wadkin PK restoration

[Racers]

Hi, Mark

I would fill them with epoxy, you can get some metal loaded stuff that would be a good colour match.

Pete

 

[Benchwayze]

You could always fit a sheet-aluminium false fence to cover it. Scrapyards maybe?
I agree though, epoxy is one way I might go. :idea:

 

[condeesteso]

That is looking very nice indeed, fine job. And given a Wadkin lasts for ever, worth the effort. One day the fence may get a face grind, but personally I'd bang an mdf face on for now.

 

[SammyQ]

Pictures two and three.....is that "Thing" giving you 'a hand'?


Sam

 

[dickm]

Hand scraping 3mm would be a labour of love! Basically, a metal scraper looks like a totally blunt chisel, with the end ground off to form a 3mm flat. It's used a bit like a paring chisel, but with the handle raised about 20 -30 degrees from the horizontal. Really only for final fitting or levelling of metal surfaces that are only a few tens of thou out.
In your case, grinding, or hiding the damage under a wooden sub-fence seem the most practical options.

 

[wallace]

Today I cleaned all the machined surfaces, obviously I dont use anything that will alter the surfaces. I then prepared all the other metal parts ready for pollishing by sanding all the little dints down to 360 grit.

I cleaned up the face of the fence and it came up prety well, its a shame about the damage. I think I will use some kind of liquid metal or epoxy.

Sam I sometimes wish thier were some more hands to help. I always manage but it just takes me longer to work out how to lift something heavy.

Mark

 

[adidat]

what about some quarter sawn cocobolo for a false fence to really give it the jack effect? :lol:

but its coming along great

adidat

 

[wallace]

I was thinking of useing a nice bit of timber, My budget doesn't go to cocobolo. I do have mahogany, ash, maple, oak, beech. A bit boreing but will have to do.

 

[SammyQ]

Mark, you can get an epoxy with metal particles or dust in it. "JB Weld" I think it's called. Its finished colouration is similar to the colour of your fence and would blend in the scratches. The other alternative, though this can look a bit 'bodged', is to copy what folks do to busted planes, a bit of braze or solder? Brazing normally finished brassy, but a careful choice of solder - not the electrical type - can colour match quite well.

Sam

 

[wallace]

Thanks Sam, I hadn't thought of brazing or solder. On the big section of table there is a casting fault which has been filled and machined with some kind of white metal.
mark

 

[wallace]

Heres the fence all cleaned up, came up quite well.

Did some polishing today, this lot took me 4 hrs

The saw came with half of the quadrant which is in very poor condition, I think it must have been left in a puddle for years because it is very pitted.

Mark

 

[dickm]

Having seen the fence polished up, why bother to fill the scores? To me, they are just honourable scars from providing service to the occasional cack-handed operator! My fear would be that any attempt to fill/braze or otherwise deal with them might make them more noticeable.

 

[wallace]

Hi ****, my only concern was that when cutting something the damage at the end of the fence might cause the piece to cut wrong. Do you think that might be an issue?
Mark

 

[J. Vibert]

My first post here in the ukworkshop, and I can think of no better way to use it then to say thanks Mark.

I very recently became the lucky owner of the PK myself, which is a pretty tough find in Canada, and during the weeks before I picked it up from the seller, I endlessly searched the internet looking for others who have taken on this project. I found your thread then, and just now have been linked back to it by Sam. So now that I'm registered I can openly thank you for providing something else other than Jack's PK to admire. I swear I've been to the end of the internet and back again, and you're the only other PK restoration I've been able to find.

I had the pleasure of stopping in on Jack during my return trip from picking up my PK (1400km round trip). He was kind enough to give me the Canadian Wadkin Temple tour, and even let me take a pass on his PK. I had seen the pics and watched the videos, but nothing compares to actually spinning a PK up and taking a rip.

Rest assured I'll be watching your progress from afar, and please don't leave out the little details.

Jarrett

 

[Benchwayze]

Wal,

The scars are part of the saw's faithful service yes, and maybe if they were not going to interfere with accuracy, I'd leave them. But otherwise the best idea might be some kind of false fence to make it flat, and use thus while you save up for a regrind.

Just my opine!

 

[Jamesc]

Wal,
But otherwise the best idea might be some kind of false fence to make it flat, and use thus while you save up for a regrind.

You don't realy need ti fence re-ground it would be better to fly cut it in a milling machine. Do you have anyone in your area that will skim cylinder heads. Essentially it is the same job. Another way may be a local college. Ours runs evening classes and for around £100 you get twelve evenings. with a little help in setting up you should be able to skim the fence in an evening. Think of all the other things you could do with the rest of the time

James

 

[Benchwayze]

Well James,

As I am not a metal-worker as such, what I meant was just getting the face trued up. But looking at some of the deep scars, it would need more than a 'skim' to make good.

Personally, if I could find a way of mounting the fence dead-level on a cross-slide, under an overhead router, I'd use that; just keep nibbling away with an appropriate cutter. Maybe leaving a 'machine-turned' finish? A sort of Faberge fence. Yep?

 

[tool613]

Mark
your doing an amazing job on the PK. As for your fence I would add wood for the through cut but because the fence plate is sliding why not just reshape the end of it by removing a bit of its length. Looks like a 1/2" is all that is needed to clean up the main damage. The cross section of the fence with its deep dovetail ways don't leave a lot to surface on the plate and I would be concerned that the plate would warp if to much material was removed by surface ground or mill. Cast is soft as metals go and you should be able to reshape the end with a hand held angle grinder and a drum sander for the blade curve. Don't let the cast get to hot and do not quench it in water to cool. The best way is to lay it on the cast table to suck the heat out slowly between hand grinding the end. Just my thoughts and not the only way but something you could do yourself. Keep up the great work its turning out to be a master piece.


jack
English machines

 

[dickm]

Can't see that those scars are going to interfere with use, PROVIDED they don't have ridges on either side of them. If they do, that could cause minor jamming, but the ridges would also be very easy to scrape out. Like others, I'd be very wary of any unnecessary severe milling/grinding/surfacing, because of the danger of the whole thing distorting, even with great care. Have a look at the worries about heavy fettling of plane soles in the hand tool forum!

 

[wallace]

Hi all, I am undecided as to what to do with the fence. Like Jack wrote I dont think grinding would be an option because of the deep rebates in the back. Heres a pic of the casting fault on the table, does anyone know what it is and how its done. Is it silver solder?

I added some wood to the edges, I think its wenge

And then did some spraying

Jarret welcome to the forum. What kind of condition is your PK in. Does it have the quadrant and protractor.

Mark