Photo Index - Leland & Faulconer Manufacturing Co. - Universal Trimmer

Machinery Photo Index

Manufactured/Badged by:
Leland & Faulconer Manufacturing Co.
Detroit, MI

Machine Specifications
Machine Class:	Wood Working Machinery
Machine Type:	Universal Trimmer
Machine Size:	6+ inch cutting height
Submitted By:	Jeff McVey

Machine Specifications
Description/Model:	Universal Trimmer
Date of Manufacturer:	circa 1895-96, serial number 286
Serial Number:	(View SN Registry Entry)
Last Updated	4/16/2005 7:13:30 PM

Comments:

This is one of the trimmers that Leland & Faulconer made under their own name, after they had made the first 2000 such machines for Joseph Oliver's American Machinery Co. It's similar to the AMC No. 2, but incorporates a few improvements, such as cam-lock handles on the gauges.

I obtained this one a year or two ago from a dealer in the Detroit area. The machine had been the property of the Detroit Edison Co., and still retains their inventory tags. I wonder if Detroit Edison bought this machine new, as one would expect such a big company to do. At the time it was made, the Chief Engineer at Detroit Edison was a guy who would later become somewhat famous. His name was Henry Ford. It's possible that Henry could have used this very trimmer in the construction of his first car, the "Quadricycle", which was completed in 1896. I suppose I'll never know for sure, but it's possible!

I've seen two or three more of these trimmers, which appear to be the only woodworking machines made by Leland & Faulconer. Of those, it's the only one that still has the original hold-down clamp mounted in the center of the bridge. It's used in conjunction with the adjustable-angle gauges for the trimming of crown molding. Since the clamp is easily removable, I can see how they could get misplaced.

I've never been able to discover just how many of these trimmers were made, or for how long they were manufactured. I know that Leland liked making things in batches of 500, so they must have made at least that many, although the highest known serial number is 332. I'd be surprised if the production run could have lasted more than a few years. By the turn of the (19th to 20th) century, Leland & Faulconer was becoming preoccupied with making horseless carriage parts.

Photo 1:

Comments: front view
Source: Jeff McVey photo

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Photo 2:

Comments: rear view
Source: Jeff McVey photo

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Photo 3:

Comments: hold-down clamp
Source: Jeff McVey photo

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