100 Year Old Italian Machines

[wcndave]

I was visiting a friend of my wife's in the middle of nowhere, and she asked if I would like to see her fathers workshop.

I said yes, thinking it was probably just another dusty hole, however here's what i was shown.

This equipment belonged to her grandfather and has been in constant service for at least 70 years.

Dining Table Saw

Big Brass Band Saw

Planer / thicknesser with a very sturdy horizontal mortiser

and one i don't know what it is....

And finally, what it's all used for (you'll see the clues in the other pictures... crates and crates and stacks of the stuff....)

My wife pointed out that i must be a better woodworker, as I was able to make similar piles of firewood on smaller machines.... (hammer)

no idea if this stuff is amazing like wadkin, or just some common rubbish, however that's 40cm of rules on that bandsaw, it's 2.4m tall, and the cast iron table alone must be 100kg... so they seem very substantial, well made and meant to last....

anyone got any thoughts about whether this stuff is special in any way?

 

[adidat]

the unknown machine is for sharpening the planer knives i think

the bandsaw is great!

adidat

 

[Teckel]

Thats what I would think it's for aswell adidat..for sharpening blades.
Lovely looking machines.
They look well minded machines. Obviously they take pride in their work.

 

[wcndave]

Good call on the unknown.

These machines are all very smooth, well oiled the saw sliding table and horizontal mortiser work really smoothly.
given how massive they are, and that they really are just used for chopping firewood these days...

But yes, they are still well looked after.

I would love to take them off their hands one day, however I would need the space, and also quite expensive to move, so would perhaps only be worth it if they were something special.
(As opposed to just being extremely good and well made machines)

Apparently, and I have seen the consumer unit, these are running off 3kw power supply!

notice though, no guarding at all, and no dust extraction.

 

[Tony Spear]

the unknown machine is for sharpening the planer knives i think
adidat

Judging by the fact that it seems to have a fairly lengthy tool holder and is has a hand crank movement, I would assume it's for longer blades than planers. Agricultural hand cutter blades?