Ponytail Posted March 28, 2023 Share Posted March 28, 2023 Dormer Tools, Star Special, Made in Sheffield, Tuesday 27th October 1998. Part of the Sandvik Group, founded 4th September 1913 by Mr. H.A. Dormer & Mr. L. Robertson as Sheffield Twist Drill Co. Ltd. A Dutch agent in 1917 suggested a Windmill with a Dormer window as a trademark. 5th June 1916 while serving in the Diplomatic Service as Deputy Director of Production at the Ministry of Munitions, Robertson was killed aboard HMS Hampshire along with Lord Kitchener, Secretary of State for War. Mr. H. A. Dormer. https://www.picturesheffield.com/frontend.php?keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;y03013&pos=66&action=zoom&id=49907 Advertisement 1919 Aquired by SKF in 1975 to become worlds largest manufacturer of high speed steel cutting tools. Holbrook Factory officially opened 21st June 1989. In 1996 relocated it's head office from the Napier Street site to newly built office accomodation at Rother Valley Way, Holbrook. https://www.machinery.co.uk/content/news/one-hundred-years-of-dormer-tools-approaches https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Sheffield_Twist_Drill_and_Steel_Co Records of Sheffield Twist Drill & Steel Co. Ltd., Summerfield Street are held at the Hawley Collection, Kelham Island Museum. https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/a70eb120-6810-47ad-ac0d-47ff5d2d29cb From Employees Handbook. y10006 Original Local Studies Ref. PAMP 609s Images of various Departments, more images available on Picture Sheffield Website. Drill Fluting Department. https://www.picturesheffield.com/frontend.php?keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;y02992&pos=46&action=zoom&id=49887 High Speed Lathe using Tungsten Carbide Tools. https://www.picturesheffield.com/frontend.php?keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;y02991&pos=45&action=zoom&id=49886 General Office. https://www.picturesheffield.com/frontend.php?keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;y09993&pos=76&action=zoom&id=105199 Packing Room. https://www.picturesheffield.com/frontend.php?keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;y10015&pos=89&action=zoom&id=105542 Ambulance Room. https://www.picturesheffield.com/frontend.php?keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;y03009&pos=63&action=zoom&id=49904 Washroom Facilities. https://www.picturesheffield.com/frontend.php?keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;y03006&pos=60&action=zoom&id=49901 Billiards & Snooker Room. https://www.picturesheffield.com/frontend.php?keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;y10011&pos=85&action=zoom&id=105538 Works Dining Room. https://www.picturesheffield.com/frontend.php?keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;y10009&pos=83&action=zoom&id=105536 Gymnasium Team Work. https://www.picturesheffield.com/frontend.php?keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;y03003&pos=57&action=zoom&id=49898 Derelict Dormer Tools, Cemetery Road looking towards General Cemetery. s25376 Early 2014 Dormer Tools and the IPS Group merged.The new Company was officially named Dormer Pramet September 2014. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dormer_Pramet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ponytail Posted March 28, 2023 Author Share Posted March 28, 2023 Worked for a few months early 1970's in Sheffield Twist Drill Offices, checking Computer printouts against the invoices. The computer (£135,000 1967 acquisition mentioned in the one hundred years of Dormer Tools link) lived in a room of its own like some living breathing monster. Remember seeing somebody with a pile of punched coded cards which I think were fed into it (maybe wrong I wasn't involved with this part) and computer printouts, a very long sheet of paper zigzag folded was created. Dropping it or knocking off the desk wasn't to be advised. The canteen was an eye opener, office staff had Formica tables seating four and the room was divided by a Curtain. What was behind the curtain I wondered? I could hear talking. It wasn't until I went to the serving counter where the curtain ended, I sneaked a look. The works sitting area, long tables and benches to sit on. Forbidden for work and office staff to sit together or even see one another it seemed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartinR Posted March 29, 2023 Share Posted March 29, 2023 Dropping the paper wasn't too bad, being continuous if you had hold of part of it you could get it back. I do recall seeing a work colleague with a box of it caught by the wind ... :-) Dropping punch cards was the really bad move (DAMHIK). People would draw a diagonal line across the top of a deck to help sort them if they were dropped, but in reality the only certain way was to punch a card number on each card. Fixed format FORTRAN reserved columns 73-80 for exactly this purpose, in other languages you use a tail comment. When designing data layout it was prudent to reserve a sort field. If dropped, then the cards could be read in in random order, sorted, and a new deck punched. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Bird Posted March 31, 2023 Share Posted March 31, 2023 My father-in-law, Harold Leng, used to work for Twist Drill (his title was "small tools inspector"!!) and was involved in the First Aid group, a picture of which I have somewhere. The company organised childrens' Christmas Parties, and here are two, obviously taken at different dates. Judging by the age of my wife therein, the best image was probably taken about 1950. The other (poorer) one perhaps the following year. Harold was ultimately a member of the company's 25 year club and I also have a picture of him receiving his watch from old man Dormer at the Normanton Hotel, near Worksop. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Bird Posted April 1, 2023 Share Posted April 1, 2023 25 year group watch presentation. Normanton Hotel 1962 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Bird Posted April 1, 2023 Share Posted April 1, 2023 1951 Inspectors Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lysanderix Posted April 1, 2023 Share Posted April 1, 2023 It would seem the company is now called Dormer Pramet. There is an office in Barlborough but production is now centred on plants in Brazil and the Czech Republic. Perhaps someone could confirm the above? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southside Posted April 1, 2023 Share Posted April 1, 2023 On 29/03/2023 at 00:21, Ponytail said: Worked for a few months early 1970's in Sheffield Twist Drill Offices, checking Computer printouts against the invoices. The computer (£135,000 1967 acquisition mentioned in the one hundred years of Dormer Tools link) lived in a room of its own like some living breathing monster. Remember seeing somebody with a pile of punched coded cards which I think were fed into it (maybe wrong I wasn't involved with this part) and computer printouts, a very long sheet of paper zigzag folded was created. Dropping it or knocking off the desk wasn't to be advised. The canteen was an eye opener, office staff had Formica tables seating four and the room was divided by a Curtain. What was behind the curtain I wondered? I could hear talking. It wasn't until I went to the serving counter where the curtain ended, I sneaked a look. The works sitting area, long tables and benches to sit on. Forbidden for work and office staff to sit together or even see one another it seemed. This is where the living breathing monster lived Ponytail! The very top floor of B block on Cemetery Road. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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