Daltons hits 100-mark for Wadkin machines

The company, which trades as Daltons Wadkin described the milestone as “small but significant”, with the 100th machine produced a model BRA350 radial arm crosscut saw together with an AGS300 tilt arbor sawbench for delivery to Jersey Airport.

“It is nice to get to our first 100,” said Daltons’ director Francis Dalton. “Of course these quantities are very small compared with the larger manufacturers in Europe and the Far East but there seems to be a continuing demand for high quality UK manufactured machines with a still strong Wadkin pedigree.

“We are manufacturing the original designs with some modifications where necessary in connection with current health and safety requirements.”

Daltons bought the Wadkin rights after Wadkin Ltd went into liquidiation in 2010. Daltons had been a trading partner with Wadkin for the 50 year period prior to this.

After buying the Wadkin rights, a decision was taken to manufacture a number of the well established Wadkin Classical designs at Daltons’ Nottingham headquarters. The company already had extensive engineering facilities due to its long involvement in the rebuilding and servicing of woodworking machines, but manufacturing had been a new concept for it.

The classical range being manufactured includes radial arm crosscuts, tilt arbor sawbenches, vibratory head chisel mortisers, bandsaws, band resaws, spindle moulders and lathes.

Customers are varied and include colleges, power suppliers, Formula One racing teams, as well as furniture, joinery and timber companies.