Historical information

This chainsaw was one of the earliest models sold in Australia. It was manufactured by the Lombard company which was established in 1894 when Nathaniel Lombard developed the first practical water wheel governor in Roxbury, Massachusetts, USA. In 1904, the company moved to Ashland, Massachusetts. During the first World War, Lombard Governor produced hydraulic lathes for the manufacture of artillery shells At the conclusion of the war, Lombard expanded into the areas of chain saws and plastic molding injection machines.
This model, the L-30 was only produced for 2 years from 1962 - 1964, primarily due to safety concerns and the fact that it did not have any way to sharpen or tighten the chain. This chainsaw was sold by Mann of Wodonga and donated to the Wodonga and District Historical society by David Mann, owner and manager of Mann Wodonga.

Significance

This item is significant as it was produced for a limited time. It was also sold by a prominent Wodonga business.

Physical description

A single operator chain saw from Lombard, Ashland, Massachusetts, USA. The chainsaw was relatively lightweight but had no safety features such as a chain brake. It was made primarily of sand cast magnesium. The main cylinder was constructed of aluminium with a cast iron sleeve. It had a manual oil pump, the crankshaft operated on ball bearings and it had a maximum rpm of 4,500. See the Model profile in the accompanying Media item for details.

Inscriptions & markings

On side of fuel tank: "ONE HALF PINT/SAE-30 OIL/ FOR EACH/ GALLON GASOLINE/ MIX WELL IN SEPARATE CONTAINER/BEFORE FILLING"

On opposite side: "STARTING INSTRUCTIONS
1: FILL FUEL TANK WITH PROPER FUEL MIXTURE ( AS NOTED ON TANK)
2. FILL OIL RESERVOIR WITH #30 MOTOR OIL
3. CLOSE CHOKE, MOVE LEVER BACK TOWARDS AIR FILTER
4. HOLD THROTTLE WIDE OPEN
5. PULL STARTER HANDLE SLOWLY UNTIL STARTER ENGAGES, THEN GIVE IT A SHARP YANK
6. AS ENGINE WARMS UP, EASE CHOKE LEVER TO OPEN POSITION"