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  1. #1
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    Default On The Road Again.

    "On the road again
    Goin' places that I've never been
    Seein' things that I may never see again
    And I can't wait to get on the road again"
    … (thanks Willie).


    The misses and I decided to visit a warmer clime for a week (the winter was getting to her), so we headed for Tonga. The flight left from Auckland, but rather than book a connecting flight from Wellington, I decided to drive to Auckland a few days early to see family, but also to do a little rust hunting.

    Instead of SH1, I elected to take the secondary route, which would take me through Te Kuitì, as I’d heard there was a gentleman there with a Wadkin RB 9” buzzer, like mine.

    I cold called at Steven’s premises and asked if I could have a look around. No 9” Wadkin buzzer, but he had a couple of 12” buzzers by Smith. Steven was happy to show me around, and very soon I was like a kid in a lolly shop.

    Wadkin RM planer/thicknesser;
    Wadkin DR bandsaw;
    Wadkin CK radial arm saw x 3;
    Wadkin PK dimension saw;
    Wadkin LQ recessor;
    Wadkin JTA disc & bobbin sander;
    Wadkin setting stand x 2
    Smith 12” buzzer x 2;
    Smith chain mortiser;
    Sagar spindle moulder.

    There were also a few Scandinavian machines including a four-sider.

    I didn't take pictures of all of them (several were under tarps), but here are some:

    Wadkin RM 2456, test 47549 of 1953

    RM1.jpg

    RM2.jpg

    wRM 2456 47549 NZ.jpg

    Steven says until recently there were four 24" and one 16" RMs in Te Kuiti.

    Wadkin DRA 533, test 10790 of 1938.

    DRA1.jpg

    DRA2.jpg DRA3.jpg

    wDRA 533 10790 NZ.jpg

    Wadkin PK 1472, test 43339 of 1952

    PK1.jpg

    PK2.jpg

    wPK 1472 43339 NZ.jpg

    Wadkin JTA 477, test 36890 of 1950;

    JTA1.jpg

    JTA2.jpg

    wJTA 477 36890 NZ.jpg


    (to be continued)


    Cheers, Vann.
    Last edited by Vann; 17th August 2019 at 10:44 AM. Reason: JTA added.
    Gatherer of rusty planes tools...
    Proud member of the Wadkin Blockhead Club .

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  3. #2
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    Default

    Lovely stuff, is that guard on the buzzer stock or a custom made job.

  4. #3
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by China View Post
    ...is that guard on the buzzer stock or a custom made job.
    Good question. I know Wadkin did offer a telescopic guard like that, but I don't know if that's OEM or a local reproduction.

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

  5. #4
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    Default

    (continued from first post)

    Where was I? Ahh yes, done the Wadkins. Now for some other old English machines:


    Smith 12” buzzer;

    Sm1.jpg

    Sm2.jpg

    One thing Steven pointed out is the mechanics of the table rise and fall function. Most English buzzers use the wedge system which, on a machine with long tables, results in a massive overhang. Later machines, and American machines use a parallelogram system. On this Smith there are two wedges - resulting in good support without the overhang.

    Sm4.jpg

    The inner wedge is located to the left above the oval tag. The outer wedge is visible to the right above the end of the base casting. The second Smith buzzer under a tarpaulin. It's an older version of the same machine, using the same double-wedge system.

    Smith chain mortiser;

    Sm3.jpg

    I don't know whether this machine also has a chisel head.

    Sagar spindle moulder;

    Sag3.jpg

    Sag2.jpg

    Sag1.jpg

    At his premises Steven mainly produces mouldings these days (skirting, architraves, weatherboards, etc.) but professes to like (and collect) old machines. He'd fit in well here.

    Needless to say, I was a little late leaving Te Kuiti...

    Part 2 to come.

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

  6. #5
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    Default

    I like the extension for the crown guard support on the pk

  7. #6
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    Default Part 2 (a).

    The following day (Friday) I had arranged to meet a semi-retired boatbuilder at his boatyard in Auckland. I had first heard of this gentleman on the Canadian forum nearly a year ago, and had contacted him then asking if he’d mind if I visited, but each of my trips to Auckland had coincided with a trip of his, and so it took until now to meet up.

    Chris says he started buying old machinery upon semi-retirement in 1987, IIRC. He has a variety of both wood and metal working machinery, and i have to admit I was a little overwhelmed - and so I concentrated on the wood machines.

    He let me have a look around. I took photos of these woodworking machines (my apologies for the less-than-sharp photos):

    Sagar jig or scroll saw;
    Robinson bandsaw;
    Robinson dimension saw;
    White PR thicknesser;
    Wilson buzzer;
    L Power (USA) shipsaw;
    Wadkin LQ;
    Wadkin JTA;
    Wadkin MG mortiser;
    the almost obligatory (in New Zealand) Wadkin CK;
    Wadkin WW.

