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  1. #31
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    Could have been made by an Australian company which would have a name like G.T. Peat Pty Ltd rather than G.T. Peat Limited if it was an NZ company.
    Had a quick look on the Directory of Australian Makers but nothing obvious showed.
    Hand Tool Preservation Association of Australia - Directory of Australian Makers

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  3. #32
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    Default

    However, a quick search on Trove found a mention of a govt contract for the supply of guards by a J.T Peat Pty Ltd which led me to this thread:
    Jointer guards for old machines.
    Bingo!

  4. #33
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    Default JT Peat Guards

    Quote Originally Posted by hiroller View Post
    However, a quick search on Trove found a mention of a govt contract for the supply of guards by a J.T Peat Pty Ltd which led me to this thread:
    Jointer guards for old machines.
    Bingo!
    Well done. You've nailed it .

    jointer_guard.jpg Lightwood's photo, from the other thread.

    It's been a long time, but I seem to recall all the buzzers at the railway workshops here had these parallel-arm "Peat" guards.

    Cheers, Vann.
    Gatherer of rusty planes tools...
    Proud member of the Wadkin Blockhead Club .

  5. #34
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    Default All Is Revealed.

    So the beastie has arrived. I collected it yesterday morning...

    RB 116a.jpg On the trailer at Toll's Wellington depot.
    ...took it home, sliced away the packaging and removed the fence and both tables before remembering to get a photograph .

    RB 116b.jpg At home half an hour later.

    Right from when I first saw RB 117 advertised on Trademe I've wondered about that drive - so different from the vee belt drive on the later RB (and just about every other buzzer out there). So here it is close up:
    RB 116c.jpg RB 116d.jpg RB 116e.jpg Note the inspection cover in the top of the gearcase.

    RB 116f.jpg RB 116g.jpg RB 116h.jpg Cool gear teeth .

    RB 116i.jpg RB 116j.jpg

    A little while later, stripped of table slides and motor, it looks like it could be bench or stand mounted...

    RB 116m.jpg

    ...until you look around the back and see it's a very different casting.

    RB 116k.jpg The motor shelf is attached by four bolts - two above deck and two that can only be accessed from below.

    RB 116l.jpg With shelf removed there's a cavity that may not have seen daylight since 1928.

    Quote Originally Posted by Vann View Post
    ... But I think I'm going to be a little disappointed - I'll swear the tables on this early model are 4' or less - not the 5' shown in the catalogue cuts. I'm also nervous of damage in transit - as the tables overhang the pallet .
    I did remember to measure over the tables before removing them. This machine is 3' 9" over the tables (~1150mm) compared with the claimed 5' (~1525mm) on later models.

    And damage? I'm very relieved to say that only one item was damaged - the guard.

    RB 116 Peat3.jpg RB 116 Peat2.jpg

    Thank goodness. I was really worried what I'd do if any of the castings was broken.

    And "Yes" it's another JT Peat "Ideal" guard.

    RB 116 Peat1.jpg

    All the parts are now in my rat hole - until my Wadkin PK is up and running.

    Cheers, Vann.
    Gatherer of rusty planes tools...
    Proud member of the Wadkin Blockhead Club .

  6. #35
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    Default And Another Surfaces

    I read about this one on the UKworkshop forum. There were no photos, so I contacted the owner (who hadn't posted since June 2008). He replied , and sent a few photos.

    RB 190.jpg RB 190g.jpg Thanks Bill.

    It's very much like Andy RV's buzzer with the high arch in the main casting. Only 7 serial numbers later, but tested the following year.

    RB 190t.jpg RB 190, test 9407, of 1938.

    Cheers, Vann.
    Gatherer of rusty planes tools...
    Proud member of the Wadkin Blockhead Club .

  7. #36
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    Default May 2017 Update:

    The following is an updated list of known RB buzzers;

    RB 109, test 4359, pre-1937 - New Zealand (RIP in 1987);
    RB 113, test 4367, pre-1937 - New Zealand;
    RB 116, test 4374, pre-1937 - New Zealand;
    RB 117, test 4375, pre-1937 - New Zealand;
    RBA 158, test 8623, of 1937 - United Kingdom;
    RBA 183, test 9335, of 1937 - United Kingdom;
    RB 190, test 9407, of 1938 - United Kingdom;
    RB 512, (test no. unknown) - United Kingdom;
    RB 563, test 29408, of 1947 - United Kingdom;
    RB 734, test 35301, of 1949 - New Zealand;
    RB 745, test 35560, of 1950 - United Kingdom;
    RB 830, test 39773, of 1951 - United Kingdom;
    RB 876, test 42337, of 1952 - New Zealand;
    RB 886, test 42636, of 1952 - New Zealand;
    RB 921, test 45225, of 1953 - New Zealand;
    RB 1010, test 50380, of 1954 - United Kingdom.

