Some Pics From The Original Sterling Factory.

[mikew]

I was doing a bit of a tidy up and came across these pics. I thought they might be of interest to Sterling fans.
I didn't take them but was I given some copies back in the early nineties.



Inside the original Sterling Dagenham Factory. Small isn't it!



Dave Galsworthy with son Jay modeling the new Sovereign semi auto



Dave with the Sovereign



The Sovereign

Photos by Paul Mavor

[shooter311]

That is awesome. I love seeing paintball history like this.

By the looks of it their current factory is absolutely massive. Seems like their warehouse is 99% paint though. Wish sovereigns and sterlings we're easier to buy.

I have heard Mech Paintball was selling both but I have tried every form of communication I can to contact them and I have yet to hear back.

[DocsMachine]

Now that's cool. I've always liked to see... I guess, 'origin' photos like that.

Dave Youngblood worked out of his garage before he got his own workspace- which I believe was a rental unit in a sort of industrial park. And deep, dark in one of the old magazines- Paintcheck, I think- is a pic of Bud Orr standing in front of the plywood trailer he used to pull to the fields, that was his "portable workshop".

And of course, basically all of us small-time airsmiths have basically always operated out of garages, backyard sheds, or unfinished basements.

That top photo shows what is very probably a rented workspace- and the pattern, I believe, is not cinderblock. Maybe some of you Brits can clarify, but I believe those are a sort of pressed-cardboard panel, that acts as both heat and sound insulation. The brown "mortar" is probably construction adhesive.

From left to right, there's two drill presses behind the shelves, the next machine over is a "cold saw" used for cutting stock to length (and used properly, can be fairly precise) and then behind that is, I believe, Colchester 'Chipmaster' lathe.

Behind that I'm going to hazard a guess that's a milling machine, but I can't even be sure of that, let alone know what brand it is. Anyone have a good guess?

Contining to the right are three bench grinders, the left-most one set up for buffing and polishing, and the middle one may have a small belt-sanding attachment. The two red things are industrial wall plugs, possibly even 3-phase.

I can't see enough of the machine in the back-right corner to indentify it. I'd presume it's a lathe, but that looks like the endbell of a motor sticking up. And if so, that's an odd way to mount a motor on a lathe.

Moving back towards the viewer is a workbench with a bench vise on the corner- seen better in the second photo, which gives you an idea the room is deeper than it looks in the first one.

Then there's stairs leading up to what's probably just a storage attic, and of course last is a drill press with an import X/Y axis table on it.

All-in-all, actually fairly well organized, if a bit cramped, and assuming that is, in fact, a milling machine, any semi-competent craftsman can do some pretty good work in there.

Doc.

[bacci paintball]

Great pics Mike, thanks for sharing. Cool to put a face to the name of Dave Galsworthy. Did the splash Sovereign have the feedneck cut from the factory? Looks like it did if that photo of the left was taken at the same visit? Thanks!

[mikew]

I don't know about the feedneck but I believe all the photos were taken on the same visit.
Feel free to reuse the photos - just credit the photographer Paul Mavor

[Shan1Fat]

Awesome piece of history!