Thread: Unusual vintage Lacey sanding machine

Hiya all, Just over the new year break I aquired a nice vintage belt sander that I have been wanting for some time now. It's an old Lacey belt linisher. Made in Melbourne. I am having trouble finding out information about the company, long out of business, I am wondering if anyone knows any history or has any old cattldogs or ephemera that could help date my machine.
No serial numbers or anything other than that lettering on the side of the base. Long before I got the machine it has been modified from flat belt drive to motor and veebelt, also got a new platen, 25mm thick steel plate!!! Which I have now surface grounds nice and flat. Beuwwwdiful!!! I have restored it over the last few days and plan to use it for super accurate and low speed sanding/finishing. It's not a small machine either, unfortunately I gotta move stuff abound just to fit it into my workshop in a usable position!! It's about 1.7m long and 650mm wide. Though the platen size is about 600 by 150mm. Probably weighs in at about 200-250Kg. Just heavy enough to by a pain to move around withouht a crane.
The photos were taken just before I started adding the boring stuff like switched and guards. I wanted it to look original. If I was to judge the date of manufacture purely by the way the machine is built I would guess 1920's but that could be plus or minus ten years. The very old style bolts used would indicate more likely older than newer.

More detail on the Collection page on my website. 8 from the top of page. http://www.chris-v.com/thecollection/index.htm