Ya canna hand a man a granda spanna

[Bulletman]

When i was young , this was the saying for Sidchrome tools, I remember saving up to buy them as an apprentice , from memory they were advertised as Aussie owned and 99yr guarentee , or could have been a replacement if it broke , i cant remember.

Anyways i recently purchased a 1/2 drive sidchrome socket set - not because i desperately needed it , or even cause it was cheap , i just bought it to carry in my ute just in case. My god its a big step back from what i remember , the ratchet ball that locks the socket onto the drive is seized so i cant push the socket home - and this is straight out of the new packet , the for / Rev keeps slipping to neutral so it wont ratchet. I perservered with it but decided to take it back after my second attempt at using it , and the bloke at the tool shop showed me a drawer full of them with the same issue.

My tools these days are Cat brand snap on , so maybe i am spoilt, but i dont remember ever having many issues with sidchrome tools when i was younger - then again I guess it was over 35yrs ago so most likely tools weren't getting mass produced in those days. Possibly I would have just pulled it apart and fixed it in those days too.. but i dont recall doing it.

Bulletman

[travelrover]

When i was young , this was the saying for Sidchrome tools, I remember saving up to buy them as an apprentice , from memory they were advertised as Aussie owned and 99yr guarentee , or could have been a replacement if it broke , i cant remember.

Anyways i recently purchased a 1/2 drive sidchrome socket set - not because i desperately needed it , or even cause it was cheap , i just bought it to carry in my ute just in case. My god its a big step back from what i remember , the ratchet ball that locks the socket onto the drive is seized so i cant push the socket home - and this is straight out of the new packet , the for / Rev keeps slipping to neutral so it wont ratchet. I perservered with it but decided to take it back after my second attempt at using it , and the bloke at the tool shop showed me a drawer full of them with the same issue.

My tools these days are Cat brand snap on , so maybe i am spoilt, but i dont remember ever having many issues with sidchrome tools when i was younger - then again I guess it was over 35yrs ago so most likely tools weren't getting mass produced in those days. Possibly I would have just pulled it apart and fixed it in those days too.. but i dont recall doing it.

Bulletman

Hi Bulletman

Pretty sure you are correct. They had a 99 year guarantee or free replacement (certainly during the 70 & 80's) no idea now or even where they are made but sounds like the one you have needs to go back and be replaced no matter what!

Cheers - Simon

[Homestar]

The modern stuff is completely different. I still have plenty of older Sidchrome stuff from my Apprenticeship and they are great tools. I have one modern set of their spanners - not a patch on the older stuff - they look better, but they aren’t as strong - have broken a couple of them.

Can speak about the sockets, etc - I have heaps of older stuff but my my newer stuff is SP - which I’ve found to be pretty good for the price.

[Fattima]

I've got a heap of the old Sidchrome and they are still going strong 30 something years later. Not impressed with their new stuff at all. Also got some old Stahlwille and they are beautiful to use.

[Bigbjorn]

They were made in Brunswick, Vic, by Siddons Drop Forgings. Siddons first made hand tools after WW2 to take up production capacity that was no longer used with the cessation of war work. In 1991 the firm was bought by The Stanley Works, now Stanley Black & Decker, and Oz production ceased in 1996. Sidchrome branded tools are now made in Taiwan.

When I was an apprentice/young tradesman in the 50's -60's a Sidchrome rep used to call around workshops and factories taking orders and selling from his van. I you had a busted one he would replace it free of charge no questions asked as to how you broke it.

[rick130]

My 1/2" drive set, including a few Snap On wobble drives was pinched out of my work ute 18 months ago.
I checked the pawn shops but they never turned up. [emoji53]

Was given them as a 1st year in the early 80's.

They've been replaced with a 3/8 Gear Wrench set., extra wobble extensions, breaker bar, adapters, etc.
Lovely finish and a fine ratchet but the jury is out on how they'll hold up.
I've already broken a wobble drive, but admittedly I was asking a 3/8 wobble to do the work of a 1/2" drive.

[scarry]

Most of my set spanners are Stahlwille,many would be 40yrs old,they are a great spanner.The ring spanners have a very thin wall,but never broken one,apparently the handle of the spanner is actually hollow,which reduces weight and increases strength.

