Vintage machine shop photo's

These two photos were in an advertisement printed in our local newspaper back in 1959. The shop was in an old brick building downtown that was consumed by our Urban Renewal in 1970. The man running the boring mill was the owner. He bought some land on the outskirts of town and built a new shop. In about 1990, I had reason to contact him to see if he'd make me a spur gear for a magneto I needed to put an engine back in operation.

He made it, no problem. While I was there, I wandered around in his shop, admiring all the machinery. He still had blacksmith equipment gathering dust~ hammers, swage blocks, forge~ 5 lathes of various sizes, a shaper.... and this Bullard?

I asked him if he'd be interested in selling any of the equipment. He goes into the little, cluttered office and came out with piece of notebook paper with a list of all the machines and their prices. I ended up buying a Cincinnati shaper for $500. I asked about the Bullard ~ $2500!

He's since passed away. His son had moved far away, but comes down to keep the home place up. I caught him down there about 2 years ago and stopped in, with the intentions of snooping around and seeing what was left.

It was all still there! I asked if any of it was for sale. "It's all for sale". A local scrap dealer had bought ALL the blacksmith equipment. I asked what he'd take for the Bullard... he goes into the office and comes out with the same list that his dad had written way back then, and quoted me the same price.

I'd sure like to have the Bullard, but not for that price. I really don't have the room for it, and I'd most likely never have reason to use it ~ maybe boring out wheel centers or something, but I get requests for things like that maybe once every 10 years! It'd be a conversation piece, more or less.

I like the light colored interior and the big windows. You can actually see the machines.

"A local scrap dealer had bought ALL the blacksmith equipment"

While I have unholy thoughts about scrap yards at times, like when I spot a rare and desirable item in the pile that is not for sale because they need the weight to meet a contracted quota, seeing that this machinery is in Kansas makes me believe that the blacksmith stuff that went to the scrap yard may have ended up in very good hands.

While visiting friends in Kansas a few years ago, I did a U Turn back to a scrap yard that looked interesting.
The owner and his wife were very pleasant and accommodating.
He took us on tour of the scrap that he gathers and sells the good stuff.
He had several small hammers and a lot of other blacksmith stuff.
Old engines, tractors, cars and an old Allis road grader that originally caught my attention.
He even put the best stuff into his personal collection and gave us a tour of that big building.
I would have to look at my records, i.e. mess, to find his name and town, but also he sells on e bay.
So I might be less sad to hear of a Kansas yard getting the blacksmith stuff as I would be if it were around here.

Mike

While I have unholy thoughts about scrap yards at times, like when I spot a rare and desirable item in the pile that is not for sale because they need the weight to meet a contracted quota, seeing that this machinery is in Kansas makes me believe that the blacksmith stuff that went to the scrap yard may have ended up in very good hands.

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Smithing has "followers." They run in circles around here. Hardly possible to find an anvil for less than $600, and a burned out Champion Forge sells for a cool $300.

Gentleman over in Nashua will provide you a full farrier setup for about $2500 to include the anvil, stakes & punches, swage block, forge and quench. He advertises on Craigslist.

Joe in NH

The whole thing about selling old iron I think comes down to timing. In this case the owner could take years to part with his machines holding out for the price he wanted. Some things he got that and the scrapers fed on the rest would be my guess.

I recently lost a good friend and his family asked for my help getting rid of the contents of his print shop. While he had 2 years since his diagnosis he made very little progress on emptying the building and now the stuff is in the way of a real estate deal. The sad thing is it will either get sold very cheap or scraped. Timing is everything.

In addition to semi-modern printing equipment there are antique printing presses used to decorate the lobby. A Washington, Adams (field model roller type used in the Civil War to print orders)and a smaller table top letterpress. If that is your thing, PM me.

Do you know what happened to the Bullard? 1990 was 30 years ago.

rivett608 said:

Do you know what happened to the Bullard? 1990 was 30 years ago.

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It's still there. He wasn't actively trying to sell anything. He kept the place after his father died, just comes down from the big city to hobby farm and play around.

As to your friend with the printing equipment... When I was in Junior High/high school, I was fascinated with printing. Somehow, I wheedled a small, unused by the school treadle operated printing press from them. Got that home, bought some lead type from our daily newspaper that was going "offset", and had me a little hobbyshop set up in my parents' small basement. As I got older and moved out, had to get rid of the stuff. I sold it to the scrapyard guy mentioned below. He is about my age, and he was in to printing stuff, too. He got all of it, outgrew it... and scrapped all of it !

rustyironism said:

While visiting friends in Kansas a few years ago, I did a U Turn back to a scrap yard that looked interesting.

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From just reading your description, I can tell you that that is the guy who bought the blacksmith stuff.
I'm sure he resold all that stuff. He wouldn't scrap any of it.

So, is that machine in the photo a Bullard, or could it be a different brand of machine?
I just said Bullard because that's all I can think of.

Joe E's tale about trying to buy the Bullard reminded me of an episode in the early 90's


Knowing where there was a ''baby'' Kearns hor' bore that was due to come on the market as the owner was retiring, and ''knowing'' I could get the work if I had the machine (I had two clients crazing me) I approached the guy and tried to buy it ASAP, making him a good offer in the process, £1200 / $1600 (aka far more than any dealer would pay etc etc - because it was quite close to me and transport etc cheap.

Which was flatly refused, almost to the point if I didn't leave of my own free will I'd be leaving off the toe of his boot! .and with his words that it was going in the auction etc etc ringing in my ears (and muttering under my breath) I went home and forgot about the hor bore, and of course losing the work that was ''there for the taking'' ................and concentrated on other work - as one does.

About 2 months later I went to the auction with a mate, and on a flat bed HIAB truck was the Kearns with all it's tooling etc etc and a sign ''Includes free transport within 20 mile radius'' (and so much per mile after etc etc.



That baby Kearns hor' bore sold for £200 / $260

I was not the purchaser.

1. 2500 2yrs ago is a lot less than 2500 in 1990 2. That's typical Sami-when I'm 80 I'll try not to be that obtuse. 3. Old Norfolk saying "that craze me,that do"