Thread: NOT a Stenner

Originally Posted by pmcgee

I thought I would put up photos of my last purchase - a hollow chisel morticer.

Then I saw the Stenner photos this morning ...

(slinks away in shame)

It came from an auction at an antique seller/restorer in an industrial area near Mandurah. He had an old thicknesser he didn't want to sell, and a big old rip saw that I didn't want (... at the time).

Cheers,

Paul McGee

Paul I have been laughing at your last two posts, first the comment on what our Wife's would say...lol.. and now sinking away in shame, very funny !!

A Wilson chisel Mortiser is nothing to scoff at mate, Thats a Beauty !!
Unfortunately I Have no Wilson Catalogs what so ever, they are a some what obscure English maker that I cannot seem to find information\Catalogs on over the years, But I have seen quite a few of their tenoner's in different shops I have worked in my time. They are well build machines.
I noticed interestingly that William Adams was the Distributer for Wilson, and they now own Caterpillar these days, some Research on that alone may reveal some information/Build Dates, Early history of William Adams perhaps.
Jack May also be able to shed some more Light on that machine...
Great Find Paul !

Melbourne Matty.

P.S. Ooh I did have one old Advertisement for Wilson...

Paul
The Wilson brothers out of Leeds England made some tough heavy machines. There spindle shapers were consider the best of English machines.I see Wilson in shops over here from time to time. Good solid kit.

So shes is line/flat belt and that motor looks like a Brooks. I love the brooks motors. The travel on head is long. And i am sure that the handle is adjustable to set the chisel to position.The overall design is English with the big ship wheel for the table. Made for timber and mush larger capacities than the American foot powered model. lets face it the English invented the mortiser and you have a fine example of one.

the Color is that blue gray so common on machines in the 40 and 50s its is lead based and the body is filled with lead fillers to make the casting smooth. these would have looked like very refined machines in there day compared to other makers and added a lot to the cost of the machines. The British were just picky that way.

tho not a Stenner it is English and very Kool. thanks for sharing. Oh how heavy is she?
jack
English machines

Paul
I believe that your mortiser is the next generation of the first one that Wilson made.
This Wilson Bros mortising machine with brand name 'The Triumph' at Holkham Hall Bygones Museum was shown in a 1937 The Aeroplane Directory of the Aviation and Allied Industries
solid chisel hand powered


do you have any tag with Victoria Machine Works on it?

Here is your machine with a direct drive motor and almost the same casting
https://www.apexauctions.co.uk/aucti...tm?lotId=43581

now here the one that is going to hurt. Wilson made a chain chisel combo so it is a good as a Stenner or wadkin MF.


Wilson made a full range of machines from over /unders to full combination machines like the dominions and Robinson between the wars.

hope this helps and eases the pain

jack
English machines

Paul,

Your mortiser is a tank. I would not be concerned about not having a chain mortiser, it adds complexity to the machine and if you ever have buy chains and bars, you are in some serious industrial pricing territory. What you have is something I'd wanted for many years.

Jayeson

I was using the Wilson today, so thought I'd get the better half to video it for me.

Of course, in organising her ... I managed to stuff up ... twice

It's quite funny, if I do say so myself.

The beam is 2m long, 2"x4".

First off I didn't have it fully clamped in, so it pulls back up with the chisel bit ...

https://vimeo.com/40808596

Second, I very carefully line it up on the wrong line
... but I meant to do that

https://vimeo.com/40808597

Cheers,
Paul

- Quality Machine - Idiot Operator -

- Getting on like a hearse on fire -

The chisel catching the timber can be a problem, I was taught to take a series of shallow cuts along the length of the mortise, progressing deeper with each pass

Your doing all right Paul, your too hard on your self,
I once forgot to clamp altogether when using the chain and it shot out the other end and across the workshop, my boss looked over unimpressed.

Thanks for showing, videos are great to watch, especially yours !

Melbourne Matty.

Good looking machine Paul. The Vids were great,and I had to laugh,as it reminded me of me. Cheers Greg

Originally Posted by China

The chisel catching the timber can be a problem, I was taught to take a series of shallow cuts along the length of the mortise, progressing deeper with each pass

I'm sure that is the right way to do it

This is just a learning exercise ... building a small shed over the pool pump ... so looks are not an issue, and the machine is pretty heavily built with a very solid sliding section and good leverage, so it's quite happy to plunge in and out ... when the work is secure

Cheers,
Paul

Love the videos.

The first hole is the hardest on the hold down. It helps to have a nice polished/honed chisel on the out side walls. But a machines like that has the power.

On deep mortises I like the chip slot in the chisel in line with the mortise so that the chips can clear the bit into the first hole i made . the tooling will run with less heat too. I cut the length first atd both ends and then run across with the slot as i have said.

When i did my first chain mortise I had put a spoil board under the work for a through cut. When I went through the chain shoot the spoil board out like a rocket.




jack
English machines

Love this machine. Much like White, Robinson, etc you just don't see too many Wilsons Brother machines compared to Wadkin here in Australia. Did a bit of a Google and people generally posting older Wilson gear is very hit and miss.