Thread: L. S. Barker Bandsaw ... heavy castings

Just by the by ...

how's this brute?


from LS Barker Chain & Chisel Mortiser

Originally Posted by pmcgee

That is great. Thanks MM.

Particularly interesting re the brand casting and the dating. Talk about made to last!

When I took photos of the thicknesser I was looking over the bandsaw for the LS Barker name ... and couldn't find it for the life of me ... until I realised it was under the lower wheel bearing, not far off the ground.

Thanks again,
Paul McGee

Paul my old L.S.Barker bandsaw has the casting name on the back of saw above the pulley, no rhyme or reason really.

Here are some more pic's of Barker Machines.
36 Inch Bandsaw.


20 inch Rip saw.



L.S.Barker Shaper, with Hol-zher Feed Unit.


L.S.Barker 12 Inch Jointer, apart for transport, found as is.




Melbourne Matty.

Here are some McPherson's Catalog Cuts showing the transition from Macson to Barker.
McPherson's 1934 Catalog.

McPherson's 1937 Catalog.

McPherson's 1951 Catalog.

McPhewson's 1955 Catalog.


Also some Barker Machines from a Hardware/Timber Yard in central Victoria.
The Owner said the machines had been in use at the Yard since 1943.








A very rare thing to see, an original "barker" decal.

Melbourne Matty.

Originally Posted by L.S.Barker1970

Here are some more pic's of Barker Machines.

Matty, were those pics of your shop?

Jayeson

Originally Posted by jayeson

Matty, were those pics of your shop?

Jayeson

They are indeed Jayeson, basicly a 14 meter long X 5 meter wide space with as much woodworking machinery as I can cram in there.
when its tidy I can actuly manage to work in there, when its Tidy....

Melbourne Matty.

That is a good sized space. Assuming you collect singles of Woodfast/Delta sized machines. For multiples of the full sized machines, I'm sure it feels quite cramped.

My multiples are small things now, like grinders. And not so tiny drill presses, not sure how that happened. I put a Clausing and a Powermatic 15" VS drill on my container from the US, and barely had the will power to leave off a Powermatic 20". I was just going to keep the little Delta DP220 which has family value, but I have some MT 2 drill bits which is too big for the DP220 spindle. Weaker justifications followed.

Jayeson

Originally Posted by jayeson

That is a good sized space. Assuming you collect singles of Woodfast/Delta sized machines. For multiples of the full sized machines, I'm sure it feels quite cramped.

Jayeson

Jayeson, we just have to find you a big shop when you get over !!
There's Plenty of good machines over here at the moment, auction prices I have been keeping an eye on and are diving, same with Evil Bay.
Don't know why but I have Multiples of thicknessers at the moment, two 12 inch Jeffwood machines from QLD and a Melbourne made 1930's Edward. B. Scott 20 inch thicknesser.
Peter(lightwood) keeps spotting them for me,

As a result my therapist is not fimiliar with my disposition, having/collecting machinery are all signs of health I keep telling him....

Melbourne Matty.

I had the day off and decided I was going to do more research on Barker machinery and try to firm up my dates of name changes locations etc..
So what better place to start than to ring up Barker Woodwork Engineering 43 Mologa Rd Heidelberg West Victoria and talk to owner Ben or Joe of whom I have had dealings with before around say three years ago.
I rang their number only to my surprise to hear from a Gentleman from J.C.Walsh who deal also in woodworking machinery and maintenance of workshops.
He proceeds to tell me that they have acquired the last remaining works of Barker Woodwork Engineering after the owner Ben sadly passed away recently.
My dealings three years ago with Barker woodwork engineering involved my old 1960's L.S.Barker shaper that I purchased from a friend in Stanley that only had a French spindle that came with it, purchased from a stair maker in surrey hills Victoria, it was mainly used to cut out tread housings in stringers.
I made a visit and saw Joe at barker and to my surprise Joe dusts of a box and pulls out a new threaded shaft still wrapped in the grease proof paper, I never would of thought..
Ben and Joe were probably the guys to talk to on the history of Barker but now I have hit a big stop in any research.
I thought I would put it out there in that if any one has any information on 'Barker" woodworking machinery or knows of any former employees who worked for L.S.Barker in Heidelberg West as fitter's & Turners, Machinists, managers etc, or if any one knows how I may get in touch with Joe, who worked for Ben at Barker Woodwork Engineering
43 Mologa Rd Heidelberg West Victoria for many years, Please contact Me via a Personal Message I would be grateful for any information on machinery through to company histories etc..
(apologies, I never got Ben or Joe's second name)

Melbourne Matty.

That is great stuff - thank you Matty.

In the jointer picture "0211" there seems to be a movable insert in the jointer fence ... can you tell me anything about that please?

At first I was picturing a moulding spindle - but that's not it I don't think.

Cheers,
Paul McGee

There was a Macson jointer -huge- on ebay recently ... asking ~$250 ...

in *melbourne* ... I was crying ... and trying to concoct a scheme where I needed to drive across the nullabor for .. u know .. research purposes.

Paul McGee
(still weeping a little)

Originally Posted by pmcgee

That is great stuff - thank you Matty.

In the jointer picture "0211" there seems to be a movable insert in the jointer fence ... can you tell me anything about that please?

At first I was picturing a moulding spindle - but that's not it I don't think.

Cheers,
Paul McGee

Paul, you've got good eyes !
You will always notice that a jointer fence has a step in it from in-feed to out-feed, that is for the depth of cut adjustment.
That little moveable insert does a couple of things, It keeps the fence propped up on the out feed side and stops thin flat material from going between the fence and the out feed table and sliding sideways or worse jamming under there.

I did see that Macson planer too, I can't believe prices lately, that was a $800 machine 2 years ago, if you're keen I don't mind keeping it here while you make your way over either, I saw a beautiful 1890's J.A.Fay Bandsaw down your way in Western Australia, nearly fell over, US made they are a very unusual machine to be over here, thought of lots of reasons to make my way over....

Melbourne Matty.

Wow. I didn't know anything about that make ...

Found 42" Resaw bandsaws ... 4" blades ... feed-in rollers ...

It's another planet


Old Woodworking Machinery Home Page

VintageMachinery.org - Photo Index - J. A. Fay & Egan Co. - No. 186 Band Resaw

Originally Posted by L.S.Barker1970

I saw a beautiful 1890's J.A.Fay Bandsaw down your way in Western Australia, nearly fell over, US made they are a very unusual machine to be over here, thought of lots of reasons to make my way over....

I spotted that Fay band saw also. I am fairly certain I saw that exact saw at an auction about 8 or 9 years ago. I bid on it even though I had zero need for it, but was well out of the bidding. Saw it some time later at Bills Machinery. Looks like that may be who was selling it recently.

Jayeson

the L S barker is like English kit on steroids. I love it . Its like you guys said lets make it even heaver
great post

jack
English machines