Men's Shed restores 130-year-old mining ore crusher
Wangi Men's Shed restored a 130-year-old ore crusher, likely a late-1800s proof-of-concept model.
Retired mining engineer Neville Thorogood restored Barry Grant's corroded ore crusher after joining Wangi Men's Shed near Newcastle. Grant had stored the battered machine for years in his shed.
Thorogood stripped rust, painted and rebuilt damaged parts over a year. The bronze gears, the most important parts, were salt-blasted by professionals at Barry's expense.
Thorogood believes the model was made about 130 years ago as a working prototype for a hammer-mill crusher that never went into production. Real mills of this type would have been many times larger, driven by leather belts and steam power.
Grant, a retired miner and businessman, finally has his piece of mining history restored to working order. Thorogood now hopes it will be displayed in an industrial museum.
- 130 years, likely late 1800s
- Estimated age
- 1 year
- Restoration duration
- Bronze gears
- Most critical parts
Why it mattersPreserves rare mining heritage and shows how Wangi Men's Shed keeps community restoration work alive.
AustraliaHeritage restoration by local community workshops keeps industrial history alive in regional NSW.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 1 h ago
Open this story in InSnip →