The ones that have been lost and stolen, were replaced with mainly Sidchrome.Although there are some of my fathers Dowidat and Gedore(spelling) mixed in,which we inherited.

I recently retired my old 1/2" Minimax socket set,mainly because i had lost a couple of sockets,the ratchet had worn out and fallen apart and the metal box was Shagged.

It was replaced with the Tradetools brand,i think they are 'Force'.They are not bad,even the ratchet is good quality,as is their small 1/4" drive socket sets.

[gromit]

A couple of guys that go to the local Trash & Treasure market buy up all the old Sidchrome spanners & sockets then sell them on at the major swap meets.

Where is Sidchrome product made now ? I guess the same factories in Asia that make Kincrome.
I didn't realise they have been owned by Black & Decker since 1990 Sidchrome – Sidchrome (https://www.sidchrome.com.au/sidchrome/)

I've got a socket set purchased in the UK 40 odd years ago that's still going strong. Made by Hilka and seems to be good quality. The ratchet has taken some abuse and I always expected it to break so purchased a back-up socket set 35 years ago and that's still unused !
The Hilka set is just Metric & AF so I purchased Stahwille Whitworth sockets, one a week because of the cost....

Most of the 'quality' names have either disappeared or now get their tools made in Asia.

Abingdon King Dick, Bedford, Williams Superslim, Britool, Stahwille are all in my toolbox along with Elora, Gedore, Terrys (stamped magneto spanners) and many others. Even the cheaper spanners back then are better than some of the mid-range ones now.

Sidchrome was a new one to me when I came to Australia but I have quite a few now, mainly in Whitworth sizes.


Colin

[rick130]

Most of my set spanners are Stahlwille,many would be 40yrs old,they are a great spanner.The ring spanners have a very thin wall,but never broken one,apparently the handle of the spanner is actually hollow,which reduces weight and increases strength.

The ones that have been lost and stolen, were replaced with mainly Sidchrome.Although there are some of my fathers Dowidat and Gedore(spelling) mixed in,which we inherited.

I recently retired my old 1/2" Minimax socket set,mainly because i had lost a couple of sockets,the ratchet had worn out and fallen apart and the metal box was Shagged.

It was replaced with the Tradetools brand,i think they are 'Force'.They are not bad,even the ratchet is good quality,as is their small 1/4" drive socket sets.

Noice, Stahlwille and Minimax were the absolute top of the tree.
I have Dad's Stahlwille 1/4 drive set. I used to borrow it a bit in the 80's. [bigwhistle]
When I went to buy my own miniature 1/4 drive set in the early 90's the only other I could find that were as tiny as Stahlwille was Snap On.
All other brands were pretty much 3/8 drive size.
I bought the Snap On kit as it was $430 vs $700+ for Stahlwille! :Thump:
Quality tools are so cheap in comparison these days!

Some of my favourite rings are US made Proto that I bought back then, beautiful to use and the finish was and is every bit as good if not better than Snap On. Today they are owned by Stanley and all but impossible to buy here.
Of the older hand tools I have a mix like the rest of you, Gedore, King Dick, Britool, Dowidat which were all Dad's and so treasured but still in use when I need to use Whitworth.

[Pedro_The_Swift]

If you had a busted one he would replace it free of charge no questions asked as to how you broke it.

Snap-on still do this,, margins are a wonderful thing [wink11]

[scarry]

Noice, Stahlwille and Minimax were the absolute top of the tree.

I am bloody lucky to still have them.

I was going fishing with a mate one Monday,leave at 3.00am,and we were going in the work van,gonna leave it at the boat ramp,stay out overnight in the boat.

So i thought i would take my hand tools and toolboxes out of the van,in case they get stolen, and leave them at home.Pick up my mate and hook up his boat early next morning.

SO i get up at about 2.30am,go to get in the van and its gone from the driveway.[bigsad]

I rang the cops and they already had it,but the lowlifes didn't get my tools[biggrin]

I also still have an old Stahlwillie green toolbox.

