Links to lots of machine photos

Some photos from Laurence, Scott & Electromotors archives. Laurence Scott are still in business in Norwich, England. They used to have a factory in Manchester as well, originally Electromotors, but this closed in 1980s.

http://www.norfolkancestors.org/lsepics/manchester/txn/4.jpg
http://www.lselink.co.uk/images/lsepics/78.jpg
Two photos showing a pair of Ormerod shapers with a radial arm drill between them, for machining the feet of electric motors.

http://www.norfolkancestors.org/lsepics/manchester/txn/2.jpg
Churchill grinder, arranged like a horizontal borer. Note ‘War Finish’ stencilled on the machine.

http://www.lselink.co.uk/images/lsepics/5.jpg
SIP Jig borer

http://www.lselink.co.uk/images/lsepics/23.jpg
Wooden pattern

http://www.lselink.co.uk/images/lsepics/30.jpg
horiz borer

http://www.lselink.co.uk/images/lsepics/168.jpg
Special lathe

http://www.lselink.co.uk/images/lsepics/188.jpg
Dies

http://www.lselink.co.uk/images/lsepics/206.jpg
Asquith radial arm drill

http://www.lselink.co.uk/images/lsepics/212.jpg
Small grinder

http://www.lselink.co.uk/images/lsepics/219.jpg
Plano miller

http://www.lselink.co.uk/images/lsepics/226.jpg
Churchill cylindrical grinder

http://www.lselink.co.uk/images/lsepics/579.jpg
Grinder

http://www.lselink.co.uk/images/lsepics/232.jpg
http://www.lselink.co.uk/images/lsepics/261.jpg
Noble & Lund lathe

http://www.lselink.co.uk/images/lsepics/243.jpg
http://www.lselink.co.uk/images/lsepics/777.jpg
Craven VBM

http://www.lselink.co.uk/images/lsepics/427.jpg
Modeller

http://www.lselink.co.uk/images/lsepics/550.jpg
Sykes gear hobber

http://www.lselink.co.uk/images/lsepics/560.jpg
Webster & Bennett VBMs

http://www.lselink.co.uk/images/lsepics/581.jpg
Kendall & Gent miller

http://www.lselink.co.uk/images/lsepics/582.jpg
Parkson miller

http://www.lselink.co.uk/images/lsepics/583.jpg
http://www.lselink.co.uk/images/lsepics/584.jpg
Butler slotter

http://www.lselink.co.uk/images/lsepics/596.jpg
http://www.lselink.co.uk/images/lsepics/754.jpg
Butler planer

http://www.lselink.co.uk/images/lsepics/620.jpg
Craven planer

http://www.lselink.co.uk/images/lsepics/613.jpg
Long ago

http://www.lselink.co.uk/images/lsepics/636.jpg
Munition girls

http://www.lselink.co.uk/images/lsepics/789.jpg
Ship’s shaft(?) on Kearns horizontal borer. Jig fitted to coupling for boring bolt holes.

The photos above are from:-
http://www.norfolkancestors.org/lse/lsegallery.php

…and so far I’ve only scratched the surface!

Some more here, which I’ve only had a quick glance at ……
http://www.norfolkancestors.org/lse/laurenceintro.htm

An example…..

Small gear inspection


I’m very grateful to the people who take the trouble to put these archives on the internet.

[ 01-05-2007, 07:17 AM: Message edited by: Asquith ]

I'm grateful as well, I'm always amazed at some of the collections that do get put up, esp. since the number of interesteed viewers would seem to be very small!

BTW grateful to you for posting the links too!

Thank you Asquith.

Thanks also Asquith. Looks like you could give them some help, as many of the photos of machines in operation ask for captions.

More.

Perhaps it'll attract more interest if I show an American machine
http://www.lselink.co.uk/images/lsepics/1623.jpg
Well, not quite, it's a DeVlieg built under licence by Alfred Herbert.

