Alvey 55a Wanted pay good money for one

[charleville]

Being an ex Forestry man Craigie, you can do a bit better than that can't you? Rosewood perhaps?

More likely to be cedar from Nugini.

My late mum's neighbour worked at Alveys turning wooden fishing reels and he regularly brought home a trailer full of cedar offcuts for Mum to burn in her copper.

Gee, it was nice wood. Burnt well, also.


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[craigie]

Yeah Johnny,

Remember the Forestry days very fondly !!

From my research and observation, Alvey used either Red Cedar or Rosewood. But have seen Silky Oak and campher used as well but these may have been done by wood turners in there private sheds ?

Cheers
Craig

[theoldlegend]

A bloke at one of the Boaties' Markets had some silky oak ones Craigie, bit I think he might have turned those himself.


TOL

[theoldlegend]

Curiosity got the better of me so I rang the Alvey factory and spoke to Glen Alvey.

He said that in the early days, a small number of silky oak reels were produced as well as a small number of camphor laurel reels, but the latter were hard to turn and were discontinued, as were the silky oak ones after cedar was used.

The majority were made from Australian cedar which didn't always have an even colour distribution throughout the planks, so the reels with some discolouration were stained in a rosewood colour.

Cedar from New Guinea was also used, but it sometimes went "furry", so once again the Australian cedar was used.

So there you go.


TOL

[craigie]

Excellent John !
Love hearing all that info, Alvey reels are as Queensland as Wally Lewis !!

I'm a born again Alvey user and collector.

Have just ordered one of the limited edition cedar reels that Alvey have started producing. Only 100 so they will go quick !! Straight to the pool room for this one too.......

Cheers
Craigie.

[theoldlegend]

Yes Craigie, Bruce Alvey and Glen Alvey are only too happy to help out with any info about anything if they can.


TOL