ScottyT
Established Member
It’s my pleasure Fred I am pleased you have found interest in this thread. I am looking forward to slinging the first piece of wood over it in a few weeks time
Wadkin FM24” Planer Restoration
- Thread starter ScottyT
- Start date
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Thank you for giving me a very vivid and realistic preview of what's ahead of me with my 24" RM...
Like many others, I'm deeply in awe of this restauration and your technical knowledge in the background applied in the foreground.
3 months to completely turn this wonderful piece of kit around... I bow and tip my hat to you Sir!
Thank you again.
Like many others, I'm deeply in awe of this restauration and your technical knowledge in the background applied in the foreground.
3 months to completely turn this wonderful piece of kit around... I bow and tip my hat to you Sir!
Thank you again.
ScottyT
Established Member
Wow, thank you for the kind words it’s much appreciated, i am really pleased this has/will be of some use to yourself.
I can see from your photo you have the pattern makers canting front table on your RM, amazing. The FM also had the option for this feature, being the last of the true pattern makers machines.
They are fundamentally the same piece of kit, the FM just getting a facelift and a bit of stream lining with the times, so this thread should cross over nicely for you. If there is anything I can help you with just message me on here and I shall do what I can.
Thanks again and I look forward to seeing your RM.
Scotty
ScottyT
Established Member
The machine breathes again. Just a very short clip of the gearbox in action without the block fitted. The background noise is the generator running it as I’m still working on it in various places.
ScottyT
Established Member
I fitted the block back into the machine today and all went well. I shall get some decent photos of all the assembly for you soon, for now all I’ve got is the block in situ and a few shed shots.
It’s an immense thing, it’s 5” around, about 35” long and very very heavy. I could just about lift it on my own into the machine, I rested timbers in between the pressure bars on the thinkness table, and simply wound it down in to the bearing cups.
4 fixings for each bearing housing, 4 cap heads on the pulley side, 2 x 5/8W and 2 x 3/8W, on the Guard/Operator side it’s 2 x cap heads at 3/8W and two 5/8W hex head bolts.
It is so buttery smooth which is great, that’s the real work all done now.
Here’s a better shot of me pulling the pulley off the block, it was mega on there, corroded and fused like it was welded. My hub pullers were no good as they were biting too hard on the delicate casting and I was worried I would bust the pulley.
The carver clamps pictured are fantastic bits of kit, and they came up trumps for me here as they went a little deeper into the guts of the cast, some heat and equal pressure and it finally released.
These lock rings snug up to the bearings, keeping it all where it should be, notice the slit near my finger, once the lock rings home there is a 3/16 Whitworth slotted screw that goes through that slit, once that’s tightened it pinches that slit up on the threads acting as loctite. Both ends of the block are the same thread, 1 1/2 dia with 14TPi (whitworth form)
operators side is left hand thread, pulley side is right handed thread.
I marred the pulley side threads up getting all the gubbings off, it was a formidable tussle between man and block I can tell you, and it’s a fairly high stakes game as there is no spares dept. with these things, out of print since 1967 or so.
So to the recuse came this immense bit of kit
this is a thread file, and I was able to get the threads back on the block using the 14TPi side just slowly making my way round, no dramas. It this bit of the job I really enjoy, problem solving along the way and when it all works out it’s a good feeling.
And here’s where I left it today, block back in and it’s fully breathing once again. It’s braked and stopping with in 10 seconds and sounding a real treat.
Almost all finished.
I’ll run through the fence assembly next as that’s a thing to behold.
Scotty
It’s an immense thing, it’s 5” around, about 35” long and very very heavy. I could just about lift it on my own into the machine, I rested timbers in between the pressure bars on the thinkness table, and simply wound it down in to the bearing cups.
4 fixings for each bearing housing, 4 cap heads on the pulley side, 2 x 5/8W and 2 x 3/8W, on the Guard/Operator side it’s 2 x cap heads at 3/8W and two 5/8W hex head bolts.
It is so buttery smooth which is great, that’s the real work all done now.
