Coronet International Woodworker

[draya10]

Hi everyone,

I am brand new to the site and looking to try and get advice/help/information regarding the above machine. Does anyone know anything about it? Had one? Ever seen one?

I'm already in email contact with Pete Baker, Derek Pyatt and Tony Griffiths but thought I would try and widen the search a little as my woodworking knowledge is limited.

I understand that the International Woodworker is very rare and that I may be one of a limited number of individuals to have been in contact with one.

My neighbour has one of these machines in the maroon colour that was owned by her late husband Derek and I am trying to get as much information about it prior to putting up for sale. I know she is very keen for it to go to someone who will enjoy it for the rare piece of equipment that it is as Derek was a very keen woodworking project man, but she can't afford not to get something for it, hence the need for as much background information as I can get.

It's been sitting dormant for about 4 years in the workshop/garage where Derek tinkered and I haven't made any attempt to plug it in or switch it on. I'm going to give it a bit of a clean prior to uploading any photos (and I know I have to have several posts before I'm allowed photos anyway).

I really hope some of you may be able to help me as even in this day and age of the internet, there seems to be virtually nothing about this particular machine about.

Thanks in anticipation.

Andrea (the very unknowledgeable!)

 

[dickm]

Never seen one, or found anything about it on the 'web, but years ago, when they were first produced, I was very keen to get one. Having a Coronet Consort, which was the more widespread machine for a generally similar purpose, my guess was that the International would have been even better. But sadly, never managed to find one and Coronet disappeared shortly afterwards, so they are probably very rare. Whether rarity adds to the value, who knows.
Will be fascinated to see any actual photos of the real thing. Maybe if it looks more useful than my Lurem universal, could even be a customer! Especially if your neighbour would post it to Aberdeen

 

[draya10]

Thanks for the reply Dick M. Derek Pyatt has a drawing from one of the sales catalogues but even he hasn't seen an actual machine.

The cabinet is on wheels, but it weighs a ton! Not something that I can put in the postbox!

Andrea

 

[williams1185]

try the website boleynworkshop.com they have pictures of that machine and other coronet machines as well

 

[draya10]

Hi Williams1185,

That's the actual machine! Pete Baker who runs the site asked if he could load my photos. Those were just initial photos, but want to give the machine a bit of a clean up before selling.

Thanks though.

Andrea

 

[lurker]

I would talk to David Stanley auctions
They are not far from you.

 

[draya10]

Hi Lurker

Would they have information? Or is that just for selling?

Thanks

Andrea

 

[lurker]

For selling
I am pretty sure they would get the very best price for your friend

 

[vankou]

Hi

I have owned an International in the past. What would you like to Know?

Paul

 

[draya10]

Thanks Lurker.

And Paul - anything you can tell me really

 

[vankou]

Hi

The International was a fixed stand alone table saw which had optional attachments available to make it a universal or combination machine. the table saw is a cast iron top machine mounted on a cast alloy base it takes a 10 inch saw blade ( 5/8 bore the same as the Major lathe/universal) It is about the same size unit as a Startriite 165/145 table saw and does have a rise and fall arbor but the fence is the same as the one used on the saw table attachment of the Major universal but longer and due to the longer length is unfortunately not very stable or accurate. On this machine Coronet used a variable speed range using toothed rubber belts but it was not a particularly good design and only required to reach the higher speed required for the planer and lower for the sander as you couldn't easily reach the pulleys to change speeds manually. The planer attachment that mounts on the left hand side is the same as their stand alone Capitol machine which takes 7 inch blades and a thicknessing attachment was available. You could purchase a full lathe attachment to mount on the right hand side which was basically a Major lathe minus the headstock but without the advantage of having the swivelling headstock. I notice from your photos that you have a stub bar instead of the lathe attachment to support the disc sander attachment and it looks as though you have a tool rest banjo to allow face plate turning although I can not see a tool rest, You do have the saw table cross cut fence and the crown guard although I can not see the rivimg knife that supports the guard and is essential if you can possibly find it before advertising the machine for sale. as far as I can tell you have The International saw complete with the planer attachment and fence, you also have the stub bar and 14 inch disc sander attachment consisting of tilting table and disc, the fence for the saw table will also fit the sanding table.
This is basically a nice machine but needed more development to be a really good one but unfortunately when the company was sold to Record Power the design was swiftly dropped.
As to value the saw table alone which is the main part may not fetch very much as a Startrite 145/165 can be found for around £300 but with the attachments it will hopefully find more interest and so a higher price. if you really want to get as high a price as you can I would sell the saw and planer attachment as one item and the disc sander separately as this attachment which will also fit the much more widely available Major and will fetch from experience around £150 on its own.I would personally advertise on EBay to reach as wide an audience as possible .

