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29th Mar 2023, 09:23 PM #1Most Valued Member
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Lithgow Small Arms Factory Museum - definitely worth a visit
Happened to be in Lithgow (NSW) a few days ago, and visited the Lithgow Small Arms Factory museum.
https://www.lithgowsafmuseum.org.au/
It would have to be one of the most interesting museums I've been to, and I think anyone with an interest in Australian history, firearms or metalwork/machining would enjoy it.
As well as the museum itself, for those who are interested you can also go out to the workshop where they have a collection of some of the machines that were used in the factory. A couple of the volunteers are retired toolmakers from the factory, and will happily show you around the machines.
Some of the less common ones were:
- a single point barrel rifling machine with a tiny shaped cutter that was pulled through the barrel as it was turned to create the helical rifling, and automatically retracted and indexed for the next cut
- An early NC Bridgeport mill controlled by punched tape
- A Cochrane-Bly vertical miller-shaper - with a milling head and a shaper/slotter head permanently mounted.
Unfortunately I was so busy talking to the guy and looking at the machines I didn't get any photos, but here's a couple that my wife took.
3 sizes of drill presses….
Multi spindle drill, with a vibrating tumbler for deburring to the left
Nice little Herbert turret lathe
And this beautiful little lathe.
The cross slide etc appears to all be ground. No maker/brand markings on it that I could see.
Steve
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1st Apr 2023, 01:57 PM #2
I live half an hour from Lithgow but I've never been to the museum. I'm putting it on the todo list.
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3rd Apr 2023, 01:15 PM #3Novice
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Heading there in a couple of weeks, looking forward to the visit.
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3rd Apr 2023, 10:43 PM #4Diamond Member
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- Oct 2008
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- N.W.Tasmania
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It might pay to check their opening hours. In years past I have tried twice to do a tour, only to find that they were not open on the day. I don't go that way much any more since both my parents passed, - they live at O'Connell, just out of Bathurst, which was between 30 and 45 minutes away, but I do hope to make it one day, as the reports all seem pretty good.
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4th Apr 2023, 08:30 AM #5Most Valued Member
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Here’s a link to the opening hours etc.
https://www.lithgowsafmuseum.org.au/visitorinfo.html
Steve
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4th Apr 2023, 09:50 AM #6
Does the Small Arms factory Museum stand alone or is the current Military Ammunition manufacturing facility close by?
Just curious
Grahame
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5th Apr 2023, 12:24 AM #7Most Valued Member
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The museum is in one of the buildings on the main SAF site.
I know that they are still manufacturing sporting rifles on site under the Lithgow Arms brand but don’t know anything about the ammunition side.
Steve
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