What do you know about Renniks machinery?

[Billy Bignutz]

I have a 16" thicknesser that is apparently a Renniks (Grays Auctions has one for sale at present http://www.graysonline.com.au/lot.asp?LOT_ID=3043490# (http://www.graysonline.com.au/lot.asp?LOT_ID=3043490)) and I also have a welded frame 3 wheel bandsaw that is actually labelled Renniks (photos attached). Both machines are certainly old models but I have been unsuccessful in ascertaining their actual age or origin apart from english made oil caps on the thicknesser and a Crompton Parkinson Australian made motor on the bandsaw. Does anyone have any idea? Both machines still work very well.

Thanks

BB

[clear out]

Chas A Skinner machinery merchants used to be at Gladesville.
Sold a lot of second hand woodworking machinery, closed in the 90s.
I got a ute load of old catalogues etc at the auction.
Chas started the business pre WW11 as I remember. His son whose name eludes me then ran it till it closed.
The granson Chas was running a machery maintainance business from the Central Coast,
The bandsaw may be a Ripley, Oz made fabricated 3 wheeler.

[Billy Bignutz]

Thanks Clear Out for the info on Skinner - the fact that the bandsaw may be a different manufacturer to the thicknesser makes sense as they are very different manufacturing methodology - welded frame (bandsaw) vs cast iron and a lot of it (thicknesser). The bandsaw manufacturing technique to me seemed to be early post war perhaps when more frugal methods were uses compared to cast iron. The bandsaw is unique in that the blade is twisted through a slotted rotating guide wheel so that there is no frame in the way at right angles to the blade thus there is no restriction on cutoff length for straight cuts of long lenghts of timber - a bit superfluous when docking saws do the same job though.

BB