Wolfenden Bandsaw

**DSEL74** · 24th September 2015, 04:04 PM

Since the Cresecnt bandsaw I bought never made delivery I have been on the lookout for another bandsaw within budget.

I have agreed to buy the one listed in the market place.

Large woodworking bandsaw in very good working order. We bought 20 years ago and have used it since, though not heavily (average maybe 1 hour per week, max.). We had new tyres put on a few years ago so they are in good shape. Saw is 2260 H, 1330 W, approx 1000 D. Throat is 790 W and can cut 290 H. Blade is 5180 long. Comes with several blades. Big, solid, reliable, "weighs a ton" and has never failed us. Has a fence that was on it when we bought it and works well. We have used this saw for everything, including cutting veneer slices off solid boards.

We are only selling because we are closing down.

Located in Prahran.

Woodworking Bandsaw, Wolfenden-fullsizerender-4-jpg

A bit of history on the company,

http://collections.museumvictoria.com.au/articles/10698

Cite this page
Stevenson, M. (2012) Wolfenden Bros, Engineers & Woodworking Machinery Manufacturers, Footscray, Brooklyn & Airport West, Victoria, 1918-2007 in Museum Victoria Collections http://collections.museumvictoria.com.au/articles/10698 Accessed 25 September 2015

Authors

Ms Michelle Stevenson
Coordinator Humanities Collections Online at Museum Victoria.

Wolfenden Bros, Engineers & Woodworking Machinery Manufacturers, Footscray, Brooklyn & Airport West, Victoria, 1918-2007

Wolfenden Bros began in 1918 when Ernest Wolfenden found himself out of work due to an engineers' strike. He began working as a motor and general engineer, reboring cylinders for cars and motorbikes and manufacturing and fitting pistons. Ernest's brothers, Charlie, Bill and Frank, soon came to join him and by 1919 the company was advertising as Wolfenden Bros, Motor & General Engineers Lynch Street, Footscray.
About 1921 the company moved to Hopkins Street, Footscray and began manufacturing woodworking machinery advertising 'we Manufacture All Classes High-grade Tools, Thicknesses, Band-saws, Buzzers, Saw Benches &c. Machines fitted with ball-bearings; any design built to order. Accuracy and finish guaranteed' (Woodworking Machinery, 1921, p.16).
By 1925 they were advertising as 'the largest Manufacturer of high speed ball bearing Woodworking Machinery in the Commonwealth' (Important Notice, Woodworking Machinery, 1925, p.19) and had opened a branch in George Street, Sydney owing to increased business in NSW.
They moved to Brooklyn, Victoria around 1926 and continued to expand, advertising over 100 different varieties of machines including Double-ended Tenoners, Straight-line Edging and Ripping Saws, Belt and Drum Sanders, Electric Moulders, Single and Double Planers, Veneer Presses and Hand or Power Furniture and Door Cramps. In 1930 the Ford Motor Co. purchased a complete body building plant of Wolfenden Bros woodworking machines. By 1934 they were employing over 60 people and selling over 600 types of new and used woodworking machines.
They also began building caravans around this period after the brothers built themselves a caravan in the factory yard. The vans were sold as Wolfenden Highway Homes and ranged in size from 10ft to 16ft although the 12ft-14ft versions were the most popular. Constructed around a steel frame with marine ply or bondwood, each van could be customized with various features including a warm shower, provided via a flat water tank on the roof which warmed the water as you drove along each day. With the cost of the most basic van being close to £200 the brothers also created a fleet of vans for hire for those who couldn't afford to buy one.
Production of the vans ceased with WWII as supplies were not available and the company was required to contribute to the war effort. Most of the hire van fleet was purchased by the RAAF to house airmen at Sale. During the war Wolfenden Bros manufactured gun parts, aircraft cylinders and woodworking machinery.
By 1985 the company had moved to Airport West and become Allen Wolfenden Machinery. They remained manufacturers up until the mid 1990's when they just operated as agents and made repairs. The company closed in 2007.
References
Haslar, Gwen 2003, 'A Caravanning Life', Caravan World March, pp. 55-57
'Woodworking Machinery' 1921, The Argus, Sunday 21 May, p.16
'Important Notice, Woodworking Machinery' 1925, The Sydney Morning Herald, Saturday 15 August, p.19
'Woodworking Machinery' 1926, The Argus, Saturday 18 September, p.1

'Woodworking Machinery' 1930, The Argus, Saturday 24 May, p.1

769828-large.jpg 769829-large.jpg

I believe it may be one of these saws circa 1940?

