Wadkin LP restoration

[wallace]

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.

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.

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

A DC machine

Some ones been bodging a bit.

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

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.

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

 

[Trainee neophyte]

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...

 

[MikeG.]

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.

 

[wallace]

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.

 

[AJB Temple]

I am jealous of your skills Wallace. And I admire your drive and attention to detail. Just saying.

 

[Trevanion]

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!

 

[Vann]

Horn handles...

Horn handles :shock: :?: :evil:

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

...or no handles.

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

Cheers, Vann.

 

[Trainee neophyte]

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).

 

[wallace]

The column finally succumbed to a bit of wood and big hammer.

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.

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

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

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

It has two self aligning bearings at the top

made in Sweden

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

 

[wallace]

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

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

 

[wallace]

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

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.

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.

A bit bodge work

The whole table rotates

 

[wallace]

A bit more done

Its nice to have an original fence for this

I got the spindle to bits,

The casting work is such good quality

A big table of parts ready to prime

Etch primer followed by filler primer

The column the table sits on

Theres nothing more relaxing than cleaning rusty nuts and bolts

 

[AJB Temple]

Quality work. Top notch.

 

[wallace]

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.

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

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

I might have a secondary top fixed on

Chucked some pillar box red about

This counter weight is seriously heavy

Stripped the motor of old paint

 

[memzey]

Wow. Already wow and it isn’t even finished yet!

 

[wallace]

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.

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

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

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

 

[Vann]

Looking forward to the "big reveal" .

Cheers, Vann.

 

[wallace]

Ta da,
I bought a cheapy vfd and it works really well.

 

[MikeG.]

Oh my, isn't that pretty! I've not much of a clue what it does, but it looks an absolute picture.

 

[AndyT]

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