Some Silex Tools. ( A Work in Progress.)

Post date: 28-Jun-2014 00:02:23

Howard F Hudson (HFH) was shown to trademark the name "Silex Tools, Made In Australia" on the 11th July 1946 under class description Hand Tools and Implements. HFH were based in Sydney.

A lot of their tools were made for them by Mit- A- Mit, a division of Metalcraft Engineering Co, Woolloomooloo NSW.

James B Clarence Co.

A major manufacturer and supplier to Howard F Hudson of product carrying the Silex brand was James B Clarence Co.

James B Clarence Co was located at 73 Evans Street, Belmont, NSW 2280 which is about 15 km from Newcastle. The very successful business founded by James Brasnett Clarence in the early 1920's was purchased from him in the late 60's by his son James (Jim) Frederick Clarence.

The number of employees peaked at about 35 but with continued introduction of automated machinery dropped to about 15 in latter years. The company operated a zinc die-cast foundry, machine and paint shops, where tools were finished. Chrome and nickel plating was contracted to a firm in Sydney and shipped back to Belmont for final assembly, painting and packaging.

Tools made by James B Clarence included: Dowelling jig.

                                                                              Butt and Bevel gauges.

                                                                              Mortise and Marking gauges.

                                                                              6, 8, 10 and 12 inch Try squares.

                                                                              G clamps.

                                                                              National Sprinklers. 

                                                                              Pulley Blocks.                                                                      

                                                                              A Breast Drill was made in the early days.    

The business closed soon after the death of Jim Clarence in 1984. 

No 30 Dowelling jig with five guides and depth stop.

Silex No 66 Marking Gauges.

Example No. 1

This has a round section stem 7" x 5/16"dia. The die-cast sliding body has has a 1 7/16" polished face with remnant red laquer evident. The body can be locked in set position on the stem with a screw with a 5/8" dia grooved edge die-cast head.

Example No. 2

This has a grooved, round section steel stem 6 1/4" x 5/16" dia., graduated to 5" from point in 1/16" increments.The die-cast sliding body has a 1 7/16" dia. polished face with remnant red laquer evident. The body can be locked in set position on the stem by a screw with a 5/8" dia. knurled edge head.

Example No. 3

This one appears in the John Danks 1966 catalogue so presumably examples 1 and 2 appeared prior to 1966.

 Both are 14 1/2" (370mm) long and have 3/8 three jaw chuck. They are a clone of each other except No 40 has a wooden handle No 45 a cast metal breast plate.

The 2 1/2" (80mm) crank handle drives a 4 1/2" (115mm) crown wheel through a single pinion gear at a 1 to 4 ratio.

Silex No 50 / 55 Drills.

Continuing with the full size breast drills of Silex we have the number 50 which has a 1/2" three jaw metal bit chuck its partner the number 55 with a two jaw chuck for carpenters auger bits. This is the only difference between them.

Both are two speed, accomplished by removing the crown wheel and selecting the appropriate pinion gear.

Length of both drills is 16" (410mm) 

The 4 1/2" (115mm) crank handle drives a 5" (128mm) wheel to two bevel gears. By selecting the bevel gear you wish to drive we get low gear, 1 to 3 1/6 ratio, high gear 1 to 5 ratio.

These Silex by  Mit A Mit drills  are well made with a cast alloy frame, cast machined gears (although I have seen a alloy bevel gear which showed considerable wear), good solid chucks with a ball bearing used as the thrust bearing on the main drive shaft.

Silex Vises.

Original Silex vise with old style label.

This Silex vise shows the more modern transfer label and colour scheme, which at this time I do not have a date of when it was introduced.

All the Silex vises I have sighted are similar to these two. They are 6" (150 mm) wide with jaw capacity of 4" (100 mm).  They are made to be mounted under the bench.

Silex Quick Release Wood Vise No 77.

The jaw is 185 mm wide, well made with it's quick release shown in picture below in as found condition.

It has 285 mm opening between the metal jaws.

Silex Tile Cutter.

A simple Tungsten tipped tile cutter. 160 x 15 mm.

No 34 Butt Gauge.

This is similar to the Stanley No 95 which was made between 1897 and 1984.

Stanley 95.

Butt gauges were used mostly for marking out the rebates for the leaves of a butt hinge, both on a door and a door jamb. The Silex butt gauges all have die-cast bodies with steel rods, whereas the Stanley No 95 has a cast iron body with steel rods. All the examples in the study are 3" long and all are graduated on top to 2" with 1/16" increments, to mark the width of the hinge leaf.

A butt gauge can also be used as a marking gauge and to square the edge of the hinge to the door or jamb.

Silex No 34  (Example 1)

The nickel plating on this example is of poor quality. The body has been painted orange but there are slight traces of red laquer under the orange. The screws for locking the rods have 1/2" dia. knurled heads.

Silex No 34 (Example 2)

The plating on this example is in excellent condition. The body is laquered red. The screws for holding the rods have 5/8" dia. grooved heads.

Silex No 34 (Example 3)

This example is nickel or chrome plated all over and appears to be little used. The screws for locking the rods have 5/8" dia. grooved heads.

Braces.

With their head office in Sydney, and branches in Wollongong, Brisbane, Adelaide and Melbourne Goodall & Co Pty Ltd were Engineers, Machinery Merchants & Importers. Their 1955 Catalogue No 5, listed three Silex Braces.

