# Robinson lathe



## Harrison85 (29 Apr 2012)

Hi, I've recently acquired a Robinson lathe and I was hoping someone might tell me a little more about it; as I can find any info on it what so ever!

Now it appears to be identical to the RS, it's 9ft long with a gap bed as well as a rack and pinion. The spindle has a 1 3/8 6tpi thread same as the RS.

The tailstock seems to be of heavier construction with the quill extending over 9in!! I've looked for hours to find abit more about this lathe, when it was made etc, but have nothing.

It has a 2 step pulley linked to an 8 speed gearbox, planning on converting it to a 3hp 1ph with variable speed.

On the plate at the back I think the Ref no is D7 but cant quite make it out and there is no plate on the motor! There is also a Test No. on the end of the bed. 40/432

Here are some pics:


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## woodyturner (29 Apr 2012)

It looks very much like the Wadkin lathe is this the company you are looking for http://search.yahoo.com/r/_ylt=A0oG7iUa ... %3fid=2685


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## Tony Spear (29 Apr 2012)

The plate shown in your last photograph clearly shows the motor data.

It also says "Manufactured specially for Thomas Robinson & Son,
by Brook Motors Ltd".

It's highly unlikely that Brooks made the entire machine as a sub-contractor, so regardless of wherever the plate is mounted, it's actually the motor plate!


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## Harrison85 (29 Apr 2012)

Yes I have a little knowledge of the company, but can't find the lathe in any past catalogues.

(I now see that it is the motor plate thanks Tony!)


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## boysie39 (29 Apr 2012)

WOW , thats some piece of machinery you have there, you wont have any trouble with it dancing round the workshop when your turning pens . =P~ =P~ 
Any idea of the weight :?: Good luck with it and a great buy =D>

PS welcome by the way.


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## Harrison85 (29 Apr 2012)

Hi boysie and thanks, I can only use the RS as a comparison so I would say 700kgs. Was a nervous day moving her in!


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## wallace (30 Apr 2012)

The tailstock is a similar design but doesn't have the height capacity of an RS heres mine






It looks to be of similar age to a wadkin, Brooks made motors for lots of wood working machinery. My RS has a 1.5hp brooks.


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## Harrison85 (1 May 2012)

Is the headstock spindle on your RS solid Wallace? If so how do you remove the drive?


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## boysie39 (1 May 2012)

The pictures shown of the two lathes have had to taken in the two cleanest workshops I have ever seen , :lol: :lol: 
How do you do it . =D> 

They both look to be super lathes by the way ,


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## wallace (1 May 2012)

The headstock spindle is solid on the outboard side and hollow on the inboard side for the insertion of 2 morse tapered centres. To remove the an insert I just put the pin in to stop the spindle turning and use stilsons to twist and it soon pops out. Boysie the only reason its nice and tidy is because I had just finished restoring the lathe and it hadn't been used. It is alot differant now, filled with wood another lathe a planer and lots of dust. I dont use any extraction in this shed because I think its a waste of time with a lathe. This place gets used for all of the really dusty work. I have a pumped in air supply.
Mark


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## wallace (1 May 2012)

Boysie heres a pic of my messy shed, I have my little jubilee on the left. and lots of lumps of wood.







Harrison, apoligies for the hijack. I really like your lathe. You said it has eight speeds, how does it work. The RS has only four speeds by flat belt.


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## Harrison85 (1 May 2012)

No worries wallace, it's great to see others' workspace!

Finished decorating and put a chipboard floor down before the machines came just after new year. Still got loads to do...need some decent power coming in for a start.

Plan on running some 3ph plant through a convertor, hope to get one from transwave, probably a rotary and link them to a distribution board. Anyone got any advise?


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## wallace (2 May 2012)

Hi, You have a nice space their. My lathe shed is an old cedar greenhouse covered in ply. If you need advice with regard to power supply bob9fingers is your man, he has a sticky which makes good reading. I have a few 3 phase bits of old iron which I run from a 7.5kw static converter, it runs my 5hp sagar bench ok. The only thing that gets on my nerves is haveing to unplug stuff.  I was really lucky when I built my workshop because a local houseing company needed a temporary supply to feed their show home and they took a supply directly from my incomeing supply with its own fuse box, all buried in my garden. When they got a dedicated supply I was building my main workshop so I could use that to feed my workshop.


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## Harrison85 (2 May 2012)

How are you running your RS wallace? I still have the old motor from my Robinson but feel 1.5hp might be a bit small for turning large diameters.
Does running through 3PH give more torque? Why did such big lathes have motors of that size?
Dan.


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## Richard Findley (2 May 2012)

Hi Harrison

A lovely looking lathe you've got there!

