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Wade Factory Photos and Advertising Literature
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A Wade advertisement from the 1955 edition of Hitchcock's Machine and Tool Directory. Shows the Model 8A lathe, the Model 73 lathe, and the Bench Profiling machine. Discusses the electric motor carriage drive on the 8A. (Large file- 915k)
The following photos were sent to me by Stephen Nalesnik, current owner of Wade Machine Tool Manufacturing
(all are 500-700k files)
Two views of the Wade factory in Waltham- circa 1940s
An engraving of an early Model 8A with overhead drive:
Two views of a late-model 8A on display at a trade show. Note that Derbyshire, another Waltham company, is set up next door.
Wade's No. 12 Catalog is undated, but was apparently published very soon after the 1917 purchase of the American Watch Tool holdings. The "8-Inch Tool Makers Precision Lathe", a very early version of what would eventually become the 8A, is still marked with "Walter H. Wade, Boston, Mass, U.S.A.". Most other machines in the catalog still carry their American Watch Tool badging, and the company's telegraph address is still AMWATCO. An interesting supplemental page was included with the catalog, advertising Wade collets; it is hand lettered, and the engravings are stock American Watch Tool advertising with Wade logos somewhat crudely pasted over the AWT logos!
Clicking the catalog cover below will take you to a new page, where high-resolution JPG images of each catalog page can be downloaded.
Scans of a "No. 8A Toolmaker's Precision Lathe" brochure, date unknown. Lathes shown are flat belt drive on steel cabinets. Includes information on Wade No. 8 collets, SKF spindle bearings, radius turning attachment, and a "driving arrangement" for driving grinding spindles and other live tooling from the lathe drive motor. Also includes a supplemental page with information about wade Stator collets. (Clicking each thumbnail will open the full size scan in a new window)
A very early Wade advertising card. The rear of the card is stamped "Walter Wade", and has a downtown Boston address. Notice that the design of the bed is completely different from later machines- the carriage is dovetailed into the front of the bed like a Rivett 608 or a Ballou lathe.
The scans of this card were sent to me by Larry Welker. Below is some information he sent along with it:
According to Ed Battison, the front-dovetailed bed design was
invented by a fellow in Hartland, Vermont whose name was Nathan English.
The story is that he took the design to Boston around 1880 or 1890 (I don't
know if this was at a trade show, or what). It seems that Mr. Wade and Mr. Rivett
saw this there, and probably George Ballou as well.
I got this card in a box of Wade material that a former employee had saved from
the dumpster when the company was moving from Waltham to Chelsea.
Anyone who would like to contribute photos, advertising literature, or other Wade images, please email me.
Information on Wade's 8W Collet
Wade 8A Lathe Serial Number Data
Wade Lathes, Parts, and 8W Collets For Sale
Patents Granted to the Wade Tool Company