Saw bench identification

[renewablejohn]

Here are some more pictures.

The levers would only shift the belt from the idler pulley to the drive pulley from the safe side. Whats the name on the side near the wood width adjuster. To get more power out of a flat belt you normally run it crossed. If it still slips you can always put on the sticky belt paste with a wooden stick.

 

[Jsmith2211]

The levers would only shift the belt from the idler pulley to the drive pulley from the safe side. Whats the name on the side near the wood width adjuster. To get more power out of a flat belt you normally run it crossed. If it still slips you can always put on the sticky belt paste with a wooden stick.

run it crossed? Also which would be an idler pulley?

 

[renewablejohn]

run it crossed? Also which would be an idler pulley?

If a flat belt is run in a loop then it only grips on a clock face say from 6 o'clock round to 12 o'clock. By running in a figure of 8 the belt is crossed and grips the wheel from say 4 o'clock around to 2 o'clock. You should have 2 pulleys on the same shaft both the same size. normally the pulley closest to the bench has a keyway in it and drives the blade the pulley next to it has no keyway and free wheels. The lever with the two wide spaced prongs is the belt guide and would normally run in freewheel then when you want to saw you pull the belt across using the lever from freewheel to drive. Bear in mind your driving it from the wrong end at the moment. The other lever is an emergency stop and would normally have a rope attached to the traction engine flywheel brake or clutch so the sawbench operator could stop the blade in an emergency.

 

[egbert]

Hello,

I have an old sawbench that i would like to know some more about. I specifically need to know how the bed would have been driven, as all of the mechanisms for that are missing/disconected. I have attached a picture. I think it could be stenner and gunn of tiverton? Not sure. Looks similar to their number 2 but it doesnt have any of the same drive mechanisms.

View attachment 868150.

Ask Stenner - they're only in tiverton.
They did have records of who'd bought what, and were able to tell me when my (1956) bandmill had been made and where it had been sold.
They'll likely know straight off from pics if it's one of their make.

Insert teeth don't tell you much, most big rackbenches would been running on them.

Good luck.
(too much sawdust for me...i'm out!)

 

[renewablejohn]

Ask Stenner - they're only in tiverton.
They did have records of who'd bought what, and were able to tell me when my (1956) bandmill had been made and where it had been sold.
They'll likely know straight off from pics if it's one of their make.

Insert teeth don't tell you much, most big rackbenches would been running on them.

Good luck.
(too much sawdust for me...i'm out!)

I doubt that it is a Stenner. The only parts that look like they could be Stenner is the wood width adjuster and the saw blade cover both of which look to be added later.The original wood width adjuster and hood would have been on a wooden frame attached to the bolts at the side of the frame.

 

[egbert]

I doubt that it is a Stenner. The only parts that look like they could be Stenner is the wood width adjuster and the saw blade cover both of which look to be added later.The original wood width adjuster and hood would have been on a wooden frame attached to the bolts at the side of the frame.

I'd ask em anyway...they might direct op to an anarak somewhere who would know exactly.
They really are just down the road

 

[sahara]

I also meant to say that if you need new teeth inserts, try Edwards Precision Saw services (EPS) in Wivey, that's where I recently got some for our pto powered saw bench.

 

[Jsmith2211]

If a flat belt is run in a loop then it only grips on a clock face say from 6 o'clock round to 12 o'clock. By running in a figure of 8 the belt is crossed and grips the wheel from say 4 o'clock around to 2 o'clock. You should have 2 pulleys on the same shaft both the same size. normally the pulley closest to the bench has a keyway in it and drives the blade the pulley next to it has no keyway and free wheels. The lever with the two wide spaced prongs is the belt guide and would normally run in freewheel then when you want to saw you pull the belt across using the lever from freewheel to drive. Bear in mind your driving it from the wrong end at the moment. The other lever is an emergency stop and would normally have a rope attached to the traction engine flywheel brake or clutch so the sawbench operator could stop the blade in an emergency.

I dont think that this can be right. The " belt guides" do not line up with where the main belt would run. I think they are for two smaller belts lining up to the drive for the bed driveshaft, i just cant see where the belts would go onto. I think there must have been a longer shaft with some pulleys on on that side of the saw. The belt must be on the correct way as if it wasnt then there is no way that the bed drive could be driven without it all getting in the way of the main drive belt for the blade. If i run the belt crossed it would reverse the direction of the blade and then wouldn't cut....

The levers would only shift the belt from the idler pulley to the drive pulley from the safe side. Whats the name on the side near the wood width adjuster. To get more power out of a flat belt you normally run it crossed. If it still slips you can always put on the sticky belt paste with a wooden stick.

