# Any Archdale machines/stories/photos out there?



## honza992 (5 Jan 2020)

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....





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.


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## Trevanion (5 Jan 2020)

www.lathes.co.uk/archdale/
www.lathes.co.uk/archdale/page2.html
www.lathes.co.uk/archdale/page3.html
www.lathes.co.uk/archdalefactorytour/


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## TFrench (5 Jan 2020)

That's a seriously cool ancestor! There's a beauty of a radial arm in a maintenence shop in a factory we work in - not allowed phones in there to get a pic unfortunately. It's gigantic though - I'd guess its got an 8 foot arm. When they refurbished the workshop everything got moved out apart from the drill - it was easier to work around it!


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## Tris (6 Jan 2020)

I remember the Worcester factory still standing in the early 80s, by 88 it had been demolished to make way for a retail park. All that remains now is part of the wall around the site.
It may be worth a look at the Worcester Evening News website and pop a question on their chat board, there should be a few people around that area with memories of the factory.


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## honza992 (6 Jan 2020)

Tris":1517081j said:


> I remember the Worcester factory still standing in the early 80s, by 88 it had been demolished to make way for a retail park. All that remains now is part of the wall around the site.
> It may be worth a look at the Worcester Evening News website and pop a question on their chat board, there should be a few people around that area with memories of the factory.


A tool maker to a retail park....I guess that's progress :shock: Here'a photo of the factory I pulled from the Lathes site.....


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## honza992 (6 Jan 2020)

TFrench":1rq9dtne said:


> That's a seriously cool ancestor! There's a beauty of a radial arm in a maintenence shop in a factory we work in - not allowed phones in there to get a pic unfortunately. It's gigantic though - I'd guess its got an 8 foot arm. When they refurbished the workshop everything got moved out apart from the drill - it was easier to work around it!


Yep, a large radial arm drill is really an impressive site. Is it an Archdale do you think?


Thanks @Trevanion, the Lathes co uk is a great site. I know more about Archdale machine tools from that site than I do from my own family! It's a shame how within a couple of generations, family history can be almost completely lost. That's really why I'm here. Hoping others can fill in the gaps. 

Thanks all for the replies so far.


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## The_Haxby_Hermit (14 Oct 2020)

During Covid lockdown I’ve been giving this Archdale treadle lathe a bit of restoration. I’m led to believe it was used for a fair bit of its life by a pattern maker - and came with quite a lot of chucks and attachments (see photos). I haven’t been able to find another like it anywhere online so I’m wondering whether it might be a bit of a hybrid (or perhaps a ‘one off’?).


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## TFrench (14 Oct 2020)

Wow, never seen one of those before!


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## redhunter350 (16 Oct 2020)

Cannot be of much help really except I worked on one periodically back in the 1960's !


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## bjm (16 Oct 2020)

I applaud you for trying to stop this family history getting lost. Good luck in your quest.


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## Keith 66 (30 Oct 2020)

There is a recent thread over on the mig welding forum, one of the members just bought an Archdale milling machine, a serious monument to cast iron, Archdale Milling Machine,


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## clogs (30 Oct 2020)

Mr Her mit,
not enough sawdust n turning shaving in ur workshop.....only kidding......
smart place and an even smarter lathe....serious envy ......
round leather belts......mmmmm....


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## bourbon (30 Oct 2020)

My story is a bit sad really, Our Toolroom has an archdale radial drill not too big, I suppose around 10 feet high. The company is relocating 4.5 miles away. It will be going in the skip, along with various shapers. I have asked about selling them, but they are adamant they will be scrapped


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## TFrench (30 Oct 2020)

Any chance they'd let me buy them as a business?


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## Trevanion (30 Oct 2020)

bourbon said:


> It will be going in the skip, along with various shapers.



Just tell them that they're going to need a *BIG* skip, which aren't cheap. Better to let TFrench take them for the scrap value! 

Psst, TFrench... Shaper?


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## bourbon (30 Oct 2020)

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


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## Trevanion (30 Oct 2020)

bourbon said:


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



Well, just tell us which scrap yard they're going to, when they collect it they can swing it by mine for a little bit on top


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## bourbon (31 Oct 2020)

I wouldn't know who will collect them. I will have been made redundant before then.


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## Mackty (12 Nov 2021)

honza992 said:


> 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.


I have James Archdale junior's car in my garage. I think he took over the company in 1925 when your grandfather died. PM me please I would like to know if you have a photo of the car back then


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## lostb0y (28 Nov 2021)

There’s a guy on youtube who was gifted an Archdale vertical mill and did a series of videos on its rebuild. His channel is Quick Bikes.


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## Mackty (28 Nov 2021)

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


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## Ferrous (12 Dec 2021)

honza992







www.ukworkshop.co.uk





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.


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## Jameshow (12 Dec 2021)

bourbon said:


> 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!!


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## bourbon (14 Dec 2021)

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


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## RobinBHM (14 Dec 2021)

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









6ft Archdale radial drill | eBay


Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 6ft Archdale radial drill at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products!



www.ebay.co.uk


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## TFrench (14 Dec 2021)

Ferrous said:


> honza992
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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


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## Sandyn (15 Dec 2021)

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!!!


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## Chief Sawdust Maker (18 Dec 2021)

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


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## Olly Ingram (28 Dec 2022)

honza992 said:


> 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 >*


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