By 1943 the Diamond Tool Co. of 3429 East Olympic Boulevard, Los Angeles, was manufacturing bench-top horizontal milling machines. Although small, these machines were available in heavy-duty versions that were suited for shop and production use. Within a couple of years the name had changed to Diamond Machine Tool Co.

In the late 1940s the company acquired the machine tool business of Parker Manufacturing Co. of Santa Monica, consisting of innovative sheet metal machinery—a shear and a combined press, shear, notcher and bender.

By 1951 the company was also selling "Diamond-Meuser" lathes that were likely made by Meuser & Co. GmbH of Frankfurt, Germany. German-made machines are outside the scope of this website and so we do not have any more information on the Diamond-Meuser lathe.

In 1953 the Diamond Machine Tool Co. relocated to 5111 Coffman-Pico Road in Pico, California. From this point the company seems to have kept a low profile and not much information is to be found. We did come across a single mention, from 1973, of the "Diamond Machine Tool Div. of Benchmaster Mfg. Co." That is the latest mention we could find of Diamond Machine Tool.

Information Sources

• February 1943 Tool Engineer and Modern Machine Shop contained very similar articles likely based on the same press release. "MILLING MACHINE—A new milling machine of smaller size and available in both tool room and production models is now being offered by the Diamond Tool Company, 3429 East Olympic Blvd., Dept. TE, Los Angeles. Although they are considerably smaller in size than other makes, it is claimed by this concern that these machines provide the rigidity, precision accuracy, and capacity of larger machines. Included in the construction of this milling machine are such features as: precision high speed needle overarm arbor-support bearing; vertical collapsible pulley arrangement, with safety device and motor lock for speed changes; maximum anti-friction bearings with a minimum number of manual lubrication fittings; and oneshot spider-web lubricating arrangement for the table, saddle, and knee. The production model is equipped with rack and pinion to speed up output. Accessories for the Model 20 are interchangeable with those of the Model 24 Diamond Miller previously announced by this same company."
• From a 1945 Federal Register: "...It is ordered: (a) This order establishes maximum prices for sales and deliveries of a bicycle motor described in the January 4, 1945 application of the Diamond Tool Company, 3429 East Olympic Boulevard, Los Angeles 23, California, ..."
• The February 1946 Popular Science has an ad for the Diamond Model B-12 from Diamond Machine Tool Co., Dept. 1, 3429 E. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles 23, Cal. The ad shows a logo of "DTCO" inside a diamond, where the T is somewhat larger than the other letters. A classified ad in the same issue: "Precision millers for ever need. Model B-12 $372.00 less motor. Ideal for experimenters, craftsmen and small parts manufacture. Heavy duty, industrial models also available. See our ad page 178. Diamond Machine Tool Co., Dept I, 3429 E. Olympic, Los Angeles 23, Calif."
• The May 1946 Popular Science has an ad for the Diamond Model B-12 from Diamond Machine Tool Co., same address and logo as in the February issue.
• The August 1947 Popular Science has an ad for the Diamond 31 ton back-geared punch press. Address and logo are the same as in the previous ads.
• A 1951 issue of Steel. "Gene Heller was appointed to direct sales and advertising for Diamond Machine Tool Co., Los Angeles..."
• A 1951 issue of Light Metal Age has photographs of attendees of the Western Metal Exposition and Congress, including "Diamond Tool Company—Stanley Swiatek, M. A. Cassimus, A. H. Arles and Gene Heller."
• A 1951 issue of Modern Machine Shop. "Diamond-Meuser Lathes on Tour Cost to Coast—Diamond Machine Tool Co., 3429 E. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, Calif., manufacturer of precision machine tools and accessories, has adopted a unique method of showing the Diamond-Meuser precision high-speed lathe to dealers throughout the country. The lathe is mounted on a truck which, instead of having a conventional stake body, is provided with a clear plastic enclosure through which the lathe may be viewed. Considerable attention is drawn to the lathe not only when the truck is parked on the streets of an industrial town but also when the truck is parked beside the plant of a prospective customer. When the truck is driven to a plant, power lines from the plant can be connected to the lathe in order to operate the lathe on workpieces supplied by the prospective customer. Gene Heller, director of sales and advertising of Diamond Machine Tool... to coast. The Model M-111 lathe shown on display in the accompanying illustration has a 16-inch swing over the ways, 24-inch swing over the gap, and 82-inch center distance. View of Diamond Machine Tool Company truck on which Diamond-Meuser Lathe is displayed. Other view is closeup showing interior of display with members of Cincinnati Machinery Company...
• April 1953 Machinery. "Diamond Milling Machine—The Diamond Machine Tool Co., 3429 E. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles 23, Calif., has announced a new milling machine, designated the 22M, which is claimed to have the rigidity, precision and capacity of far larger and costlier machines. It has a longitudinal travel capacity of 14 inches; a maximum vertical travel from center of spindle to table top of 15 inches; and a cross traverse of 5 1/2 inches. The full table working surface is 5 3/4 by 24 inches. Offset handles are designed to facilitate operation with a vertical head, and spring-loaded dials make quick settings possible. There is an automatic kick-off for the power feed. The motor drive is designed for standard NEMA type motors."
• 1953-04-05 Long Beach Independent Press-Telegram: "PICO—Diamond Machine Tool Co., 5111 Coffman-Pico Rd., moved to a new plant from 3429 E. Olympic Blvd., manufacturing milling machines, punch presses, shears, lathes, horn presses, etc.; Stanley Swiatek, president."
• 1953-05-28 La Habra Star has a classified ad from Diamond Machine Tool Co., 5111 Coffman & Pico Rd., Pico, Calif.
• 1955-09-11 Los Angeles Times has a classified ad from Diamond Machine Tool Co., 5111 Coffman-Pico Rd., Pico.
• A 1956 issue of American Machinist lists "Diamond Machine Tool Corp., 5111 Coffman Pico Rd., Pico, Calif" as a maker of milling machines.
• 1973-01-01 Long Beach Press Telegram has a classified ad from Diamond Machine Tool Div. of Benchmaster Mtg. Co.
• A 2009 Practical Machinist discussion includes this tidbit: "Way back, I ran a 1950 German made Diamond Meuser 16" lathe which had a positive spring clutch which was easy to set & would initiate a positive stop on the longitudinal feed". A quick web search on Meuser lathes reveals that Meuser & Co. GmbH of Frankfurt, Germany, made engine lathes.
• A search for information on Stanley Swiatek turned up a Wordpress blog from his step-son. "My first stepfather was Stanley Swiatek. He was a Jewish mechanical engineer from Poland who invented some improvement to interchangeable machine gun parts that allowed for mass production either during or just before the Second World War which is how he made his way out of Europe and became a rather wealthy person in Southern California... Stanley was very kind to me when i was a young boy, but apparently less kind to my mother, Marion, which of course prompted her to leave him... Stanley had a company called Diamond Machine Tool on Olympic Boulevard in Los Angeles. My mother was his VP and did his books... As our financial situation became ever more desperate my mother asked Stanley only for her tax refund which i’m certain was quite modest but urgently needed by us. When Stanley refused my Mother called the IRS and blew the whistle on Stanley’s firm and collected a finder’s fee for turning in a tax cheat."