What is the sticky belt paste? The top name is "A BROMFI(and then something that is under the wood or worn off)." Then under that it says "CLAYHIDON" i think. It is difficult to make it out. i know clayhidon is not too far away, and maybe is where the saw was from?

 

[renewablejohn]

The belt drive will line up if the lever is pushed through so that it can be operated from the other side as it should be. Forget about a bed driveshaft its a hand operated bed with the handles on the other side . As for the belt being the correct way thats just rubbish. Its like on the old fergi tractors the pulley is held on with 4 bolts. Turn the pulley 180 degree and it reverses the direction of the pulley so you can run any belt as a figure of 8 cross belt.

 

[Jsmith2211]

The belt drive will line up if the lever is pushed through so that it can be operated from the other side as it should be. Forget about a bed driveshaft its a hand operated bed with the handles on the other side . As for the belt being the correct way thats just rubbish. Its like on the old fergi tractors the pulley is held on with 4 bolts. Turn the pulley 180 degree and it reverses the direction of the pulley so you can run any belt as a figure of 8 cross belt.

I'll try that with the pulley. but the belt guide thingies cannot be for the main belt. For one thing they are far too narrow to fit a decent sized drive belt, and for another they do not line up with the main pulley. there are little stops under the table to dictate how far they shift backwards and forwards. They move about 2 or 3 inches back and forth. Also it does definitely have a driven bed, as i have the shaft that goes underneath to drive it.

 

[renewablejohn]

If you look on the Alamy stock photo's for rack saws you will come across one for a 1920 Aveling Porter steam engine 9096 reg AF 6001. appearing at Bedford Steam rally. You will notice the circular saw guard is exactly the same as yours and the steam engine is running with a figure of 8 crossed belt.

 

[Hawkes]

Right then, It is not a stenner, the wooden frame is not constructed in stenner style, the fence is definitely not Stenner and the rollers and chairs that the tables run on are not stenner style . On a Stenner every cast frame or chair, that the cast rollers sit in, has an an oval with Stenner or Stenner and Gunn Tiverton cast into it.
Stenner used to make several different sizes, the most common were no 2 and No 4. A no 2 has 20 ft tables of 10" and 20 " wide and the no4 were usually 24 ft long and 12" and 24" wide plates. You could specify different lengths. They could be configured as portables or static with different frame dimensions, same steel bits.
The early ones were all hand feed, single speed. Next was hand feed with a speed change gearbox. Next was the same gearbox belt driven off the saw shaft. Next was a stepped pulley gearbox with individually tensioned flat belts and a set of signal box type levers to operate it. Last feed gear on circular saw band racks from stenner was a large circular disc and a friction roller running off the surface , by moving it across the disc the speed changed.
There were lots of little outfits turned out sawbenches, so not always easy to identify a maker. Dennings of chard made a fair number but that doesn't look like a denning either. If there isn't a name cast anywhere on it then it most likely a local one off, most makers were keen enough to stick their name all over.
Is that an anorakky enough answer @egbert???
I started off sawmilling in the 70's with a No 2 portable and ended up with a modern all bandsaws/chipper/edger etc sawmill all Stenner as only two miles from works. I have bought and sold many rackbenches as a reminder of how we started and to keep an interest in the old ways. We still have one on the farm for odd jobs, nothing nicer than a day on the bench with steamer on the belt.
I could find photos if any interest.

 

[renewablejohn]

Right then, It is not a stenner, the wooden frame is not constructed in stenner style, the fence is definitely not Stenner and the rollers and chairs that the tables run on are not stenner style . On a Stenner every cast frame or chair, that the cast rollers sit in, has an an oval with Stenner or Stenner and Gunn Tiverton cast into it.
Stenner used to make several different sizes, the most common were no 2 and No 4. A no 2 has 20 ft tables of 10" and 20 " wide and the no4 were usually 24 ft long and 12" and 24" wide plates. You could specify different lengths. They could be configured as portables or static with different frame dimensions, same steel bits.
The early ones were all hand feed, single speed. Next was hand feed with a speed change gearbox. Next was the same gearbox belt driven off the saw shaft. Next was a stepped pulley gearbox with individually tensioned flat belts and a set of signal box type levers to operate it. Last feed gear on circular saw band racks from stenner was a large circular disc and a friction roller running off the surface , by moving it across the disc the speed changed.
There were lots of little outfits turned out sawbenches, so not always easy to identify a maker. Dennings of chard made a fair number but that doesn't look like a denning either. If there isn't a name cast anywhere on it then it most likely a local one off, most makers were keen enough to stick their name all over.
Is that an anorakky enough answer @egbert???
I started off sawmilling in the 70's with a No 2 portable and ended up with a modern all bandsaws/chipper/edger etc sawmill all Stenner as only two miles from works. I have bought and sold many rackbenches as a reminder of how we started and to keep an interest in the old ways. We still have one on the farm for odd jobs, nothing nicer than a day on the bench with steamer on the belt.
I could find photos if any interest.