Here’s a better shot of me pulling the pulley off the block, it was mega on there, corroded and fused like it was welded. My hub pullers were no good as they were biting too hard on the delicate casting and I was worried I would bust the pulley.
The carver clamps pictured are fantastic bits of kit, and they came up trumps for me here as they went a little deeper into the guts of the cast, some heat and equal pressure and it finally released.
These lock rings snug up to the bearings, keeping it all where it should be, notice the slit near my finger, once the lock rings home there is a 3/16 Whitworth slotted screw that goes through that slit, once that’s tightened it pinches that slit up on the threads acting as loctite. Both ends of the block are the same thread, 1 1/2 dia with 14TPi (whitworth form)
operators side is left hand thread, pulley side is right handed thread.
I marred the pulley side threads up getting all the gubbings off, it was a formidable tussle between man and block I can tell you, and it’s a fairly high stakes game as there is no spares dept. with these things, out of print since 1967 or so.
So to the recuse came this immense bit of kit
this is a thread file, and I was able to get the threads back on the block using the 14TPi side just slowly making my way round, no dramas. It this bit of the job I really enjoy, problem solving along the way and when it all works out it’s a good feeling.
And here’s where I left it today, block back in and it’s fully breathing once again. It’s braked and stopping with in 10 seconds and sounding a real treat.
Almost all finished.
I’ll run through the fence assembly next as that’s a thing to behold.
Scotty
I'll bite
Pattern makers canting? I know it has something to do with the casting?
Thank you, chances are I will be reaching out as I have a feeling this is going to be a looonngg project
ScottyT
Established Member
So the infeed top table on your machine is able to tilt, this makes the top tables out of level to one another, creating draft on the workpiece. Draft was needed to aid in the removal of a pattern piece from the sand when casting parts.
You’ll have a hole in the top of your table with a nut you can crank to adjust the table. I can see the scale readout on the side of your machine. 1920’s stylee.
Awesome bit of kit
Scotty
Vann
Established Member
You've got the patternmakers canting table and you didn't realiseI'll bite
Pattern makers canting? I know it has something to do with the casting?
.That's not a standard feature, but an option. A nice bonus, you lucky pipper.
Cheers, Vann.
Ohhhhh...
Ohhhh... again...You've got the patternmakers canting table and you didn't realise
That's not a standard feature, but an option. A nice bonus, you lucky pipper.
Cheers, Vann.
It's an omen, we were meant to meet this machine and I...
Thank you for the context, again, something to go on the notebook for when the time comes.
ScottyT
Established Member
The fence assembly on this machine is epic. No other word for it really. Measuring in at 37” Long and 6 and 1/8” high, it is barely liftable, it really is a struggle to move it yet it is effortless to move in and out on the rack pinion running gear when it’s on the machine. It was buttery smooth when i took delivery of it so it’s going to be pinky finger stuff when it’s back on.
Like the rest of the machine it was hanging, covered in rust and grime, packed with oil and dust in all the fixtures and fittings. It cleaned up easy enough and need nothing more than a strip down, but it’s taken a bit of time.
Here’s the transformation
The machined face was totalled with surface rust, but I soaked it for a few days in Evaporust and it’s come back like new.
The components that make this thing slide are superb, it’s extremely well machined and feels very solid and assured, all quite simple in the workings it’s just pins and slide bars held by grub screws and locking nuts respectively. It was a tinker to get apart but a dream to reassemble when it was all spotless.
They don’t make stuff like this anymore, the handle to can’t the fence over is just lovely.
I still have the rack and pinion, mounting plate and rear cutter guard to do but that shouldn’t take me long.
Without question the single best feature about this fence is the 90 and 45 degree machined stops. No messing about squares and bevels or knocking it out with a heavy lump of timber, this thing has machined mating surfaces for 90’and 45, it’s incredible.
Like the rest of the machine it was hanging, covered in rust and grime, packed with oil and dust in all the fixtures and fittings. It cleaned up easy enough and need nothing more than a strip down, but it’s taken a bit of time.