[Bigbjorn]

Snap-on still do this,, margins are a wonderful thing [wink11]

When I worked at a large manufacturing company we got discount from Sidchrome of list less 45% less 2.5% for settlement within 30 days.

[gromit]

A few long gone Australian manufacturers listed in the link below.
Some spanners only pressed steel and some just for a product they supplied.

Hand Tool Preservation Association of Australia Inc. - Australian Wrenches (https://www.htpaa.org.au/hand-tools/australian-tools-makers/australian-wrenches)


Colin

[PerthDisco]

Still got original box and packaging from a set received in late 80s for my 18th or 19th bday and still in use and perfect however the plastic handle has slipped off the ratchet. Never used the Imperial sockets.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200426/800350672825e67cbdf767e492b8ea93.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200426/5ce32c077b9c9e25a4fc226e82f747fb.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200426/7b0a1bae9accf88e86acb47580c21dc4.jpg


YouTube (https://youtu.be/AY4upxZ_zOs)


YouTube (https://youtu.be/-gGoFQx4bKI)

Not a pair of safety glasses, gloves or ear protection to be seen in this “modern” factory but nice to remember when we made and exported things like this. You could also come to work in your own frock or Hawaiian shirt pre high viz.

[Bigbjorn]

Still got original box and packaging from a set received in late 80s for my 18th or 19th bday and still in use and perfect however the plastic handle has slipped off the ratchet. Never used the Imperial sockets.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200426/800350672825e67cbdf767e492b8ea93.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200426/5ce32c077b9c9e25a4fc226e82f747fb.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200426/7b0a1bae9accf88e86acb47580c21dc4.jpg


YouTube (https://youtu.be/AY4upxZ_zOs)


YouTube (https://youtu.be/-gGoFQx4bKI)

Not a pair of safety glasses, gloves or ear protection to be seen in this “modern” factory but nice to remember when we made and exported things like this. You could also come to work in your own frock or Hawaiian shirt pre high viz.

I love it. The female factory workers in their good frocks, jewellery, hair and makeup done. The blokes in beach shirts. The reality would have been somewhat different.

[Tins]

They were made in Brunswick, Vic, by Siddons Drop Forgings. Siddons first made hand tools after WW2 to take up production capacity that was no longer used with the cessation of war work.

When I was 17 i had a mate who worked at Siddons Industries. They were in Banksia Street, West Heidelberg. Course, they could have had more than one foundry. If they had one in Brunswick then my dad would have dropped in most likely, as he was MD of the Lux Stove Foundry in Hope Street.

[Tins]

Noice, Stahlwille and Minimax were the absolute top of the tree.


For a short time I worked at Bill Patterson Grand Prix in Auburn, Vic, BMW and Jeep dealer. To work on the Beemers Stahlwille was not preferred, they were required. Nothing else was permitted.

But only Sidchrome made the half-nine Holden manifold spanner. Wish I still had mine.

[Bigbjorn]

When I was 17 i had a mate who worked at Siddons Industries. They were in Banksia Street, West Heidelberg. Course, they could have had more than one foundry. If they had one in Brunswick then my dad would have dropped in most likely, as he was MD of the Lux Stove Foundry in Hope Street.

Heidelberg was the "new" factory. They started in either Clifton Hill or Brunswick whichever name you chose to use. Clifton Hill was more fashionable than Bruns-a-wik or Westa Bruns-a-wik.

[Tins]

Heidelberg was the "new" factory. They started in either Clifton Hill or Brunswick whichever name you chose to use. Clifton Hill was more fashionable than Bruns-a-wik or Westa Bruns-a-wik.

It'd be Brunswick. Clifton Hill was a little too posh for foundries. They looked down on Collingwood. Plenty of heavy industry in Brunswick back in the day.

[Arapiles]

Heidelberg was the "new" factory. They started in either Clifton Hill or Brunswick whichever name you chose to use. Clifton Hill was more fashionable than Bruns-a-wik or Westa Bruns-a-wik.

Clifton Hill and Brunswick aren’t next to each other., there’s a couple of suburbs between them.

Can’t think of any areas of Clifton Hill that had light industry, would’ve been Collingwood or Fitzroy North.

