Kunaver`s mechanical metal workshop, Horizontal milling machine “Steinel”

About the sound

Year of manufacture: unknown, manufacturer: Steinel, Germany
Floor dimensions: 1050 mm x 950 mm
Weight: about 500kg
Main spindle speed: 100 - 820 rpm

The Kunavers bought this machine as a used machine in 1967, generally refurbished and refurbished it. The spindle has 12 speeds, which enables a gearbox, ranging from 100 to 850 rpm. The work table is 700 mm long. Subsequently, an automatic longitudinal displacement of up to 500 mm was added. With the help of the handles, it is possible to move about 100 mm and to raise the table to 300 mm. Afterwards, a vertical spindle, a divider and a hob were mounted on the machine, which they produced in a home workshop.


Kunaver's mechanical metalworking workshop has been operating since 1928 in Rožna dolina in Ljubljana. Her machine park, however, has been changing over the decades. In order to be able to operate at all in this family workshop, individual machines were designed and manufactured by themselves, or purchased and reworked to fit the nature and scope of the work. Some machines from the first half of the 20th century have been preserved to this day, others have been sold. After the workshop was closed ing. Janez Kunaver donated some of the machines to the Technical Museum of Slovenia.

Sound recordist: Boštjan Troha
Photographer: Jaka Blasutto
Video: Aleksander Šenekar, Katarina Batagelj