Yes please with the photo's. I am looking to make my static Stevens rack portable and looking for ideas. I thought a twin wheel caravan chassis might make a good base.

 

[Hawkes]

The main thing for a chassis is that it must be solid enough not to flex, think on a big log travelling down it, if the tables can bend or twist as it progresses you won't cut straight and will heat the blade. The frame needs to be man enough and have plenty of support points to stop it jumping about or moving in any direction. The fixed in ones usually sat on concrete footings in mills. The portables usually had 4 unsprung solid cast iron wheels which you could dig in to the ground a bit on set up to level it all up and drive wedges in to the front turntable to level up. We used to carry a pile of sawn baulks to pack up the ends level too.
The bench we have on the farm is an original wooden framed No 2 with the centre section framed in steel with big rsj sections. It still is supported with blocks, so I would say you need something stronger than a caravan chassis really.

 

[Jsmith2211]

Right then, It is not a stenner, the wooden frame is not constructed in stenner style, the fence is definitely not Stenner and the rollers and chairs that the tables run on are not stenner style . On a Stenner every cast frame or chair, that the cast rollers sit in, has an an oval with Stenner or Stenner and Gunn Tiverton cast into it.
Stenner used to make several different sizes, the most common were no 2 and No 4. A no 2 has 20 ft tables of 10" and 20 " wide and the no4 were usually 24 ft long and 12" and 24" wide plates. You could specify different lengths. They could be configured as portables or static with different frame dimensions, same steel bits.
The early ones were all hand feed, single speed. Next was hand feed with a speed change gearbox. Next was the same gearbox belt driven off the saw shaft. Next was a stepped pulley gearbox with individually tensioned flat belts and a set of signal box type levers to operate it. Last feed gear on circular saw band racks from stenner was a large circular disc and a friction roller running off the surface , by moving it across the disc the speed changed.
There were lots of little outfits turned out sawbenches, so not always easy to identify a maker. Dennings of chard made a fair number but that doesn't look like a denning either. If there isn't a name cast anywhere on it then it most likely a local one off, most makers were keen enough to stick their name all over.
Is that an anorakky enough answer @egbert???
I started off sawmilling in the 70's with a No 2 portable and ended up with a modern all bandsaws/chipper/edger etc sawmill all Stenner as only two miles from works. I have bought and sold many rackbenches as a reminder of how we started and to keep an interest in the old ways. We still have one on the farm for odd jobs, nothing nicer than a day on the bench with steamer on the belt.
I could find photos if any interest.

Ok so we know what it isnt. What do you make of the clayhidon and the other word? And do you have any clue as to what it could be?

 

[Hawkes]

Is the name painted on or cast in a part? It could be Bromfield of Clayhidon , a contractor or farmer who owned it? There are Bromfields still farming around here and Clayhidon is only down the road from you isn't it? It was common to paint your name and farm on machinery. If it is in a casting then perhaps there was a small agricutural machinery maker there or blacksmith who made implements? Someone old in Clayhidon would know for sure.
I used to come out to help an old chap at west Buckland years ago who had a couple of stenners and a steamer. He was a builder, joiner , undertaker.

 

[Jsmith2211]

Is the name painted on or cast in a part? It could be Bromfield of Clayhidon , a contractor or farmer who owned it? There are Bromfields still farming around here and Clayhidon is only down the road from you isn't it? It was common to paint your name and farm on machinery. If it is in a casting then perhaps there was a small agricutural machinery maker there or blacksmith who made implements? Someone old in Clayhidon would know for sure.
I used to come out to help an old chap at west Buckland years ago who had a couple of stenners and a steamer. He was a builder, joiner , undertaker.

Yes clayhidon is not too far. It is probably the person's name, as it is painted on in white paint, that is wearing off. Do you recall the name of the person with the steam engine and stenners?

 

[renewablejohn]

Yes clayhidon is not too far. It is probably the person's name, as it is painted on in white paint, that is wearing off. Do you recall the name of the person with the steam engine and stenners?

Have a look at hemyock which I think is near clayhidon which had a sawmill. Theres even a picture of it being powered by a steam engine but I cannot enlarge it to see if its similar to yours.

 

[Hawkes]

Yes please with the photo's. I am looking to make my static Stevens rack portable and looking for ideas. I thought a twin wheel caravan chassis might make a good base.

What does a Stevens look like and where were they made?

 

[renewablejohn]

What does a Stevens look like and where were they made?

Made in Carlisle. Its quite an early one with wooden rollers. Will try and get some pictures up. I rescued it from an estate near Cockermouth where it had been all its life.