[Tins]

Clifton Hill and Brunswick aren’t next to each other., there’s a couple of suburbs between them.

Can’t think of any areas of Clifton Hill that had light industry, would’ve been Collingwood or Fitzroy North.

Fitzroy North? What sort of modern crap is that?[bigsad] It's North Fitzroy. Just as it's East Melbourne, West Melbourne or South Melbourne. The North, South and East bits are part of the name of the place, unlike Ringwood East, which I still call East Ringwood nevertheless..

But you are correct, as I said in the previous post. Clifton Hill is residential and retail. Always has been. I believe Collingwood was the area for boots, but info is sketchy. Brunswick had foundries.

[Arapiles]

Fitzroy North? What sort of modern crap is that?[bigsad] It's North Fitzroy. Just as it's East Melbourne, West Melbourne or South Melbourne. The North, South and East bits are part of the name of the place, unlike Ringwood East, which I still call East Ringwood nevertheless..

But you are correct, as I said in the previous post. Clifton Hill is residential and retail. Always has been. I believe Collingwood was the area for boots, but info is sketchy. Brunswick had foundries.

So I checked, and Clifton Hill did have an old industrial area, along Hoddle Street, Merri Creek and Queens Parade. Mea culpa. Didn't realise that the Shot Tower was in Clifton Hill.

And yes, it should also be East Brunswick not Brunswick East.

[Bigbjorn]

Well, I had another thumb through the internet pages. Sidchrome's own site says Royston Siddons started the business in 1931 in Collingwood and moved to a better factory in Clifton Hill in 1934. Other sites say it was started in Brunswick. Now I have never lived in Melbourne and never will. Bloody awful city. Dreadful climate. But looking at maps I am of the opinion that Brunswick and Clifton Hill are neighbouring suburbs. So there may have been some confusion there. All those inner suburbs with a few exceptions like the toffier areas, Trak and Pran etc, were full of industry, light and heavy. Factories big and small. Yes, Collingwood was the centre of the footwear industry. Tariffs made a few families who dominated the footwear business extremely wealthy.

[gromit]

A book was written on the history of Sidchrome in 2012, it mentions Sidchrome tools being made in the 'Brunswick area'.

Sidchrome 70 years : a short history of Sidchrome Tools in Australia and New Zealand / Graeme Plaw. - Version details - Trove (https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/213602795'selectedversion=NBD58640002)

Interesting....Fitzroy then moving to Clifton Hill SIDDONS, John Royston (1927–2016)Senator for Victoria, 1981–83; 1985–87 (Australian Democrats; Independent; Unite Australia Party) | The Biographical Dictionary of the Australian Senate (https://biography.senate.gov.au/siddons-john-royston/)

Clifton Hill it is........ 23 May 1942 - SIDDONS DROP FORGINGS LTD - Trove (https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/11977610)

77a Spensley St. from another search but maybe that was the registered office ??

Originally he leased a metal casting factory at Collingwood Biography - Royston Siddons - Australian Dictionary of Biography (http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/siddons-royston-11689)

Better get back to work now.....

Colin

[PerthDisco]

A book was written on the history of Sidchrome in 2012, it mentions Sidchrome tools being made in the 'Brunswick area'.

Sidchrome 70 years : a short history of Sidchrome Tools in Australia and New Zealand / Graeme Plaw. - Version details - Trove (https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/213602795'selectedversion=NBD58640002)

Interesting....Fitzroy then moving to Clifton Hill SIDDONS, John Royston (1927–2016)Senator for Victoria, 1981–83; 1985–87 (Australian Democrats; Independent; Unite Australia Party) | The Biographical Dictionary of the Australian Senate (https://biography.senate.gov.au/siddons-john-royston/)

Clifton Hill it is........ 23 May 1942 - SIDDONS DROP FORGINGS LTD - Trove (https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/11977610)

77a Spensley St. from another search but maybe that was the registered office ??

Originally he leased a metal casting factory at Collingwood Biography - Royston Siddons - Australian Dictionary of Biography (http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/siddons-royston-11689)

Better get back to work now.....

