Wadkin LP restoration

UKworkshop.co.uk

Help Support UKworkshop.co.uk:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

wallace

Established Member
Joined
13 Feb 2011
Messages
2,130
Reaction score
246
Location
county durham
Its been a whole 24hrs since I finished my last machine and I was getting twitchy fingers. So I decided to start another. I need this one to complete the PK so its a good excuse.
Ive had this for about 4 years but it worked when I got it so it got pushed to the back of the que.
This machine was built in 1934 and is a very versatile thing. It can drill, mill, trench and is pretty much a poor mans pattern miller. Wadkins original mechanical wood worker used quite a bit of the same tooling range as the LP.
I had a couple of hrs spare so got cracking.

dy5XzQi.jpg


I did have a bit of a clenchy bum moment whilst dragging it about, I'd re rigged the rope so it was pulling from the bottom and was slowly dragging it up a little step when It started to tip really slowly. Luckily I ran over and grabbed it.

AVHuyDV.jpg


aaJO3qj.jpg


bhjOz7u.jpg


The keen eyed amongst you will notice it has some similarities to the LQ recessor. The LP is its older brother.

NjHZJoM.jpg


e7VGkAW.jpg


A DC machine

Pyl5XVS.jpg


Some ones been bodging a bit.

UBJxHYA.jpg


8TRg1cA.jpg


It looks like some one has drilled through the table and into the gear

XVF8zMP.jpg


That's as far as the handle will take the column and its stuck, I know if I could rotate it would come out easily. Problem is it has a rack on the other side which you cant get off.

EwxnVpQ.jpg


That's in pretty good condition considering its 85 years old

z0oG5Y8.jpg
 
So you're just going to sneak in a quick restoration before Christmas? No one will notice? You could give it up any time you want, probably.

I'm wondering if you need an intervention...
 
Horn handles. Dull gears. Tired looking wheels. A non-standard part bodged in behind the table over the frame. Knackered paint job. Lots of signage/ notices. Perfect........I can picture it already.

I've a big floor standing cast iron pillar drill occupying much the same space as this Wadkin. I've often thought that it doesn't give me much capability for the floor area it occupies, albeit it's great at the one job it does. I'd love a multi-purpose thing like this one you're about to tackle.

Do you have a sand blasting cabinet, Wallace? Because I can see how you'd get plenty of use from one.
 
Trainee neophyte":1b862c2x said:
So you're just going to sneak in a quick restoration before Christmas? No one will notice? You could give it up any time you want, probably.

I'm wondering if you need an intervention...

I've been looking forward to this one for ages, its nice to do a machine for myself. I was thinking I should set up a WA group wadkin anonymous, to discuss my problem.

Mike I plan on putting a vfd on this to make it more versatile also adding a collet chuck for router cutters. I even bought a nice rotary table to play with.
I don't have a blast cabinet everything is done by hand, it would be nice to have one.
 
I'll have to pick one of these little millers up one day, they seem very versatile for about the same money and same footprint as a decent-sized pillar drill. Being powerful enough to run cutter blocks would be very handy for certain jobs I imagine, there are jobs I do on the spindle that would make most people squeam due to the small sizes of workpieces and finger to cutter distance that would be an absolute dawdle in this and a jig with absolutely no risk to fingers!
 
MikeG.":2dp3izxt said:
Horn handles...
Horn handles :shock: :?: :evil:

e7VGkAW.jpg


I got shafted. Mine (an earlier model dating to 1925) has either steel handles...

LP handwheel.jpg


...or no handles.

LP handwheels.jpg


Good to see you get started on that. And envious that you'll, no doubt, finish yours before I finish mine.

Cheers, Vann.
 

Attachments

  • e7VGkAW.jpg
    e7VGkAW.jpg
    100 KB · Views: 584
  • LP handwheel.jpg
    LP handwheel.jpg
    1 MB · Views: 652
  • LP handwheels.jpg
    LP handwheels.jpg
    1.4 MB · Views: 583
wallace":26fcgshd said:
Trainee neophyte":26fcgshd said:
So you're just going to sneak in a quick restoration before Christmas? No one will notice? You could give it up any time you want, probably.

I'm wondering if you need an intervention...

I've been looking forward to this one for ages, its nice to do a machine for myself. I was thinking I should set up a WA group wadkin anonymous, to discuss my problem.

Mike I plan on putting a vfd on this to make it more versatile also adding a collet chuck for router cutters. I even bought a nice rotary table to play with.
I don't have a blast cabinet everything is done by hand, it would be nice to have one.
I'm just jealous - don't mind me. Not only do I not have the skills, or the equipment to do what you do, I also don't have a second-hand market of 100 year old scrap machinery to resuscitate. If only.

