Thread: Wadkin EQ 4 speed Spindle Moulder with Frommia 4 speed power feeder and accessories

Camo, just a quick one, I gota scoot of and give a mate a hand for the day, but WOW you have done well on that find, I am amazed !!
Normally all the accessories get lost, misplaced or broken !!

From what I can see looking briefly, there are parts from 4 other machines in there too.
Yep a riving Knife for a table saw.
A set of upper and lower bandsaw guides.
A bunch of stuff from a Wadkin Chain sharpening system on a MA of MF Chain and chisel mortiser.
And the black colored plate and tie-down handle is not of a Wadkin tenoning attachment, it is of a more modern machine.

I will write up a more detailed post this evening for you !
till then ....

Melbourne Matty.

Camo
Fantastic haul;world EQ accessory headquarters!
I dated my EQ from the motor plate,it gives year of manufacture.
Is the 2 speed motor an LDC?
Is there a change in power output between the 2 speeds?
I have an ASEA 3 phase 2 speed motor which has less power on the slower speed 4pole/6pole.
Just wondering how they achieved it.
Noticed some flip stops off a PK style fence in there also.

You lucky bugger
Cheers
Tony

Just found the motor plate pics which I had missed earlier.Brook not LDC; BSS 1957 refers to a british standard; so its post 1957.

According to Graces Guide; Brook motors joined with Crompton Parkinson in the 1960s,nothing more specific.
So maybe 1957-1965 for a possible time span.
The first part of the motor serial number is hard to decipher;does it start with 65?

Cheers
Tony
Is the switchgear and contactor Brookhirst , or Brookhirst Igranic.
Brookhirst combined with Igranic in 1959 until 1970.
My EQ contactor is Brookhirst Igranic for 1963.
T
Just compared the contactor door ,brass plaque and internals with my EQ and PK and they look just like the PK (early) so I would be gunning for 1957-58 when Lucas Heights opened.
Original paint colour might help also,mine is a green grey(original);what is under that Radioactive green?
T

Originally Posted by AJOE123

According to Graces Guide; Brook motors joined with Crompton Parkinson in the 1960s,nothing more specific.
So maybe 1957-1965 for a possible time span.
The first part of the motor serial number is hard to decipher;does it start with 65?

Cheers
Tony

I think a new photo is in order (I was trying to get a shot of the plate in very limited light, but I think this one is a bit better).

motor plate.jpg
Just in case it still isn't clear after I upload it (the detail is very clear in real life, just can't get it in the pictures), it is a Class "A" insulation, Frame "BS254", Serial Number "J54045", Volts "380 420", Phase "3", L AMPS "7.3", L Speed "2920 1460", Cycles "50", HP "5", Rating "CMR"

Originally Posted by AJOE123

Is there a change in power output between the 2 speeds?

Can't comment based on actual use (obviously), and I am certainly no electrical engineer, hopefully someone will tune in with knowledge about 2 speed motors.

Originally Posted by AJOE123

Noticed some flip stops off a PK style fence in there also.

I would prefer to say "off a Stenner ABM style fence"

Originally Posted by L.S.Barker1970

A set of upper and lower bandsaw guides.

I had a look through the auction to see what had sold, and these two were the only substantial bandsaws listed in the auction.

Wolfenden bandsaw.jpgWadkin C8.jpg

There was no model details for the wolfenden, but the Wadkin Bursgreen was a C8. Of cause they might be completely unrelated, as the bandsaw may have sold before the auction along with the Wadkin MA MF which was definitely not in the auction (as if it was you would be reading a post about my new Wadkin MA MF).

Cheers,

Camo

Originally Posted by AJOE123

Just compared the contactor door ,brass plaque and internals with my EQ and PK and they look just like the PK (early) so I would be gunning for 1957-58 when Lucas Heights opened.
Original paint colour might help also,mine is a green grey(original);what is under that Radioactive green?

