From 1916 and perhaps for longer, this firm made cutoff saws, sanders, and pattern lathes, all intended for mass-producing small turned parts. By 1942 they were succeeded by Bignell Machine Co.

Information Sources

• History of Grand Rapids and Its Industries, Dwight Goss, 1906: "During the summer of 1888 Mr. CW Smith, of Cooperstown, NY, a generous Presbyterian, gave a lot 150 feet square, fronting on Madison Avenue, ..."
• Industrial Woodworking: A Magazine for Woodworking Production Executives, 1916. "The machine is made by C. W. Smith, 503 Grandville Ave., Grand Rapids, Mich., who will gladly furnish price and fuller particulars on request."
• The Wood-Worker, 1919: "Such a machine is here — the new CW Smith Automatic Self -feeding Variety Turning Lathe CW SMITH, ME, 503 Grandville Ave., Grand Rapids, Michigan 11 iii ..."
• Ad seen in the May 1919 issue of The Wood-Worker for a cut off saw.
• The Directory of Michigan Manufacturers, 1946: "... successors to C. W. Smith 616 Seventh St., Nw. Grand Rapids 4"
• Products Finishing, 1938: "'Dipping Machine Beam' for the purpose of adjusting the dipping stroke is now being marketed by C. W. Smith, 46 Market Ave., NW, Grand Rapids, MI"
• The 1940 Directory of Michigan Manufacturers lists "C. W. Smith / 40 NW Market, Grand Rapids".
• The Monthly Review of the American Electroplater's Society, 1942: "Mr. L. Borchet introduced the guest speaker of the evening, Mr. C. W. Smith of the J. C. Miller Co. of Grand Rapids. Mr. Smith spoke on "The Future of the Plating..."
• The 1946 Wood Working Digest, in the "Notes and Comments" section, has this item:

  The manufacturer of the automatic variety lathe in which improvements are incorporated making it possible to produce longitudinally and spirally grooved pins, is C. W. Smith, M. E., 40 Market St., Grand Rapids, Mich.

• Catalog of "Modern Woodworking Machinery" accompanied by June 1942 price list; the catalog cover has a label pasted on, "Bignell Machine Co. / Sucessors to / C. W. Smith, M. E. / 516 Seventh Street, N. W. / Grand Rapids, Michigan, U. S. A." The products include "automatic lathes, cutting grinding, long handle sanding & finishing, threading and tapping, ring and rosette turning, dipping and frictionless dowel machinery".