    Still a major gap between RB 190 of 1938 and RB 563 of 1947.

    Cheers, Vann.
    Gatherer of rusty planes tools...
    Proud member of the Wadkin Blockhead Club .

  8. #37
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    Very nice. That little air pocket should give you an accurate original colour!

  9. #38
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    Beautiful looking machine, can't wait to see what you do with it. The drive system looks pretty cool too!

  10. #39
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    Quote Originally Posted by hiroller View Post
    ...That little air pocket should give you an accurate original colour!
    I was wondering about that. I hear that lead based paints fade. I assume that's due to sunlight, but is it only because of sunlight or does the colour change anyway just because of age? In other words, is that still the original colour, or will age alone have changed it?

    Quote Originally Posted by bueller
    Beautiful looking machine, can't wait to see what you do with it.
    That brings me to something that's been bugging me. I feel like I'm running three different themes in this thread:
    - a type study - the developement of the Wadkin RB buzzer;
    - a register - a database of known RB buzzers; and
    - the story of my RB buzzer.

    So I'm going to start a new thread (hopefully in the next day or two) about my intentions, and the overhaul of my buzzer. And I'll continue to update this thread as more RBs come to light (I think the study and register can co-exist in the same thread).

    Cheers, Vann.

    edit: Here... Wadkin RB Bench Type Buzzer - RB 116
    Gatherer of rusty planes tools...
    Proud member of the Wadkin Blockhead Club .

  11. #40
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    Default Herringbone Gears

    Quote Originally Posted by bueller View Post
    ...The drive system looks pretty cool too!
    RB 116h.jpg

    According to wikipedia: Herringbone gears have the advantage of transferring power smoothly because more than two teeth will be in mesh at any moment in time. Their advantage over the helical gears is that the side-thrust of one half is balanced by that of the other half. This means that herringbone gears can be used in torque gearboxes without requiring a substantial thrust bearing. Precision herringbone gears are more difficult to manufacture than equivalent spur or helical gears and consequently are more expensive.

    So I guess fitting the RB with a herringbone gear drive was an expensive decision. Changing to vee belt drive must have been a good economic move.

    Cheers, Vann.
    Gatherer of rusty planes tools...
    Proud member of the Wadkin Blockhead Club .

  12. #41
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    Useless fact here, A downfall of the german tiger tank was its final drive, it should have had herringbone gears to cope with the huge loads. Commanders could not run at full speed for risk of destroying the gears.

  13. #42
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    Default Some Research...

    We know from the Wadkin Test Numbers, that RBs were made from “pre-1937” to at least 1954. And I’ve speculated that the early ones (RB 109, RB 113, RB 116 & RB 117) date to the reorganisation of the New Zealand Railway mechanical workshops, in the late 1920s.

    In order to try to confirm my theory, I spent a lot of time over the last few days, going through official government records relating to the re-equipping of these workshops. The files I found are in regard to Workshops Machinery (for anyone wishing to verify or follow up this research, the files are NZR files 1916/1666 – and the best information I’ve found so far is in part 2 (1924-27) & part 3 (1927-31). These files are at a high level and mostly consist of communications between the Chief Mechanical Engineer, the Secretary of the Railway Board, and the Minister of Railways office – so there is plenty of interesting detail missing.

    During the second half of 1925 the railway requested tenders for specifications 3 to 60 for the supply of mostly metalworking machinery. These tenders closed on 15 January 1926. Later in 1925 they requested tenders for specifications 61 to 99. Several of these specifications were for woodworking machinery. Then on 2nd September, 1925, they added a late specification, No.101, for the supply of 12 Bench Planers - High Speed. For some reason the Prime Minister specifically requested that The Luton Tool Company (Luton, UK) be asked to tender.

    RB 1666a.jpg This appears to have been signed by the Prime Minister

    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.

    Other orders for Machines, planning & jointing (spec. 247) went to Preston, while most orders for combined planers and thicknessers went to Thos. Robinson.

    The specifications were fairly specific. For example: my Preston bandsaw Saw Band 30” (Pattern Making) was to a different specification to the other Preston bandsaw that went to Hutt Workshops, it being Saw Band 30”. Spot the difference? I can’t.

    So I conclude that the 12 Bench Planers - High Speed supplied by Wadkin would have all been the same model.

    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 (yes twelve) buzzers Wadkin supplied to NZ Railways at that time were all RBs.

