Thread: Wadkin LP Boring and Recessing Machine.

Originally Posted by Vann

As mentioned in the 1st post, the original table is 28” x 15” with, 22” of longitudinal movement, 9” of transverse movement, and 6½“ of vertical movement.

Attachment 425986 Original table.

Attachment 425987 Modified table.

There seem to be a few changes. In addition to the change from round rod to rectangular bar along the front of the table, there's also an eccentric handle (rotation lock?), and a ball lever handle appears underneath. And of course the table size has increased to 30” x 16” with, 25” of longitudinal movement, 9” of transverse movement, and 7“ of vertical movement...

...It looks like I have the modified table on mine (with rotation ) but I won't know for sure until I see it next month.

aLPt3.jpg

The table on mine measures 30” x 16” which confirms it's the later (slightly bigger) table. What I forgot to do, in my hurry to get the machine stripped down, was to measure longitudinal, transverse and vertical movements - but I think I can assume these are also the increased movements of the later table. Another thing I forgot to check is whether the table rotates.

aLP24.jpg I did make a quick attempt to turn the table support, but couldn't get it to move.

I removed the sheet of MDF covering the table and found it had been in the wars.

aLP21.jpg aLP20.jpg Someone had even machined a rectangle into the table .

The screws visible in the top surface attach the rack which provides the longitudinal movement.

aLP22.jpg Underside of table.


Beneath the table is this err... thingamyjig - I suppose it's a "transverse movement mechanism".

aLP27.jpg Note the pinion that drives the rack under the table.

aLP29.jpg Underside of thingamyjig - err... transverse movement mechanism.

aLP28.jpg And it has the eccentric lock with a 4" handle - which looks identical to the sliding table lock on a PK.


Further down again is the table raise/lower handwheel. This 12" six-spoke handwheel looks to be identical to the arbour-tilt handwheel on the PK - except it has a steel handle, not the horn handle the PK has.

aLP23.jpg aLP25.jpg Note the cute little brass cover over the oil hole.

At the other end of the handwheel shaft is a worm which drives the pinion (in the photo below), which in turn drives a rack machined into the "piston" that supports the
"transverse movement mechanism" and table.

aLP26.jpg

Cheers, Vann.

Now I know how many holes it takes to fill the Albert Hall ...

Any thoughts on addressing the table? Looks like an interesting challenge!

Lovely Machine ! you would be shocked at how bad Mattys table and screw were. The table cracked in half from front to back and the screw drooping , bent from the heat of the fire it was in .

Rob

Originally Posted by hiroller

Now I know how many holes it takes to fill the Albert Hall ...

I just love Beatle music (and lyrics).

Originally Posted by hiroller

...Any thoughts on addressing the table? Looks like an interesting challenge!

I know some people go to a lot of effort to get rid of the arc of shame. I'm not sure yet what I'll do, but it'll range from: a skim to get rid of the rectangle; JB weld; or nothing.

It would be nice to get it looking like new, but I'd never get it up and running in my lifetime if I attempted that .

Cheers, Vann.

Originally Posted by wallace1973

On the subject of being caught out by the wife, mine caught me googling the mileage for a potential new machine...

Did she catch you googling this LQ as well?

LQ eBay Jan18.jpg https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Wadkin-M...p2047675.l2557

I see in your latest thread (the RS) that your LQ is now in storage. What's the status of your LP?

Wallace LQ.jpg

Cheers, Vann.

My intention was to restore and use the LQ then I acquired the LP which I preferred so the LQ got relegated to the garden. This one would need a huge amount of work so I decided to make it a parts machine, its not worth the effort and the price of the one you pictured proves it.
My LP is going to be done after the RS, It needs stripping because everything is stiff but I was toying with the idea of keeping its original paint and just doing the bright work a bit

Originally Posted by wallace1973

...My LP is going to be done after the RS, It needs stripping because everything is stiff but I was toying with the idea of keeping its original paint and just doing the bright work a bit

Mine has been repainted - not very well, just a quick over-paint with a lighter grey - and I'm not sure if I'll attempt a repaint or not. Through various scrapes and scratches I can see a darker colour, and under the Wadkin tag is a patch of dark grey - probably the same grey that I found on the early RB buzzer I've nearly finished.

I'll make a decision after the main casting (and remaining bits) arrives.

Cheers, Vann.

Mine has been overpainted but comes off really easy, I tried an air line and flaked off

Originally Posted by wallace1973

Mine has been overpainted but comes off really easy, I tried an air line and flaked off

I might try that too. I like the idea of keeping the original paint if possible.
However, I don't think I'll be able to stop myself from repainting places like around the rim of the table, and probably the handwheels, where the paint is mostly chipped and damaged .