Mine is a Wadkin RS8:






Most seem to only have 4 speeds but I am lucky to have an 8 speed version. This works with a 4 step pulley and a 2 speed motor. I'd be interested to hear how yours works through a gearbox?

There was recently a Sagar lathe which Blister spotted on ebay which also looked similar but I've never seen either the Sagar or your lathe before. There is still a few RS's about though. Fantastic lathes if you have space for them.

Like Wallace, I just use grips to remove centres. They are starting to look a little scruffy now, one day I might take them to a local engineer and have some spanner flats machined onto them.

Cheers

Richard


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## Richard Findley (2 May 2012)

Found it!! Here's the link to the Sagar that I mentioned:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/320825014379?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

The sale has ended now so you have to scroll down.

Cheers

Richard


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## CHJ (2 May 2012)

Richard Findley":1764xxkl said:


> .....Like Wallace, I just use grips to remove centres. They are starting to look a little scruffy now, one day I might take them to a local engineer and have some spanner flats machined onto them.
> ...



Pity you can't get a so called 'thread protector' to fit your spindle nose, it could then be used to jack out the morse taper centres.


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## Harrison85 (2 May 2012)

Hi Richard, the lathe has a two step pulley mounted to the motor (removed) with a belt linked to a another pulley mounted to the back of a gearbox. The ratio can be changed by lifting a leaver and engaging into a notch on the yellow plate. There is also a pulley to the front of the gear box which is linked to another pulley on the shaft by means of a leather belt attached with rivets (that's a total of 4 pulleys!) Now I am still trying to understand the exact mechanism inside the box, but it must either speed up or slow the motor down as all the pulleys are linked to the shaft. Help on this matter please! Here are some pics:


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## Tony Spear (3 May 2012)

CHJ":qcncexbx said:


> Richard Findley":qcncexbx said:
> 
> 
> > .....Like Wallace, I just use grips to remove centres. They are starting to look a little scruffy now, one day I might take them to a local engineer and have some spanner flats machined onto them.
> ...



Don't it seem strange that somebody should go to all that time and trouble to design and make a piece of kit like that and then leave the user to fart around with Stillsons to get the centres out?

I suppose to do it the conventional way with a slot through the spindle to allow a wedge to be driven through behind the end of the taper would need too much spindle overhang?


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## wallace (3 May 2012)

Mine has the original motor through a static converter which I think reduces the power compared to a proper 3 phase supply. Rotary converters are better. I have turned some quite big trunks and haven't noticed any lack in power. These old motors are really big compared to modern versions which I think helps. I have yet to do any really big diameter work, my lathe came with a 4 foot face plate for outboard use :shock: 
Mark


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## Harrison85 (3 May 2012)

If you plan on turning something that big Mark can you take some pics please!

Dan


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## wallace (4 May 2012)

Hi Dan yes will do. I will have to find a way to add a portable on/off switch because mine is fixed.
Are you planning on restoreing yours? I see it has the original colour inside, and then the usual covering of hammerite.
Mark


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## Harrison85 (4 May 2012)

Yes I plan on getting a new 3HP motor and variable speed inverter with remote. There needs a bit of work doing to it...firstly (and I knew this before I bought it) the spindle shaft is bent! How this could of been done doesn't bare thinking about...but I'm going to play it to my advantage!! I plan on having a new spindle made with a more up-todate thread (not holding back and going for the stronghold!!) M33 3.5 which will also make faceplates easy to get. Hope to have a M12 hole bored through the center for a knock-out bar and a nice large handwheel made lefthand for the outboard side to rotate the workpiece and finally the arm to change gear needs re-welding (not a big job). Got a price for the spindle - £250.. so I'm going to have to save up the pennies and maybe give up Hobgoblin (might be difficult!) I think it will be worth it as this baby is a keeper. Will leave the colour as it is as it looks quite nice. How long have you the RS for? How did you transport it?


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## wallace (4 May 2012)

I've had the RS for about 18months. It spent 6months outside untill I had surgery on my elbows and then I had to convert my old greenhouse to put it into. Then I spent a few months restoreing it. Me and a friend drove 400miles roundtrip to collect it in his van. It was quite a task unloading it egyption styly, just levers and sliding it on oiled sleepers.
Mark


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## Harrison85 (5 May 2012)

Sounds like a right mission - I would have been terrified of cracking the casting!! The Robinson came out of the place I work, hired a Hiab and used slings to lift her up. Because a chipboard floor was put down in the garage prior, it slid across the floor with 4 of us pushing it.


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## peteinwelland (5 May 2012)

Tony Spear":2xytujxm said:


> Don't it seem strange that somebody should go to all that time and trouble to design and make a piece of kit like that and then leave the user to fart around with Stillsons to get the centres out?
> 
> I suppose to do it the conventional way with a slot through the spindle to allow a wedge to be driven through behind the end of the taper would need too much spindle overhang?


