Wadkin Mortiser

**ab1** · 11th September 2012, 10:20 PM

This is a Wadkin mortiser I purchased of ebay a couple of months ago for $360!! It's looks to have been a belt driven machine and now has a motor fitted on the back where the original pulley would have been. It still has an old belt in the back. Both the chain and chisel have their own clutch that engages as soon as the handles begin to be lowered.

It took a little bit of work to wire wheel the rust off and free everything up. Just needs a new bearing for the chisel shaft and it will be fully operational.

It has a 3hp 3 phase motor. The vice has been repaired at some stage. It came with 1 chain and bar 3/4" x 2 1/2".

The ad said the machine was built in 1905.

I plan a major restoration at some stage but the house is my current priority.

Does anyone have any information on this machine?

wadkin mortiser.jpg
wadkin mortiser2.jpg

**pmcgee** · 12th September 2012, 02:24 AM

Wadkin is very well respected here ... you may find catalogue pics in the older threads already.

Have a look here too: https://www.woodworkforums.com/f163/r...rtiser-153702/

Cheers,
Paul

**localele** · 12th September 2012, 03:22 PM

Have alook here for Wadkin info. It is a great library. Wadkin - Products - Morticers

**L.S.Barker1970** · 12th September 2012, 11:19 PM

Wadkin's that old and found down under are not common, this ME was the predecessor to the MF chain and chisel, the MF having two direct drive motors as apposed to the ME being belt driven.
The 1905 build date does not surprise me but I am curious to find out how the previous owner arose to this date in particular, AB could you shed more light as to how? was the machine purchased be the previous owner back in 1905 ?
For a little Wadkin History tour Paul McGee kicked of this fantastic post....
https://www.woodworkforums.com/f163/w...hinery-157778/
Also here are some Catalogue cuts from a 1927 Wadkin Catalogue, I hope it give's you some information any way.

Melbourne Matty.

**ab1** · 13th September 2012, 07:37 PM

That is awesome, thanks Matty.

**jgforsberg** · 14th September 2012, 11:13 AM

I am with Matty. 1905 is possible and that would have been one of wadkins first machines' I believe that is the earliest combo mortiser we have seen by Wadkin in the world. I did have the MF at the shop for a short time and it was a great machine. Same as the belt drive when you pulled the handles the tooling engaged.

great find.

jack
English machines

**Camelot** · 22nd April 2022, 08:12 PM

Thought I would bring this thread up to date regarding the age of this machine, the Test Number Makes it 1937, not 1905

**Vann** · 22nd April 2022, 08:34 PM

Originally Posted by Camelot

Thought I would bring this thread up to date regarding the age of this machine, the Test Number Makes it 1937, not 1905

Great idea but... it's got a "Wadkin & Co." tag which makes it 1936 or earlier. Wadkin changed from "Wadkin & Co." to "Wadkin Ltd." in 1935 and the last of the old cast brass "Wadkin & Co." tags came out during April/May 1936.

Therefore this tag is from Wadkin's first test sequence (there were 3 different sequences) and would have been tested new at the Green Lane works about 1929.

Cheers, Vann.

**auscab** · 22nd April 2022, 09:42 PM

This ME is from My 1925 catalogue. I may have called that catalogue 1928 at other points in time which was a mistake. It Has 1925 penciled in on the first page. Someone else put that in.

There's a few changes since this model ME to the one above.
IMG_0477a.jpg IMG_0478a.jpg

**Camelot** · 23rd April 2022, 12:18 AM

Yes sorry I missed the pre from the 1937 in this list shown her Wadkin by Test Number -

Canadian Woodworking and Home Improvement Forum

This ME 513 is actually mentioned within the list of this link

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