    A summary of winning tenders was published in July, 1926.

    RB 1666c.jpg RB 1666b.jpg

    I haven’t found any further correspondence advising when the RB buzzers arrived. My Preston bandsaw was installed at Hutt workshops in February, 1929, so it would not be unreasonable to expect that the Wadkin buzzers were to hand about the same period. This suggests that Wadkin were producing the RB buzzer from around 1926-28.

    A further document dated 17th September, 1930, summarises all new machinery supplied.

    RB 1666d.jpg

    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.

    The thirteenth planer supplied by Wadkin went to Wellington and had a value of £59 3s 3d. With the value being so similar to the previous 12, it's likely that this machine is also an RB.

    Edit: Anyways - for the tender from Wadkin & Coy. to have arrived in New Zealand by 15th February, 1926, it would have had to have been in the post by about 1st January, 1926 (there was some correspondence about 6 weeks being required for mail in each direction). This means that Wadkin's RB planer/buzzer must have been ready to go, at least in concept (if not already in production) by the end of 1925. So the period of production for the RB can be assumed to be from ~1926 to ~1954.

    Cheers, Vann.
    Last edited by Vann; 10th June 2017 at 09:15 AM. Reason: Final paragraph added.
    Gatherer of rusty planes tools...
    Proud member of the Wadkin Blockhead Club .

  14. #43
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    Great reading Vann . Thanks

  15. #44
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    Default Two More?

    Quote Originally Posted by Vann View Post
    ...In order to try to confirm my theory, I spent a lot of time over the last few days, going through official government records relating to the re-equipping of these workshops. The files I found are in regard to Workshops Machinery (for anyone wishing to verify or follow up this research, the files are NZR files 1916/1666 – and the best information I’ve found so far is in part 2 (1924-27) & part 3 (1927-31)...
    There was very little more in part 4 (1931-34) of the files – mostly requests for machinery, memos going up the chain, and financial approvals (or declines) coming back down. Very little mention of brands or models. So I jumped ahead to part 9 covering the war years (looking for info on my Wadkin PK).

    One thing of minor interest was a requirement for 3 bandsaws and 2 portable buzzers. Due to the war, and the difficulty of sourcing from overseas, it was decided to manufacture these locally (within the railway workshops). I initially assumed sheet steel fabricated machines, but latter correspondence indicates that these were to be cast - at the workshops foundry at Hutt.

    A memo dated 18th July, 1941, regarding the bandsaws says “…It was intended to manufacture these machines in the Workshops and, with this in view, drawings have been prepared. Owing to the amount of work at present in foundries, it is not possible to say when the work could be undertaken...” and an offer from Messers. Morris, Black and Matheson for two Wadkin bandsaws, one new and “…one second-hand machine in first class condition…” was accepted.

    RB 1666e.jpg

    Similarly, a memo from the Chief Mechanical Engineer to the General Manager of Railways dated 8 September, 1941, states “On the 1941/42 Capital estimates an amount of £320 was allowed for the purchase of two portable buzzers for Otahuhu Workshops. It was intended to manufacture these machines in our own workshops but owing to the amount of work in various shops it has not been possible to undertake the work.
    The Car Shop No.1 extension is now complete and the buzzers are urgently required. Enquiries have been made from Messers. J.C. Riddell & Co. who are the agents for Wadkin & Co. Wood working machinery and they advise that one suitable machine is in stock and one due to arrive in the very near future.”

    RB 1666f.jpg

    These two lots of correspondence are possibly the only times a brand name is used in relation to woodworking machinery.

    Permission to purchase the two buzzers was granted – and no more is heard of the matter. To the best of my knowledge Wadkin never made a “portable” buzzer. The nearest to “portable” at the time would be the little 6” RA planer, and the only other model that might be considered “portable” was the 9” RB planer (Christchurch’s RB 113 is mounted on a wheeled platform). So maybe, just maybe, there are another two Wadkin RBs out there, of railway origin.

    The cost of the machine in stock at the time was £170, nearly three times that paid for machines of the first batch. Maybe these buzzers were bigger models than the RB (in which case they were hardly “portable” machines!). But more likely the railway had got a very good deal on a new and unproven model, back in 1926, plus buying in bulk, and allowing for 15 years inflation. By 1941 the RB had the longer (5’) tables, and I believe the “bench mounted” version was no longer an option (the RB by then had its own cast-iron stand), all adding to the costs. But I’m back to speculating…

    Cheers, Vann.
    Gatherer of rusty planes tools...
    Proud member of the Wadkin Blockhead Club .

  16. #45
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    Fascinating info Vann, thanks for sharing.

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