Morticers recommendation: Sedgwick, Multico K or Multico M series

[O'Chippy]

Low price quick sale. And vice versa. Depends how long the buyer/seller is prepared to wait.

I like to buy second hand, don't mind paying a bit extra for good condition and I'm fully behind the free market, but its a bit frustrating seeing typically decent machines with such inflated prices that is hard to see anyone buying and putting to work.

 

[deema]

I choose not to restore morticers, because the cost of doing it versus the price you can ask means you lose money! Taking a Sedgwick as an example, to do it properly you would stripped it down, removed all the paint and powder coated it (originally they are sprayed with machine enamel paint rather badly), remove the inevitable rust, replaced all the bearings (ball as well as bronze) and the usual missing bits, strip the chain and probably replace it along with the sprocket, reassembled it, and set it up, replace the wiring and plug and possibly the motor starter (usually the case is cracked or buttons broken / not electrically adequate if really old ) and carry out the electrical safety checks. I haven’t mentioned that the really old ones, or really badly abused may need the ways remachining, and that needs a decent sized mill.
Now, I know there are very few who do it properly, and a lot just mask and spray enamel paint (if you’re lucky) without stripping or even cleaning it. These the the rascals that make buying ‘restored’ machines and roll of the dice. However, if you can buy a properly restored machine as I’ve detailed for £750, I think you’ve got a bargain. It’s a little less than half the price of a brand new machine which is a good saving, and done well you won’t know the difference. The machines we restore we endeavour to make them better than when they left the factory. I will add I do it as a hobby as I’m retired, it would never be viable to do it properly and feed a family as a job,

 

[O'Chippy]

So morticer has been acquired and safely back in HQ
@Jacob as it happened after you recommending your machine I found one buried in eBay for auction.
You really need to have a good rummage around eBay, as I thought I had search it well prior to seeing this, the sellers photo was poor and really didn't show the machine as being a heavy lump of metal, I dismissed the listing on first glance.
At the time of seeing the listing the highest bidder was £18 and there was only 1 day remaining until the hammer dropped, I knew I had found my machine.

I won the auction at £113. I believe its a barigan the owner bought the machine in 1992 and it hasn't been abused. Very happy with the machine, I gave the seller a drink when I picked in up.
Thanks to all who advised me along the way!

 

[Jacob]

So morticer has been acquired and safely back in HQ
@Jacob as it happened after you recommending your machine I found one buried in eBay for auction.
You really need to have a good rummage around eBay, as I thought I had search it well prior to seeing this, the sellers photo was poor and really didn't show the machine as being a heavy lump of metal, I dismissed the listing on first glance.
At the time of seeing the listing the highest bidder was £18 and there was only 1 day remaining until the hammer dropped, I knew I had found my machine.
View attachment 164746
I won the auction at £113. I believe its a barigan the owner bought the machine in 1992 and it hasn't been abused. Very happy with the machine, I gave the seller a drink when I picked in up.
Thanks to all who advised me along the way!

Bargain! Hope it works OK.
Mine's 3 phase which is the only difference (if that's a single phase plug in your pic).
It is a massive lump of iron - you don't realise how heavy it is until you get to move one!
The weight is good if you handle any big stuff - you can have a joist on the table without toppling it over
Mine had 2 stops which bolt into the front of the table for adjusting the width of cut, but never used them I always work to marks.
The depth adjuster is a bit primitive on mine, yours might be better, but it's easy to bodge up something.
It's a bit low so I bolted mine two a couple of short lengths of 8" joist
The only thing I don't like about it is the two cam handles on the clamp, I keep meaning to replace them with round knobs but haven't got around to it.

 

[O'Chippy]

Bargain! Hope it works OK.
Mines 3 phase which is the only difference (if that's a single phase plug in your pic).
It is a massive lump of iron - you don't realise how heavy it is until you get to move one!
The weight is good if you handle any big stuff - you can have a joist on the table without toppling it over
Mine had 2 stops which bolt into the front of the table for adjusting the width of cut, but never used them I always work to marks.
The depth adjuster is a bit primitive on mine, yours might be better, but it's easy to bodge up something.
It's a bit low so I bolted mine two a couple of short lengths of 8" joist
The only thing I don't like about it is the two cam handles on the clamp, I keep meaning to replace them with round knobs but haven't got around to it.

The seller said it works fine, for what I paid I don't mind if some tinkering is required. I'll put her operating in a few weeks and report back.
As far as I know they weight ~220kg, the seller had some looking when I pulled up to collect it with just my wife with me in the truck!

I have a Genie lift which I brought with me and used it to load the morticer on to the back of my truck, (Nissan Cabstar tipper). I think four men would have been able to load it but three would struggle.

 

[littleoaks1]

Hello all,
I'm in the market for a morticer and have decided on old, heavy and hopefully quality! as opposed to imported, shiney and new.

There seems to be a lot more Multico morticers for sale and fewer old Sedgwicks.

Are the two brand comparable and does anyone know which of the Multico's model are preferable? I believe that M1 may be the newer model of K1/K3 but that isn't obviously so.

TIA

perhaps too much of a toy but i am about to sell a Scheppach HCM25 one inch capacity morticer?

 

[Spectric]

Can you please post in the for sale section with a price

 

[johnnyb]

Just to add a bit about sedgwicks as I've spent a while and can now comment on its foibles. The cross traverse(combined with the side to side)should have been separate and a bit finer as they aren't the best for adjusting. I love the side to side limit stops as they make every mortice identical. They have large capacity with lots of movement on the head and clamp. Heavy though having a weighted return. There accurate enough generally. Mine was £200 and three phase. I've got three phase but just run it of a phase converter. Not strenuous to operate and well geared.