    Sagar jig or scroll saw;

    Sagc1.jpg

    Sagc2.jpg

    Sagc3.jpg

    Robinson bandsaw;

    Robbs1.jpg

    Robbs2.jpg

    Robinson dimension saw;

    Robinson1.jpg

    Robinson2.jpg

    White PR thicknesser;

    White1.jpg

    White2.jpg

    White3.jpg

    Wilson buzzer;

    Wilson2.jpg

    Wilson1.jpg

    L Power shipsaw;

    Power1.jpg

    Power2.jpg

    Power3.jpg

    (to be continued - Wadkins next post)

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

  8. #7
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    Default

    That shipsaw is amazing.David Upfill Brown has a yank one as I remember down the coast but these are rare as.Love the pit.I do have a White cattledog so I’ll see what I can dig up.Thanks heaps for the pics. This area was getting a bit slow but I’m blown away with your latest trip.H.
    Jimcracks for the rich and/or wealthy. (aka GKB '88)

  9. #8
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    Default Four Inches?

    Quote Originally Posted by wallace1973 View Post
    I like the extension for the crown guard support on the pk
    Yes, although it looks like he's only gained about 4". But 4" is 4" and if you need that much then why not.

    PK2.jpg

    Looks like the arm is long enough that he could have got another 1½". I wonder at what point the ripping fence has to be removed?

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

  10. #9
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    Default

    Geez you really know how to make a guy drool
    Neil
    ____________________________________________
    Every day presents an opportunity to learn something new

  11. #10
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    Default

    Interesting, all the Wadkins I have come across have a sliding bridge guard but not telescopic

  12. #11
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    Default Ship Saw.

    Quote Originally Posted by clear out View Post
    That shipsaw is amazing...
    This is a shipsaw I really like the look of - from the restoration series of the sailing yacht Tally Ho.

    Screen Shot 2019-08-19 at 6.47.03 PM.jpg

    There are a number of shots of the saw in action throughout the series.

    Quote Originally Posted by clear out View Post
    ...This area was getting a bit slow...
    Yes, a lot of the regulars have defected to Instagram - I like nether the format, nor the company (it's owned by Facebook). I'm staying here.

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

  13. #12
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    Default Telescopic Guard.

    Quote Originally Posted by China View Post
    Interesting, all the Wadkins I have come across have a sliding bridge guard but not telescopic
    You had me worried - but I found this in an undated early catalogue (also shown on the RM in the 1936 & 1957 Wadkin catalogues on Vintage Machinery):


    Screen Shot 2019-08-20 at 2.57.35 AM.jpg

    Screen Shot 2019-08-20 at 2.58.06 AM.jpg

    Cheers, Vann.
    Last edited by Vann; 20th August 2019 at 02:04 AM. Reason: Illustration changed.
    Gatherer of rusty planes tools...
    Proud member of the Wadkin Blockhead Club .

  14. #13
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    Default Part 2 (b).

    And now for some Wadkins.

    Wadkin CK 2083 radial arm saw, test 51268 of 1955;

    CKc1.jpg

    CKc2.jpg

    wCK 2083 51268 NZ.jpg


    Wadkin LQ 1299 recessor, test 79228 of 1969;

    LQc2.jpg

    LQc1.jpg

    wLQ 1299 79228 NZ.jpg


    Wadkin JTA disc & bobbin sander;
    I couldn't find a tag on this machine, at the time. But while editing the photos I see it's on the back of the machine (3rd photo below) .
    The combination of spoked and webbed aluminium handwheels suggests it's about the same age at the LQ recessor (above)

    JTAc1.jpg

    JTAc2.jpg

    JTAc3.jpg


    Wadkin MG 722 mortiser, test 20152 of 1943;

    MGc2.jpg

    MGc1.jpg

    CKc3.jpg

    wMG 722 28152 NZ.jpg


    And the pièce de résistance, Wadkin WW 620 mechanical woodworker, test 3414 of 1925 .

    This machine originates from the murky beginnings of Wadkin & Co. around the turn of last century, although this specimen dates to around 1925.

    WWc1.jpg

    WWc2.jpg

    wWW 620 3414 NZ.jpg

    Clear Out (of this forum) knew the whereabouts of one in Sydney that went into storage in the early 1990s, but has since disappeared. No one on any of the woodworking forums has seen one in recent years, and so this one may be unique. Wadkin pattern mill c1911. and Wadkin Mechanical Woodworker 1897. - Canadian Woodworking and Home Improvement Forum

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

  15. #14
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    Default

    I see the LQ has the additional rotary table. I read in some wadkin literature that these had to be requested when ordering a machine and the factory would not retrofit them.
    That WW is thing of beauty, I would love to see it in original paint and all prettied up

  16. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by wallace1973 View Post
    I see the LQ has the additional rotary table...
    I meant to mention that - and then forgot .

    Quote Originally Posted by wallace1973 View Post
    ...That WW is thing of beauty, I would love to see it in original paint and all prettied up
    Hear, hear.
    I took about 50 photos of it (some fuzzy ). I'll put together a post about it on Clear Out's thread - when I get my A into G.

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

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