Thread: Dufor Tool Pics - various vintage

Hi Rod,

The one in the middle is a VERY rare tool, that has of recent times become the scourge of the internet email systems.

It's called a spammer.
Combination spanner and hammer...

I should note that If I recall correctly Chris Vesper is credited with having invented a version of this incredibly useful tool...

Regards
Ray

Uhm Ray? perhaps I needed to be there?
When I serched DUFOR there were not really that many references on this forum, has someone else really come accross one of these modifieds with Duly and Hansford scribed on it?

Hi..

Here's some bits & pieces i had lying around..
The Dufor ratchet is a heavy duty monster.. similar to the early sidchrome ones..a bit of overkill !
The Austaloy stuff in the second pic is Military issue and is D^D marked ... the only exception is the brace which is/was chrome plated, whereas all the rest have a grey finish.. possibly zinc ?
The ratchets were never branded, but are always found in company with other Austaloy gear.

Ken.

Duly and Hansford were located at Marrickville used to produce among other things valves for vehicles,king pin sets (if anyone can remember the old time front suspensions) all the components like upper and lower control arm bushes for the early model Holdensetc etc .
I can remember their slogan "Due for valves? ,see Dufor for valves"
Another good Aussie company gone to the wall.!!

Hi Rod,

I confess to pulling your leg somewhat, the tool I was referring to is a user modified combination spanner and hammer. Hence my joke about "spammer". Sorry about that.

Which raises the question, why would you want a spammer?

When you are removing tooling from a milling machine with a manual draw bar, you back off the draw bar about 1/4 turn and tap with a hammer to release the tooling from the taper, this requires two tools, a spanner to back off the draw bar and a hammer to tap it. There are lots of other instances when setting up tooling, that you tap something into place and then tighten it up. Which makes the spanner/hammer a handy thing to have.

Hope that explains the origin and logic of having that spanner welded to a hammer.

A good resource for researching australian firms is the National Library, searching for Duly and Hansford, return the following...

Search Results | National Library of Australia

It appears that they were active in the 1960's, and actually published a book, called "Your Career with Duly and Hansford" which is available in the National Library.

Hope that clarifies things a bit..

Regards
Ray

thanks for the clarification Ray
I have attached another picture here of the other side of the modified DUFOR.
Does this still fit in with a spammer ID?
It does seem to have been modified to suit a specific purpose, maybe not just to hit something?
I still wonder how the engraved Duly and Hansford came to be?
I'll continue to ponder
rod

OK pondering complete.

Theory one:

This was an early DUFOR spanenr sold to a customer who sent it back to Duly and Hansford to be modified, Duly and Hansford engraved their name on the modification and sent it back to be used.

Theory Two:

This DUFOR spanner was made and used by Duly and Hansford themselves, modified to suit own needs and engraved as their own brand.

Theory Three:

Dufor spanner bought by a customer, customer then modified the tool. (But why engrave the makers name on the modified part?)

Any other theories to add to the mix?

All feedback welcome.

rod

Hi Rod,

From the other side it doesn't look like a hammer..

The poor quality of the modification and engraving would favour the user modified theory.

But why bother engraving it?

Seeing the other side makes me think it was used for adjusting something and that "something" was made by Duly and Hansford. Hence the need to identify it.

Duly and Hansford made nuts and bolts and other stuff during WW2, I think they also made some of their own one-off machines for use in their own factory. Maybe it's related to that.

In the audio tapes by Allen Cox Allen Cox interviewed by John Shields in the NSW Bicentennial oral history collection [sound recordi... | National Library of Australia Click on the Listen on-line button..
Go to tape 4 where he talks about starting work at Duly and Hansford in the 1930's and describes the engineering shop, interesting bit of social history.

Regards
Ray

very interesting stuff Ray, would love to know the full story, but I reckon that answer might have died with the person/people who made &used the tool.
My Grandfather (possible owner at some stage) worked for the railways as an electrician in NSW. He would have been over 90 now so he's in the right time-line, but we lost him in the early 1990's so his story on this one will reamin a mystery too.
Would love to see another similar example, but it may well be a one-off.
I've got more Oz tools that I'll post up in the near future too for those tool history buffs out there.

Hi Rod,

Unrelated to Duly and Hansford, here is the picture of a spammer I was referring to earlier.

This one I seem to remember is one made by Chris Vesper? I might have that wrong.



If it is Chris's, I hope he doesn't mind me posting the picture..

Regards
Ray

Couldn't help but overhear about my famous spammer.

Yep RayG that's the one!!

Seems some mongrel has stolen my incredible invention... They even used a different brand. But did they use a bloodyhard-bit-o-axle steel for the head?

Hah! Thought so.

Originally Posted by acmegridley

Duly and Hansford were located at Marrickville used to produce among other things valves for vehicles,king pin sets (if anyone can remember the old time front suspensions) all the components like upper and lower control arm bushes for the early model Holdensetc etc .
I can remember their slogan "Due for valves? ,see Dufor for valves"
Another good Aussie company gone to the wall.!!

Not wrong,I worked there for a few years from 1959 to 1962 a great lot of people
social club Cristmas party and show all with great memories
And the ten pin bowling friday night group was fun
anything about D@H Dufor i would like to here. from How long was the Chrstmas break?][

Hi Gold Watch,

Welcome to the forum, nice to hear from someone who worked at Duly & Hansford, do you have any pictures or books, like the booklet "Your Career at Duly & Hansford"

Regards
Ray

PS.. Got one of them too!.. (Gold Watch that is) took 33 years to get it as well...

Well done, did they have that belt system operateing most of the machines from the start .I know a few people in the office and a few workers I was in the lathe section and vavle grinding as well
and read that they made some of the machines as well
I knew hansford i think he was at Earlwood i near brought there but would have cost
2.500 pound for sewrage works
Do you remember the work times in the 60,s there where 2 shifts day and afternoon
I remember the change over time was about 3.15 pm so we could let the afternoon
get set up explain any troubles and show them how much is set for them
the bonus monthly was very welcome
Will see what i can find in regards to D@H
regards gold watch