Wadkin MA morticer restoration

[wallace]

I've been pretty busy doing lathes this year, I've done 4 but since I already did a thread on one I thought it pointless to do another thread. I'm now doing an morticer which I've never done before so looking forward to it.

I bought this about 3 years ago thinking it might have some good parts to salvage, but instead I'm going to try and resurrect it. Before I got it it had spent some time outside and since in my possession its sat out side smothered in waxoyle and covered with a tarp.

This one dates from 1946 which I think is wadkins wonder years

I really like using waxoyle to preserve metal, it works its way into everything and helps loosen stuff

I just love the way bolts that are 72 years old come out looking like this

My first balls up

They made proper insulating tape back in the day, the brass screws in is connector look new

That motor and chain head are pretty heavy

 

[wallace]

Abit more done, I started disassembling the motor which is always a challenge when I haven't done one of these before so a little heat a tap their.

The MA has a little flat belt pulley on the back of the motor which is used for the chain sharpener.

I think someone made a cockup so covered it with the motor tag

7hrs later and we have a bare main casting and boxes of bits

This is the couterweight which must weigh 20 stone, I had to lift the whole machine up and take this out of the bottom.

 

[memzey]

That is one impressive hunk of iron Mark. Did the rest of the chain sharpening gubbins come with it?

 

[wallace]

No unfortunately not, just the remnants of snapped bracket bolted to the main casting. Its also missing its chisel head which converts it from a chain morticer to a chisel. Those are like rocky horse poo to find.

 

[fiveeyes]

Seriously big iron!! Looking forward to this, wallace.

 

[wallace]

One thing about smearing the machine with waxoyle is it has done a fantastic job of protecting it but its a pig to remove. I maybe need a diesel pressure washer.

Its just a matter of working my way through boxes of bits cleaning now.

Me thinks this chain bar is toast.

I was extremely lucky to comes across part of the chain sharpener attachment

And even more lucky to find the chisel head assembly, these things are seriously hard to fine by themselves.

I also picked up this rotary table which I plan on using on my recessor.

 

[wallace]

A tad more done, you don't really realise how much time it takes to do this stuff. It took 3 hrs to clean up the handwheel

The front safety guard has been damaged repaired and damaged again

There is a peice of casting missing so not sure how to go about a fix. It still has its bushing so maybe I could braze the bushing to the casting.

 

[SteveF]

just love these restorations
looks like you have a fair bit of repair work with this one

Steve

 

[Glynne]

just love these restorations
looks like you have a fair bit of repair work with this one

Steve

+1
Whilst I like to think that my woodworking knowledge is good, my overall DIY (plumbing, electrics, decorating etc.) is OK, reading your restoration posts makes me realise my engineering/ metalworking is non- existent.
Love the posts though and even “basic” things like restoring handwheels is just amazing to follow. Thank you for posting.

 

[AJB Temple]

Wallace

Your work is simply inspirational. Love it.

AJ

 

[wallace]

Thanks chaps, I think a lot of woodworking skills are transferrable to machines. I hope that putting these restos on here might inspire someone to save a lump of old iron from the scrapper. Plus its a cheap way of getting the best machines built

 

[deema]

That’s a horrid brake to fix. I think that I would be inclined to weld it initially and then mill a slot and insert a piece of steel that I would then either through bolt or blind hole bolt each option with tapped holes in the casting. I would then Weld that into place as well, grind off flush and no one will be the wiser. A crude form a casting stitching.

 

[wallace]

I was toying with the idea of adding a 'splint'. Whenever I weld cast I like to drill and tap and bolt together

 

[yetloh]

Inspirational stuff, as usual, Mark. I'm a bit too old and feeble for this sort of stuff but you're absolutely right about the unrivalled quality. I visit the Edward Barnsley Workshop https://www.barnsley-furniture.co.uk/ fairly regularly and it is interesting to see their machine shop. It's packed with top quality modern machinery eg huge Altendorf sliding saw but the interesting thing is they have kept their Wadkin planer with what must be 6ft tables. It has a lovely patina but is very obviously well loved and cared for.

Jim

 

[wallace]

Thanks Jim, I think some of wadkins machines were unsurpassed especially the pattern makers range. I believe if it wasn't for blood sucking share holders and directors wanting to fly around on private planes wadkin would have survived.
I came across a list of cars which were given to share holders as a perk. It ranges from an escort to a Granada scorpio to a chefeur driven car for a directors wife.

 

[wallace]

A bit more done. The starter on this looked a bit worse for ware.

After a bit of a clean it doesn't look too bad. if it dosent work I found another in my stash

The chisel head was a bit fun to take to bits, whoever made the gear for the top made it an interference fit for some reason. It took a puller, a load of heat and a hammer on the end of the puller.

Some nice bronze caged double row bearings as you'd expect.

The lever is quite a lump of steel.

A little heat and some stilsons got it moving

How much force do you think would be needed to bend a 11/2" bar

Everything is pretty much disasembled and derusted so I started on the main casting.

A bit of work with the dremmel to clean out the casting gunk

Then starting with a bit bodge, I quite like using liquid metal body filler. Its harder than car stuff and you dont get those horrible pin holes.

 

[Trevanion]

How much force do you think would be needed to bend a 11/2" bar

How the hell do you even bent a bar like that? I assume it must've been dropped on its side or something at some point in its life.

We had an MA in college, wonderful machine to use.

 

[wallace]

The bend in the bar corresponds to the way it is pulled to operate. I've got a big whitehead morticer also which has a bent bar. I wonder if prolonged use for 50 years can bend it

 

[Harbo]

Perhaps an 18stone machinist hanging from it ?

Rod

 

[Fitzroy]

For a 38mm diameter steel bar, depending on handle length.

2’ = 52st
3’ = 35st
4’ = 26st
5’ = 21st
6’ = 18st

F.