What you do is a labour of love - can't possibly be an addiction.

"My name is Wallace, and I haven't held a spanner for 11 days" (round of applause from the group).
 
The column finally succumbed to a bit of wood and big hammer.

YlpTJ54.jpg


xgNMCdf.jpg


The machine that replaced this the LQ had a spring to lift the quill up and return the foot pedal.
This one has a big ol chunk of solid steel, which was fun to get out because someone had put a split pin in a place that could not be gotten to, so I had to unscrew the big lump off a threaded lug.

ZjeV7h7.jpg


There were two tapered pins holding the foot pedal on its shaft which were stuck solid, so I had to drill them out.

s0uOP4g.jpg


The top pulley that drives the quill was a bit of a headscratcher to work out how it came off.

sOSfzwv.jpg


Its screwed in place from underneath and theres a little hole in the main casting to put a screwdriver through.

N1UcVbq.jpg


It has two self aligning bearings at the top

aZyk8NY.jpg


made in Sweden

2ysAZtZ.jpg


I started taking the dodgy blue paint off, I was hoping their would be enough original paint to leave it in its working clothes so to speak but there was lots missing

CneVnWO.jpg


opRFaXA.jpg


Of4t5Ig.jpg
 
I spent about 4 days filling a priming. Still a bit more to do

yI3JWBu.jpg


VsY2OEG.jpg


Cddwxog.jpg


Im going to do a final polish after I've painted. Because you cant put any rust prevention on because you need to mask the handle, I've found the polished surface will rust underneath the masking tape

UHpTFFP.jpg


f7VTCUn.jpg
 
A bit more done, got the top coat on the main casting

s5yeZ5f.jpg


3OSX8nP.jpg


Its a pretty clever method of controlling the x y movements of the table via the two handwheels. A shaft runs inside and engages a bronze nut.

N4ykazM.jpg


I think I will be leaving this handwheel in place, its got a bronze bushing the full length and I don't fancy damaging it.

Nixswru.jpg


A bit bodge work

J005fD2.jpg


The whole table rotates

ijlB4Gw.jpg


IJWnETW.jpg


MYwAuxv.jpg
 
A bit more done

98o4AWd.jpg


Its nice to have an original fence for this

tZtDns4.jpg


QqjPBrY.jpg


X6jjdhP.jpg


I got the spindle to bits,

kYMvZiE.jpg


qQ088QN.jpg


The casting work is such good quality

7yD7Msg.jpg


A big table of parts ready to prime

L3QZttU.jpg


Etch primer followed by filler primer

zbO0L7c.jpg


Q4XT8k5.jpg


JJiaVJe.jpg


The column the table sits on

kQWJhpb.jpg


JILSsob.jpg


Theres nothing more relaxing than cleaning rusty nuts and bolts

QlItdIL.jpg


pP2foW5.jpg


rHZZZu0.jpg


ADMmJSk.jpg


iI5ky7x.jpg


HFxZHm6.jpg
 
More done
The table has some adjustable stops, this one had a broken stud in it. I drilled it and tried a stud extractor. Snapped the extractor.

m8dBBU8.jpg


So then I welded on a nut to try and unscrew it with no success

WMK3fr0.jpg


In the end I just bashed it sideways with a hammer .

The table has been in wars over the past 8O years, someone drilled all the way though into the ways

pKRxUOz.jpg


4pQ5XBM.jpg


Xn78IeF.jpg


I might have a secondary top fixed on

nSLkuWa.jpg


Chucked some pillar box red about

L0CHiEI.jpg


EbITppN.jpg


This counter weight is seriously heavy

urR2HXg.jpg


dczPrv4.jpg


Stripped the motor of old paint

HjkoFWv.jpg


sTmSJLa.jpg


xXwqPPC.jpg


nB1HRPX.jpg


dczPrv4.jpg
 
I've just about finished assembling but I'll save pics for the big reveal.
This is how I do the tags, just clean then spray then wrap sand paper around a block and sand. The thin tin tags are a lot more fiddly because the raised portion is so slight.

tpKzX5Q.jpg


TaHgkcC.jpg


The original starter box is perfect to hold a vfd. I'm going to keep the innards.

EJ9W5lE.jpg


LFybiD5.jpg


I really like original conduit, its such good quality and always cleans up nice

VpOvQ2e.jpg


UJ1PzSC.jpg


I5qboXd.jpg


I found this work light in my junk stash which should clean up

8e72q2T.jpg


GElwaRL.jpg
 
Brilliant, as always. And such good timing - you'll be free to pop over to Cumbria and get your new manual mortiser!
 

Latest posts

Back
Top