Thread: Chain mortiser rpm

Have you seen Jack Forsberg's machine?

Maybe PM him?

https://www.woodworkforums.com/f163/s...achine-143900/

Also ...

Pictures! Pictures! Pictures!

Greg, glad you posted on your Mortiser, Wolfenden made fantastic machinery, as my learned colleague Paul said, love to see some Pic's !!
2800 is a minimum speed for chains, but 3400 or more will tend to cut cleaner, also run the chain 1/4 slack away from the bar in the middle, definitely not too tight or the sprocket and bearing may be damaged.
I hope we get some talk going here on Wolfenden machinery, I have some great old catalogs of theirs and a bit of history, I'd be more than happy to share.

Melbourne Matty.

G'day Matty and Paul, thanks for your replies. I got it back to Melb on Saturday from Castlemaine,and am very impressed with it. I had to break it down into as many pieces as possible to get it from my ute and down my long dirt driveway and into my shed. The build quality on this machine is top class,and it was obviously built to last. I'll take some pics of it in it's seperated condition on the weekend and post them.I'm looking forward to stripping it down,giving it a new coat of paint and putting it to use. I scored 2 motors with it, a 1hp 1440rpm and a 1.5hp 1440rpm, both single phase and very old and big and still working well. I have a modern 3hp motor that i think I'll probably fit to it,but am in 2 minds as I'd like to keep the machine looking origional,and the old motors,as big as they are just look great.I'd be very interested in hearing more about Wolfenden,I know a bit about them, but am very surprised by the lack of information available on the net about them considering how big an operation they were in their heyday. Cheers Greg

Originally Posted by greggyboy

.I'd be very interested in hearing more about Wolfenden,I know a bit about them, but am very surprised by the lack of information available on the net about them considering how big an operation they were in their heyday. Cheers Greg

Greg, Here is just a Little History I have on Wolfenden for you, please enjoy.......

Wolfenden Bros began in 1918 when Ernest. A. Wolfenden found himself out of work due to an engineers strike where he worked at G.Youell’s Enginering works at Seddon, a small suburb between Footsgrey and Yarraville. He then began working as a motor and general engineer, reboring cylinders for cars and motorbikes and manufacturing and fitting pistons. Ernest's brothers, first Charlie, then Bill and Frank, soon came to join him and by 1919 the company was advertising as Wolfenden Bros, Motor & General Engineers at 28 Lynch Street, Footscray.
26 inch Bandsaws were the first machines to be made by the Wolfenden Brothers, the idea of making woodworking machines was suggested to them by a furniture manufacturer who they had done some general engineering work for.
About 1921 the company moved to Hopkins Street, Railway Bridge Footscray and began manufacturing woodworking machinery and Manufacturing all Classes High-grade Tools, Thicknesses, Band-saws, Buzzers, Saw Benches, shapers and Mortising Machines fitted with ball-bearings; any design built to order.
Wolfenden Brothers Proprietary Limited was formed in 1924 and by 1925 they were advertising as 'the largest Manufacturer of high speed ball bearing Woodworking Machinery in the Commonwealth' and had opened a branch in George Street, Sydney owing to increased business in NSW.



They moved to off Geelong Road, Brooklyn, West Footscray, Victoria around 1926 and continued to expand, advertising over 100 different varieties of machines including Double-ended Tenoners, Straight-line Edging and Ripping Saws, Belt and Drum Sanders, Electric Moulders, Single and Double Planers, Veneer Presses and Hand or Power Furniture and Door Cramps and large Four sided Moulders. One of the biggest selling points of the machinery was its use of ball bearings, a long-term major selling point, which was initially slow to be accepted. Wolfenden Brothers were also reputed to be the first to make use of heavy steel welded bases.

In 1932 the Ford Motor Co. purchased a complete body building plant of Wolfenden Bros woodworking machines. By 1934 they were employing over 60 people and selling over 600 types of new and used woodworking machines.
Wolfenden Bros also began building caravans around this period after the brothers built themselves a caravan in the factory yard. The vans were sold as Wolfenden Highway Homes and ranged in size from 10ft to 16ft although the 12ft-14ft versions were the most popular. Constructed around a steel frame with marine ply or bondwood, each van could be customized with various features including a warm shower, provided via a flat water tank on the roof which warmed the water as you drove along each day. With the cost of the most basic van being close to £200 the brothers also created a fleet of vans for hire for those who couldn't afford to buy one.
Production of the vans ceased with WWII as supplies were not available and the company was required to contribute to the war effort. Most of the hire van fleet was purchased by the RAAF to house airmen at Sale. The Second World War affected industry as a whole. In 1939 supplies of engineers' machinery were unable to be obtained in Australia. All engineering shops were immediately required for the war effort. Wolfenden Bros, manufactured engineers' milling machines and engine lathes only to be directed by the Government onto gun parts and woodworking machinery for the armed forces. The return to peace and the establishment and resumption of numerous furniture, joinery and similar industries meant repair and replacement of worn-out machinery. Wolfenden Brothers then had to reduce their range owing to shortages of material and skilled tradespersons in Australia.
The Wolfenden Brothers split in 1947, resulting in two machinery manufactures.
“Buzawolf” who were Charles Wolfenden & Co and Wolfenden Machinery PTY. LTD. who were Allen and Stanley Wolfenden and later named A & S Wolfenden and located at Matthews Avenue Airport West around 1965.