Some better pictures of the controller cover, controller plate, controller showing patent number (probably for just that part not the whole controller, I couldn't get anything on google looking for english patents), and the cover for the female socket for the power feeder (from what I could determine from google search "Rowco" H. Rowe and Co. merged with Hecla in 1969 to form Hecla Rowe, but then I already suspect pre 1963 due to the manufacture date of the feeder.

Controller2.jpgController1.jpgController.jpgController3.jpg

The colour on the inside behind the motor appears to be green grey, but it is a bit hard to tell in the light that is available in this part of the garage. The buggers really got every corner and underside, the usual places I look to find the original colour have been painted, I am sure pulling things off would start to reveal more, but I already have too many fingers in too many pies as it is.

Cheers,

Camo

Thats agreat buy (envy envy envy)
I don't suppose you have book for the Frommia power feed

Originally Posted by camoz

There was no model details for the wolfenden, but the Wadkin Bursgreen was a C8. Of cause they might be completely unrelated, as the bandsaw may have sold before the auction along with the Wadkin MA MF which was definitely not in the auction (as if it was you would be reading a post about my new Wadkin MA MF).

Cheers,

Camo

Camo, the Wolfenden Bandsaw is a AA model and I have my doubts wether the guides came of it, Wolfenden usually had a more refined set of guides.
I might do a little more searching, but they are defiantly of a very early machine..





The next pic below I am looking at the bottom RH corner, all those pieces are for a wadkin MF or MA, in particular the cog looking shapes come in pairs and are to suit a chain grinding attachment, they look like they take a .54" and a .89", not sure, I would have to place a chain over to see.




Cam I hope this helps with a few things, is there any thing else that your not sure of specify, caus I don't know where to start ...lol..
Happy New year Guys !!
Melbourne Matty.

Just a few pics of some EQ things re dating.
Pics of my EQ and old PK electrical boxes.
Picture of rear cover for my EQ; ? squared off after the Bursgreen takeover.
Also pic of Wadkin logo on base;now a separate plate screwed on.
The ID plate is still brass though.

The clean up is progressing.
The rise/fall screw now moves very smoothly as does the belt tensioner thread.
The table top is responding very well to scraping and a little phosphoric acid.

Will explore bearings a little more tomorrow.

Cheers
Tony

Originally Posted by L.S.Barker1970

Cam I hope this helps with a few things, is there any thing else that your not sure of specify

Matty, as always a wealth of knowledge, thanks. The cogs have letters stamped on them from memory (I will have to look at later, not at home at the moment). I could do with some help with some other items, but I will sort through it when I get a chance and group the items I am not sure about in a photo (save stating the obvious, I value your assistance and would hate to abuse the help or your time).

Is the Wadkin sharpener in the picture your baby?

Originally Posted by China

Thats agreat buy (envy envy envy)
I don't suppose you have book for the Frommia power feed

Do you have one of these power feeders? Do you know anything about them?


Unfortunately no manual, I have done a bit of a search on the Internet, but no luck so far. The company still seems to be active, Willkommen bei FROMMIA. Maschinen für die Holz-, Kunststoff- und Metallverarbeitung, but I haven't sent them an email (might help if I could read German). I have seen a few adverts of sold ones, so I don't think they are rare, but it looks to be a well constructed unit, just not sure what to do about the wheels.



Tony,

Thanks for the pictures. The PK control cover looks to be identical to my EQ from what I can tell.

I found the square cover interesting. I have seen the restored EQ's on the Internet often with square covers, and to be honest, I didn't realise they were original (I thought they were fabricated replacement for broken covers).

Cheers,

Camo

Originally Posted by camoz

I could do with some help with some other items, but I will sort through it when I get a chance and group the items I am not sure about in a photo (save stating the obvious, I value your assistance and would hate to abuse the help or your time).

Is the Wadkin sharpener in the picture your baby?

