Wadkin Planer/Jointer restoration project

[Karl]

Hi all

Dan Tovey kindly (?) put me in contact with a chap who wanted to get rid of this little "beauty"

:shock:

Well, where to start ??????

As you can see, there is a lot of rust, which seems to be mainly surface rust. It is fully cast iron and weighs an absolute ton. It took 3 of us to get it in the back of my people carrier (!) - and I then had to fathom a way of getting it out again without either damaging the machine, the car or my feet! :lol:

It is 3 phase, converted to single phase. 6" blades on a 3 knife cutterblock. I don't even know if the motor is working (although apparently it used to!). The cutter guard is missing, as well as the knurled wheel used to adjust the outfeed table.

Anyway, I have never attempted anything like this before. Does anybody know of a good source of info on restoring machines like these?

Hope somebody out there can help.

Cheers

Karl

 

[wizer]

Brave man! Looking forward to seeing the story unfold. Your first stop should probably be Scrit.

 

[ginsters]

oh,the memoreys this brings back still remember the first time i used it(scared the hell out of me) :lol:

 

[9fingers]

Lots of elbow grease should sort out the tables.
If you have any pitting on smaller detachable parts you could try electrolytic rust removal (google for details) It works well. It does not put metal back but does get rid of rust ready for filling and paint.

Bearings could well be imperial sizes. These are still available. One supplier I have had good service from is arc euro trade.

Good luck

Bob

 

[Blister]

silly question time

why do they call them jointers , when it looks like a plainer ? :?

 

[9fingers]

Merkins call them jointers as it helps remind them what jobs they are used for.
We call them planers cos it took less effort naming the first one made.

Is that plain?

Bob :lol: :lol:

 

[Karl]

It's ALIVE !!!!! (he says in a Dr Frankenstein voice.....)

Slapped a 3 pin plug on the cable, plugged it in, and cutter block spins. But not very fast. HHhhhmmmm. .......

Another problem - no switch on the machine to turn the thing on or off.......

Cheers

Karl

 

[Blister]

Merkins call them jointers as it helps remind them what jobs they are used for.
We call them planers cos it took less effort naming the first one made.

Is that plain?

Bob :lol: :lol:

So it is a plainer and not a jointer ?

clear as mud , just typed this on my printer / keyboard :lol:

 

[9fingers]

It is a planer to some and a jointer to others largely depending on which side of the Atlantic you live.
But no way is it a plainer- ever to anyone!

Bob

 

[bjm]

I thought a 'jointer' differed from a 'surface planer' in terms of the former's ability to cut joints such as tenons - the reason for the short side extension on the infeed table (such as you see on this model) and the greater depth of cut. The Wadkin above doesn't have that so I would say it was a surface planer, not a jointer.

I don't think I'm going to try this but hereis the sort of thing you can do with a jointer that you cannot do with a surface planer. I'm not sure this is still advisable today given there are safer methods of producing such joints but the possibility is still there if you have a jointer!

Brian

 

[Blister]

:?

So its not a plainer :?

its a jointer :?

I know , I will call it a " Plainter "

Sorted

 

[Digit]

You say there is no on/off switch. What is that box on the end of the stand?

Roy.

 

[9fingers]

Blister,

In your attempts to make it PLAINER you keep mis spelling PLANER!

Bob :roll:

 

[9fingers]

You say there is no on/off switch. What is that box on the end of the stand?

Roy.

I suspect that the box you see is the home rolled phase converter?

Bob

 

[Karl]

Yes, I believe it is the 3 phase converter. At any rate, a load of wires from the motor go into it, and a single lead comes out of (which I then put a 3 pin plug on).

I've also been told that it may be the reason why the machine doesn't get up to speed.

Cheers

Karl

 

[9fingers]

Yes, I believe it is the 3 phase converter. At any rate, a load of wires from the motor go into it, and a single lead comes out of (which I then put a 3 pin plug on).

I've also been told that it may be the reason why the machine doesn't get up to speed.

Cheers

Karl

Karl, unless someone has made quite a nice job of the converter and put in automatic starting, the basic home brew designs will have a button or switch that needs to be operated until the motor gets up to speed, and then released.

Jim Cox's book on electric motors gives details of simple converters in chapter 3
ISBN 0-85242-914-2 published by Argus.

Bob

 

[Digit]

Good grief Bob, that'd be an old 'un!

Roy.

 

[BradNaylor]

Hi all

Dan Tovey kindly (?) put me in contact with a chap who wanted to get rid of this little "beauty"

Bloody ingrate!

:lol:

Glad to see you got it home ok!

The thing obviously works - I suspect the phase converter is the problem with the slow motion. It must be 30 years old!

I'd have a look at one of these.

http://www.drivesdirect.co.uk/

There are other firms doing them but this outfit appear to be the most prominant.

I look forward to seeing it polished to a gleaming shine and painted in the authentic colour that it was done in originally. Scrit would no doubt be able to tell you what that was.

Cheers
Dan

 

[9fingers]

Good grief Bob, that'd be an old 'un!

Roy.

Hi Roy,

Do you mean me, the converter or the book is an old 'un/ :lol: :lol:

Bob

I'm 1953, the book is 1988

 

[Digit]

I remember that type of starter from when I first started work. The bandsaw it was fitted to took about a week to run up and nearly as long to stop.

Roy.