I hope this helps, it is a nice machine and with a clean up has a long life left.

Paul

 

[draya10]

Hi Paul

Wow, thanks for all that information. Do you have any photos of the knife piece that is missing (or something similar so I can have a look for it in the workshop). Derek had many tools and it may just be that I have missed something (I just tried to find anything that was a maroon type colour).

Thanks once again.

Andrea

 

[vankou]

HI Andrea

I am afraid I don,t have a photo of one but basically it's a flat piece of thin steel semi circular (almost) on one side with a slot at the bottom and at the top around 7 inches in length. hopefully another member may have a Photo of a rivimg knife that they can down load for you. If you do find any other parts that you think may go with it let me know and I will do my best to help. I have bought and sold several Coronet machines over the years if you need any help with putting a description for an advert or eBay listing together for the machine please let me know.

 

[dickm]

Paul
Can't quite make out from the pics on the Boleyn site, but I assume the International had a tilting arbour for the saw? This would have eliminated one of the problems with the older machines with their tilting tables, which could be a bit of a pain to use with heavier items.

Like yourself, I had a number of Coronet machines back in the 80s and 90s, starting with a version of the Minor lathe that was sold under the Gamages banner. Shows that re-badging of machines was alive and well long before the current flood of Chinese clones. Sold it on to a work colleague, who never really used it that much and was finally bullied by his wife to pass it on to Tools for Self-reliance, so who knows where it is now!

Interesting stroll down memory lane for this oldie!

 

[vankou]

Hi Dick

You are right it does have a tilting arbor which is a definite benefit. if you remove the cast iron table you can really see how well made the internal workings were but also how much more complicated they were purely to manage the variable speed. The saw blade sat on its own arbor but, but the main spindle still sat in a headstock exactly the same as a Major headstock except for some reason it was made from alloy instead of cast iron. The biggest problem though was the fence arrangement which let down an otherwise very nice saw but I guess an aftermarket fence could be fitted.

Having thought about it some more last night, If I was considering purchasing it (I am not as I already have a Startrite 165) I would make a wider cabinet for it to sit on, fit a longer bed bar from a Major lathe instead of the stub bar and use a coronet MORTICER attachment on it which is in my opinion a great unit. That together with the planer mounted on the other side would give a very worthwhile multi function machine. The planer is as you probably know is a good quality machine as long as it is only used for surfacing and not really thicknessing
I must admit I do like Coronet machines, they were very well made and I find the company history fascinating. They are a bit out dated now but still very capable If used wisely.
My first Coronet was a Minor universal the same as yours and I still think it was an incredibly well designed machine capable of much more than its size would suggest , although I except it was a bit lacking in the H&S department.

Nice chatting

Paul

 

[dickm]

Yes, they were ingenious machines, ideal for enthusiasts or possibly small business before the days of HSE. An old colleague back in the 60s restored a huge Victorian house outside Lancaster using mostly hand tools and a Minorette.

 

[draya10]

Hi guys

I have now tidied the machine up a bit ready for sale and think I may have found the missing piece?

Looks like you can only upload small pics on here, so am going to send the polished up pics to Pete Baker at Boleyn Workshop and hopefully he will replace those I took previously.

Paul, it would be great to have your help with writing an ad for Ebay now if you can.

Thanks all

Andrea

 

[vankou]

Hi Andrea. I would be more than happy to help you write an ad for EBay . I will send you a PM with my email address and if you could send me some photos of everything you have I will email you over what I think would be a sensible and honest ad that should reach the right audience.

Thanks

Paul

 

[draya10]

Thanks Paul

Look forward to the email

Andrea

 

[PaulReesT]

Hi Folks
Proud owner of the Coronet `International` that is shown on the Boleyn workshop website. It is in great condition and gets used regularly.
I am in contact with another `International` owner in Hampshire and wonder if there any more out there. Always on the look out for those special parts that are unique to the `International`
PaulRT