This maker operated as either Marcus B. Tidey or M. B. Tidey of Newark. Before that he operated as M. B. Tidey & Co. of Dundee, NY; that last company seems to have only made hand tools, including the very famous "Tidey patent beveling plane".

Although he is best remembered for the beveling plane, Marcus Baker Tidey was a notable early maker of tablesaws who also made a variety of other machines. His machinery making is poorly documented so our list of machines he made is almost certainly incomplete.

Mr. Tidey moved to Newark (from Canada) in 1850. His son, Charles Henry Tidey, was also a noted woodworking machinery designer, who founded the Grand Rapids Machinery Co. in 1904.

Information Sources

• The Dundee company is mentioned in an 1855 Scientific American article on the beveling plane.
• Hand-tool collector and dealer Patrick Leach owns some some correspondence from the Providence Tool Co., which includes several letters from M. B. Tidey. Transcriptions of the letters, with acerbic commentary from Patrick, is available in the Oldtools mailing-list archive: 1856-10-11 letter; 1856-10-26 letter; 1856-11-11 letter; 1856-11-17 letter; 1856-12-01 letter; 1856-12-06 letter.
• The Newark company is mentioned in an 1860 Scientific American.
• Brief mention in 1873 and ads in 1875 issues of Manufacturer & Builder.
• Thanks to Mike Greeley of Northwest Lumber Co. in Indianapolis, who sent us photos and information on his employer's Tidey tablesaw. He reports that it is still regularly used to cut hardwood plywood and maple countertops, and it "works like a champ".
• Thanks to Thomas Brown who reported his recent purchase of a 20" jointer, the first Tidey jointer we have heard of.
• Tool collector web page on M. B. Tidey with detailed biographical information, photo of Mr. Tidey, plus photos of a Tidey lathe with a 10-foot wood bed, as well as several photos of various models of Tidey saws.