Photo Index - Western & Co - 24" heavy box casting, C frame band saw, with patent spring tension.

Machinery Photo Index

Manufactured/Badged by:
Western & Co
Chaddesden Works, Derby, England.

Machine Specifications
Machine Class:	Wood Working Machinery
Machine Type:	Band Saw
Machine Size:	24"
Submitted By:	Chris Vesper

Machine Specifications
Description/Model:	24" heavy box casting, C frame band saw, with patent spring tension.
Date of Manufacturer:	1875-1880
Serial Number:
Last Updated	5/12/2019 8:51:37 AM

Comments:

Affectionately known as The Bandosawrus.
Purchased by Chris Vesper in 1998, purchased in Melbourne Australia. Restored from not much more than a wreck over the course of some years, sometimes adding more refinements over time.
It's history before my ownership is not known, so if anyone has any information on this I'd be grateful if you could contact me at Vesper Tools.
It's important to mention that the restoration was done in a conservative manner. When I first purchased this machine I did not know much about its age or rarity. But I knew it is a very special machine, I did not drill holes in castings, I used all the original old pattern bolts and did not replace with new shiny ones. Anything I've added on such as guards, guide counterweight system, oilers, oil slinging catchers on the top wheel, etc could all be removed without harming the originality of the machine. The new guides I made and fitted to the machine are to make the machine usable and highly tuned for precision cutting, which it does very well. The original guides and all parts like that are all sitting in a drawer as part of the history of the machine.
Another point to note is the machine now sits on a heavy welded steel base that holds the machine in place without bolting it down, and holds the motor in place on the steel base and gets sufficient belt tension, again no drilling bolt holes required in the original casting or other mods to mount the motor. In designing and making this welded base I made it from heavy channel with the U facing downwards, so a pallet truck or forklift is all thats needed to move the whole machine and motor in one to any place desired in the workshop. Very convenient.
The main C Frame of the machine is whats called a Box Casting, which was a popular way to manufacture machinery like this back in the 1880's in England. It's a 1 piece casting, hollow in form. It's walls are approx 5/8" thick or more in most places.
Total machine weight currently, with all it's guarding, motor, and heavy welded base is approx 820kg. I estimate the main box casting is approx 350-400kg perhaps. Then you add on the very heavy table, wheels, spring tension stuff, other mis parts inc guides etc etc.
There is a discrepancy between the written info available about the Patent referred to on the main casting and how it appears on my machine. The Patent refers to the spring tension mechanism for the top wheel. Early Western & Co or Powis, Bale, Western & Co catalogues have printed images of older less refined and completely different mechanisms. This is likely because the same printing plate was used for perhaps 10-20 years of printed catalogues owing to the cost of plate engraving, even though the actual machine leaving their workshop was quite different. I have been unable to locate any printed material that has images of the current design of spring mechanism on it.
The significance of the spring supporting the top wheel cannot be underestimated. Prior to this the band saw after its invention in 1812 was little more than a frustratingly useful, yet fairly useless machine because the machine design, and the blade and steel technology at the time meant blade breakage was very frequent and non viable for the whole. If the blade breaks and has to be re-welded 4 times an hours that's hardly saving time by having a bandsaw, which explains why 'Jigger Saws' were very popular in the time.
One major contributing factor to blade breakage was lack of 'give' in the machine design. If little scrap offcuts of wood were by chance to fall between the lower wheel and the blade as it's running this shock load would cause breakage. Plus blade contraction to cold temp after cutting would cause a highly tenioned blade to snap. With the top wheel supported by spring the allowed some movement in what was otherwise a rigid and inflexible setup.
Back in the day Western & Co recommended the use of French bandsaw blades. Manufactured by Messrs Panhard Perin & Co. Yes the same name as the cars Panhard et Levassor.
For anyone interested in chasing information about the company Western & Co, on it's owners, and it's manager Mr Henry Wilson back in the day - Graces Guide is a wonderful resource.

Photo 1:

Comments:
Source: Taken by Chris Vesper

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Photo 2:

Comments:
Source:

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Photo 3:

Comments: Side profile of the main box casting
Source: Me

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Photo 4:

Comments: It's naked! Photo taken during moving in 2017, no base, no motor, guards, wheels and guides off.
Source: Me

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Photo 5:

Comments: 1999, not long after I purchased the bandsaw, showing its original state after some dismantling.
Source: Me

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Photo 6:

Comments: Showing the spring arrangement for the top wheel which is the Patent that is referred to on the main casting.
Source: Me

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