ScottyT
Established Member
I have got around to getting some photos of my glorious Wadkin FM 24” Planer before I strip it and rebuild it.
I have recently finished my Robinson ET/E dimension saw, and the Wadkin is next up. My working circumstances are due to change in the not too distant future, and very sadly I will no longer be employed as a bench joiner and will be going it alone instead.
I have nearly got my workshop sorted, I’ve been picking up all sorts over the last 5 years in the knowledge ‘the day’ would come, and the FM will be right at the heart of the workshop.
Unlike the ET/E, this will be getting a full nut and bolt strip down by myself and built back up to the best of my ability. It’s taken a while to get hold of one, but I got it in the end.
It’s a real beauty, circa late 50’s/early 60’s I think, 27” top tables, and capable of 24” width underneath by 9” deep. Our Bursgreen UOS is an 18x9 and says yes to anything, so I’m excited to get into this one.
I’ve removed the bridge guard and bearing cap in the above shot, it’s pretty much complete and is braked for 10 seconds. I’m hoping I can get the brake in the guts of the machine but I’ll have to see on that.
24” capacity under here, lovely for the bigger stuff that occasionally comes my way.
Drive side with the 3 speed gearbox for the feeds, 25 35 and 45 ft. per minute I think. It’s uses a brooks 7.5hp motor to run the block and the feed in unison. I think the RM (predating this) had one for the feed and one for the block? The motors running outboard on the RM, with this one having one motor tucked in on the left hand side of the infeed table! Fundamentally the same machine, this one will also take moulding cutters in the block for T&G and the like.
An awful start/stop switch fitted, I’ll see what I can find to replace this, and the rise and fall wheel has taken a real pasting and been repaired agri style.
All in all though it’s in super shape, it all works and was in use until very recently. The infeed table stabiliser roller has been replaced at some point, but it all lines through and is for for purpose. The fibreglass rear cover is in great nik too, all original with no repairs or damage.
The fence weighs some, but it’s so well engineered just a tweak on the wheel effortlessly moves it in and out. I’m looking forward to this one.
It’s obviously an imperial machine, whitworth will be used heavily throughout no doubt but I’ll get into that soon.
This will be a drawn out thread, I’ll post up progress as and when i can get at it.
Scotty
I have recently finished my Robinson ET/E dimension saw, and the Wadkin is next up. My working circumstances are due to change in the not too distant future, and very sadly I will no longer be employed as a bench joiner and will be going it alone instead.
I have nearly got my workshop sorted, I’ve been picking up all sorts over the last 5 years in the knowledge ‘the day’ would come, and the FM will be right at the heart of the workshop.
Unlike the ET/E, this will be getting a full nut and bolt strip down by myself and built back up to the best of my ability. It’s taken a while to get hold of one, but I got it in the end.
It’s a real beauty, circa late 50’s/early 60’s I think, 27” top tables, and capable of 24” width underneath by 9” deep. Our Bursgreen UOS is an 18x9 and says yes to anything, so I’m excited to get into this one.
I’ve removed the bridge guard and bearing cap in the above shot, it’s pretty much complete and is braked for 10 seconds. I’m hoping I can get the brake in the guts of the machine but I’ll have to see on that.
24” capacity under here, lovely for the bigger stuff that occasionally comes my way.
Drive side with the 3 speed gearbox for the feeds, 25 35 and 45 ft. per minute I think. It’s uses a brooks 7.5hp motor to run the block and the feed in unison. I think the RM (predating this) had one for the feed and one for the block? The motors running outboard on the RM, with this one having one motor tucked in on the left hand side of the infeed table! Fundamentally the same machine, this one will also take moulding cutters in the block for T&G and the like.
An awful start/stop switch fitted, I’ll see what I can find to replace this, and the rise and fall wheel has taken a real pasting and been repaired agri style.
All in all though it’s in super shape, it all works and was in use until very recently. The infeed table stabiliser roller has been replaced at some point, but it all lines through and is for for purpose. The fibreglass rear cover is in great nik too, all original with no repairs or damage.
The fence weighs some, but it’s so well engineered just a tweak on the wheel effortlessly moves it in and out. I’m looking forward to this one.
It’s obviously an imperial machine, whitworth will be used heavily throughout no doubt but I’ll get into that soon.
This will be a drawn out thread, I’ll post up progress as and when i can get at it.
Scotty
