Harris Cutting Lathe

[Aussie0zborn]

Johns record presses were used by AWA and EMI in Australia. Once EMI installed their six EMI 1400 auto presses, installed.and commissioned by Geoff Pullen from EMI Hayes, they kept one Johns press for making Test Pressings. This was scrapped when the plant closed in 1990.

The six Johns presses at AWA all went to RCA Australia and were supplemented by ten Toolex 11H presses. They were later scrapped and replaced with four Toolex AD12 auto presses. There are no Johns record presses remaining.

The Johns press used a sliding book mould rather like Finebilt. One clever thing that they did that neither Finebilt or Newbilt did is to use an air actuated cylinder to raise the lower centre pin. No need for unreliable rubber packing or a spring in the centre bush. The raising of the pin was actuated by a foot switch and the pin rose to a good working height making the application of the label very easy.

The other manufacturer in Melbourne was Servex. Their presses were used by Astor Records before they installed six Fabel TC and at least five Toolex 10H presses. I doubt that Australia produced a fully automatic record press as there were no Australian made auto presses in use anywhere in Australia.