Classic Plant & Machinery Magazine Plant & Machinery July 2013 Back Issue

I remember when a television
repair man held a rather exalted
status. There was the ritual of
‘taking the back off’ and letting the
set cool down before he worked his
magic.
That job probably no longer exists.
If the TV breaks down it’s now far
easier and cheaper to get a new one.
The default position is to replace,
not fix. See also fridges and washing
machines.
Thankfully, the rules of engagement
in today’s throw-away world don’t
apply to classic plant. That’s not to
say many fine machines don’t end up
in the scrapyard but there is a huge
army of enthusiasts and operators
with a ‘make do and mend’ philosophy
seemingly in their DNA.
The tales of repair and restoration
never cease to amaze, along with the
ingenuity needed to keep decades-old
machines running, long after service
manuals have been lost or binned.
Whether it’s scouring breakers yards
and classified ads looking for spares
or having replacement parts specially
made, there is nothing like a classic
plant restoration to test brain cells,
resourcefulness and staying power.
Alf, my neighbour who died a couple
of years ago, was a good example.
His workshop – a Heath Robinson
den full of strange and mysterious
contraptions – was the stuff of
nightmares for a modern Health &
Safety officer but he refused to be
beaten. When a part couldn’t be
found, he’d make one. If he couldn’t
fix something, then it was almost
certainly unfixable.
Until next time, happy reading.