My Hobby-Restoring Industrial Machinery

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Prime
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My Hobby-Restoring Industrial Machinery

Post by Prime »

A while back someone wanted to know more about my hobby. I think it was Knuckles.

Here it is. My dad and I along with many other people around the world and Country rescue and restore old industrial and agricultural stationary engines and even machinery

sometimes they just need a valve grind and other times a full rebuild. others just need some oil and petrol or diesel and a bit of TLC to get them puttering away.

We do this in the hope of preserving and saving the industrial heritage of this country and as in the case of the engine enthusiasts overseas to preserve some of their own history, much like the tractor enthusiasts who collect and restore old tractors. Many of the manufacturers have long since disappeared either for financial reasons or in mergers and acquisitions. The history of many of the companies overlaps with the of the auto and aircraft industry. Companies such as Wolseley and Armstrong Whitworth as well as Vickers, Conventry Climax, Norton, Matchless, BSA all tinkered with the manufacture of internal combustion engines for other applications or aircraft and cars.

It is a sad thing then to see so many engines get cut up and so much history melted down for scrap iron because no one cared enough or was interested.



Here a few of many many pictures.

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Odds and ends including a 1937 horizontal Crosseley PH1040. There is also a vintage cast iron Type-A Briggs and Stratton engine with a 12volt direct-coupled generator and a few vintage compressors somewhere in amongst the stuff as well as a really old air tank. This stuff was found on an abandoned farm along with the Petter. The farmer was delighted to have it taken away :lol: :mrgreen: The Briggs Engine is sadly far too incomplete to restore.


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a Semi diesel Hot bulb Petter S-type made in 1931 now awaiting restoration. Seen here as we found it.


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More engines we found and bought on a trip in the eastern cape. On the left is a 1920 Fairbanks Morse ZB engine 6 hp @ 450 RPM (this engine is as found and was a runner when we got it. We have no intention of restoring beyond what is mechanically necessary it as it is still in good if somewhat worn condition) and on the right is a Ruston Hornsby 2XHR 7 HP @ 200 RPM.


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An American built Type B Briggs and Stratton Generating Set, with 12volt DC starting and battery charging and a 115volt AC supply. This one is(was) in the process of restoration. She runs sweetly with out so much as a splutter. Manufactured by the Cyclohm Motor Corp.


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An engine we found on a farm we were invited to, in the Eastern Cape. Awaiting some TLC and a good Home. We are hoping to collect this one in December and restore it. Depends if the owner want to part with it though. I hope he does.

After we have got them running we exhibit them at rallies along with other enthusiasts.

Please note that these engines have no commercial value and are only worth scrap really.
Last edited by Prime on 13 Oct 2010, 21:04, edited 2 times in total.
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Post by Mozz »

wow, really nice!!!!

you got any before and after pics to share ??

:)
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Post by Prime »

Hey. I'll have to find the pictures. The Fairbanks hasn't been to a rally yet but I have a picture somewhere of it in my garage. I'll post some pictures of the Fairbanks in October after I've taken it to a rally though.

Apologies for the size of images

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Last edited by Prime on 10 Oct 2010, 17:00, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Knuckles »

WOW, what an interesting hobby to have!

It reminds me of Gold Reef City, that place has old mining machinery on display wherever you look!

Is that you sitting under the umbrella?
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Post by Prime »

Knuckles wrote:WOW, what an interesting hobby to have!

It reminds me of Gold Reef City, that place has old mining machinery on display wherever you look!

Is that you sitting under the umbrella?
Yup it is. that was a a rally in Vereeniging in November last year.

Every time I go to Goldreef city my blood boils with anger. The stuff has just been dumped outside in the rain. It's part of our heritage and history but do they give damn? NO :evil:
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Post by Knuckles »

Well, to Gold Reef City's credit, at least the public can see the stuff, it would be worse if they carted it all out to a warehouse or something.

But I get what you mean, with some TLC people could see them machines in action again.
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Post by Prime »

Yup. some of those compressors are steam driven and the Tangye steam hoist is a rairity today. Tangye was bought out in the 50s by Hawker-Sidderly Brush along with several of the more prominent of the British Engine manufacturers.
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Post by Knuckles »

Damn, you know your stuff! :lol:

No wonder your blood boils
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Post by Prime »

I know so little about the Hobby. I'm just a beginner and have barely scratched the surface. Most of the history and important information about these companies has long since been lost. Its lucky that some ex-employees rescued the records when they were binned.
Last edited by Prime on 10 Oct 2010, 17:05, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Knuckles »

My grandfather was mad about steam locomotives, I went with him one day to an old steam engine yard in PE and we salvaged so much stuff which I thought was utter c**p but he was like a little boy again running from here to there.

