Thread: Vintage machine tools - a whole factory full - about to go to scrap

A litlle background: here in Bendigo, Central Victoria, the was an engineering works called "Golden City Implements" established around 1860s. It was a working concern until 18 or so years ago, when the two remaining owners in their mid-70s were still doing smaller works and jobbing. Their last time I was there a few times and marvelled at their machinery. The two guys retired and closed the factory - and died about 15 years ago.
Since then all doorways and windows were boarded up and I assumed the building was emptyand all the machines had been disposed of. The building continued to deteriorate, with half of the roof falling in last year.

As I drove past today (during working hours in a company car), I noticed an open gate and a car parked inside the yard. SO I stopped and wandered in - as you do....

The guy working there turned out to be a descendent and an old workmate of mine from 35 years ago - and we recognised each other!

I asked to have a sticky-beak and he suggested I didn't hurt myself and to be careful where I walked
I couldn't believe my eyes! The whole place was as I last saw it 18 years ago!
So here are the photos.... from my phone I'm afraid.... via photobucket:

http://photobucket.com/golden_city_implements

You will have to figure out which photo goes with which machine below

Everything is for sale at scrap metal price - or reasonable offers.
I'll try and list and estimate sizes of anything I could recognise:

1. Victoria Horizontal Mill - 6' table, vertical head on floor next to it.
2. Norton Cylindrical grinder - 16" or bigger x 2" wide wheel, about 4' between centres
3. Kearney & Trecker, Milwaukee vertical mill - at least 6' table, about 9' high - massive!
4. KM-700A Kai Ming Industrial vertical spindle surface grinder, about 3' table, no chuck
5. Van Norman Re-Li-o No 2 wet cylindical grinder - about 2'6" between centres. Missing drive motor, cross feed, long fee handle, tailstock - no other tooling to go with it
6. Huge double-ended shear - about 12" capacity
7. 2x plate/sheet rollers - about 12' and 8' capacity
8. Raboma radial arm drill - HUGE, column diameter about 14" or more, electrical panel missing
9. 3x large lathes - estimated 12', 8' and 5' between centres - didn't check makers' names
10. Norton horizontal grinder - 12' bed, 5' electromagnetic chuck, looks in reasonable condition and complete
11. Smith & Mills shaper - about 3' stroke, looks complete
12. HUGE Pearson horizontal borer - about 6' square table, 5'6" high angle table
13. Fairfax shaper - about 2' stroke, looks complete, I saw that one working 18 years ago.
14. & 15. heavy duty power hack saws, I'd say 16" and 14" blade lengths. Smaller one lacking motor.
16. mechanical brake press - about 12' opr more die capacity
17. capstan lathe with cut-off cross slide - looks like about 12" capaciti and 10" centre height
18. large hydraulic press

There are also several forging hammers, one with a flywheel the other with a cylinder, possibly steam or air.
There is also a large compressor - stands about 6' high, maybe 2'6" diameter tank.

Tons of stock steel - can't tell and no-one knows what it is - I suspect largely hot rolled, but I remember them forging crow bars out of hex and there are several racks of various sized hex.... I suspect some stronger steel than MS....

There is also a container full of welding rod packets, and black smith tools, tongs etc,

I'm happy to go on Satruday, their first sales day (for corrugated iron) and check out more detail of any machines of interest.
I'm picking up a floor pedestal drill press I've chalked my name on and a twin to my Macson machine vice....

The executors name is Lance Osborne and I have his contact details if someone wants to deal with him directly. He's now a retired sheetmetal worker and draughtsman/designer.

Cheers,
Joe