[SEL] O.T. Quality over the years

[Patrick M Livingstone]

Ronaldson-Tippett made very nice engines with very good castings and
excellent machining. All of the 'big' Aussie manufacturers seem to have been
able to make excellent castings. I can only speak for engines I have seen
but Rosebery Engine Works generally had very good casting although some of
the later verticals sometimes exhibit casting flaws. Kelly & Lewis seem to
have also made good castings (especially on some of the early engines like
Bartrams). Star engines are a little rough and ready but solidly built. The
Clutterbuck copy of Blackstones are nearly a match for the original.
I have seen an Australian made copy of a YA Stover and the castings were
quite poor.

Patrick M Livingstone
Leichhardt NSW
http://www.oldengine.org/members/pml/Index.html

-----Original Message-----



Right on, Al.  I forgot about the one Aussie engine that I've owned.   
Workmanship was exceptional, on a par with the Euro iron, and it  
should have been considering Austals are functional rip-offs of the  
Blackstone.  The aesthetics, as you know, were more bucolic and not  
nearly as elegant as the Blackie.

I was very impressed with the quality of the Austral castings.  Are  
they characteristic of all Australian engines, or did some of your  
manufacturers do shoddy work, also?