Selling on behalf of executors in 1975

[Nick Clarke 3Participant @nickclarke3]

After reading a couple of posts recently on disposing of equipment I was interested in finding this advertisement that justified a half page in a Model Engineer of 1975. It is promoting the sale ' on behalf of the executors' of 'One of the finest private model engineering workshops in the south of England'

Compared to many of the workshops described by forum members today, and even my own modest set up it seems very far from exceptional today!

[Nick Clarke 3Participant @nickclarke3]

Are workshops fuller today?

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

With a Mill, shaper and bandsaw he was a lot better equipped than most who were still using a vertical slide for milling and a hacksaw for cutting

[Nick Clarke 3Participant @nickclarke3]

Posted by JasonB on 11/07/2020 19:42:46:

With a Mill, shaper and bandsaw he was a lot better equipped than most who were still using a vertical slide for milling and a hacksaw for cutting

I quite agree Jason, however I was comparing it more to today when industrial standard lathes and large milling machines are common.

[pgk pgkParticipant @pgkpgk17461]

It might be interesting to work out how much that lot cost him, adjust for inflation and see what ya could buy today. In 1975 I was on about £4K a year. An equivalent position now would be almost 10x

pgk

[Roderick JenkinsParticipant @roderickjenkins93242]

Back in 1975 all those old manual machines that now grace our workshops were still being used by industry. Our sadly demised 1975 engineer may well have had to buy all his stuff new.

Rod

[Roderick JenkinsParticipant @roderickjenkins93242]

Back in 1975 all those old manual machines that now grace our workshops were still being used by industry. Our sadly demised 1975 engineer may well have had to buy all his stuff new.

Rod

[DMBParticipant @dmb]

The world never stops moving on.

[Paul KempParticipant @paulkemp46892]

Also be interesting to have a poll as to what people actually have now. I have the impression (which may be completely wrong) that the majority on here have newer 'import' style machinery rather than the ex industrial stuff mentioned?

Paul.

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

Ove the past year or so we have had a dozen people join the forum having bought someling like a Colchester or M300 as their first lathe, and some getting a bridgeport too. Fifty years ago a beginner would have thought themselves lucky to find a second hand Drummond or Perfecto. People have way more disposable income nowadays along with the comparitive lower cost of machines.

Things have gone up a notch too in expectations. Is it even possible to buy a new car nowadays without electric windows and aircon let alone a radio.

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

In the 1970s I knew a lot of home workshop kind of guys mostly motorbike restorers and a few model engineers. None had a mill or power hacksaw. A lathe and a welder or oxy set was about the limit.

In the 1950s my old man had to wait until he sailed as a marine engineer from Oz to the UK to buy a 1937 Drummond and lug it home.

The above advertised pile would have been exceptional in the fsy.

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

Oops that last word should be day but too late to correct it. Small phone, fat fingers.

The other interesting point is that the modest-by-today's-standards pile of workshop kit was valuable enough to rate a half page ad, which eould not have been cheap.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

I would also think that a lot of model engineers had little need of bigger industrial machines as the average models were also smaller, certainly a 4" and definately a 6" traction engine was a very rare item back in 1975. Now 4" is very common as well as the smaller prototypes in 6".

Most stationary engine designs are still based around a 9" max flywheel diameter which was a comfy fit in a Myford gap and still is. Loco wheels don't need a big capacity machine and cylinders van be done on the cross slide.

[magpieParticipant @magpie]

Posted by Bazyle on 11/07/2020 22:42:51:

Ove the past year or so we have had a dozen people join the forum having bought someling like a Colchester or M300 as their first lathe, and some getting a bridgeport too. Fifty years ago a beginner would have thought themselves lucky to find a second hand Drummond or Perfecto. People have way more disposable income nowadays along with the comparitive lower cost of machines.

Things have gone up a notch too in expectations. Is it even possible to buy a new car nowadays without electric windows and aircon let alone a radio.

I remember the days when even a heater and carpets were 'extras' in most cars.

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

It all cost a small fortune back then and most folk were too busy working to pay the bills, the biggest of which tended to be the food bill

Aye, them were days, 20% inflation and The Fall of Saigon

Winter blackouts, Arthur Scargill and the oil crisis

Now you can just flip a credit card at it or pay in cash, back then you couldn't get a loan to even buy a house unless you were well to do, never mind easy credit

My dad was a postie and couldn't get the last couple of hundred quid for a new house from the bank

A guy in the pub told him

"join the RAC"

"but I don't have a car"

"just do it, and re-apply"

So he joined the RAC, reapplied for the loan and got it

A myford was about 200 quid in 1975, a boxford 350 model locos were going for 1000-2000

My folks bought a 3 floor house for 2000 using that loan

Aye them were days

Edited By Ady1 on 12/07/2020 09:51:11

[Oven ManParticipant @ovenman]

Does anybody know how much a basic Myford Super 7 would have cost in 1959?

