Well this isn't my first post, but I figured since this machine is the reason I found my way to this forum, I would also make it the reason for my first thread...  First, if you would indulge a little back story...

 

I'm sure like most that venture into this forum, I have a "thing" for owwm...  It started out honest enough, as a tribute to my long deceased grandfather, who became a cabinet maker after WW2.  I stumbled across a blade guard for a Beaver 6" jointer model #3800, in one of his old tool boxes, and decided to find one and restore it using this part.  Well the restoration bug bit a chunk out of me, and I've been collecting "projects" ever since.

 

Fast forward to now....  A Goldie & McCulloch Universal WoodWorker.

As found in seller's garage...

Now, depending on whether or not you bother looking at some of Mr. Whitlock's work , you may better know this particular machine as "Variety Woodworker".  Which is what I believe Crescent called their version of this machine.  Cause there's no way you could confuse this machine with Shane's Crescent UWW...lol.

 

For those not familiar with Goldie & McCulloch, here's a quick link that quickly sums up their history.

http://vintagemachinery.org/mfgindex/detail.aspx?id=382&tab=0

In short, they were a Canadian manufacturer that stopped making woodworking machinery in 1910.  I haven't been able to find any information on this particular machine as of yet.  However, I have been in touch with the City Archives for the area in which the company existed, and they told me they do have some circa 1900 catalogs on file that I can view.  I hope to make the trip next week, and hopefully get lucky...

 

From what I have been able to gather.  These universal (variety) woodworkers aren't very common, and I haven't been able to find any online record of another Goldie&McC.

 

For those unfamilar with UWWs, stay tuned.  I'll be piecing together another post that details the inner workings of this jointer on steroids.

 

Nice machine. You might want to try contacting Jeff Joslin over at OWWM. Jeff is really good at locating and tracking down info on some of the very rare and obscure manufacturers. I also know that the guys there would love to see the machine and the story of it that you have

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My job is to give my kids things to discuss with their therapist

Thanks...  I thought I was buying a simple jointer to be honest.  Wasn't till I started digging at OWWM and vintagemachinery that I realized what it actually is.

 

I have this thread mirrored at owwm dot org, and Jeff has already commented on having no record of such a machine.  I want to take some better pics before I list it at vintagemachinery.

 

I've already done the trip to the same city archives once before.  That time it was for info on Cowan&Co, of the same area.  I struck out on what I was hoping for, but did manage to photograph all three catalogs they had on record for the company.  Jeff is still working on getting all the documents up... 

 

This time I hope to be a little luckier with the results, but in the worst case, Jeff will have another couple circa 1900s catalogs to add to the VM database.

Man that is nice J!

OK, so here is a question for the restorers, when you have something this old and rare, how do you come up with missing parts? I know auctions and parts machines and good luck help, but if all fails, do you make em?

I hope to hear back from ya next week after your trip to check out those manuals, that will be interesting!

Thank you J for jumping in and contributing here at our owwm forum. Way cool machine man!

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John Morris
The Patriot Woodworker
Proud Supporter of Wounded Warrior Project and Homes For Our Troops

Thanks John,

 

The forementioned Beaver 3800 jointer (work in progress) had many damaged parts that I may have gotten away with reusing, but I fabricated replacements in my company's machine shop.  All of these were easy replacements for the most part.  Just a little time in the lathe and on the mill. 

 

On the other hand, I also have a circa 1900's Cowan&Co 20" bandsaw that's going to require a couple of parts that will most likely need to be cast.  I've never done any pattern work, so this will be entirely new for me.  Finding a donor machine is extremely unlikely, as to date I've only been able to find one other on record, (at VM) and it's in use.

 

Fortunately for me, I'm not a professional woodworker, so taking several months or years for that matter on restoring a machine doesn't bother me.  I find I enjoy the journey more than the end result, so unless replacement parts fall in my lap, I think I'll always attempt to try and recreate them when possible.

Jarrett,

Very nice machine.

Sometimes the parts we make, or adapt from similar parts work out better than the originals. Doing so may not make for an authentic restoration, but can add features that were not available when the machine was originally manufactured. That and the fact that if we adapt parts from machines that are more common, replacement parts become easier to find should we need them.

My machines are not authentic restorations, but lean more toward being resto-mods. I use other than original colors, adapt parts from later model machines, and also have to make parts to replace those that are no longer available or hard to find.

 

Larry

Old Woodworking Machinery Forum Host

Ask, and you shall receive...  To this point I've been making the assumption that Goldie & McCulloch described their machine as a "Universal Woodworker".  However as of two days ago and can officially introduce the....:

 

Goldie & McCulloch No.1 Universal Woodworker

John Morris said:

I hope to hear back from ya next week after your trip to check out those manuals, that will be interesting!

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John Morris
The Patriot Woodworker
Proud Supporter of Wounded Warrior Project and Homes For Our Troops