FTAGH Guillotine, potentially free to a good home. Milton Keynes

[GarF]

My late father in law was a board game developer of some repute. Amongst various items which now need to be cleared is a large cast iron guillotine used for cutting game components (card mainly). I'm afraid I don't know much about it, and there doesn't appear to be a prominent makers mark. Essentially we would like to see it go back into use, rather than see it weighed in for scrap or gathering dust in a corner. My wife has been in touch with a few local museums who have a working old timey print shop without success- this would have been a donation, to a for-profit I think a suitable charitable contribution would be fitting. I feel sure there may be someone hereabouts who might appreciate it. Any takers...
G

 

[marcros]

Nice looking piece of kit.

 

[AJB Temple]

I would love this but I could not claim in all honesty that I would use it often. I feel that it would sell for good money and I encourage you to set a price and offer it for sale.

 

[Lons]

What AJB said.
I'm in Northumberland, would love to own that and live near enough to collect but it would be heart ruling head as I can't see what I'd use it for.

 

[GarF]

The great difficulty is that I'm at the opposite end of the country from it. My mother in law is in no state to handle selling it and my wife and I don't have the time to traipse backwards and forwards to facilitate it really either. First priority is to have it gone. Second priority is for it to be put to it's intended use and not go to waste--I have never actually laid eyes on it myself- was always buried behind other stuff (including a bus gearbox amongst other things) But it looks to be well engineered, it would be a pity to see it rotting, or else as stage dressing behind some awful yootoob 'maker'.

 

[GarF]

I should add it's near Milton Keynes, and weighs rather a lot but will dismantle with the correct whitworth spanners!

 

[Inspector]

Perfect for cutting veneer if anyone needs a reason to have it.

Pete

 

[Yojevol]

Just had a look on ebay and there was a No.1 Gem guillotine, that is very similar to this one, that sold only yesterday for £80 as a Buy-it-now sale.
I'm sure there is someone out there who would love to have this one.
Brian

 

[robgul]

It would be a great shame for it to be scrapped .... you might try contacting:

Printing Historical Society | Home - what it says in the name, there may be some guidance on members' interests in old equipment?

The Happy Dragons' Press - Private Press Poetry - Home - about 50 years ago I worked with the chap that runs this business . . . he was a printing nut then and still is AFAIK with some really old equipment. He may well have an interest or point you in the direction of other old printing technology enthusiasts.

... and British Letterpress has an ads section for old kit

 

[billw]

Perfect for cutting veneer if anyone needs a reason to have it.

Pete

That was my first thought.

 

[marcros]

local mens shed?

 

[Eric The Viking]

I gave a smaller one away last year (via the forum), which was probably from the same manufacturer (very similar detailing). It was brilliant, if a little scary. They are probably unsuitable for use in anything other than private ownership now, because of the safety requirements for guillotines used in commercial/educational environments. I couldn't find a way to modify mine. This one is a bit different (mine had a lever rather than a "flywheel" for bringing the knife down), but still might be difficult to make "safe".

If anybody does take this on, SWEMCO used to do the sharpening of mine, and can probably supply replacement knives and "anvils" (not sure what the proper term is) too. They have a number of branches round the country. The knife's keeper woodwork looks very similar to theirs, incidentally.

A good machine - I hope it finds a new home.

 

[robgul]

I gave a smaller one away last year (via the forum), which was probably from the same manufacturer (very similar detailing). It was brilliant, if a little scary. They are probably unsuitable for use in anything other than private ownership now, because of the safety requirements for guillotines used in commercial/educational environments. I couldn't find a way to modify mine. This one is a bit different (mine had a lever rather than a "flywheel" for bringing the knife down), but still might be difficult to make "safe".

If anybody does take this on, SWEMCO used to do the sharpening of mine, and can probably supply replacement knives and "anvils" (not sure what the proper term is) too. They have a number of branches round the country. The knife's keeper woodwork looks very similar to theirs, incidentally.

A good machine - I hope it finds a new home.

"cutting stick" what I think you are calling an anvil

. . . it's a strip of plastic or composite material that sits in a channel at the point that the blade comes down - the blade bites into it very slightly as it makes the cut.

It does wear with repeated cuts and the effectiveness of the blade diminishes. In many guillotines the channel is not central under the blade and the cutting stick has a square section - thus with turning and rotating the cutting stick has 8 times capacity. The wear relates to the number of cuts and the sharpness of the blade - the blade will need to sharpened from time to time and will, of course, progressively reduce in size requiring adjustment on the guiullotine. [Phew: all that from having left the printing industry in about 1980!]

 

[Eric The Viking]

Yup, that's the badger.

You're spot-on. I had the cutting stick replaced the last time I got the knives done on mine. When it went last year it wasn't close to needing replacement - as you say, 8 possible surfaces. My caving club used it to self-publish a paperback book (roughly 100 pages), few hundred copies - so small beer if you're a printer. It didn't come close to taking the edge off the knives, and the stick didn't need rotating.

 

[Red]

I know some board game designers in the Cambridgeish area. I'll send some messages and see if we can keep this puppy in the business

 

[Blister]

I just love items like these , Built like a tank will last forever , Lovely just Lovely

 

[hawkeyefxr]

A lovely machine and well kept. A man shed does sound good.

 

[Lons]

I should add it's near Milton Keynes, and weighs rather a lot but will dismantle with the correct whitworth spanners!

I just assumed it was at your location so that makes it very simple for me as it's too far. I really hope it can find a good home.

 

[adrspach]

I will ask tomorrow at charity I volunteer for if they are interested.

 

[adrspach]

PM sent.