A little bit of wadkin history

When wadkin main factory got demolished I managed to buy the front doors. Had to hire a van and drive to leicester. They've been sat in my garden under a tarp for about 10years. I thought the best way to get them refinished and fitted was to put them in my shed. I thought if they were in the way constantly it would give me no other choice. You soon get sick of moving them when they weigh about 130kg. Even though they'd been covered the dampness had got to the varnish and most of it came off really easily with a carbide scraper, and then sanded.

When wadkin main factory got demolished I managed to buy the front doors. Had to hire a van and drive to leicester. They've been sat in my garden under a tarp for about 10years. I thought the best way to get them refinished and fitted was to put them in my shed. I thought if they were in the way constantly it would give me no other choice. You soon get sick of moving them when they weigh about 130kg. Even though they'd been covered the dampness had got to the varnish and most of it came off really easily with a carbide scraper, and then sanded. I had a tin of yacht varnish that gave a very similar finish to the original. The timber appears a bit pinky but when sawed or planed comes off brown. I'm thinking teak. They date from 1922.





I want to try and reuse the lock, Im wondering if you can get a key to match or maybe file a one to work.





They do look a bit grand for a shed but its a nice bit of history saved. I remember at the time I very nearly bought the big stone columns from the portico.



This is the only bit the developers kept, I think it was built into a wall near the housing

Marvellous doors, well done.

On the lock, a proper locksmith could make you a key but I bet you could too. You'd need to get a blank of the right type and size, then open up the lock and file notches in the key to correspond to each of the levers.

You’ve given us a sneak peak at what goes on behind those doors so I think the location is entirely justified and not at all “too grand”.
Shame you didn’t bag the portico though.

Excellent

Well done indeed, beautiful doors I particularly like the square blocks with round buttons on in the corners also the fluted moldings around the panels, and the panels, in fact they’re just magnificent doors!
Ian

Lovely job Wallace, and well done for saving them.
Reminds me of our old bike shed when I was young. My father’s company used to do all the building work for Lloyd’s Bank Downham Market, we had there old front doors.

Magnificent. History preserved, being Teak (?) should last as long as the machines do.
I agree with the lock, the key should be an easy thing to make. Perhaps making the handle part very stylish/decorative.
Alex.