769803-large.jpg 769804-large.jpg

the later saws I have seen from a 1960's brochure have a different style
769780-large.jpg 769781-large.jpg 769782-large.jpg

Any assistance narrowing down the year and model would be appreciated. Also would like to know the weight.

Since it was moved into the factory in Parahan it is currently in, (some 20 years ago), there have been some changes and the way it was delivered is now no longer available and it has to be moved out via a small single car lane way. The building floor is a step up from the laneway, and it must be side loaded due to the lane way being parallel to the door.

Not sure how to move the thing and load it etc etc. But I have been told the owner has decided if it can't be moved he will take a sledge hammer to it to get it out and take the rubble to the scrappy. We both hope it won't come to that!!!

Apparently it needs 6 men to move it..

I think Michael is happy knowing it is moving only streets away from his home in Lilydale where he may still be able to access it in his retirement should he need a big saw.

**DSEL74** · 24th September 2015, 04:34 PM

Here is the one that ended up as a garden ornament from this thread
https://www.woodworkforums.com/f163/wolfenden-band-169250

**Vann** · 24th September 2015, 09:12 PM

Congratulations DSEL. And Welcome to the "I've got a bandsaw that's far too big - but I don't care" club

. It looks like a nice saw, and being an Australian machine will be compensation for missing out on that Cresent a few months back.

With a throat that is 790mm it must be a 32" or maybe a 36" model?

I wouldn't like to guess the weight, but I think mine must weigh as much or more than my Wadkin PK (16cwt or so = ~800kg). To get mine into the garage I'm going to have it lain flat (wheels up) on a wooden frame (made of 4" x 4" fenceposts). It will be supported on blocks/packers: near the base (where the motor bracket bolts onto the main casting); either side of the "banana" just below the table; and near the top. Not sure yet whether to attempt wheels or use pipe rollers.

You might want to try something similar? Or do you need to lay yours on end to get it through the doorway?

Cheers, Vann.

**clear out** · 24th September 2015, 09:12 PM

You're lucky it's only the baby.
We loaded a 38inch a few years back for Stan from a workshop at Botany.
I was attempting to get onto the table to unbolt the top wheel when Stan just picked me up and deposited me up there.
'The next contestant in the dwarf throwing contest please step forward!' Was the comment this produced from my mate Gerard.
We used an engine crane and an electric chain block to put it on the back of his Mitchubishi 4x4 and off he went 800 k up the coast. The weight was over a ton.
Have fun getting it out.
H.

**DSEL74** · 24th September 2015, 09:30 PM

Vann, I'm guessing 31-32", Still bummed that guy dropped my Crescent. I just hope that I don't repeat the mistake. should be able to get it through the door my end no issue, getting it to the door over the gravel may not be so easy.

No access to electronic cranes etc. Maybe you can ask big Stan to just pick it up and carry it for me since its just a baby one

**Vann** · 24th September 2015, 09:48 PM

Originally Posted by DSEL74

...ask big Stan to just pick it up and carry it for me since its just a baby one

I though maybe clear out was talking about my 30" Preston when he said that

Originally Posted by DSEL74

No access to electronic cranes etc.

Maybe you could use a block & tackle or similar, to lay it over onto a wooden cradle. Or two blocks and tackle - one to tilt it, the second to restrain it so it doesn't just fall over?

Originally Posted by DSEL74

Vann, have you cut a hole in the roof yet to get it in??

No I haven't cut a hole in the ceiling yet. I think I can just stand it up once it's clear of the sectional garage door, with the upper wheel as low as it can go. Then I'll have to work out exactly where I want it to go, before I cut a slot in the ceiling and raise the wheel to working height. I'll also have to modify the guards (cut off any portion that protrudes into the ceiling) - but I want to modify the guards anyway, as they're a bit OTT (no pun intended).

Cheers, Vann.

**DSEL74** · 24th September 2015, 09:55 PM

Maybe he was meaning yours,..... Pee wee. Every inch counts.

Thought about using block and tackle, its a matter of finding something to hitch it to. I have some steel and wheels here so thinking I may make a trolley up with a sunken centre. Still need to lift it in to a trailer. Also don't think my 6x4 will take that kind of load.

