Found this trestle sewing machine with an electric motor fitted. When I looked at the motor I discovered it was made by Wernard in Meadowbank NSW. This has extra meaning for me as I did a week's work experience as a year 10 lad in 1989 learning how they were designed and witnessed motors being spun to unreal speeds until they popped. I have rarely come across any of their products except for the odd desk fan. I believe they supplied motors to manufacturers across Australia. I recall being told they supplied motors for the Bosclip electric edgers. I don't know what became of this company who are no longer at their 22-24 Railway Street premises, now taken over by mixed retail residential development.
Last edited by CyberJack; 05/08/1801:32 PM. Reason: Topic Heading.
Ahh, if only victa had kept producing the thumblatch catcher series, they would be in better shape today!
G'day Mowerfreak, Paul and all. Yep, a great story for sure.
A cursory look at records seems to indicate that Wernard was a highly successful Australian company, started by Josef Wernard, of Austrian nationality and born in Vienna. He arrived here in the late 1920s.
Wernard seems to have supplied many makers with electric motors and other components including Pinnock (a popular brand) who later would acquire Villager lawnmowers (that would be known as Pinnock-Villager).
Hi paul c and CyberJack, I feel blessed that my careers counsellor Mr Broomhead arranged for me to spend a week in this factory I had no prior knowledge about, as I had expressed electrical engineering as a possible career goal. To be honest, even in mid 1989, I was surprised to see this relatively unknown home grown manufacturer, as I had never noticed any of their products in stores and I was used to the idea of international companies based off shore, being the dominant suppliers of our electrical items. A lady from my local church in Eastwood even worked in the office there! I think it's nice that Wernard made their own line of products instead of being merely a component supplier in the background, even though I just never knew about them! I could somehow sense that it wasn't going to last in the long term as I was just so accustomed to the idea that we relied on the big players from overseas. These guys just didn't have the scale to keep up and I was right. Gough Whitlam got his way in the end.
Thanks for digging up those pics and info CyberJack
Ahh, if only victa had kept producing the thumblatch catcher series, they would be in better shape today!
I picked up a Singer Starlet electric sewing machine off a footpath......... I do the family sewing............ and a few of my mates workcloths..... I sewed a shade cloth curtain for my carport.. and a 4 mtr sail as the side edge was unravelled. I was in the local haberdashery a while back getting supplies and the lady said there were a few blokes who sew in Bundy..... cheers speedy
........................Keep your blades sharp......................
More men should do as you do speedie. They make a fantastic mechanical sound and have a go pedal to boot! What's not to like?!? Sewing machines were probably my late grandmother's substitute for driving a car, which she never took up. One time she picked up an older machine than her regular 1970's Singer and this one operated by a knee controller and she let me take the reigns under her guidance and it was almost as thrilling as driving a car! Amazing sensation. You want to see how tough a Singer is, look no further as this 1920s model is put through the ultimate proving run!
Ahh, if only victa had kept producing the thumblatch catcher series, they would be in better shape today!
BB I don't want to get angry but I am totally sick of the twats, and I use that term loosely, that are having a big influence on this country. 10% of twats seem to be able to control everything we do
Gidday all. It turns out I have one of these Wernard motors on an old Scroll Saw ,it looks like a sewing machine but it has a saw blade ,the blade is broken in half in the image.
I also have a Pinnock-Villager with a Cheetah 2 sticker on the cowl but could not find any ad images of the mower,thanks for the info. on that one Jack. Cheers Max.
Hi midwestern, many thanks for displaying that. I like the pretty red print. That is a great way to reassign one of the many you see discarded in hard rubbish. I recently found a green one complete with it's carry case. I wish I could remember the brand but I think it was sold through David Jones and looked to date from the 1960s sometime, going by the font of the logo. It was a respected brand used by professional seamstresses I was told after showing someone. I decided to dispose of it as the controller was missing. D'oh!!
Ahh, if only victa had kept producing the thumblatch catcher series, they would be in better shape today!
G'day Max I guess this is a rare glimpse of a Pinnock-VillagerCheetah 2 posted in modern times.
Kye Turnbull's brilliant Vintage Mowers Facebook page identified one. I'm guessing the one below is an earlier model, before the steel dress cowl in your image. I'm not sure.
Hi Jack, The mower from Kye Turnbull's Facebook page is identical to my Villager Pinnock when I remove the cowl, I think it's the same model "Cheetah 2 " it's just missing its cowl. I have now seen a couple other Pinnock Villager mowers the same but besides my one the others are missing the cowls. I have never seen this starter cup on a Villiers Torque Major Deluxe,I would say the starter drum is not an original part. Cheers Max.
G'day Max I guess so, although the early P-Vs did use manufacturer's cowl/tanks without a second dress cowl from about 1963. The steel dress cowlings appear in about 1965.
Yes, that starter drum is not ringing bells for me.
Hi Jack, I was thinking the alloy base Villager came out around 1965 so it had the extra cowl but possibly if there was an earlier alloy base model it may not have had a cowl like the ads show on the steel base.
Hello gents. I know this is an old thread but extra info can be useful. Wernard made floor polishers - Victor and New Century. Same machine just different label. See attached. Regards, Steve
Hi noileg, thanks for your contribution. It makes me emotional to see the products this company churned out only for it to fade away thanks to policies by that traitor in the early 70s.
Ahh, if only victa had kept producing the thumblatch catcher series, they would be in better shape today!