There's also the proper tool  Looks like a wedge with a slot cut in the middle the same width as the morse taper diameter. Put wedge between spindle nose and back of spur drive and tap the thick end with a small hammer, and out it pops. Easy peasy


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## CHJ (5 May 2012)

For machines that don't have a hollow spindle I've always used a thread protector to jack taper fittings out.
But I gues the problem would be getting one with the correct spindle thread for older machines.


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## Richard Findley (7 May 2012)

Tony Spear":7jae18il said:


> CHJ":7jae18il said:
> 
> 
> > Richard Findley":7jae18il said:
> ...




The thing to remember is the time period these machines were made. There were very few suppliers of things like centres, chucks etc. You would have bought them from the machine manufacturer, in this case Wadkin. If you look at the brochure for the Wadkin RS: http://www.turnersworkshop.co.uk/WadkinRSBrochure.pdf you will see all centres have spanner flats machined into them. I guess the centres were long lost by the time my RS was delivered to me, although I do have an original running centre, but I prefered my Mulistar one.

Cheers

Richard


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## Retire2004 (7 May 2012)

Hi Dan, just picked up this thread on return from B/H break. Going back to your original queries this lathe would have been made by Thomas Robinson and sons, Rochdale. Just wondering if the Test No. might refer to 1940 (432nd machine produced that year!?). As you say there is not much info. about these lathes. Robinson also made a whole range of other woodworking equipment. Suggest you 'Google ' Scott and Sargeant, they handle used Robinson equipment and supply copies of user manuals but don't have any Lathe ones at the moment. I'm sure someone there will know quite a lot about this lathe.
Kind regards, Tudor


"Do the right things, don't just do things right!


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## Harrison85 (9 May 2012)

Ah, thanks Tudor, that does make sense. As the plate is missing I have no machine ref. number but will def. try Scott and Sargent. Talking about machine numbers, would this Wadkin NL be made in 1935? Is that how the date can be told from a machine? If any one has any info. on this I would be most grateful to hear. 

All the best, 

Dan.


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## Harrison85 (3 Aug 2012)

So here is an update on the lathe, I have my new motor and inverter from transwave and installed it using cable channel to get the offset I need for the different footprint. The motor was installed and had the inverter working to test out the gearbox, which was a little noisy. I put gearbox oil in the box about 1/4 full, but when changing gears oil was leaking out over the motor! 

When I had the lathe, the gear stick had been bent, which probably damaged the box.After much thinking, I decided to remove the gearbox and run the spindle straight from the motor, which would be quieter and with the variable speed should still get the range, as long as the pulley is the same diameter as the one on the shaft. 

I thought some of you would be interested in seeing the gearbox, it was quite difficult to get a good shot inside. It was quite easy to remove, making sure to block it up so that it didn't drop!

Just waiting for the shaft from the engineering firm, a couple of belts and should be ready to turn. Can't wait.

Dan.


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## Harrison85 (3 Aug 2012)

Here is a pic of the box out of the lathe


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## 12345Peter (3 Aug 2012)

Hi Dan, it's nice to see it coming along, will you try to sort out the gearbox or not bother because the inverter will cope with the range?

I still can't get over my reaction seeing a lathe that size for the first time. Hope it all comes together soon for you.

Regards
Peter


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## Harrison85 (4 Aug 2012)

Hi Peter, think I will just run off the motor. I can adjust the torque from the inverter and have been told it can achieve high torque a low speed, which is the reason for going down a step on the pulley anyway. The motor is mounted on a hinge, so will let the weight of it keep the belt in tension. There is as twin groove pulley on the shaft, so will probably to for a twin 4in. taper lock for the motor.

How is the grad going, did you find replacement screw nipple cup caps for it after? Hope all's well

Dan


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## 12345Peter (6 Aug 2012)

Hi Dan, I am not sure if the inverter is the same as mine on the grad, but I am amazed it is so adjustable and programmable, I am over the moon with it. I hope you get the shaft back soon and can start turning.

I phoned the company near Manchester (forgotten the name) and he said he could send me a pair for a fiver which was great, but I haven't got round to it yet. He did say that it wasn't necessary as too much grease could cause problems, I was bit stunned at that, do you have any thoughts about it?

regards
Peter


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## Harrison85 (6 Aug 2012)

The grease cups just need to be turned every month or so just to keep things moving freely. Not sure if a problem would occur due to too much grease though?

There a literally hundreds of parameters on the inverter, if you want turn something big (I turned a 2ft table top) you will need to increase to deceleration time as it will trip the inverter. I'm having an alarm reading on mine saying overvoltage on running and deceleration, can't figure out why - will reboot it to factory default and try again. If that doesn't work the supply voltage will need to be measured and failing that will have to contact IMO. Hope it's just something simple.


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