I shaped the set of nested stools that are featured on the Stories page entirely by hand. I did so partly because the timber was warped, partly because of the curved shapes and partly because I wanted to make something by hand, without any machine-work. I learned several things, mostly that it takes a lot longer and is exhausting. Each table comprised three boards, each of which had to be cut to size and planed to thickness and shape. The final shaping alone required about 1000 strokes with the planes.
So you might understand why I’m excited to have bought two machines with a combined age over 100 years.
This FOBCO Star drill was built by F.O’Brian of Swadlincote, probably in the 1960s. The company built just two products over 40 years, the 4-speed Star and the heavier 7-Eight. The head is cast iron and weighs 70Kg, the drive pulleys are balanced so the drill runs with barely any vibration and just a gentle hum. This one has been restored by a retired tool-maker in Wakefield so it’s in beautiful condition. The heavy looking table allows me to clamp onto a square frame to ensure the wood doesn’t move and is square to the drill. It’s a common modification for woodworking.
At the other end of the country, Startrite built a wide range of wood and metal-working machine tools in Gillingham, Kent, from about 1950-2015. This little table-saw from 1960 has also been the subject of a nuts-and-bolts restoration and it too is in immaculate condition. I drove to Harwich for it! The cast iron frame and table top means that it weighs 90Kg and it too runs without vibration and little noise. Its diminutive footprint fits easily in my workshop. Sixty years ago, dust wasn’t seen as a hazard and it just piled up by the side of the machine. Nowadays we are focused on removing dust and in particular the small airborne particles. I have already tested an extraction outlet at the bottom which will remove 80% of the dust and a few more modifications will improve matters further. After that, I’ll add an outfeed table so wood doesn’t end up on the floor!
These machines aren’t as sophisticated as their modern equivalents but their beautiful build makes them accurate and quiet, they are similar to those that I have used in schools and boatyards all my life. It’s a privilege to use tools which were made by an earlier generation of craftsmen.
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Andrew Fleck Furniture Design 