Colin

On the packaging from late 80s

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200427/1a456f9442652a80b767e4f7c71ff7b5.jpg

[Bigbjorn]

I looked at Google Maps and Google Street View for 77a Spensley St. A street of quite nice, tidy, older houses. No sign of anything resembling a factory. I think Gromit may be correct in that 77a Spensley st. was the corporate office. There is a lane, Marshall Place, off 77 Spensley St. Maybe there was a factory down behind the two nice old homes either side of the lane. As some sites say the factory was in Brunswick perhaps there was an office and a separate factory elsewhere? The Sidchrome site says they moved from Clifton Hill to West Heidelberg in 1948.

[gromit]

I looked at Google Maps and Google Street View for 77a Spensley St. A street of quite nice, tidy, older houses. No sign of anything resembling a factory. I think Gromit may be correct in that 77a Spensley st. was the corporate office. There is a lane, Marshall Place, off 77 Spensley St. Maybe there was a factory down behind the two nice old homes either side of the lane. As some sites say the factory was in Brunswick perhaps there was an office and a separate factory elsewhere? The Sidchrome site says they moved from Clifton Hill to West Heidelberg in 1948.

I did the same and it looked a 'bit flash' for a factory.
I deal with a drop forge that was until recently in Brunswick East, eventually surrounded by houses & complaints about the noise so they moved to Coburg North. You wouldn't have imagined a) a Drop forging company still survives (there are actually a couple in Australia) and b) their location with a night-soil laneway between the buildings at the old location.....


Colin

[INter674]

Sidchrome did replace broken tooks but it usually took ages. They replaced my large shifter...interesting that it was made by Bahco in Sweden. I still have it.

My tools in Telecom were all Bahco made in Sweden. Great stuff too.

Siddons must have imported and rebranded tools at some time?

[gromit]

This link mentions moving machinery to 77A Spencer Street from the leased factory Otter St, Collingwood.
A fire in 1941 nearly destroyed the factory. The Commonwealth Wartime regulations stipulated he could rebuild the factory only if he installed a drop forge for making tools for the Department of Defence......the rest is history.

Collingwood Notables Database - Collingwood Historical Society Inc (https://collingwoodhs.org.au/resources/notable-people-2/collingwood-notables-database/entry/200/)
Sidchrome ring spanner c.1992 - MAAS Collection (https://collection.maas.museum/object/123213)


Interesting picture Anderson & Brook'''s boot factory | Marshall Place and 77a Spe… | Flickr (https://www.flickr.com/photos/collingwoodhs/32767804623/)
Marshall Place and 77a Spensley St Clifton Hill

Built c1920

By 1923 a large two-storey brick boot factory was built on a block behind residential streets. In 1934 Sidchrome tools moved in and manufactured metal boxes and hand tools. They were still the owners in 1991.

https://apps.epa.vic.gov.au/EnvAuditFiles/53X/22117-2/22117-2_a.pdf


Enough research for today......

Colin

[350RRC]

Sidchrome were definitely forging tools at a factory in Dougherty Rd West Heidelberg when I was a kid living about a mile south of there.

Used to wake up to the sound of the forge going when the wind was right.

I broke a socket undoing the hub nut on a VW wagon around 1980 and took it to the showroom which was kinda on the corner of Dougherty and maybe Banksia.

Got the third degree about what I was doing to break it (same socket did it up beforehand) but they did just give me another one.

I still have the set which gets used a lot,but it's not a patch on my grandfather's 1947 SnapOn set.

It's the No.44 utility set from this ad and still in the box:

Collecting Snap-on - 1946 Catalog R p16 (http://www.collectingsnapon.com/catalogs/catalogs.php?loggedin=0&catalogPage=956)

cheers, DL

[ramblingboy42]

Sidchrome did replace broken tooks but it usually took ages. They replaced my large shifter...interesting that it was made by Bahco in Sweden. I still have it.

My tools in Telecom were all Bahco made in Sweden. Great stuff too.

Siddons must have imported and rebranded tools at some time?

I snapped a 24mm ring in half around 1990.

There was a hardware store near where I was working (Collins St, Melbourne) and they replaced it over the counter.

