Thread: EMMERT Patternmakers Vice

Tony, I have only ever seen a couple of them, they are pretty scarce around these parts.
I would like to find one of these though......



Melbourne Matty.

These are in Oz.
I bought a turtleback in Rhode Island in '83 and had it shipped to Sydney.$350!
In 84 at a garage sale in the ACT I found one under the house $15.
Swapped that to George for a Stanley core box plane, no sides though promised.
From memory there were 3 or more Yost? copies at the SRA auction at Everliegh I had one so I bought the Wadkin RS 12 lathe.
The John Heine Patternshop had them don't know what happened to them.
Pattrnmaking at Bribane TAFE had the Wadkin version.
There was also a Wadkin at Sydney uni, it was lifted by a Cabby in 2000.
H.

Hi all,
clear out is correct about the pattern shop at Yerronga tafe in Brisbane having the wadkin version and aren't they a fantastic vise I would love to own one.
Regards Rod.

Did the Wadkin versions have Wadkin cast into them? I wonder if they were made by a third party for Wadkin like these pictured vices from a 1950 Wadkin catalogue.
I havent come across REDEDA before but they obviously supplied these.
Maybe Oliver or Emmert supplied Wadkin for a short interval.?

Cheers
TonyWadkin Vices 001.jpgWadkin Vices 001.jpgWadkin Vices 001.jpg

The Emmert patternamker's vise is long out of production. Lee Valley sold a version until a few years ago, when they stopped producing it as well. Their's has a solid reputation (wish I had one). I gather that they will be offering some "special" in the near future.

Here in Oz we have a Dawn simplified version ..



Regards from Perth (currently Manhattan)

Derek

There's a few on ebay, but they all seem to be between $750 - $1100

Carbaturd was selling a Chinese/Tiawanese copy.
I have one but haven't mounted it yet.
H.

Hii Joe ????,
Yes, I know a Chap that has Vice like that, But I know nothing about it, but I know he got it from Carbi-tec as he worked there some time ago.
May see you Sun.

Originally Posted by issatree

Hii Joe ????,
Yes, I know a Chap that has Vice like that, But I know nothing about it, but I know he got it from Carbi-tec as he worked there some time ago.
May see you Sun.

I wonder if this might be the one http://www.sydneytools.com.au/shopexd.asp?id=8201?

cheers,

camo

Originally Posted by AJOE123

Did the Wadkin versions have Wadkin cast into them? I wonder if they were made by a third party for Wadkin like these pictured vices from a 1950 Wadkin catalogue.
I havent come across REDEDA before but they obviously supplied these.
Maybe Oliver or Emmert supplied Wadkin for a short interval.?

Cheers
Tony

Tony, I don't believe these vices had Wadkin cast into them.

But, in 1908 the Wadkin franchise was given to the Oliver Machinery Company and there was a relationship there for some time.
Wadkin was possibly the first UK based company to promote sales of UK woodworking machinery in the US.



Melbourne Matty.

Originally Posted by L.S.Barker1970

Tony, I don't believe these vices had Wadkin cast into them.

But, in 1908 the Wadkin franchise was given to the Oliver Machinery Company and there was a relationship there for some time.
Wadkin was possibly the first UK based company to promote sales of UK woodworking machinery in the US.



Melbourne Matty.

The pages in the old Wadkin & Co catalogue which shows what appears to be an Emmert-pattern vice sold by the company. The fact that no less than two pages are devoted to it as opposed to the 1/3 page given over to conventional vices may indicate it's importance as a product. As to dating these pages were published sometime between 1927 and 1935 (Wadkin incorporated as a Ltd company in 1935).

What Is the oldest publication of the Oliver?




According to an article on MLive.com, in 1912 Grand Rapids-based Oliver Machinery was in the midst of fighting a patent infringement lawsuit brought by Wadkin & Co. With original proofs in hand to support Wadkin’s claims, managing partner Denzil Jarvis boarded the Titanic on that last journey. He did not survive.

Oliver Machinery did, though under new ownership. Later that year, Joseph Oliver would sell a majority of the company to investors Frank A. Baldwin and Victor M. Tuthill of Baldwin, Tuthill & Bolton.


catalogue illustrations were frequently of prototype machines or tools which were modified during production (sometimes radically - the Wadkin PK saw was changed quite a bit over it's lifespan with the electrical box at the front of the casting migrating around several times). J H Goddard, the chairman of Wadkin travelled extensively in North America during the 1920s both selling the Wadkin pattern miller to foundries and picking-up ideas to make or sell in the UK. He concluded quite a few reciprocal manufacturing agreements which is why I had wondered whether or not he had obtained a licence or agreement of some kind for the Emmert vice or possibly arranged for the factory in Leicester to manufacture their own copy out of licence. All I know about their stuff in terms of colour is that they generally painted everything with a dark grey lead-based paint to give a smooth surface to the sand castings and that the paint can weather to anything from almost black to pale blue over time! Perhaps if we have an Emmert vice afficianado or expert on patternmaker's suppliers here he/she might be able to answer the question. Or is there someone with a pre-WWII Buck & Hickmann catalogue who'd care to take a look see at what they offerred?

Incidentally, Wadkin quote an 18 x 7in plate with 16in opening.

jack
English machines

Originally Posted by jgforsberg

Perhaps if we have an Emmert vice afficianado or expert on patternmaker's suppliers here he/she might be able to answer the question. Or is there someone with a pre-WWII Buck & Hickmann catalogue who'd care to take a look see at what they offerred?


jack
English machines

Jack, thanks for the History, it makes for very interesting reading !!
I can certainly help with a 1923 Buck & Hickmann catalogue as pictured below, Its interesting to note also that there is no Emmert style Pattern-makers vice in the 1964 Buck & Hickmann catalogue that I have.


Melbourne Matty.

Jack, and the other Wadkin tragics out there.(any in Sydney?)

I remember a comment from Chas Skinner a machinery dealer here in Sydney re the Titanic incident.
He said there was a Wadkin Pattern mill on board when she sank?
One assumes it was being taken to the States for demonstration purposes.
Or the story was garbled and no mill was on board just a patent suite.
The mill as I understand it was the breakthrough machine for Wadkin.
We (TTTG) have in storage here in Sydney a Wadkin mill of about 1910 vintage.

It was donated to us by Barry Gabbit after he purchased it from the Tramways auction at Randwick here the '90s. Barry was sales manager for the local Wadkin agents, Austral in the 70s before he started his own company from which he sold and traded many Wadkins. In '85 I outbid him for my 30 inch DR, he then told the auctioneer to give me the spare blades, I was off with the pixies.

I have a 6.30 brochure from Austral it lists "Some Australian users of Wadkin woodworking machinery". Amongst the big furniture makers are the Government dockyards, railways, prisons etc etc.
I'm not great on scanning etc but if there's any interest will give it a go.
I also have numerous postwar Wadkin catalogues and brochures etc.
H.

This vice is on special for US$339 at present from Highland woodworking in the US. They say it's a copy and it appears to be as good as the original. There is also a video on you tube, very impressive Shipping may be a big hit as it's 60LB.
Hope this helps, happy new year, Ian