Watts Bros 1P morticer

[tonupturner]

Hi all,

I’ve inherited this beautiful piece of machinery with the purchase of my Grandpa’s house & workshop.

I have absolutely no use for it so I’d love to see it go to someone who could put it to good use but I can’t find out much information about it!

I’d like to know its appropriate year of manufacture along with a value.

If anyone is interested then I’m just outside of Loughborough.

 

[Against_The_Grain]

This would’ve been a “chip chop” morticer originally, with solid body chisels rather than a hollow chisel and auger. The Watts Brothers motor is a later addition and were available for converting these machines, you can see they’ve added an extra counterweight onto the handle which could possibly be covering the manufacturers name as they were often cast into the counterweight.

It looks like a W.B Haigh machine to me.

 

[tonupturner]

This would’ve been a “chip chop” morticer originally, with solid body chisels rather than a hollow chisel and auger. The Watts Brothers motor is a later addition and were available for converting these machines, you can see they’ve added an extra counterweight onto the handle which could possibly be covering the manufacturers name as they were often cast into the counterweight.

It looks like a W.B Haigh machine to me.

Ah that’s very interesting! Thank you. I’ll have a look under the counterweight & see if I can find a manufacturer later.

 

[tonupturner]

Okay I wound the bolt back a little & the counterweight slid off with an almighty thud & hit the floor! No manufactures names to be found though sadly.

 

[tonupturner]

http://vintagemachinery.org/photoindex/detail.aspx?id=34647
I came across this whilst doing a bit of Googling this evening. The base looks identical so I think you’re right in saying the motor was added at a later date.

 

[johnwalls26]

Loughborough, if you ever go to Melbourne look for an even older massive machine sat in a corner of the Hall courtyard by Trent Sharpening, It dates from 1876, made by H Stanwix, Sackville Works, Meanwood Rd Leeds

 

[tonupturner]

I’ve got a friend who lives in Melbourne so I might be able to check that out at some point!

 

[tonupturner]

I’ve been offered £300 for the machine in my original post. Does that seem fair? Seems fair to me…

 

[Against_The_Grain]

That’s actually a very good price, I would’ve advised that £150-200 being the value, you can pick up a very clean Sedgwick morticer often for £300-£400. Morticers don’t fetch anywhere near as much as they used to, partly because they are so ubiquitous and partly because of machines like the Festool domino making them redundant in some workshops.