I purchased Gedore ring spanners later as I busted other brands , couldn't break the Gedores , especially after my experiences with them in 1995/96. I've still got the Gedores , gave away the rest recently.

[ausGeoff]

My very first "real" tools was a metal box of imperial sockets, a ratchet bar, a universal-joint bar,
and a couple of extensions made by Sidchrome here in Australia. That was in 1967, and I'm still
using every one of them today. In the early 1970s I purchased a metric set of Sidchrome sockets,
which I'm still using as well. And I've never bought any new sockets since then.

My second purchase at that time was a set of Australian made "Stanley" screwdrivers, which—
believe it or not—I'm still using. And boy, have they taken a beating over the years LOL.

[fredd63]

When I first stated working on my cars about 50 years ago, I bought a sidchrome set comprising 1/2" AF sockets and ring spanners. Added metric gear when I bought a mazda. Kept most of them till my son arrived, then they started disappearing. Bit the bullet and bought the big sidchrome set, 1/4, 3/8, 1/2, in AF and metric. Kept it complete until house burned down. Was in bunnings, and saw the same set, in the same box, made by stanley, for half the price, so I bought that. It seems OK, as I will not be doing any major work now.

[Numb Thumbs]

This link mentions moving machinery to 77A Spencer Street from the leased factory Otter St, Collingwood.
A fire in 1941 nearly destroyed the factory. The Commonwealth Wartime regulations stipulated he could rebuild the factory only if he installed a drop forge for making tools for the Department of Defence......the rest is history.

Collingwood Notables Database - Collingwood Historical Society Inc (https://collingwoodhs.org.au/resources/notable-people-2/collingwood-notables-database/entry/200/)
Sidchrome ring spanner c.1992 - MAAS Collection (https://collection.maas.museum/object/123213)


Interesting picture Anderson & Brook'''s boot factory | Marshall Place and 77a Spe… | Flickr (https://www.flickr.com/photos/collingwoodhs/32767804623/)
Marshall Place and 77a Spensley St Clifton Hill

Built c1920

By 1923 a large two-storey brick boot factory was built on a block behind residential streets. In 1934 Sidchrome tools moved in and manufactured metal boxes and hand tools. They were still the owners in 1991.

https://apps.epa.vic.gov.au/EnvAuditFiles/53X/22117-2/22117-2_a.pdf


Enough research for today......

Colin

Colin

The site is now housing. The factory was demolished and units built. It is accessed off a short lane off Spensley Street. A friend of ours currently rents one of the units, about half a km from our house.

Cheers
Numb Thumbs ;)

PS My Sidchrome socket set I was given in around 1980 and it is still fantastic.

[gromit]

Colin

The site is now housing. The factory was demolished and units built. It is accessed off a short lane off Spensley Street. A friend of ours currently rents one of the units, about half a km from our house.


One of the links is to an EPA check when the development was planned.

Somewhere I have a Siddons open ended spanner I got at a Trash & Treasure market. When did they stop using the name Siddons on spanners ??


Colin

[scarry]

Not Sidchrome,but for those Stahlwillie tool owners,i dug out my 40yr old genuine tool box.
I don't use it anymore,i will probably eventually give it away.

And for Rick and 4Bee,it was sitting on a box which contains a brand new AJ5510E kirby compresser.It will be a give away as well.
It would make a good small air compressor,would need to sort out relay and caps,as its a low starting torque compressor.


https://www1.picturepush.com/photo/a/16267727/640/16267727.jpg (https://picturepush.com/public/16267727)



https://www1.picturepush.com/photo/a/16267728/640/16267728.jpg (https://picturepush.com/public/16267728)

[knp]

That saying is why I bought my sidchrome socket set. The only thing I had to do was replace the circlip on the ratchet driver and replace a socket that some clown lost when I lent it to him. Never lend your tools hey!

[1950landy]

When I started as a apprentice motor mechanic back in the mid 60's I bought a Sidchrome AF/W socket & I am still using it today , I have only had to replace the 1/2" AF socket n that time as it got the most use working BMC / Leyland vehicles. These days I would not by them , my brand to buy is Force from Trade Tools , they are good solid tools with a good price.