Bush shed Machine rescue, Wolfenden mortiser, Thicknesser ?? Wellcome saw and more.

**auscab** · 11th January 2013, 08:43 PM

A little over a week back I saw a Wellcome saw on e Bay , I decided to go see it ,to see if the fence was ok .

I wanted another fence for my big Barker band saw, and this one is a close match to the Wellcome fence I used on my Wadkin 10 AGS.

Peter [ Lightwood ] and Matty [ L.S. Barker 1970] were coming along for one of the Tool/ rusty steel/ Machinery and Antique center , days out that they started inviting me out to a few years back. " A Road trip " as they are called .

I have been on a few of these road trips, this one was a little different in that we were going to check out an e Bay item not yet sold , and this happened to be close to a property a that a mate took me to in April 2008 ,a shed that an old Gent named Old Stan had worked away with his brother in through the 60s and 70s doing woodwork , wagon construction and black smithing . I had visited back then and when I knew we were going up that way I gave The lady , Stans daughter and the son a call to see if was ok to drop in again and have another look around and possibly make an offer on some machinery that they did not want. We were welcome .

We went and checked out the e Bay wellcome saw, then drove out to have a look at Stan's old workshop. I was keen to check out a Wolfenden Mortiser for my self that I had seen and Matty and Peter were able to point out anything they may be interested in. We went and had a look and a few days later made some offers.

One week later [ yesterday] Matty and my self went back to pick up and I would be picking up the Wellcome on the way back if I won it at 3PM.

Here is the pictures.

20 years ,untouched machines.

more on the way

Rob

**auscab** · 11th January 2013, 08:48 PM

spot the cast iron .

**auscab** · 11th January 2013, 08:55 PM

I will lift the cover up and get some good pictures of the chisel attachment asap Greg . the Machine is at work now ,where I will fix it up. stay tuned for Matty's Gem.

Rob

**camoz** · 11th January 2013, 09:40 PM

Great find Rob

(I am very jealous). Looking forward to seeing more.....and Matty's gem.

cheers,

camo

**L.S.Barker1970** · 11th January 2013, 10:30 PM

Thanks Rob I Had a ball !!
I have always been amazed by blokes sheds and this one was a gem, a lot of old gear the kind of stuff old boys hang on to, bits of rusty steel, leather, boxes of old rusty bolts etc, all pretty far gone.
Nothing had been touched for years and 20 years of dirt and dust too, by the end of the day Rob and I were hot, tuckered out, and covered in black, but we were loving every minute.
The old thicknesser I had my eye on I had seen the first time going up with Pete and Rob, I was not sure about getting it as it was a little worse for wear and was hard to make out its real condition under the timber covers covering all the belting, when we got there the second time I took the covers off and we stood back, what an old beauty !!
Rob and I had the use of a giant engineers engine crane which really helped proceedings along.
All in all it was a fantastic day and real hands on stuff.
Many thanks again to Rob who organized the day, there were some great memorable moments, like the hydraulics on the crane just stopping, for a moment there I thought we were done for ...lol..

Melbourne Matty.

**auscab** · 11th January 2013, 11:17 PM

It will be good seeing the restoration of that Thicknesser Matty .

Hows this for a user made saw.

**Gaza** · 11th January 2013, 11:26 PM

dam you guys where was my invite,

nice work i have my eyes out for a morticer but have not had any luck

**pmcgee** · 11th January 2013, 11:52 PM

Originally Posted by L.S.Barker1970

when we got there the second time I took the covers off and we stood back, what an old beauty !!Melbourne Matty.

Thicknessers Anonymous. Just dial 555-STOP-LOOKING.

Bemused and Jealous.

Paul

**auscab** · 12th January 2013, 01:00 PM

Originally Posted by pmcgee

Thicknessers Anonymous. Just dial 555-STOP-LOOKING.

Paul

oh that's funny .

**auscab** · 12th January 2013, 01:47 PM

The last thing was to pick up the Wellcome .

Then bring it all home and start unloading .

Rob

**L.S.Barker1970** · 12th January 2013, 08:13 PM

Originally Posted by pmcgee

Thicknessers Anonymous. Just dial 555-STOP-LOOKING.

Bemused and Jealous.

Paul

Its no use Paul, I went to all the group therapy sessions, and I ended up in big arguments with the other group members who all had Taiwanese and Chinese thicknessers, I seriously questioned whether those guys had addictions in the first place and accused them of using therapy as just a social gathering, I was consequently thrown out.
Next my Doctor suggested the "Hand Tool Patches" to try and get me back to some kind of basic woodwork, and try to ween me of machines all together, no joy there, the patches interfered with my sleep patterns and I would find my self in pajamas on the front step of the local second hand machinery dealer's shop at 6:00 in the morning.
My brother said he had seen a movie where they took this addict out to the desert to go "cold Turkey" so we drove out to Big Desert National Park, I still managed to find a rusty old Thicknesser under a lone tree.
After years of therapy I still basically blame my Parents for the many times they took me to Sovereign Hill Ballarat to see all the flat belt woodworking machinery, I think it all began there...

Melbourne Matty.

**pmcgee** · 12th January 2013, 09:48 PM

Originally Posted by L.S.Barker1970

so we drove out to Big Desert National Park, I still managed to find a rusty old Thicknesser under a lone tree.
Melbourne Matty.

Heh heh heh ... that takes talent, right there.

Lie back on this couch and tell us all about it ...

then go with these men in engineers overalls ...
they're not going to hurt you ...
and they won't take away your machines ...

**L.S.Barker1970** · 5th February 2013, 01:54 PM

You would never think to look in your own back yard for a match on such a thicknesser, I would of thought we were importing machinery from England, America and Germany in 1920, who would of believed that a small little work shop like "Wolfenden Bros, Motor & General Engineers at 28 Lynch Street, Footscray" could be making such a beautiful machine.
At first, when I saw this thicknesser I immediately thought of an American Pony Planer, turned my catalog collection up-side down looking for a match, and no joy, but searching through my Wolfenden Archives by chance (in search of something else, as it so happens) I stumbled across these fine pictures of the Wolfenden Brothers workshop in Lynch street and a catalog cut of the same machine, Amazing !!

Melbourne Matty.

**auscab** · 5th February 2013, 02:46 PM

Well done Matty ,
What a Ripper of a photograph that is

**L.S.Barker1970** · 5th February 2013, 03:58 PM

Originally Posted by auscab

Well done Matty ,
What a Ripper of a photograph that is

Thanks Rob, been excited to tell everyone, Pete and yourself especially, so I thought I would catch you here, what better place !!

Melbourne Matty.

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Bush shed Machine rescue, Wolfenden mortiser, Thicknesser ?? Wellcome saw and more.

Spot the cast iron

My new / old Mortiser

What a hoot !!

Bingo, at last a match for the Thicknesser........

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