McConnel Sawbench first model
The photographs are with the kind permission of Andrew Geldart, Marketing Co-ordinator of McConnel through the good offices of Leslie Phillip, Perth, who got in touch with the company.
This appears to have been an early demonstration of the sawbench for the Central Office of Information, London, the company seeking inclusion of its machine in the British Industries Fair in London and Birmingham in May 1948. The drive was on to improve the efficiency of timber working in UK after the war and also to manufacture machinery that would be suitable for export.
The saw was manufactured by F W McConnel of 30 Norfolk Street, London and its overall weight was less than 9 cwts.
‘Powered by a 8 hp petrol and vapourising oil fuelled, horizontally opposed twin cylinder engine, the saw will function efficiently in a very great range of temperatures. The saw is of 30 ins diameter, has 8 ton cutting capacity in an 8 hour day, on three gallons of vapourising oil. The engine is governed to give the correct saw speeds. Operator fatigue is lessened by the wood being carried on spring compensated swinging table 5ft 6ins long , 1 ft 4ins wide and 3ft 1ins from the ground.’
It will be noticed that this saw is designed for cross cutting only, is lightly guarded and that there is no table for enabling ripping or pointing of posts. These must have been added later.
A hand written addition points to the operators wearing ex WD clothing, Don Rs gear (Dispatch Riders) and Service haircuts.
The PDF shows another view of the operation and of the covering note.
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Groups: Forestry in Action, Sawmills, pulp mills, chipboard mills