Cheers,

Camo

Thanks Cam, its all good, I must admit I'm have a ball looking over bits and pieces like this, and always more than happy to lend a hand !!
Yes, that is attached to my MA mortiser, I have four Wadkin machines in total.

Melbourne Matty.

Well guys an interesting development with the Wadkin EQ I acquired back in late 2012, that came from the Lucas Heights Nuclear Power Station.

I got an email back from the guy who was the last operator to use the spindle moulder, very exciting (I know I am a bit strange in the head), and I have spent the best part of 6 months communicating with him, as he had some other bits and pieces to offer me, but we just have not been able to arrange a suitable time for me to collect them. I didn't want to bring it up as I wasn't certain things would go ahead.

Well yesterday was the big day, and very well worth the wait in my opinion. Below are some pictures of the things he was nice enough to give me, I kept wanting to pay him something, but he didn’t want to take money and risk losing his job (he had permission to give them to me, but not sell them), and besides that he is just genuinely a really nice guy, and I think it made him feel good that the machine had gone to someone who appreciates it. Needless to say he is a truly generous person, as he was under no obligation to reply to my email, or offer me anything, so I am truly grateful and if he ever needs a favour he knows who to call.

LS Manual 2.jpgLS Manual 3.jpgLS Manual.jpgphoto 1 (1).jpgRobinson ET E Manual 2.jpgRobinson ET E Manual.jpgRobinson ET E Manual inside picture.jpgWadkin eq manual.jpgcutters.jpg

Just in case you think I have accidentally entered some duplicate photos, he really did have 3 Wadkin LS manuals and 2 Robinson ET/E manuals, one is a manual number 105 and a 105a (I thought it was interesting that these had 2 different machine test numbers, does that mean there were originally 2 Robinsons?). The steel that you see at the front of the cutters is actually the steel used to make the cutters.

The biggest surprise of all, was the last thing he showed me, this Wadkin setting gauge (have only seen them in photos otherwise I probably wouldn’t have known what it was).
Wadkin setting guage.jpgWadkin setting guage2.jpg

So I guess the moral to the story is, if you have a machine that you think you may know the providence of, don’t be afraid to send an email or two, you may be pleasantly surprised.

Cheers,
Camo

P.S. I am not sure if there is any interest, or if this manual is already in circulation (I am guessing that Matty has one), but I am happy to start a new thread about the Robinson ET/E and scan in the manual (it looks like a real beast and very advanced, especially with the fact that it had a motor brake lever as part of the off switch), and if anyone wants I am also happy to scan the EQ manual and the LS manual.

Originally Posted by China

Thats agreat buy (envy envy envy)
I don't suppose you have book for the Frommia power feed

Hi.

I have some original sales brochures of a Frommia Type 855 and 850 Automatic feed units. They are not operating manuals, however they do have some technical data on them. I could scan them if you like.

Regards

Ross

Originally Posted by 2blast67

Hi.

I have some original sales brochures of a Frommia Type 855 and 850 Automatic feed units. They are not operating manuals, however they do have some technical data on them. I could scan them if you like.

Regards

Ross

Ross,

That would be great, I would really appreciate it (wasn't able to find much online about the feeder), now if I could just find out who is holding on to a copy of the Stenner ABM Table Saw Manual (come on Matty stop holding out on me), and the location of a Stenner chain and chisel mortiser and the Stenner radial arm saw (so many dreams.

Cheers,

Camo

Originally Posted by camoz

Ross,

That would be great, I would really appreciate it (wasn't able to find much online about the feeder), now if I could just find out who is holding on to a copy of the Stenner ABM Table Saw Manual (come on Matty stop holding out on me), and the location of a Stenner chain and chisel mortiser and the Stenner radial arm saw (so many dreams.

Cheers,

Camo

Hi Cam.
This is the brochure for that feeder.This is in order that the brochure opens out. Hope you can read it OK.
001.jpg002.jpg003.jpg004.jpg

Regards Ross