Thread: Wadkin Chain and chisel mortise machine

Originally Posted by sinjin

Hi guys, have been offered a Wadkin chain and chisel mortise machine for around $400.00 plus delivery. Trouble is i have seen the pics and it looks as if it has been out in the weather for a few days. Rust doesn't look too serious but its hard to tell from pics. I guess what I am asking is do these machines come up very often in usable condition or are they becoming really rare.

TIA.

Do you know if it is a Wadkin MA or MF model ?
love to see some pic's, they are not super rare but becoming increasingly harder to find.

Melbourne Matty.

Really not sure....it is a chain and chiseIMG_1662.jpgIMG_1664.jpgIMG_1666.jpgthe other?? So far the machine stands at $400.00 for the machine with no motor plus $295 for shipping.

From the plate it looks to be an ME, see this post for more details
https://www.woodworkforums.com/f163/w...rtiser-158798/.

I'm sure others could comment better on if it is a good buy or not, if it is an ME I think that would make it belt driven originally. How hard are they to convert to motor driven?

Cheers,

Camoz

Originally Posted by camoz

From the plate it looks to be an ME, see this post for more details
https://www.woodworkforums.com/f163/w...rtiser-158798/.

I'm sure others could comment better on if it is a good buy or not, if it is an ME I think that would make it belt driven originally. How hard are they to convert to motor driven?

Cheers,

Camoz

Tell you what Cam, your quick I give you that, I was just in the process of rescanning that 1927 wadkin catalog and up comes your link, well done ! forgotten I had already put some pic's up.
All good, that's another old wadkin, the MF was the model after this one that was possibly introduced around the late 1930's, you will notice that there was a driveshaft option on the ME and electric motor option as well, 1928 Wadkin were just starting to introduce electric motors to their range of machinery.

Melbourne Matty.

Old age and treachery will overcome youth and skill...

sinjin,

I wanted to send you a PM, but your inbox is full.

You started me thinking about a chain and chisel mortise machine myself. The problem is I just rang a guy who is selling one and he claims it isn't a wadkin, but he also said someone from Victoria was also interested, at that stage I started backing up, and told him I might give him a call in a few days.

Any chance you can clear some inbox space and send me a PM, so I can PM you with some more details and confirm it is not the same machine.


Clearly if it is the same seller, I am not going to proceed any further (especially given the fact that it is your thread that started me thinking about it), but at the same time if it isn't the same machine you are looking at, I would like to find out some more details about it, as he said it was an old machine, heavy, in working condition and 3 phase power.

Thanks,

Camoz

Originally Posted by L.S.Barker1970

Tell you what Cam, your quick I give you that, I was just in the process of rescanning that 1927 wadkin catalog and up comes your link, well done ! forgotten I had already put some pic's up.
All good, that's another old wadkin, the MF was the model after this one that was possibly introduced around the late 1930's, you will notice that there was a driveshaft option on the ME and electric motor option as well, 1928 Wadkin were just starting to introduce electric motors to their range of machinery.

Melbourne Matty.

Old age and treachery will overcome youth and skill...

The advantages of an iPhone.

I already have a free standing machine made by Leeda. But some of the things i would like to do it is pretty hard work. I have watched a couple of clips on youtube and saw very quickly how much grunt some of the old machines have.
A friend of mine who wanted to rub salt into the wounds a couple of weeks ago told me he bought two machines which had almost never been used from the RAAF airforce base. I'm sure he said one was still wrapped up...he also told me he paid practically nothing for them both..Not to worry.....Speaking of old machines i do know where there is a wonderful old Martin table saw if anyone was interested. I used one many many yrs ago for a short time and they are superbe.
The down side is they are ergonomically a little on the ordinary side and they do take up a fair workshop space, but they can run a 16" blade if you ever needed it.