Can you get smaller belts and run yours with the wheel set at a low setting?

**Vann** · 24th September 2015, 10:44 PM

Originally Posted by DSEL74

Can you get smaller belts and run yours with the wheel set at a low setting?

Possibly. I won't know if that's possible until I get it here and get it set up. But cutting a slot in the gib ceiling is no problem (it's only a garage, and gib plasterboard is easily replaced at a later date).

Originally Posted by DSEL74

Maybe he was meaning yours,..... Pee wee. Every inch counts.

It's not the size that counts, it's how you use it. That applies to bandsaws too !!

Cheers, Vann

.

**DSEL74** · 24th September 2015, 10:51 PM

Originally Posted by Vann

It's not the size that counts, it's how you use it. That applies to bandsaws too !!

.

I'll wait to see your 12" wide veneers!

**hiroller** · 24th September 2015, 11:02 PM

Nice pickup Dale!
A bargain too.

**DSEL74** · 24th September 2015, 11:09 PM

Originally Posted by hiroller

Nice pickup Dale!
A bargain too.

Cheers.

**sion.dovey** · 25th September 2015, 08:28 AM

Another fine looking bandsaw on this forum in recent weeks. Congratulations! For lifting, you could always have a go with this method, only 1 person required:
Sagar-30inch-bandsaw--003.jpg

I don't have any pics of the process, but I laid this one flat on the trailer, everything is nice and steady with a chain tackle to do the work.

Sagar-30inch-bandsaw--015.jpg

**hiroller** · 25th September 2015, 08:47 AM

Very neat technique. What are the uprights made of?

**lightwood** · 25th September 2015, 11:52 AM

Originally Posted by DSEL74

Since the Cresecnt bandsaw I bought never made delivery I have been on the lookout for another bandsaw within budget.

I have agreed to buy the one listed in the market place.

A bit o history on the company............................

Dale,
Those pictures and text were interesting to see.
Since you failed to credit where they were sourced, (and the viewing of copies you made here are restricted to members signed in) I needed to go through a few steps to find the source.
I'm pretty sensitive about people copying, and distributing my copyright images and text without asking or crediting their source. So I read the full page to know what permissions or restrictions are applied to those images and text.
Museum Victoria Collections specifically ask that the page be credited, and give instructions how to do it.
--------------------------------------------------------------
"Author attribution and citation

We wish to assist users to properly cite information that they have reused. Every page has an easy-to-copy statement that shows how the information can be referenced. A great deal of work has gone into the research and writing of articles and species profiles; please provide credit and attribution where it's due."
-------------------------------------------------------------
Over the last few weeks I've been doing research for an article I'm writing about 30 or more Victorian and Tasmanian jewellery makers and retailers hallmarking punches I have. In relation to who used the marks, and where the makers and retailers were located. Most information I've found is well credited. So I can reference it, and also give it credit in my article.
Some stuff I've found is like your post above. Un-credited pictures and text. For the sake of a copy and paste, or a few words the trail is lost.....or difficult and time consuming to follow. And more importantly for me, not knowing if I would be using protected work.

I believe this is very important to do for a couple of reasons.
The most important, I think, is to respect the work done by the person who's pictures or text you are copying.
Another is to enable a poor soul like me to follow a research trail, and not to have hurdles in the way.

Here is the text they asked you to copy and paste in the post you did above.

Museum Victoria Collections http://collections.museumvictoria.com.au/items/1510876 Accessed 24 September 2015

Since lots of us are wanting info, and are enthusiastically researching all things concerning these old tools and machines, it would really help if you were to note when a picture or text is not yours, and where you found it so we can follow and advance the pool of knowledge.

I'd also encourage all members to be think about who's work they are using, and the time, money and passion it has been done with, and to recognise/reward that effort by giving credit for the work when copying and/or re-publishing it.

Cheers,
Peter

**DSEL74** · 25th September 2015, 12:33 PM

You are correct I probably should have put a link to the source. As it is in a quote bubble it is shown that it is not my research, I cut and pasted rather than paraphrase as to avoid any errors, or not having full info.

It is not hard to find the source if you copy the title into google it comes up as the first 3 out of 4 links. The fourth being a blog that auto copies posts from the woodworkforum.
http://www.google.com.au/search?clie...KKfu8wea-YHoDA

Do you have any further research to add that you can share?????

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