Unknown Antique Punch Press - Yard Art or Scrap Metal?
Stamped:
"Gilro Machine Co.
Oakland Cal
No. 20"
Metal Plate attached reads:
"Herberts Moore Machinery Company
HM
San Francisco"
Metal Plate attached Reads:
"Benner-Nawman Inc.
Property No. 462"
See Detailed photo here (copy and paste into your browser if you can't click on it:
http://www.fileden.com/files/2007/5/23/1...
Any and all help would be grately appreciated...I'd hate to see it scrapped if it's collectible - but have no room for this piece of machinery in my yard or garage.
Thanks!
ps...rusty, but I believe it would run (flywheels turn easily)
Answer:
That press comes from the time when factory machinery was driven from over head shafts that used leather belts to connect the machine to the drive system. This is definitely a museum article, or something a collector would want. It might take some time to find one, but keep it, and advertise it. The $$ from a collector should be a lot more than from the scrap yard.
For what it is worth, this machine could be driven from a modern electric motor. I have seen such machines set up to run in that manner.
Odds are pretty good it is scrap, I don't know that old punch presses have much collector appeal, they tend to be heavy to transport and not all that interesting to normal people. (it does look like the sort of thing I'd buy, but I'm weird) I have a tiny little OBI I got (just because it is so cute) in working condition for not a whole lot more than the scrap value.
It looks like your press has a full revolution clutch (or had, from the pictures it is hard to tell if the clutch is complete) , but with it's deep throat and horn it would most likely be used in an application (probably something like riveting) where it would be difficult to provide the complete guarding required now-days for a full revolution machine.
The deep throat and horn do make it an interesting machine, but finding a buyer could be difficult.
"but someone saw it and said not to scrap it" did they offer to buy it? or at least store it for you? If it was within 30 miles or so of me, I'd say not to scrap it too, but if it had to be shipped, it wouldn't be worth the cost of shipping, to me, even if you were giving it away, and as i said before, I'm weird, to most (but maybe no all) other people it would be worth even less.
Ya man don't scrap it. I hate to see that be melted down and make it to some china junk. What is the scrap yard going to give you 20 bucks? Put it in the paper please :)
Or list it on craigslist
Do you have any museums around you that deal with old equipment? You could donate it and take it off on taxs.
But in the end if no one wants it you got to do, what you got to do.
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*Phoenix...I used to live down there, in chandler there was a railroad museum might send them a email see if they want it.As i remember they had all kinds of old equipment.
Wish i was still down there,I would drive out and buy it off you :) I removed the leather driven part( i guess to slow)Only reason i first said that is because that's the way in my books that i saw that type driven. I agree with ticker that it has no real value other than what few people like us put into it. Most punch presses are cheap as dirt in to days market.
Goodluck with it :)
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