Tricky Work Holding Problem

It may not be clear from my photo but the handle is a tapered hexagonal section, very irregular in shape.

Bill, I should say that we have also had many Dryad wooden presses and ploughs.

Martin

IIRC Dryad were a purchasing agency for school handicraft equipment - in days of yore when handicrafts was viewed as an honest occupation.. Not sure they actually made anything, they had a catalogue of co-ordinated and reasonable quality range of stuff from a pottery kiln to a paintbrush. I've got a steel straightedge here with their mark on it, recommended for use with a Stanley knife like wot you'll never see in a class room ever again.

Methinks this is a job for some bigger technology than a Myford. If you are in the general area of West Gloucestershire I'll volunteer to do the repair for you for a contribution to charity. My ideas are running in terms of drilling a hole lengthways for some studding to hold the bits where they belong, then light the gas and toasty warm for a bronze welding repair. Have you got two baubles, if you'll forgive such a personal question?

PM me if it's of interest.

Rgds Simon

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The mighty are somewhat fallen: **LINK**

https://www.dryadeducation.co.uk

MichaelG.

Thanks for the information, Martin.

I'm a bit sceptical whether the lion and letter D alone mean it was made or marketed by Dryad, at least if we're talking about Dryad Handicrafts of Leicester, established by Harry Hardy Peach, which is the company whose name is on the 20th century school-orientated bookbinding equipment I'm familiar with.

We could really do with consulting the standard reference work on these sorts of presses, namely:

Rhodes, B. and Wells Streeter, W. - Before Photocopying: The Art and History of Mechanical Copying, Oak Knoll Press, 1999.

Sadly, I don't have a copy.

An example of a press similar to the one you're working on (with the lion and the D) is shown being restored here.

Hi Bill,

thanks for the link to the restoration, I quite like the green finish.

I have an artist friend who wants to have a go at the traditional freehand gold swirl finish often found on these.

Cheers, Martin