I guess thats how it must be like for you..
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Post by Prime »

Yup thats the idea. Is your grandfather still alive.

A guy call Wilfred Mole has been running an initiative in the Freestate called Sandstone Estates. It's a massive farm and they have several steam locolines, many engines and tractors. Sadly however at the last big engine show a whole lot of stuff got nicked and he was so upset that he hasn't had a rally specifically targeted at engine enthusiasts or open to the public for several years.

I would love to go trawling through scrap yards in JHB.
Last edited by Prime on 10 Oct 2010, 17:07, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Knuckles »

Sadly he passed away in 1995.

Damn, I would be pi$$ed if my pride and joy got stolen!
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Post by Prime »

That's what the owner probably said. But lots of collectors and several museums have had engines and tractors stolen out of their collection. So the question is whether they are stolen by other collectors or sold as scrap iron and scrap brass.
Last edited by Prime on 10 Oct 2010, 17:09, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Knuckles »

8O I hope they aren't being scrapped!
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Post by Prime »

I hope so to. It's more likely a greedy collector.

They go for ridiculous prices in the UK and US. so its possible they get shipped there.

Small bits like brass knobs and oilers tend to get stolen because they are brass.
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Re: my hobby-Restoring industrial machinery (56k warning)

Post by Prime »

SO I decided that this thread needed a revival and an update. I'm still doing this as a hobby. Right now I am currently looking for a new project. The last major project was the engine in that very last picture in the first post. I'll post some restoration shots just now.

Here's one I saw in december:

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Fuller and Johnson Rear view by ZaPrime, on Flickr

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Fuller and Johnson Top View again by ZaPrime, on Flickr

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Fuller and Johnson Farm Pumper by ZaPrime, on Flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/zaprime/43 ... otostream/
It's a Fuller and Johnson Farm Pumper engine. Built in 1912. Sadly somebody went to town on it.
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Re: My Hobby-Restoring Industrial Machinery

Post by Prime »

IMG_20200408_125713.jpg
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I collected these yesterday. Bought them off a guy in WA.

They're both WW2 Era battery charging sets for radios.
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Re: My Hobby-Restoring Industrial Machinery

Post by Tribble »

Prime wrote: 08 Apr 2020, 09:00 IMG_20200408_125713.jpg

I collected these yesterday. Bought them off a guy in WA.

They're both WW2 Era battery charging sets for radios.
Awesome - glad you are still into this. Photos, as you work, will be nice
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Re: My Hobby-Restoring Industrial Machinery

Post by Prime »

Tribble wrote: 08 Apr 2020, 10:50
Prime wrote: 08 Apr 2020, 09:00 IMG_20200408_125713.jpg

I collected these yesterday. Bought them off a guy in WA.

They're both WW2 Era battery charging sets for radios.
Awesome - glad you are still into this. Photos, as you work, will be nice
Shall do :)

Here's what I have worked on in the inter-leading years
Lister A Type
Lister A Type
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Lister A Type
Lister A Type
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Lister A Type from 1932. Probably off of a sheep shearing plant
Lister A Type
Lister A Type
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Turner Diesel
Turner Diesel
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Turner Diesel from the 40s or 50s. Probably ex Kenyan Ground Nut Scheme. This one is on going. I'll probably do some work on it when I visit my folks again. We have another similar one that was also ex Kenyan Ground Nut Scheme that my cousins had on their farm.

Turner Diesel
Turner Diesel
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Tank cooled version of the Lister A
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Re: My Hobby-Restoring Industrial Machinery

Post by Prime »

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After a fair amount of work :lol:
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Re: My Hobby-Restoring Industrial Machinery

Post by Prime »

Going to have to re-upload those. They came out sideways :/

This was the last engine I worked on before I left SA
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It's a 1938 twin cylinder Lister Type G. It was sold to Liner to use on a cement mixing plant. I bought it off the back of a trailer at a show in 2013. It took about 5 years to gather all the spares, and repair what we couldn't find to get it back into running order.
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Re: My Hobby-Restoring Industrial Machinery

Post by Prime »

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Re: My Hobby-Restoring Industrial Machinery

Post by Tribble »

Awesome work !!!!! Just something you taught yourself to do?
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Re: My Hobby-Restoring Industrial Machinery

Post by Prime »

Tribble wrote: 08 Apr 2020, 13:41 Awesome work !!!!! Just something you taught yourself to do?
No, I had help from my dad. We've rebuilt most of them together. Although I did a lot of the heavy work on the twin and he did a lot of the finer stuff like machining the repairs to the output shaft back to size and rebuilding the carb.

:D :D
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Re: My Hobby-Restoring Industrial Machinery

Post by Tribble »

Awesome - well done. It must be nice to have a hobby that is actually useful too - and great time spent with your dad.
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