Here’s the transformation
The machined face was totalled with surface rust, but I soaked it for a few days in Evaporust and it’s come back like new.
The components that make this thing slide are superb, it’s extremely well machined and feels very solid and assured, all quite simple in the workings it’s just pins and slide bars held by grub screws and locking nuts respectively. It was a tinker to get apart but a dream to reassemble when it was all spotless.
They don’t make stuff like this anymore, the handle to can’t the fence over is just lovely.
I still have the rack and pinion, mounting plate and rear cutter guard to do but that shouldn’t take me long.
Without question the single best feature about this fence is the 90 and 45 degree machined stops. No messing about squares and bevels or knocking it out with a heavy lump of timber, this thing has machined mating surfaces for 90’and 45, it’s incredible.
Attachments
Vann
Established Member
Oh no, it's off a Wadkin RD surface planer
It won't work on your FM. Just send it to me, I can make good use of it.
Actually, it was first designed for the RD, but also used on RM planer/thicknessers, the last couple of batches of RB 9" surface planers, RZ surface planers, and of course your FM. There were a few minor changes in the design over the years - the most significant being the number of 'gates' increased from one to two early on.
Cheers, Vann.
It won't work on your FM. Just send it to me, I can make good use of it.
Actually, it was first designed for the RD, but also used on RM planer/thicknessers, the last couple of batches of RB 9" surface planers, RZ surface planers, and of course your FM. There were a few minor changes in the design over the years - the most significant being the number of 'gates' increased from one to two early on.
Those handles are cute. They are also used on other Wadkin machines such as the PK dimension saw. Because they screw in and out, they often go missing.
Cheers, Vann.
Cabinetman
Established Member
Good old fashioned no nonesense quality engineering, it’s a joy to see it so I can only think how much fun you’re going to have using it. "You’re a very lucky boy"
Didn't it come off the FM to begin with? Why wouldn't it work?
Or am I missing something?
J
Vann
Established Member
You're missing my sense of humour.
I'm pulling his leg - "Just send it to me". A very nice fence, I wish it was mine.
Cheers, Vann.
ScottyT
Established Member
I’d have to send it to you palletised I’m afraid
I was aware it was a pattern used from the RD and crossed over but didn’t know it was used for a few other machines. You have tons of knowledge on Wadkin. What Wadkin kit have you got Vann?
Scotty
Vann
Established Member
I was hoping you'd just stick a postage stamp in the top RH corner...I’d have to send it to you palletised I’m afraid
I have six Wadkins, tightly packed in a 2 car garage. From oldest to youngest:
LP 410 recessing and boring machine of 1925.
As purchased in 2017:
In 2020.
As originally built and as I hope to complete it:
RB 116 9" surface planer, of 1926.
As purchased in 2019:
In 2023:
CK 349 radial arm saw of 1936.
As purchased in 2017:
During reassembly in 2017 (I don't have a recent photo, but this has not been restored - I use it to cut wide panels and firewood):
PKA 800 dimension saw, of 1945.
As purchased in 2015 (my first Wadkin and my first 3-phase machine):
I don't have a decent current photo of this saw, but here it is in 2021 upon completion of overhaul of blade tilt mechanism:
I can't attach any more photos, so I'll do another post later.
Cheers, Vann.
Attachments
ScottyT
Established Member
That’s awesome Vann. A great collection. I was expecting you to have an RM if i am honest, not sure why……maybe a future purchase???
#NewZelandWadkinTemple
Fantastic collection @Vann, fantastic restauration work thus far.
If no one says it I will,
Thank you for restauring these wonderful pieces of history and helping to keep the blood lines alive
Not to mention for being a curator of the wadkin machine history...
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Vann
Established Member
In my 2 car garage... Nah.
I turned one down at $200 (~100UKP) about 5 years ago. They're just too big for me. I have a little Tanner thicknesser (a New Zealand brand) 12 1/2" x 5 1/2" capacity with 3hp 3-phase motor.
Cheers, Vann.
