Any Archdale machines/stories/photos out there?

[Mackty]

There's also a book published about the company. I have your Grandfather's car, a 1929 4.5 litre Bentley. Originally was grey. Photos attached. James Archdale senior who founded the company died in 1925. Archdale Machine Tools: Amazon.co.uk: Archdale, James: Books

 

[Ferrous]

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/members/honza992.26353/
I have an Archdale 1966 radial arm drill press in my workshop. It is in use, well was until recently- something has just blown on the pcb which needs to be fixed which is how I have come across your post! This machine is great! Nothing wrong with the drill just something has gone on the electrics and I need help to fix.

 

[Jameshow]

I wouldn't even bother trying. It's a Spanish company whose sole ambition has been to destroy the UK divisions

Sounds like you need to shop the firm into the Daily mail!!

 

[bourbon]

I've Been Finished work since the 27th September. The place is an empty shell now. I don't know where all the stuff went

 

[RobinBHM]

there is an archdale radial drill for sale on ebay right now

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/22452484...uhwuBW8GnEQUwmI9rnEaAjDfEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[TFrench]

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/members/honza992.26353/
I have an Archdale 1966 radial arm drill press in my workshop. It is in use, well was until recently- something has just blown on the pcb which needs to be fixed which is how I have come across your post! This machine is great! Nothing wrong with the drill just something has gone on the electrics and I need help to fix.

I'd be surprised if something from '66 has a circuit board, unless it's on a retrofitted brake?

 

[Sandyn]

What a fascinating thread and already the OP has a lot more info on his GG Grandfather and other interesting connections. It's a sin to see old machinery like that going in the skip and even greater sin when companies are closed by the finance people. They don't give a hoot about what goes in the skip. It's the easy way out for them. If something is old and depreciated it has no value whatsoever.....even the staff!!!

 

[Chief Sawdust Maker]

I worked on the site of The Archdale's factory in the old buildings for a local engineering company whilst completing my apprenticeship
Our machine shop had a number or Archdale's machines in and a number of the skilled guys i trained under were ex Archdale's.
I can remember as a child the factory and also the Ward's factory over the road from Archdale's The Ward's Factory closed around 1984.
Archdale's social club lived on and was home to many sports teams and car boot sales. The club sold off some land to a supermarket and as part of the deal had a new club and car park built
The old Archdale's factory was demolished and is now a retail park The rear door of Pets At Home is about where I stood for many hours winding handles on a Colchester Mastiff and a Rambaudi Vertical Ram Mill. due to the economic climate at the time we were not retained as apprentices and the factory relocated to a smaller site some years later

 

[Olly Ingram]

Hi All
First time poster here. I'm a guitar maker based in Nottingham, so I pretty much use woodworking tools and machinery, I've got no experience of metalworking at all. My great grandfather though was James Archdale who founded Archdale Machine tools. They mostly made massive radial arm drills and industrial lathes. This sort of thing....
View attachment 83353
Archdale as a company hasn't existed for decades, but I occasionally see some of the old machines come up for sale on ebay. I was hoping someone here might have used an Archdale, maybe a story they could share, or a photo, or even still have one up and running in a home workshop. Anything Archdale related really. And if anyone has any Archdale items for sale I'd bite your hand off! And if anyone knows of an Archdale that is still in use anywhere in the country that would be amazing. I would love to see one in action.

First time here for me too. Was a Farmer, with two brothers, one of which was a bit of an engineer. We had a well equipped workshop, a lot of the machines came from an Uncles engineering works in Acton, London. There was an Archdale Milling Machine. When the farm was sold, my brother moved to Devon, taking most of the Workshop gear with him. As far as I know he still uses the Mill to this day. Not sure how to attach pictures <mod edit: email deleted because it's unwise to post email addresses on the open internet. Please click on the poster's icon and "start a conversation" to get in touch and ask for it >

 

[PandasticEngineering]

Hello from Australia
Recently purchased an old Archdale mill and came across this post in my quest for information so thought to join and share.
Not a huge amount of information to be found on my model unfortunately but if I'm not mistaken, appears to be the same as the type as shown third down in OP's picture. Aside from that, only other image I've found is from the 'Underwood Archives'
Labelled as a 30"V.M. with mechanical power-feed on x & y and appears to have had a new pump fitted at some stage which accounts for what I think is an 'aftermarket' power box. Unfortunately no drawbar and almost no tooling provided with but thankfully looks to have a standard 7/24 taper so should be able to make something up.
Primarily, intend on returning it to full functionality and modernising a bit with a dro and a motor change to allow it to run single phase in addition to making up a base that will allow it to be moved about but want to use it as opposed to having it become another idle, multi-year project lol
If anyone happens to have any more info on this model though, would appreciate just about anything I can get my hands on

Edit* Looks like the brochure attached (which, according to the image title/name, is dated from 1939) also displays the 30" V.M. from Handley and if image title is correct, dates it to late 1930's/ early 40's which is pretty cool

 

[Stephen Le Breton]

Hi All
First time poster here. I'm a guitar maker based in Nottingham, so I pretty much use woodworking tools and machinery, I've got no experience of metalworking at all. My great grandfather though was James Archdale who founded Archdale Machine tools. They mostly made massive radial arm drills and industrial lathes. This sort of thing....
View attachment 83353
Archdale as a company hasn't existed for decades, but I occasionally see some of the old machines come up for sale on ebay. I was hoping someone here might have used an Archdale, maybe a story they could share, or a photo, or even still have one up and running in a home workshop. Anything Archdale related really. And if anyone has any Archdale items for sale I'd bite your hand off! And if anyone knows of an Archdale that is still in use anywhere in the country that would be amazing. I would love to see one in action.

 

[jackcole22uk]

This fellah on youtube has an Archdale radial drill in his shop which he uses quite a bit.
He's an agricultural engineer in Yorkshire and his videos are well worth watching in themselves.

https://www.youtube.com/@snowballengineering/videos