Metal Foundry in Business Since 1847

[Evo160K]

While trying to find a foundry that would cast a single part for the Singer treadle base I’m restoring, I happened to call Clarksville Foundry in Clarksville, Tennessee.  They've been in business since 1847 and are one of the oldest foundries in America.  They do some pretty sophisticated and technical castings, you can checkout on their website here........ http://clarksvillefoundry.com/

 

So I said to the pleasant lady at the foundry who answered the telephone, (turns out she's been with the company 28 years), “I’m a private party and would like to speak to someone about having a small, single part cast.”  I figured no sense wasting my time or theirs if they wouldn't do a single part.  Well immediately the owner of the company, Mr. Charlie Foust, comes on the phone.  I was stunned the owner of the company would take the time to talk to me.  The 6-7 other foundries that I had contacted couldn’t or wouldn’t do that small of a job or just didn’t respond.

 

Considering the age we live in with automatic phone systems and answering machines, that told me a lot about the company.  Long story short, the project went smoothly and fast, and the part fit perfectly.......I’m extremely pleased.  

 

If you need a single part cast or a number of parts cast, you might want to give them a call.

 

The company sign

 

 

The part 

 

 

Edited August 18, 2017 by Evo160K

[CowboyBob]

That's good to know,Thanks for sharing.

[OLDNSLOW]

imagine that and they are just down the street, passed by there earlier today and talking to my son about them and wasn't sure if they were still open so thanks for the info!!

[Constabulary]

Now thats really cool!!! How much did you pay for the part? I have no idea how much casting a piece like this would cost nowadays.

Speaking of "old school" Co´s - Few days ago I was on the road picking up a bandsaw. Figured the Co. CL Maschinenbau (known as CLAES) is not too far away from where I picked up the saw so I took the chance and made a ~50Km detour. I wanted to buy a few small bits for a patcher machine. So I arrived and at their business hours and had to look around finding the entrance, went up the stairs and stumbled into their office and ask the (very friendly) office lady if it is possible to buy a few small spare parts. Sure she said and she took me down stairs directly to the production site where her father (!!!) assembled a 8346 patcher machine. He gave me the parts and even had the time for demonstrating me a zigzag patcher machine - yes a zigzag patcher !!! - very cool machine. We talked approx 15min about their machines and some old machines they no longer produce and stuff. He also gave me some needle bar adjustment measures for the needle bars of their latest patcher machines (you can slide the NB up and down). I unfortunately was not able to take pictures inside the building but that really was a cool experience. It´s nice that companies like this are still out there. They are gems and you have to find them. I often enough experienced the opposite.

 

 

 

Edited August 19, 2017 by Constabulary