Any Archdale machines/stories/photos out there?

[honza992]

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.

 

[Trevanion]

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

 

[TFrench]

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!

 

[Tris]

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.

 

[honza992]

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.....

 

[honza992]

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.

 

[The_Haxby_Hermit]

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’?).

 

[TFrench]

Wow, never seen one of those before!

 

[redhunter350]

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

 

[bjm]

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

 

[Keith 66]

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,

 

[clogs]

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....

 

[bourbon]

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

 

[TFrench]

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

 

[Trevanion]

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?

 

[bourbon]

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

 

[Trevanion]

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

 

[bourbon]

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

 

[Mackty]

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

 

[lostb0y]

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.