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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
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    Petone, NZ
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    Default Wadkin Feeding Frenzy.

    I've been watching vintage machinery sales in New Zealand for around 4 years, and selling prices here tend to be cheaper than in Australia (or Canada & UK for that matter). IIRC the highest price I've seen a Wadkin machine go for here is $4000 NZD - that was a very complete Wadkin PK (and the buyer then sold his less complete PK for under $2000).

    However, at an online sale in Dunedin this week, two Wadkins have considerable exceed that $4000 figure.

    In 2012 KiwiRail closed their railway workshops at Hillside in Dunedin. Only the foundry and it's accompanying pattern shop were sold as a going concern - to Bradken Australia. This year Bradken announced a change of direction that included pulling out of New Zealand - and in the process closing their Dunedin operation.

    So last week a whole bunch of foundry and patternmaking equipment and machinery was listed for sale on NZ's Trademe. Included was a Wadkin RS woodlathe; a Wadkin JTA disc and bobbin sander; a 16" Wadkin RMA planer/thicknesser; and a Wadkin-Bursgreen BZG tool grinder - all from the pattern shop.

    The RMA under/over went first, on Sunday, for $1500.00 NZD Wadkin Industrial Wood Planer Thicknesser | Trade Me I saw one of these fail to sell for $200 a couple of years ago. This one has a brazed repair below the infeed table - well done from what I can see. It's also one of two RMA's mentioned in this thread A Workshop, a War, and a Wadkin

    The BZG grinder sold yesterday, for $965.00 NZD Wadkin Bursgreen BZG 62405 Tool Grinder | Trade Me

    Then this afternoon the RS woodlathe sold for $5,600.00 Wadkin Industrial Wood Planer Thicknesser | Trade Me This is a very nice 10", 8 speed patternmakers woodlathe with a full range of accessories including the 'elephants foot' (with an "Atkin, Perth" dealers tag).

    And finally the JTA sander went for $7,150.00 NZD Wadkin Industrial Disk & Bobbin Sander | Trade Me A considerable sum considering the bobbin doesn't bob (the parts having been removed for repair some years ago - and then lost ).

    I'm stunned!

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

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  3. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    South Australia
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    4,470

    Default

    Does not really surprise me, people are realizing the value of such items ( made to last )

  4. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Sydney
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    Default

    A similar lathe but older and with less kit sold for $5k here in Sydney a few months back.
    USYD scrapped a JTA and a 36” DR about 7 years ago.
    They also gave away a BZG.
    Funny thing is I paid a exactly amount in Oz$ for my identical RS I bought in May 1989 from the Everleigh railway Patternshop auction. (I sold it later for nearly twice that when I organised a bigger lathe).

    I was keeping track of prices for about 10 years in the 80s, scrawled in a Wadkin cattledog.

    Even tracks some bought and sold prices by the main dealer of the day who put out a list of used Wadkins and had stuff in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide from memory.
    It was run by a couple of ex Austral sales dudes who’d accumulated stock whilst selling new Machine for Austral the Sydney importers. Austral didn’t take trade ins but the boys did.
    I bought a new BGP for IA at UNSW in 1976 and experienced this.

    This Machinery is out there and often at stupid cheap prices if you’re lucky.
    A lot of it no longer complies re OH and whatever it’s now called.
    Unis and other gov departments just want rid of it when new ‘better’ toys arrive.
    A huge amount has been offloaded by TAFE due to closing courses.
    Other people just don’t know what it is or are scared to use it so sell it for ‘make an offer’.
    Reminds me I have a few leads on some stuff and a ute and cumalong.
    What else to do in your retirement.
    H
    Jimcracks for the rich and/or wealthy. (aka GKB '88)

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    Brisbane
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    Default

    Wow - that certainly jumped up from my last check-in on TradeMe. Given trending of kit it's surprises me it went for that much. Especially the JTA. Looking at Graysonline (if you can use that as a guide):

    Wadkin JT 1332 Disc and Bobbin Sander. Auction (0311-5025019) | GraysOnline Australia

    Wadkin disc and Bobbin sander Auction (0005-5014750) | GraysOnline Australia

    Bobin Sander, Wadkin, features: 125mm (dia) and 90mm (dia) Bobins, 650mm x Auction (0005-5009704) | GraysOnline Australia

    You have to do a whole lot of sanding to make up your NZD$7150...

  6. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Sydney
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    Default

    Trouble is if you really need a disc and bobbin how much would a new one cost?

    On the other hand if you’ve gone broke or your industry like Patternmaking has disappeared
    what do you do with one ton of 3 phase cast iron when you have to vacate rented premises.

    I did go to the inspection of that last auction you listed at Liverpool.
    Lots of neat stuff, my Autobody fabricator mate’s scored a set of body curves from the owner. Alison on here bought the mill.

    Grays is as good a guide as anything nowadaze unless you follow and list stuff like I used to.
    I used to watch the dealers bid and figure I’d go one more as they would usually sell for double what they paid.
    Id never get into a bidding war with a private dude, some guys just got to win or really needed the kit for a job.
    H.
    Jimcracks for the rich and/or wealthy. (aka GKB '88)

  7. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    uk
    Posts
    456

    Default

    A guy from NZ asked me if the JTA was worth a punt, it looked in decent condition but I didnt know the bobbin bit was knackered. The going rate over here is £1k, the dealers want £3.5k. I found a rough one at a dealers for a guy in Austria and that was £1k.
    Obviously the pk price has gone up quite a bit. My first pk was £35O and I bought one off a dealer for £6OO. The same dealer wanted £14OO for one recently. It was a decent one with slider extension and complete mitre. I sent that to NZ, weirdly the shipping was only £38O

  8. #7
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Petone, NZ
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by wallace1973 View Post
    A guy from NZ asked me if the JTA was worth a punt, it looked in decent condition but I didnt know the bobbin bit was knackered. The going rate over here is £1k, the dealers want £3.5k...
    £1k = ~$2000 NZD, while £3.5k = ~$7000 NZD for comparison.

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

  9. #8
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Petone, NZ
    Age
    68
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    Default

    Auscab pointed out that I made a mistake with one of my links. It's too late to correct the original post, so here are the links again (hopefully correct this time).
    Quote Originally Posted by Vann View Post
    ...The RMA under/over went first, on Sunday, for $1500.00 NZD Wadkin Industrial Wood Planer Thicknesser | Trade Me

    The BZG grinder sold yesterday, for $965.00 NZD Wadkin Bursgreen BZG 62405 Tool Grinder | Trade Me

    Then this afternoon the RS woodlathe sold for $5,600.00 https://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=2899967703&archive=1
    Cheers, Vann.
    Gatherer of rusty planes tools...
    Proud member of the Wadkin Blockhead Club .

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