Grinding
You say Blanchard, we say Lumsden

http://www.lselink.co.uk/images/lsepics/1114.jpg
Milling a rotor, using a very beefy milling machine. Note the template on the far end of the rotor.

http://www.lselink.co.uk/images/lsepics/1153.jpg
The driver of this crane complained about the cold, so they gave him the sack.
I think it’s a Ransomes & Rapier 3 wheeler, petrol or diesel-electric. I worked at a place where they had one of these in daily use, when it was over 50 years old. Looked incongruous in a new nuclear power station.

http://www.lselink.co.uk/images/lsepics/1433.jpg
Compressed air hammer. Note the fence round motor, useful if you should trip over the rubbish on the floor.

http://www.lselink.co.uk/images/lsepics/1434.jpg
Just got to sort these cables out….
Looks like a very old building, early 19th century?

http://www.lselink.co.uk/images/lsepics/1435.jpg
Probably late 1890s – note crane’s remote control on left.

http://www.lselink.co.uk/images/lsepics/1540.jpg
Cloned moulders

http://www.lselink.co.uk/images/lsepics/1593.jpg
Another Noble & Lund lathe

http://www.lselink.co.uk/images/lsepics/1595.jpg
Well-dressed plate bender

http://www.lselink.co.uk/images/lsepics/1625.jpg
Plenty of work for this Richards VBM

http://www.lselink.co.uk/images/lsepics/1641.jpg
None for this one yet, but it’ll be productive, with the extra tool holder

http://www.lselink.co.uk/images/lsepics/1626.jpg
Comfortable ride for this load

http://www.lselink.co.uk/images/lsepics/1264.jpg
Engraving.

http://www.lselink.co.uk/images/lsepics/1266.jpg
Happy turner

From the ‘old adverts and motors’ section….

http://www.lselink.co.uk/images/motors/168.jpg
Nice close-up of bevel gear machining on Gleason machine

http://www.lselink.co.uk/images/motors/64.jpg
Meddings Pacera turret drill

http://www.lselink.co.uk/images/motors/239.jpg
Naval gun control equipment

http://www.lselink.co.uk/images/motors/194.jpg
http://www.lselink.co.uk/images/motors/354.jpg
Railway wheel/axle lathe

http://www.lselink.co.uk/images/motors/277.jpg
http://www.lselink.co.uk/images/motors/315.jpg
Old lathes rejuvenated

http://www.lselink.co.uk/images/motors/352.jpg
http://www.lselink.co.uk/images/motors/923.jpg
More lineshaft replacement

http://www.lselink.co.uk/images/motors/1109.jpg
Cranes and bridge

http://www.lselink.co.uk/images/motors/1331.jpg
http://www.lselink.co.uk/images/motors/1332.jpg
Titanic

http://www.lselink.co.uk/images/motors/97.jpg
http://www.lselink.co.uk/images/motors/622.jpg
http://www.lselink.co.uk/images/motors/919.jpg
http://www.lselink.co.uk/images/motors/1344.jpg
Engines

Thanks for taking the time to post these .jpg's. I care about this stuff like mad.

Neat stuff Asquith

The link that says "small grinder" is a Studer OB universal cylindrical grinder.I bought 1 in England last summer from an Aerospace contractor.

Now you chaps gona feel sick from what I am about to tell you.My Studer was complete and in good condition albeit caked in gridning swarf. The company had 2 and prior to me buying 1, they threw 1 in similar condition into the dumpster (skip)
Naturally I was aghast.I asked them why they would do such a thing, they replied that they are in the buisness of making money and it was taking up space and surplus to needs since they do all of their grinding on CNC.
When I was there, they had a heli rotor part (75,000 brit pounds) sitting on a table by the loading area.They make parts for boeing,airbus and other defense companies.They spent a million pounds on machines last year so throwing away the Studer was no big deal to them.

Below is your picture link and followed by picture from Anglo Swiss tools.



anglo-swiss link
http://www.anglo-swiss-tools.co.uk/StuderOB.html

Spud,

Thanks for that. I’m keen to learn more about what was going on in some of those photos, but I didn’t expect to glean anything about the grinder. Very neat machine. Interesting website, too.

Even if you don’t use yours, it must be nice to have a small item of smooth Swiss machinery to run your hands over. I saw a SIP jig borer on ebay last year for £75 ‘Buy it now’. I didn’t.

Thanks again.

Asquith

Mine is in storage in London.Couldn't arrange shipping due to me spending only 2.5 weeks in London last summer.Was very sick for 10ish days with food poisioning.Finally went to Ealing hospital emergency.I am of the type who doesn't like going to the hospital unless absoultely necessary.

I intend to return to England (maybee in 2 months or so)to arrange the shipping and to buy some Land Rover parts.

I bought it one cause its neat and for Model Railway scratch building/model engineering use.

I only brought back the manual, which has lots of technical info and pictures.Will post once I buy a scanner.

