forum so good.:2tsup:
I have posted this before, but he same thing applies for you or anyone else that needs something from the Newcastle area picked up.

I will give them a ring and find out about it this week to see if they will post it up to me, I also have a few other questions for them.

Dave

[Dale M]

Hello to All,

Thank you, I found this thread to be very helpful. I called and then visited Matt Sinclair last week. He advised me that he has stopped all manufacturing, but will still be around until christmas '11 or there abouts while he is selling off equipment / cleaning up.

There is still a substantial quantity of threaded rod available.. All different sizes and thread types. ACME, metric, whitworth etc. - I found Matt to be extremely knowledgable and very willing to offer advice on my project. Given his 70+ years engineering experience it's not surprising.

I must be a little dull, because I only realised when I got there that they (previously) manufactured all of this stuff onsite from high quality steel. - To very precise specifications, as Matt explained. - In contrast the length of threaded rod I had previously purchased from Bunnings most likely came from a chineese factory where cost and speed of production were far more important than precision.

To anyone needing threaded rod, take the opportunity to get the material to finish your projects before the opportunity closes.

M P Sinclair Pty Ltd
12 Lens St, Coburg North, VIC, 3058
Tel: (03) 9354 2588

P.S. - I did confirm with Matt he was happy for me to post this information.

[Bryan]

Thanks Dale, I'm glad you posted this. I've been wondering about these guys, thinking I'd missed the boat. Will contact them about a screw for my cross slide.

[Abratool]

The Greens:rolleyes:
Thanks Bluegum,it took a few seconds, but it gave me a great Laugh.
A good laugh to start the day!
Bruce
ABRATOOL:wink:

[Oldneweng]

In case you are interested I found this US website while looking for some acme for my lathe cross slide screw. 5/8 - 8 Left Hand Acme Lead Screws & Nuts for Power Transmission - Roton Products, Inc. (http://www.roton.com/mating_components.aspx?family=7159285)

The cost of 5/8 left hand is $US8.34 per foot and it is good quality stuff. This is a fraction of the cost from oz.

Dean

[jhovel]

A fraction of the cost from Coburg North???? I doubt it, by the time you add postage from the US to Poolaijelo, Victoria....

[Oldneweng]

Depends on the cost of the threaded rod. After cosiderable searching on the internet the best price I found was around the $370.00 mark for a fixed length of 5/8 left hand ACME. I think it was a 4ft length. I only need about 40cm. Also this was basic quality. The US place sells it for $8.34 a foot and has stainless for not much more. Still cheap compared to what I had found in oz.

The issue is how to find this information. I did not actually read the whole thread only that it was an old one and factory was closing. I have just scanned thru all posts. I will order some rod from the Coburg factory but they are closing down at end of year. What then? Being in a rural location I find the internet is my only choice but if info is not on there I miss it.

What I should have done is asked the question on the forum.

Dean

[cormaclazylog]

G'Day the ono from Scottish Highlands, Matt Sinclair's shop sounds like a dream. I tried calling by phone today to see if he still has stocks and might be prepared to cut a 12ft length of 1" trapezoidal threaded bar into short lengths and post off to Scotland with 28 nuts. No answer on the number from forum but will try again later. Does anyone know how its going with him and his shop? ( am building a piece en piece log building jig with multiple veneer press style clamps) Cheers, Cormac

[jhovel]

I think you are too late Cormac. They have auctionend off machines and stock. I don't think there is anything or anyone there any more.
Cheers,
Joe

[Dale M]

Hello Cormac,

I was in Matt's workshop about 4-weeks ago.. He has sold of some of his machinery, but there is plenty of stuff still there.. Matt thought he would be around for quite a few months more cleaning the place up... - I've not had much success calling them on the phone either..

All of the Right Hand Imperial thread has been cut down into 3-foot lengths. I couldn't tell you what sizes he has available.. - I was after 1/2" ACME thread Right Hand for a project and he quoted AU$18- per foot.

I would guess the freight cost of sending a 12 foot of 1" threaded rod to Scotland would be significant.. - In my research I found a place based out of the England that had a good range of trapezoidal thread in stock. -> Marchant Dice Ltd – CNC Machine Machine and Components (http://www.marchantdice.com/)

If you want to pursue the option with M.P. Sinclair, I could swing past the factory sometime next week to see how Matt is going, and if he might be able to assist you.

cheers, Dale..

[Dave J]

There was lathe on ebay a few weeks back and it came with a heap of thread rod, I think it may have been from that shop.

Dave

[welder]

he has an add on gumtree at the moment. i will try and visit [if he's still around] when i go up here for the scraping class.

[Dale M]

Hello Cormac,

I was in Matt's shop about 4-weeks ago.. Some of the machinery has been sold, but the place still looked pretty full to me. There was still plenty of threaded rod around the place. Matt thought that he would still be around for at least several months cleaning up the place and selling things off..

All of the RH metric threaded rod has been cut down to 1m lengths, and the RH imperial cut down to 3' lengths. - Would need to check with Matt directly to know exactly what sizes he has available..

If you like I can swing by and see what he has available. I am usually in the area one or twice a week.

When I was researching for my project I came across another supplier in London. Maybe check what they have available as the freight would be significantly less...
Marchant Dice Ltd – CNC Machine Machine and Components (http://www.marchantdice.com)

regards, Dale.

[jhovel]

Andre, he has shut up shop. I've been there a few times on the way through. Everything is locked up. I can't reach him on the phone anymore either.
Joe

[welder]

I figured he was gone but i did see his add on gumtree so i though he might still be there but oh well thanks Joe :C