Thread: Wadkin LP Boring and Recessing Machine.

Originally Posted by Camelot

I would not use Brass for clamps, it is too soft

You could be right. I have no idea if the aluminium-bronze the foundry used is harder or softer than brass (which of course also comes in various hardnesses). I'll just need to be a bit careful I suppose - and not attempt to crush any wood I'm holding down.

Cheers, Vann.

Finally dragged this out ... I should really finish it ..

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Melbourne Matty.

Love these machines! Yaaaas finish it!!! Looking forward to see her complete

Originally Posted by L.S.Barker1970

Finally dragged this out ... I should really finish it ..

Here you go Matty - seeing as photos always misbehave from your device (rotated and lightly cropped).

LP-1.jpg LP-2.jpg LP-3.jpg

LP 438, test 4087, tested on 7th July, 1926.
LP 438 4087 Aus.jpg LP 438 4087 Matty.jpg

I'd be interested to see how you repaired your cracked table - if you took any pictures to record the repair.

Cheers, Vann.

Originally Posted by Vann

Here you go Matty - seeing as photos always misbehave from your device (rotated and lightly cropped).


I'd be interested to see how you repaired your cracked table - if you took any pictures to record the repair.

Cheers, Vann.

Your a gentleman Vann, thank you. I don't have a computer so l post from my Phone .. it's tricky, l very much appreciate you fixing my pics, as I'm sure everyone looking is too.
I'll take some pics of the finished table, we got it flat and welded up the holes .. it's of to Haslam engineering to be washed ground even flatter ..
Melbourne Matty.

Another LP has shown up. This is only the sixth I've seen pictures of.

LP 519a.jpg LP 519b.jpg

LP 519. It's test number and tag style suggest it's from late 1928or early 1929.

wLP 519 6498 UK.jpg

Mine (LP 410, of 1925) is the earliest LP of the six. Matty's LP 438, of 1926 has the rotating table (a feature mine lacks).

Here you can see the ball lever handle for rocking table rotation.

LP 519c.jpg

And this as a tee slot along the front of the table (for longitudinal stops) whereas mine has a single bar.

Both mine and Matty's originally had the motor/belt drive down low at the back. On later models an electric motor was mounted up high.

Originally Posted by Vann

...At the top end, rear, the lug which holds the two idler pulleys has a vertical hole on both the flat-belt driven models, and the early motor driven models

aLP-21.jpg aLP-22.jpg As seen here on Matty's LP.

While the last version has a horizontal hole for the motor support shaft. There's also a handwheel added, to adjust the tension on the drive belt - and a ball lever handle, presumably to lock the motor support shaft.

aLP-23.jpg

The motor on this LP is a relatively new motor (being finned) - definitely not original. It appears that the casting protrusion is bored for a horizontal shaft (like later machines) not for a vertical shaft (like mine and Matty's). But while there is a boss (above the tag), it has never been bored for a tension adjustment handle like the later machines.

LP 519d.jpg

The welded motor mount is definitely not OEM either.

Add to that, that the tag specifies countershaft R.P.M. and I suspect that in spite of the casting protrusion orientation, this machine was originally a lineshaft driven machine like Matty's.

Anyway, here's a list of known Wadkin LP recessing and boring machines:

LP 410, of 1925 - New Zealand (mine);
LP 438, of 1926 - Australia (Matty's);
LP 519, of 1928/29 - UK;
LP 606, of 1932 - UK;
LP 620, of 1933 - UK;
LP 636, of 1934 - UK (wallace's).

Cheers, Vann.

Wallace has kindly sent me this picture of a batch of twelve LP recessors being assembled at the Wadkin works.

LP 601.jpg

This batch is similar to my (and Matty's) earlier machines, as it has the main casting bored for a vertical shaft for the idler pulleys...
LP 602.jpg LP-2.jpg

...whereas later machines had the main casting bored for a horizontal shaft for the high-mounted motor.

However it appears this batch is older than mine, because whereas mine has "Wadkin" cast into the main casting...

LP 86.jpg My LP 410 of 1925.

...the machines in that batch have "Wadkin & Co. Leicester" lettering.

Cheers, Vann.

Another interesting photo forwarded by wallace. This appears to be where completed machines were stored, awaiting sale or dispatch.

I count 11 LP recessors and a larger, similar machine, all hiding behind a batch of spindle moulders.

LPs.jpg

These again are a similar era to my own machine, but this time at least a batch later. The main frame castings have only "Wadkin" lettering (no reference to Leicester) like mine. However, below the table these have a ball lever handle to lock the table rotation - a feature mine doesn't have, but Matty's does. So one of these might be Matty's LP recessor.

The image above is cropped from this photo.

complete.jpg

Enjoy.

Cheers, Vann.

Jointers & table saws stacked 2 & 3 high.
A surfeit of delights for any sufferer of Wadkinitis!

Have fun,

Alli

Can anyone identify the Jointers in this pic extract taken from Vann's pic above, I thought they might be MJ's but the table extension which allows the fence to slide back to get maximum width looks wider to me, plus those electric motors look at least 15HP

Here's a link to a MJ, so you can see what I mean https://www.instagram.com/reel/C38LWehoNyD/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==


Wadkin Jointer.jpg

Originally Posted by Camelot

Can anyone identify the Jointers in this pic extract taken from Vann's pic above,

Look at the height of the guard post on them . Thet touch the ground and are 6 or 8 inches off the table. They are low machines either waiting for the rest of their base or are they the type that Vann has that gets mounted on a user made base?

Originally Posted by auscab

Look at the height of the guard post on them . Thet touch the ground and are 6 or 8 inches off the table. They are low machines either waiting for the rest of their base or are they the type that Vann has that gets mounted on a user made base?

Yes your right I missed that although I did think it looked strange, now when I look more closely there seems to be bolt hole lugs cast into the body of the main casting on each corner, so more than likely they were meant to be bolted to a workbench, I wounder if that large motor is single phase, to allow them to be set up on a building site.

Wadkin made a combo machine for building sites it did have a jointer, can’t remember what else.
I can’t dig out a photo at the moment as we’re on the way up north for a railtrail opening.
H.

Originally Posted by Camelot

Can anyone identify the Jointers in this pic extract taken from Vann's pic above, I thought they might be MJ's but the table extension which allows the fence to slide back to get maximum width looks wider to me, plus those electric motors look at least 15HP

Here's a link to a MJ, so you can see what I mean https://www.instagram.com/reel/C38LWehoNyD/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==


Wadkin Jointer.jpg

They are early bench mounted type RB's, which makes the photo of the Wadkin factory from the 1920's

RB Pic 1.jpg RB Pic 2.jpg RB Pic 3.jpg