Green grows the Wadkin?

[SammyQ]

As some of you know, I've been threatening/posturing about restoring a Wadkin Bursgreen AGS 10" for far too long. My conscience (and a job where I could really use it) have now prevailed and I've hauled it out, blinking and grimacing, into the light of day, shedding vast quantities of red metal dandruff as it goes. It is going to the local beauty parlour - aka my kids' old plastic paddling pool - for either an invigorating citric acid dermal abrasion or I may go South American torturer and zap it with electrolysis and then follow that up with a quick spray tan of machinery enamel. Problem is, I want to be able to sell this baby on at some later point and for that, I want to use reasonably authentic paint.....ah, yes, .... Hammersh*te....it doesn't seem to come in that milky light green tone any more. In the absence of Scrit, or perhaps Jack613/English Machines from OWWM, can anybody tell me where to get the proper stuff? I have a reasonable HVLP sprayer.

PS I have done my homework and it is definitely not the 'old' Wadkin grey wiv red letters, but faithful Bursgreen green mit silver letters.

Sam

 

[SammyQ]

Bump? Anybody? Sam

 

[Andy RV]

I got my enamel from a bloke who normally supplies to the agricultural industry, might be worth getting in touch with your local farm equipment dealer / engineers?

 

[SammyQ]

Good idea, thanks; my local one (10 miles away) only seems to advertise plain colours online, not metallic, but I'll go see them - they may be able to buy some in or mix it. Hammerite's site only shows a limited range and the local engineering specialist shop had little else either.

Sam

 

[Chrispy]

I use a company called HMG coatings for Lacquers and paints, I would think they or a similar company would mix and match to a colour sample for you. easier if you have a spec for the paint to go by otherwise a matter of showing them what you want. HMG mix paint for me down to one litre at a time.

 

[SammyQ]

Chris, I had a quick shufti at the website - it looks to be a runner! Thanks mon ami!

I will call them tomorrow and then, if they're happy I can slice off a fragment with me Stanley knife to send it to them, see if they can match it. Fingers crossed.

Sam

 

[tool613]

As you know Hamerite is not a custom color paint. some have had good results with a light coat over a base that is color matched to the old wadkin Green. If you have never sprayed Hammerite before there is a learing curve. here is a great link for tips. most of the best textures come from heavy coats IMO.

http://www.hammerite.co.uk/tips/index.html

there are othere colors in there range so make sure you check them all.

http://www.hammerite.co.uk/products/index.jsp

they say you can't mix them , but you can and some have just combined yellow and black hammerite and mix them to the darker Hammerite green to get a lighter Wadkin green.

you will be the first to do it so post the paint information. I have the light gray wadkin Bursgreen machinery in the shop .


jack
English @ OWWM

 

[Blister]

Why not try Wadkin for the real paint :mrgreen: or colour code

http://www.wadkin.com/

:wink:

 

[tool613]

Why not try Wadkin for the real paint :mrgreen: or colour code

http://www.wadkin.com/

:wink:

The real paint was Hammerite for the wadkin bursgreen Green."just never to be repeated".

jack

 

[wallace]

Are you after the hammered finish or just the correct colour. You could just find the correct RAL number and go to a motor factors to mix some machinery enamel up, or take a sample from the machine and they will colour chip it
Mark

 

[SammyQ]

Many Thanks Jack, I have some dark green metallic Hammerite and I think I have some white. I'll experiment with eggcupfuls and let you know how I get on - next weekend, though as I'm busy every night this week.

Wallace? I'mafter the hammered finish to maintain authenticity as said in first post; I have an eye on eventual sale.

Sam

 

[Benchwayze]

Sammy,

You may or may not know that the 'English Woodworker' (Richard McGuire the Bench-maker) is reconditioning a Wadkin cross-cut saw. Interesting blog.


http://www.theenglishwoodworker.com/
http://www.theenglishwoodworker.com/?p=157

If you didn't know about it, I think you might find it enlightening.
I love these old machines, and my one regret is that I never had the room to house a proper table saw. if I had, an old Wadkin would have been my choice; back when I had the will, and the energy, and loads of contacts to undertake a restoration.


Best of luck with yours.

 

[SammyQ]

Thanks John, good of you to remember this post and point me at Richard's labours. He's a whole degree of heavy metal beyond me I must say; my wee beastie is a mere 430lbs ("pounds" post-decimal children) and some of his look twice that. The two articles (posts?) blogged so far are fascinating. Like Richard, I have learned that you need 1/10th handbook, 4/10th patience and a whole 5/10th ingenuity to crack some of the problems. Richard must have 'blessed' the people who grouted the machines to the floor! In the same vein, I'm presently applying for beatification to Rome for the IQ in single figures who let my AGS arbor nut rust SO badly. So far, it has defeated brute strength and ignorance (I'm 198lbs of fighting fat,) diesel immersion for two weeks, heat from my hot air stripper, guaranteed to reach 300 degreec C.....I need to whip it off to change the two bearings on the spindle and the whole lot is stalled until I can sort this out. I have painted the inside of the casing a VERY un-PC/un-Wadkin white.....it's reminiscent of the Black Hole of Kalkotta (Calcutta) in there when assembled and I just had had enough of trying to nod my head up and down to get the 'sweet' spot on me multi-focals, only to discover it was too d*mn dim to see anything. I'll post some pikkies of WIP soon, perhaps without the arbor, as it can be bolted on last. I know 'a wee mon' as we say here, who has a nice "gas axe" and can probably unwind the nut.....just got to catch him in a good mood.

