It is currently 29 Mar 2024, 08:56
Vann wrote:...It's interesting that it is described as "Planer, Bench Type". Does this mean that some early Wadkin RBs were supplied without bases?...
Vann wrote:...but the seller had retained the original motor and a few other pieces.
Vann wrote:In May, 2017, I had a holiday in the South Island...
MattS wrote:That is one rusty planer...
MattS wrote:...Have you completed the restoration yet?...
MattS wrote:...Have you got more pictures to come?...
MattS wrote:...Enjoyed reading the history.
Vann wrote:...These tenders closed on 15th February 1926, and the tender for Specification 101 for 12 Bench Planers - High Speed was won by Wadkin & Coy. With the exception of 1 further Bench Planer (ordered in September 1928) Wadkin did not win any other orders for planers...
And with the knowledge that Hutt, Addington and Hillside workshops each had at least one RB that date back to around that period – I also conclude that the 12 buzzers Wadkin supplied to NZ Railways at that time were all RBs...
Vann wrote:...A further document dated 17th September, 1930, summarises all new machinery supplied.
Included is that the 12 Bench Planers - High Speed were shipped as follows:
- 3 to Auckland (nearest port to Otahuhu workshops) – value £176 6s 9d;
- 3 to Wellington (nearest port to Hutt workshops) – value £176 6s 9d;
- 3 to Lyttleton (nearest port to Addington workshops) – value £176 6s 5d;
- 3 to Port Chalmers (nearest port to Hillside workshops) – value £176 6s 5d.
an average value of £58 15s 6d each...
Robert wrote:I've no interest in owning a lump of well engineered old cast iron
That number (actually "1614") is an identification number as you suggest. Each workshop had it's own number series for maintenance and record keeping purposes. In addition the motor has the number "1615" - and some machines had an additional number for the electrical starter (some of that early industrial switchgear was quite large).Trevanion wrote:...I wonder what the "614" painted on the side is about, an identification number for items within the railyard? ...
I believe your catalogues may be more recent (1950s?). Yes, please post any RB pages in this thread.Trevanion wrote:...I've got a couple of Wadkin catalogues I think the RB is in if you want a couple of photos of the pages, but you may already have them.
Vann wrote:I believe your catalogues may be more recent (1950s?). Yes, please post any RB pages in this thread.
Cheers, Vann.
MartinF wrote:…When I went to the museum in Gore, the Croydon Aviation Heritage Centre,
https://www.croydonaviation.co.nz/
I wandered round their workshop and noticed several items of Wadkin machinery. One of their specialities is repairing and conserving historic aircraft which were built primarily of wood hence all the woodworking machinery...
Guineafowl21 wrote:...
It shows a test number of 700, which you told me is 1932.
Trevanion wrote:The gear drive is a very clever idea for making the machine compact enough to mount on a flat bench. I wonder if it's noisier than a belt-driven machine at all, the power transmission should be pretty much flawless with the gears though!
You're right, there are no oil seals. IIRC the inspection cover says "oil". I have no instruction manual so not sure what sort of oil to put in there (it's not up and running yet). I'm assuming there should be a pool of oil in the gearcase, deep enough for the large gear to pick up. I guess a top up would be required every day.9fingers wrote:...There does not appear to be oil seals so must have been daily maintenance with oil or grease gun.
While I haven't run mine yet, I have returned to the Ferrymead Historical Park and left a sheet of paper giving a little history with the guys there. We also lubricated theirs (RB 113) and ran it (didn't plane any timber). That was a year or two ago - if I remember correctly it was a little noisy - but not excessively so.Trevanion wrote:...I wonder if it's noisier than a belt-driven machine at all...
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