Thread: Wadkin MF

The ME was belt drive.
Ive never seen a belt drive MF, just the two motors fitted. That one in your pic is two electric motor drive going by the motor on the right and the twin switch which turns both motors on when the correct lever is pulled. If it has its chain sharpener then a smaller belt at its back drives that off the back of the chain motor.

Ive never noticed one with that round top chain guard either. And I see I have a catalogue picture of it .
Edit. Ive also not seen that round Stop fitting before , low on the right where mine has a bar stop fitted.
Looks Nice. Can you get more pictures and a tag Picture ?

More info in this .

image0opop.jpg

Originally Posted by auscab

The ME was belt drive.
Ive never seen a belt drive MF, just the two motors fitted. That one in your pic is two electric motor drive going by the motor on the right and the twin switch which turns both motors on when the correct lever is pulled. If it has its chain sharpener then a smaller belt at its back drives that off the back of the chain motor.

Ive never noticed one with that round top chain guard either. And I see I have a catalogue picture of it . Or that round Stop fitting low on the right where mine has a bar stop fitted.
Looks Nice. Can you get more pictures and a tag Picture ?

Hi Rob,

I did think MF's did have direct drive to both functions, but someone told me the early ones were belt to the chain part, but you are right the chain sharpener needs its feed from the chain motor.

I only have a part pic of the tag.
Mortiser Part Model Plate.jpg

You'll have to buy it (just so we can get a picture of the other half of the tag ).

Edit: MF 226 was made in 1937, MF 320 in 1940. This MF - MF 239 - would have been made somewhere in between (the Test number on the tag would enable us to tell exactly which year). Wadkin made damn good machines back then, so being that old is not a bad thing.

Cheers, Vann.

Originally Posted by Vann

You'll have to buy it (just so we can get a picture of the other half of the tag ).

Edit: MF 226 was made in 1937, MF 320 in 1940. This MF - MF 239 - would have been made somewhere in between (the Test number on the tag would enable us to tell exactly which year). Wadkin made damn good machines back then, so being that old is not a bad thing.

Cheers, Vann.

Thanks for the general idea of what the date could be, I do have a copy of the Test Numbers, so like you say that should give us an exact date, I am looking to collect the MF in the next 2 weeks and it will go nicely with the EC that I have also just bought.

Also Vann have you noticed my pic's are the right way UP

Originally Posted by auscab

More info in this .

image0opop.jpg

Just to say this is great info

Originally Posted by Vann

You'll have to buy it (just so we can get a picture of the other half of the tag ).

Edit: MF 226 was made in 1937, MF 320 in 1940. This MF - MF 239 - would have been made somewhere in between (the Test number on the tag would enable us to tell exactly which year). Wadkin made damn good machines back then, so being that old is not a bad thing.

Cheers, Vann.

MF 5.JPG
Just found the Wadkin plate for MF 226, it says Test Number 7472 and the Test Numbers I have for 1937 are 8081 to 9341, so this makes MF 226 older than 1937 or the numbers for 1937 are incorrect and need to start before 8081

Originally Posted by Camelot

Just to say this is great info

Nigel. The MF and ECA are great machines. Specially the ECA. Have you used any of them before?

Here's the ECA Picture as well if you haven't got it.

image0.jpeg

And a picture of the back of My MF.
Its got the wrong sort of belt but it worked the one time I tried it out.

DSCF1724.JPG

Yes the collage I did my City & Guilds at back in the early 1980's had Wadkin machines and they were in the machine shops where I was a bench Joiner & Installer of Bars & Back fitting for pubs and night clubs.

The tenoner tag says EC not ECA, I think the A was on earlier machines and they dropped it and started using just EC
EC Model Plate.jpeg

Originally Posted by Camelot

...the Test Numbers I have for 1937 are 8081 to 9341, so this makes MF 226 older than 1937 or the numbers for 1937 are incorrect and need to start before 8081

Recent info (last two months) have enabled a revision of the test numbers for 1936 to 1941 Wadkin by Test Number -

Canadian Woodworking and Home Improvement Forum. As a result test 7472 now falls into 1937.

Originally Posted by Camelot

...The tenoner tag says EC not ECA, I think the A was on earlier machines and they dropped it and started using just EC

Yes, Wadkin introduced 'A' or 'D' suffixes to their machines to indicate AC or DC powered, about 1930 - towards the end of flat belt drives. Some years later, when flat belt drive machines were no longer in production, they dropped the suffix. For example there are 'RBA' and 'RBD' buzzers through the 1930s and 1940s, but after that they were just RB buzzers (I guess DC machines were also no longer in production).

Cheers, Vann.

Thanks Vann for the link to the updated info, I will post my MF tag once I collect the machine. Cheers Nigel

Hi Vann, I took delivery of my MF today and looking at the Test Number it was made in 1937. Cheers Nigel
MF Serial Number.jpg

Congrats.

Originally Posted by Camelot

...looking at the Test Number it was made in 1937.

Ahem. Test number 8570 = 1938 (if you look at the updated info on CWW/Wadkin by Test Number).

How does it look, condition wise?

Cheers, Vann.

I see so that's different to this one Machine date

Still under a cover outside (raining at the moment), hope to get it in the shed later today to have a better look