Regards, Sam

PS Have you seen Wallace's (Mark's) posts on HIS mammoth Wadkin? Saw it last Sunday and tried, but didn't dare, lift just the "small" table off his bench. Sheesh! It is HEAVY!

 

[Benchwayze]

Thanks John, good of you to remember this post and point me at Richard's labours. He's a whole degree of heavy metal beyond me I must say; my wee beastie is a mere 430lbs ("pounds" post-decimal children) and some of his look twice that. The two articles (posts?) blogged so far are fascinating. Like Richard, I have learned that you need 1/10th handbook, 4/10th patience and a whole 5/10th ingenuity to crack some of the problems. Richard must have 'blessed' the people who grouted the machines to the floor! In the same vein, I'm presently applying for beatification to Rome for the IQ in single figures who let my AGS arbor nut rust SO badly. So far, it has defeated brute strength and ignorance (I'm 198lbs of fighting fat,) diesel immersion for two weeks, heat from my hot air stripper, guaranteed to reach 300 degreec C.....I need to whip it off to change the two bearings on the spindle and the whole lot is stalled until I can sort this out. I have painted the inside of the casing a VERY un-PC/un-Wadkin white.....it's reminiscent of the Black Hole of Kalkotta (Calcutta) in there when assembled and I just had had enough of trying to nod my head up and down to get the 'sweet' spot on me multi-focals, only to discover it was too d*mn dim to see anything. I'll post some pikkies of WIP soon, perhaps without the arbor, as it can be bolted on last. I know 'a wee mon' as we say here, who has a nice "gas axe" and can probably unwind the nut.....just got to catch him in a good mood.

Regards, Sam

PS Have you seen Wallace's (Mark's) posts on HIS mammoth Wadkin? Saw it last Sunday and tried, but didn't dare, lift just the "small" table off his bench. Sheesh! It is HEAVY!

I'll be watching with interest Sammy; as for Beatification :

adde parvum parvo magnus acervus erit

:wink:

 

[SammyQ]

Though, labouring over the wretched thing, I must confess to being more livid than Ovid....

Sam

 

[Benchwayze]

Though, labouring over the wretched thing, I must confess to being more livid than Ovid....

Sam

Opus est suus own remuneror

 

[Noel]

Sammy, give P & E a shout. They're over in Montgomery Business Pk/Montgomery Rd off the Cregagh Rd. Near the BMC campus I think. Tel 90 70 4343
They'll mix anything in any finish.

 

[tool613]

Sammy

I am sure you have wire wheeled the threads ahead of the nut(one on a cordless drill would do nicely) and that you know that the nuts turns opposed to all other spanner work so that can't be the problem. Sometimes them nuts are just a bugger. You need to make a penetration oil from transmission fluid and acetone 50/50 mix( you wont find this in a store). It is the best liquid wrench on the planet. Tape a plastic bag filled with the mix tape over the offending nut and in a week and give it a try in that opposed rotaion :lol: if you can find another nut buy a nut splinter if the 50/50 mix doses not work.
http://www.familyhandyman.com/DIY-Proje ... s/View-All
jack
English machines

 

[Bradshaw Joinery]

You will have to be very very careful if you heat it with the gas axe as parts distort easily.


My brother had a lathe from a school where the chuck had never been off, after weeks of trying and re submersing in all sorts of fluids... We heated it and let it cool to crack the seal, still nothing, but a week or so later it came off. Did take a 8' scaffold pole over some 4' stilsons to do though. The shaft was knackered after this, so he had another made up.

Moral(sp) of the the story, if you cant get it off with normal effort and its a precision part take ir to an engineer to remove... Its cheaper to turn a nut off and remove the threads/ make a new nut. Than do the whole shebang.

 

[SammyQ]

John? Tell that to my scored knuckles and split fingernails!

Thanks Jack; read about this homebrew before. ATF is not too common around here, most Brit cars are 'stick-shift'. But....I'm going to have mine serviced, I'll see if I can cadge 100mls to try it. I'm going to try electrolysis first and then your tried and tested jungle juice. A nut splitter is a good idea, I saw one used years ago and it really cut the mustard...or nut.

Thanks Noel, I think I've seen them in my travels, just didn't make the connection.

Thanks Olly, I agree, I could make an awful mess with what is essentially an irrepaceable part, so Plan B is as replied to Jack in Canada, above.

I'm embarassed that I first started this AGS many moons ago and I have had SO much help and encouragement (particularly from Mr Fish and Bob9f) that I am determined to finish it in the next few weeks. It helps that I sold my other saw, to MichaelM of this parrish, and so I am now desperate to get back some form of mechanised wood gnawing - that old shoulder injury from second-row scrumming practice just will not go away, so long-term hand sawing is out!

Sam