In 1915 Fred A. Brackett designed an attachment to a foot mortiser from W. F. & John Barnes Co. that converted it from a solid-chisel mortiser to an electric-motor-driven hollow-chisel mortiser. The attachments were manufactured, presumably by Brackett, and sold through exclusive sales agent Warren W. Morse. By mid-1916 Brackett and Morse abandoned the "attachment" approach and started selling complete mortisers, still based on the Barnes machine.

From January 1917 Industrial Arts Magazine

In 1924 Brackett Machinery Co. was formally incorporated and from that point the mortiser was sold under that name. It appears that by this time the mortiser was not a converted Barnes but a hollow-chisel mortiser built by Brackett from the ground up. In early 1926 a half interest in the company was acquired by the Madison Tool & Stamping Co., which moved the business from Lancaster to Madison. At this point they also supposedly began making a tenoning machine. In 1927 the company announced their new and improved "Model K" mortiser. The last mentions we can find of the company are from 1930 and then they apparently went out of business.

Brackett Mortiser Type Study

Information Sources

• September 1915 Manual Training and Vocational Education has a writeup and photograph of a "Barnes foot-power mortiser fitted with an attachment for carrying a motor-driven hollow-chisel mortiser devised by F. A. Brackett of Lancaster, Wis. A patent has been issued covering the attachment and the machine is now on the market..."
• A 1916 patent provides the name of the inventor, who is likely the manufacturer (before Brackett Machinery Co. was incorporated): Fred A. Brackett.
• August 1916 Building Age has a writeup of the "Brackett" hollow-chisel electric mortiser. The illustration shows a mortiser with a claw-foot base, i.e., a Barnes mortiser.
• October 1916 American Carpenter and Builder has an article on the "Brackett" hollow chisel mortiser, available through the exclusive sales agent Warren W. Morse of Hopkins, Minnesota.
• 1924-08-08 Lumber World Review, p. 47. Lancaster, Wis.—Brackett Machinery Co., incorporated to manufacture wood carving machinery.
• Seen in 1925 Wood Workers Tool Works catalog (page 223): the pedestal-base Brackett mortiser.
• February 1926 Steel Processing and Conversion, vol. 12 p. 81.

  The Brackett Machinery Company, Lancaster, Wis., a half interest in which has been acquired by the Madison, Wis., Tool & Stamping Company, has moved its equipment to Madison to conduct all production in the tool works. The principal product is an electric driven hollow chisel mortising tool for cabinet and millwork factories. A new design, a tenoning machine, also motor driven, will be placed in production at once. L. M. Dixon is vice-president and general manager.

• 1928 Building Age. "THE Brackett Machinery Co., Madison, Wis., announced during the year 1927 the improved Model K electric-driven hollow chisel mortiser for the use of woodworkers. The first direct vertical motor-driven hollow chisel mortiser at a low price was produced by this company, it is stated, in 1916, and the present machine is the result of eleven years' experience in manufacturing and selling it."
• Thanks to correspondent Tim Schubeck for providing this company's full name and location.