Hot Rods My antique sheet metal shop

The shop has been in our family for 4 generations. It was started in the late 1890's, this first picture is of the original building. A lot of the following photos show machinery that was in use there that we still use today.




An English 8' folder



A New Zealand built 8' guillotine



A New Zealand built 8' box and pan folder



A 3' folder



10' press brake



Heres a stand with a few rotary machines on it, wiring machine, jenny, swager peining down machine



A bench with recievers for bench stakes



A few bench stakes hanging on the wall



Circle cutter



3' roller



3' treadle guillotine



Spinning lathe



Punch and shear



Patterns for Africa



Polishing machine



Swedish Nibbler



One of my favourite machines, a wiring machine





Sometime I will get around to posting some of the work we do

 

Nice shop there. Extra special since it's part of the family. That's something to enjoy and be proud of.....

 

I'd give those machines a nice sanding and painting for the jobs they do...
Heavenly place, that shop.....

 

Wow! That has to be the coolest workshop ever. To have a shop that has been in the family for so long is very special indeed.

 

I could spend days in there and I only know how to use a couple of those machines. WOW!

 

Education please- What does a wiring machine do?

 

Awesome pics, and still in the family! Very cool

 

Real nice shop and family owned.Please show more,I've used some of those in the past.

 

Thanks for posting.

 

Wow, thanks for sharing!

 

I think it rolls a deep groove in the sheet metal so that a wire can be embedded in the groove to stiffen it. But I'm guessing.....

 

Very cool, you can tell that those machines/tools/benches have done some serious work over the years.

 

I would cut every finger off, and maybe lose a chunk of scrotum............but it would fukn' look cool with those machines....wouldn't it ?? Yeah baby..........

 

Now that is a gen-u-wine time machine.Outstanding.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

 

cool stuff.

 

that is awesome... thank you for sharing! i've got a thing for wood floor workshops.

 

I second the wood floor thumbs up. The machines are awesome & to be in the same location for that long is a milestone.

 

Awesome history... So much soul! 5 stars to you for sharing! Thx


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The only thing cooler than those vintage machines are the few people left that know how to use them. Thank you for sharing!

 

We used to have a Dye guillotine like you have, damn good machine that stood the test of time. Funny to see some kiwi made machines in your country, we usually have all your Americian made tooling over here


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I'm in New Zealand, Nelson to be exact. my Father bought the guillotine in 1967, probably about the first one off the line. Always had a problem with the elliptical springs that returned the blade to its start position the stroke of the machine almost turned them inside out and they kept breaking leaves. A couple of weeks ago we altered it using a couple of front torsion bars from a Mazda B2000 working perfectly so far.

 

Haha, here I am instantly thinking your from the States, should have checked your profile I guess. Those old Dye machines are bloody good gear. I'd love to have that box and pan folder in my shop, they just don't seem to make quality like that anymore, I have a Chinese made folder that quite frankly is a pile of shit..


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Awesome place, thanks for sharing with us. Would love to see more of the stuff you guys build with all the equipment.

 

Thanks for sharing this was great! If there is a historical registry in your area you should consider it. Hope your shop is around another 100 yrs from now.................

 

A slice of a bygone era,yet here are all the machines still in use.

Thanks for sharing. HRP

 

I grew up in a family sheet metal shop also. Miss having a few of the old tools which we used to have. I hated years of making flashings and skylights but realise now what great grounding it was for making car stuff today. Still got an old press and rollers etc in my shed . Coincidentally my Mum's family lost everything in the Hawkes bay quake and camped for a year in the front yard of Harold Malt who was a noted car collector. At least I think that is the story.
old shops like yours are a treasure.

 

that's very cool stuff I'm sure to replace all of that would cost a small fortune , thanks for sharing

 

Great pics and I too love the old hardwood floors of that shop. Oh the stories those boards could tell!!

 

Nice wood floors too. I was at and old Pratt & Whitney assembly plant in Hartford Conn. which had beautiful hardwood floors.

 

Love them metal tools, old school shop feel and atmosphere.