That machine is way way heavier than it looks.The Chaps at the company I bought it from , guesstiamted it was 600 kilos but my buddy thinks it was much higher due to the compression of the rear on our 1 ton Ford Transit van.
The base castings are atleast 3/4 of an inch thick.

Hi Spud,
This is a Studer Model O1 that I have:-











It is smaller than the OB, with 60mm centre height & 250mm between centres. I could use something slightly larger. Like to do a trade?

The paint speckles are airborne overspray after recovering my aircraft wing & they wipe off with a dry rag.

Regards Don

Asquith

...finally had some time to look through these links you posted...some excellent photos (especially my favorites...the lathes)...thanks for posting them.

Thanks, Lathefan.

Now you've prompted me, I've just been looking at some of the pictures again.

Some points of interest in this one:-

http://www.lselink.co.uk/images/motors/194.jpg

The lathe looks like a more modern version of the typical Victorian British wheel lathe, with automatic feed obtained by crank-driven connecting rods operating ratchets. One thing that I can't figure out is the stout shaft going off at an angle to (guarded) bevel gears on the end of the spindle. Any ideas?

Note, too, the old wall in the background. It looks as though that was probably the original factory building, which was subsequently built around and over. I know of a few examples like that. One was in the heavy transformer shop in a big engineering works in Trafford Park, Manchester. The 'Park' was a deer park, and a gamekeeper's cottage was retained and incorporated as an office in the shop. In another case, the back wall of a little engineering shop near where I lived had been the front wall of a farmhouse, complete with the 1792 date stone over the front door.

Asquith...both the wheel lathe and building are quite remarkable. There is alot to look at on that lathe...as to the angled shaft and bevel gears...nothing I can come up with makes any sense. I made it through the first 104 photos on the site...hope I can get through the rest. I really like the lathe in the photo below...although that looks like a good way to get a bad back.

Studer OB

Hi,
I have recently acquired a Studer OB. It is in excellent mechanical condition but requires a paintwork overhaul.

I have the original user manual but if anyone has any additional information it wuld be very much appreciated. I will quite happily provide a pdf of the original manual if anyone needs one.

Does anyone know what the RAL paint code is for this machine?

Thank you for posting. I like the shapers of course . Shaperhaven

Laurence, Scott & Electromotors

Asquith,
Thanks so much for the photos. I served my apprenticeship with L. S. & E., starting there in August 1958 (aged 15, just) & left in August 1965. Many of the machines & the assembly areas look so familiar that I keep expecting to see myself on a photo but no luck yet. I have so many stories & comments that I would be in danger of hijacking the thread.
The other amazing thing is the various invites to employees to visit Felthorpe Hall, home of the Mr Laurence (http://www.norfolkancestors.org/images/lsepics/229.jpg) & to attend his funeral at Felthorpe Church.(http://www.norfolkancestors.org/images/lsepics/303.jpg) I am writing this in the village of Felthorpe, less than half a mile from the Hall, I have owned property in this village for more than forty years & never knew of the connection. Not withstanding the weather I visited the church today, although a "Plague Church" it's only a mile away, less on foot, & within in few minutes found the grave, one of the finest in the churchyard, the date exactly correct.
One other comment, the job offer at Royal Arsenal for 45 shillings a week in 1915. (http://www.norfolkancestors.org/images/lsepics/417.jpg) When I started in 1958 I received 38 shilings a week for the same hours so that rate in 1915 seems an enormous sum of money.
I also want to take the opportunity to thank you for the items you posted some time ago about industrial sites in Lisbon. I haven't visited those yet but I return to Portugal on the 31st of this month & will be there for several months & really hope to get to see the two places.

Thanks Asquith

The world gets smaller every day, I have an ex L&S arbor press in my shop that I bought from daredo222 15 yrs ago, when we used to see each other round the sales - good days eh daredo?

Re Woolwich Arsenal

''The arsenal'' workers always enjoyed good rates of pay.
The Brit govt built a housing estate for them in 1915, very advanced for the time and I believe one of the first experiments in quality social housing.

http://www.ideal-homes.org.uk/greenwich/progress-estate/ross-way-02.htm

I worked in many of the houses in the 60's (weekend job while at school),..... and they are now a much sought after place to live.

FWIW If anyone has heard of ''Thamesmead' or ''Bellmarsh Prison'' - they are on the site of the former Woolwich Arsenal.