By 1985 A & S Wolfenden had moved to a much smaller premises at 4-6 Halsely Road Airport West and become Allen Wolfenden Machinery.
In 1968 A & S Wolfenden produced their last wood-lathe for the CSIRO in Melbourne, and made their very last bandsaw in 1994.
They remained manufacturers up until the mid 1990's when they just operated as agents and made repairs. The company closed in 2007.


Melbourne Matty.

Matty - the master

Love the phone numbers ... "836" and "837"

Originally Posted by pmcgee

Matty - the master

Love the phone numbers ... "836" and "837"

Thanks Paul, I hope we get some more talk here, I was thinking of throwing up some different Wolfenden machine badges and machinery next, but only if its ok by Greg, It is his post after all !!
What are your thoughts Greg ??

Paul, those old numbers are certainly easier to dial than our Mobile numbers....

Melbourne Matty.

G'day Matty, thanks very much for all that info.Attatched are some pics,apologies for the poor qaulity. The first 2 pics are of the machine in its complete state,and the rest are of its bits and pieces in my workshop.I'll be starting the resto in about a month,and can't wait to get stuck in to it. Cheers Greg

Greg that's a Ripper machine !!
I had a earlier Wolfenden Mortise machine, same format with "Wolfenden Brothers" in raised cast letters on the side, year's a go that was flat belt drive, I kept it that way and mounted the motor of to one side, it worked well, your big green weight brought back some memories...
Greg your machine screams 1950's to me, I had a Wolfenden shaper that had the same yellow cast badge and brass decal as your Mortiser and that was a 1955 machine, other signs are the aluminum hand pulleys, correct for that era.
The other thing to look for is corresponding numbers punched into the table or a machined surface, Wolfenden did this as well, they may give an indication of a date, I can't remember if its first or last digits.
Great machine, you will have a lot of fun with that I'm sure
Well done, great find !!

Melbourne Matty.

Gday Matty, I'm wondering if these were a re-badged machine. The inside of all the castings is a British racing green,yet the outside paint was a dark grey(origional)and the badge is screwed on rather than been embossed on the casting like in many of their early machines.It doesn't bother me either way, as I really like build of this machine and it's simplicity. It came with a spare single phase 1440rpm 1.5 HP motor which was a bonus, and I've sourced some old chains,bars and sprockets which give me the option of different size mortises. Cheers Greg

Originally Posted by greggyboy

Gday Matty, I'm wondering if these were a re-badged machine. The inside of all the castings is a British racing green,yet the outside paint was a dark grey(origional)and the badge is screwed on rather than been embossed on the casting like in many of their early machines.It doesn't bother me either way, as I really like build of this machine and it's simplicity. It came with a spare single phase 1440rpm 1.5 HP motor which was a bonus, and I've sourced some old chains,bars and sprockets which give me the option of different size mortises. Cheers Greg

Greg, Although Wolfenden over the years did recondition and revamp a lot of second hand machinery I think you will find that yours is very original.
Very Early Wolfenden Brothers Machinery had the Wolfenden Brothers logo or name cast in raised letters into the body till the mid to late 20's, like this early Wolfenden Planer pictured below.

Wolfenden Brothers used this Badge from the 30's and on pictured Below.

Later in 1947 when the brothers split A & S Wolfenden (Previously Wolfenden Machinery) used this badge pictured below.

And Charles Wolfenden & Co used this badge pictured Below.

Very early Wolfenden Brothers machines were Black, some later were battle ship grey, and beyond that every thing from green to hammer-tone.
Here is a favorite pic of mine to finish....

Melbourne Matty.

Cheers Matty, your Knowledge on all things old in the machinery world never ceases to amaze me. I also agree that that pic is a beauty. Cheers Greg

Greg, your Wolfy looks a lot like my Wilson

Originally Posted by L.S.Barker1970

Here is a favorite pic of mine to finish....

Melbourne Matty.

I've got a dust collector ... it's the floor dammit.

G'day, I was wondering if any of the Moderators would be able to move this thread to the antique machinery section. Cheers Greg

Hi Mods, Is it possible to move this thread to the antique and collectable machinery section? Thanks Greg