Silex No 80 Ratchet Brace.

Ball bearing head, polished bakelite head and grip. 1/2in steel bow, open ratchet, drop forged machined alligator jaws. Solid drawn steel chuck, shell knurled, metal parts all polished,nickel plated. 10in and 12in sweeps.

Silex No 100 Ratchet Brace. (Holdall Jaw *)

Ball bearing head, full clad steel plate, bakelite head and grip,. 1/2in steel bow, open ratchet, universal jaws, designed and machined to take 1/2in. round shanks as well as bit stock shanks. 10in, 12in and 14in sweeps.

* Holdall, Master or Universal Jaws.

The Holdall Jaw was patented in the USA in 1909 by J A Leland (935266) and assigned to the Millers Falls Company. Designed to hold ordinary bit shanks as well as straight and morse taper bit shanks.

Carpenters' Braces Plain.

A cheaper type of brace than the ratchet brace, having a bright steel finish and fitted with alligator type jaws. 10in sweep.

Spare Jaws.

The Goodall & Co catalogue also offered spare jaws for the braces. 

Brace Jaws No 102: Alligator type jaws are drop forged and plated, designed to fit all braces. 

No 104: Holdall or Master type jaws with parallel milled grooves. Will hold bit stock round shank from 1/8in to 1/2in and No 1 MT shanks.

Pre 1955 Silex No 100 Brace.

Having wooden head and grip and using slot head screws to attach the head to the plate, this No 100 brace appears to predate the one in the Goodall & Co catalogue.

Silex No 80 Brace.

This brace has wooden parts instead of bakelite and uses Phillips head screws to attach the head to the plate. With two partial Silex Tools decals on the grip, It is in very good condition which leads me to think that it is relatively modern and may have been made concurrent with the bakelite models or perhaps later.  

The only information that appears stamped on all these braces is "Silex Tools  and Made in Australia" model numbers and sweep sizes are not shown. All the above were manufactured for Silex by Mit A Mit.

No 90 Mortice Gauges.

Example No 1

This gauge has two grooved stems each 6-1/2" x 5/16" dia. The grooves are quite wide - 3/16". Die-cast rectangular body is 1-3/8" x 1-5/16" locking onto stems with screws with 5/8" dia. grooved edge die-cast heads. 

The body has a polished face and there are slight traces of red lacquer on the reverse side.

Example No 2

Again this has two grooved stems each 6-1/4" x 5/16" dia. The grooves are about 1/8" wide. The stems are each graduated to 5" from points in 1/16" increments. 

The die-cast rectangular body 1-3/8" x 1-5/16" has a polished face and has slight traces of red lacquer on the reverse side. It is locked onto stems with screws with 5/8" dia. knurled edge brass heads.

Example No 3

This one appears in the John Danks 1966 catalogue so examples No 1 and No 2 probably appear prior to that date. This gauge has two round steel stems each 6-3/8" x 5/16" dia. with a flat machined longitudinally on each. The stems are graduated to 5" from point in 1/16" increment. 

The die-cast rectangular body 1-13/16" x 1-9/16" has a polished chrome plated face and a red lacquered reverse side. The body is locked to the stems with screws having 5/8' dia. grooved die-cast heads.

SILEX Cramp.

No 78 Bevel Gauge.

Silex Drill No 26R.

This 1/4"capacity drill is fairly light and was probably made to be used in tight positions such as a cupboard. It is 12 1/2"(320mm) and has a thin crown wheel and double bevel gears with the crown wheel being 3" (80mm) in diameter.

The crank handle is 2 1/2"(65mm) giving a 1 to 4 1/6 revolutions per turn, which is quite fast. Built into this crank handle is the simple mechanism to create the ratchet, a spring loaded catch which when orientated left or right engages with the crown wheel gear. 

Silex transfer is still just visible with Mit A Mit, made in Australia, 26R Ratchet stamped on crank handle. 

Silex Bench Drill. Lever Feed No 52.

A handy 2 speed drill fitted with a 1/2 in capacity chuck and incorporating a lever feed. The pillar is 20in high. A 2in drilling vice is supplied with each machine.

From 1955 Goodall & Co. Pty. Limited Catalogue No5.

Silex Solderheat Tool.

Size No 2/20 oz. A more unusual tool from Silex, being a linesmans soldering iron which used round pellet fuel caps.

By the time that I was located in the country, late 1960, these units were being phased out. The compact Gas Bottle kits were available (they were complete with Soldering Iron) At the time PMG/Telecom only went a certain distance from the Exchange. The farmers built their own line to the house. It was usually made with Iron or Steel wire. The Copper wire then had to be connected to the steel wire. The connection of copper and steel was made by wrapping the two together. This was not a good connection because of the different materials. The wrap section was made efficient by the use of the soldering iron. When the Joplin or Silex iron type (there were several different brands) was to be used, it was usually cold so two of the cartridges were needed. One to heat the unit up from dead cold and one to generate the heat required to melt the stick solder. (no resin cored solder) The cartridge was inserted into the socket of the iron then a special match was ignited and inserted through the hole in the lid and into the hole in the cartridge. The match was specially made with the ignition section approximately ¼ inch to 3/8 inch long. So, get it all ready and strike the match using a normal match and stick it into place. Solder the joint and check the connection when it was cool enough to handle. 

Allen Outram.

Contributors: Les Whiddett , Steve Wareing, Geoff Emms.