The story of Sidchrome

[matthew_g]

I thought you might enjoy this as much as I did.............


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gGoFQx4bKI

[Dingo Dog]

Enjoyed that vid, how work use to get done before the invention of the Safety Nazi.

DD

[.RC.]

It is staggering the huge range of tools they made... Especially when you think every different item needed it's own tooling to make en masse.

The US made machine tools was a surprise..

Anyone know when they stopped making them in Australia... My father bought a full set around 1990 and those are all stamped Made in Australia.

[Steamwhisperer]

I was lucky enough to tour that place on a trade school excursion. I remember the chrome baths as they checked our pockets when we left that area:D.

Phil

[nadroj]

I heard that Siddon originally used re-forged Ford front axles to make spanners.
They were reportedly chrome-moly steel, not made in Oz at the time.

I like the cute Hughes helicopter.

Jordan

[Gavin Newman]

My grandfather gave me a set of 4 Sidchrome open-ended / ring AF spanners in a red plastic wallet when I was in primary school. 50+ years later I still use them almost every week and they are as good as the day I got them and they have great sentimental value. My kids have promised that when the final screw goes into the lid of my box those spanners will be in there with me.

You couldn't say the same about the el-cheapo stuff passed off as tools today.

[GSRocket]

I read John Siddons autobiography "A spanner in the works"
Gives a good insight into how the old man battled against the odds. And the difficult father and son relationship
as the son tried to modernise and grow the business.

[.RC.]

I read John Siddons autobiography "A spanner in the works"
Gives a good insight into how the old man battled against the odds. And the difficult father and son relationship
as the son tried to modernise and grow the business.

Had a read of this http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/siddons-royston-11689

Seems the father got a bit past it at the end but could not see what damage he was doing...

Interesting Repco tried to buy them in the 60's...Repco must have been a pretty big business by then...

[Stustoys]

Interesting Repco tried to buy them in the 60's...Repco must have been a pretty big business by then...
Hey they had a F1 World Championship winning engine!
If I remember correctly, developed but didn't use wire wound chromed piston rings(according to Phil Irving)

Stuart

[KBs PensNmore]

Had a read of this http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/siddons-royston-11689

Seems the father got a bit past it at the end but could not see what damage he was doing...

Interesting Repco tried to buy them in the 60's...Repco must have been a pretty big business by then...

An interesting read, Thanks RC
kryn

[matthew_g]

Had a read of this http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/siddons-royston-11689

Seems the father got a bit past it at the end but could not see what damage he was doing...

Interesting Repco tried to buy them in the 60's...Repco must have been a pretty big business by then...
I thoroughly enjoyed reading that.
Thanks Richard.:2tsup:

[Machtool]

Anyone know when they stopped making them in Australia...

Zenford Zeigler made them an automatic transfer machine, for turning the sockets. That would have been the very end of the 80's, and it was installed in West Heidelberg. I'm guessing 1989.

I still have some soft sockets kicking around. They were machined pre-hardening.

Regards Phil.

[AndrewOC]

The shot of steel bar being unloaded was interesting. I could make out "K1044" which is a quite 'un'-exotic tool steel...
A.

[nadroj]

The shot of steel bar being unloaded was interesting. I could make out "K1044" which is a quite 'un'-exotic tool steel...
A.

How does it compare to old Ford axles?

Jordan

[Chris Parks]

My grandfather gave me a set of 4 Sidchrome open-ended / ring AF spanners in a red plastic wallet when I was in primary school. 50+ years later I still use them almost every week and they are as good as the day I got them and they have great sentimental value. My kids have promised that when the final screw goes into the lid of my box those spanners will be in there with me.

You couldn't say the same about the el-cheapo stuff passed off as tools today.

It is still possible to buy good tools but they are not made in Oz any longer. We are supposed to be the clever country these days but I don't see much evidence of it.

[Gavin Newman]

It is still possible to buy good tools but they are not made in Oz any longer. We are supposed to be the clever country these days but I don't see much evidence of it.
Indeed. These days I generally buy Stahlwille hand tools. Expensive but worth it.

[AndrewOC]

How does it compare to old Ford axles?

Jordan

The chrome-moly (Chromium & Molybdenum alloyed steel) I know has the SAE designation "41xx" as in 4140 and 4130.
The 'K' is for 'killed-steel' which describes a process when making the ingot for better quality. 1044 SAE designation describes a plain-carbon,that is no significant alloys steel with 0.44% carbon analysis. I know it is great for basic tools like hammers and smith's tools, but would think it makes an ok, but unsophisticated, spanner.
Read the wikipedia entry for better explanation; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alloy_steel
Of course, we don't know what exactly Mr Siddons was using that particular batch for... maybe broom handles? ;)
regs,
AndrewOC

[.RC.]

I believe most spanner steels use an alloy with vanadium in it... Vanadium I read controls grain growth during the manufacturing process...

A fine grain tool is going to be better..

[mike48]

Great video, thanks for sharing.

Interesting on cultural grounds also, not to mention dress, and Health and Safety standards.

And, ... is that a Leyland Badger truck?

(At least the truckie was wearing safety thongs).