Peter

[Dave HalfordParticipant @davehalford22513]

Having 'done' the 70's when the double meaning was almost an art form I'm surprised to see "A superb collection of screwing tackle" Ay, ay, nudge, nudge suggestive. Someone led a sheltered life.

Barclay cards were being posted to everyone with a Barclays account regardless.

A six year old car was £200 and already needed new sills, unless it was an 1965 Austin 1100 which would need a floor and wings as well.

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

Posted by Oven Man on 12/07/2020 10:14:35:

Does anybody know how much a basic Myford Super 7 would have cost in 1959?

Peter

Got this from 1953

 

edit: You often had to "send for a current price list" back in them days, the adverts had no price

Edited By Ady1 on 12/07/2020 10:54:53

[SamsarandaParticipant @samsaranda]

The ad lists a “monodex sheet metal cutter” how many readers remember or owned one of these, it was a very crude shearing device which was extraordinarily hard on your hands to use, I had one and during a recent workshop reorganisation I came across it, surprising how many gimmicky tools there were on the market then.
Dave W

[CirclipParticipant @circlip]

" “monodex sheet metal cutter” how many readers remember or owned one of these, it was a very crude shearing device which was extraordinarily hard on your hands to use"

But what better weapon for cutting Ductwork? – – – – at that time.

Regards Ian.

[Jim Young 2Participant @jimyoung2]

Re Advert……A J Reeve & Co still seem to be trading all these years later, but at a rather different address. Google street view suggests that the old location might have been redeveloped. Company current trading name suggests perhaps a financial hiatus at the turn of the century, but they still seem to be here, not many that that is true of!

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Posted by Ady1 on 12/07/2020 10:51:37:

Posted by Oven Man on 12/07/2020 10:14:35:

Does anybody know how much a basic Myford Super 7 would have cost in 1959?

Peter

Got this from 1953

edit: You often had to "send for a current price list" back in them days, the adverts had no price

I think the ML7 priced £48 5s 6d 'with standard equipment' didn't include a motor.

Best of all is those sums in £sd. If an ML7 costs £48 5s cash, how much does it cost to take advantage of 'our well-known out of income terms'? ie £12 2s 0d plus 12 payments of 68/7.

My first answer was £4 9s 0d. Wrong by ten bob! Borrowing a pound while subtracting shillings I forgot there are 20s to the pound, not 10.

In 1953 the average wage was £9 5s 0d for a 45 hour week (more than half the population were paid less). So an ML7 cost roughly a months wages, about £1950 today. Have to be careful comparing money over time though, because values shift. In 1953 the average house cost £2750, so a cash down ML7 was roughly equivalent to £2600 today, plus cost of motor. The same lathe with stand and motor was £74 or about £4350. Not cheap!!!

Curious that supporters of feet, inches and lbs don't want to return to old money despite £sd having exactly the same advantages as Imperial Measure. My theory; having painfully learned a difficult system, people don't have the energy to learn another, even when the alternative is easier…

Dave

[V8EngParticipant @v8eng]

Posted by magpie on 12/07/2020 09:09:

I remember the days when even a heater and carpets were 'extras' in most cars.

Now a spare wheel is quite often an expensive extra, unless you are happy to fiddle with a little compressor and can of stuff on a cold, wet and windy night.

Edited By V8Eng on 12/07/2020 13:54:15

[Dave HalfordParticipant @davehalford22513]

Posted by Jim Young 2 on 12/07/2020 12:42:18:

Re Advert……A J Reeve & Co still seem to be trading all these years later, but at a rather different address. Google street view suggests that the old location might have been redeveloped. Company current trading name suggests perhaps a financial hiatus at the turn of the century, but they still seem to be here, not many that that is true of!

Note the name change – the Holly Lane lot ( helpful blokes in brown cow gowns) ceased trading.

[Nick Clarke 3Participant @nickclarke3]

Posted by Dave Halford on 12/07/2020 14:34:36:

Posted by Jim Young 2 on 12/07/2020 12:42:18:

Re Advert……A J Reeve & Co still seem to be trading all these years later, but at a rather different address. Google street view suggests that the old location might have been redeveloped. Company current trading name suggests perhaps a financial hiatus at the turn of the century, but they still seem to be here, not many that that is true of!

Note the name change – the Holly Lane lot ( helpful blokes in brown cow gowns) ceased trading.

A. J. Reeves moved to Holly Lane Marston Green in the early 1970s, when the shop was redeveloped, some time after the death of John Reeves and the business had been taken over by Alex Farmer and David Piddington.

Although advertising themselves as Reeves 2000 the company name is still A.J.Reeves Ltd and now operates from rural premises near Twycross Zoo. I was there earlier this week and they are now just as helpful, if not more so than I remember the 'Holly Lane lot' being.

[Author]

Posts