Cheers, Vann.

I like the sound of this , talking of keeping original paint . Ive spent the last few days on my DR bandsaw . It's got a later very close Grey colour over the original . I'm just washing the dirt off , doing a few touch ups and cleaning all the bright work . Going to give it a coat of clear over the top . Not to thick . It's looking good so far . I'll put up pics soon .
Rob

Most of the LP parts are in my (now full) rat hole, but the traverse mechanism doesn't fit and consequently has been laying on the garage floor, getting in the way and vulnerable to damage. It has that long screw sticks out the back so far! So I decided to take it apart to store it more compactly.

LP27.jpg

The long shaft with the screw thread is connected to the small handwheel, and controls transverse movement. It has to come out the back (due to the thread being a larger diameter than the rest of the shaft), so first the handwheel had to come off. The handwheel is 6" diameter and is tapped ½” BSW for a crank handle.

It's held on by a No.3 taper pin, just over 1¾” long (so I presume a 2" taper pin cut short).

LP28.jpg

The handwheel came off easily to reveal the near end of the long shaft.

LP29.jpg

I then drove the shaft in until I found the intermediate collar fouls the back edge of the traverse mechanism casting. The collar is held on by a grub screw with a pin machined into the bottom, which locates in a hole in the shaft.

LP30.jpg View with collar moved about 3" along the shaft.

The collar put up a fight. It has been moved before and it has been screwed back without locating the grub pin in the shaft hole, resulting in a marred surface on the shaft.

LP31.jpg

I got the whole thing apart eventually, ready to begin the next step.

Cheers, Vann.

I forgot to take pictures during the removal of the outer shaft.

You may recall this picture.

LP29.jpg

That inner shaft runs in a bronze bush, inside the outer shaft.

aLP33.jpg

Here's a view of the parts, as they were this morning.

aLP34.jpg

At the right hand end is the pinion, which engages in a rack under the table itself, controlling longitudinal movement (side to side). The pinion is fixed to the outer shaft by another grub screw with a pin machined into the end, which locates in a hole in the shaft.

Working left, the shaft then passes through its casting (not shown). Where it emerges to the left, there is a collar (shown) which again is fixed by a grub screw with a pin. Finally, at the left end of the shaft is an 8" diameter cast-iron handwheel - this time held on by two grub screws with a pin.

Or it should be, but there was only one grub screw present, and it didn't align with it's hole either.

aLP35.jpg

aLP36.jpg A gratuitous view of the handwheel. Note the lug for a crank handle - unmachined.

I've since removed the handwheel from the shaft.

Cheers, Vann.

Originally Posted by Vann

... like the idea of keeping the original paint if possible.
However, I don't think I'll be able to stop myself from repainting places like around the rim of the table, and probably the handwheels, where the paint is mostly chipped and damaged .

Well, as predicted, I couldn't help myself. The paint was either overpainted or missing completely in so many places.

aLP38.jpg aLP37a.jpg Top and bottom of repainted "transverse movement mechanism" casting.

The eccentric locking pin mechanism is held in place with two 5/16" BSW x ½” long steel countersunk machine screws - which meant they have only ¼” of grip.

By chance I have some NOS 5/16" BSW x ¾” long brass countersunk machine screws - resulting in a deeper grip.

aLP39.jpg aLP40.jpg

I've now partially reassembled the "transverse movement mechanism". The pinion and the collar each have one grub screw, the handwheel has two (or should have, but one was missing). I re-mounted the handwheel on the shaft carefully to align the two locating holes (for the first time in a long time ) and stole the collar grubscrew to mount the handwheel as Wadkin intended.

In my Wadkin parts bin I found another grub screw with the same thread, and pin turned on the end, but ~ ¼” longer. I've used it in the collar for now, but if I can be sure it won't foul anything I'll swap it with the one in the pinion - just for looks.

aLP41.jpg aLP42.jpg

I used the same Wadkin dark grey on this as I used on the Wadkin RB buzzer. I like the colour, and it looks to be a close match to the original paint on this machine - they're both 1920s machines. I'm not so sure about the red on the handwheel... .

Cheers, Vann.

When I bought the LP, the switchgear looked like this.

aLP50.jpg

That's far to modern looking for a 1920s machine IMHO. I'm wanting something that looks older, more in keeping with the age of the machine. I intend to mount the wiring in steel conduit.

As the spindle is two speed (depending on flat belt pulley selection) of 2000 or 4000 rpm, one concession I have made is the purchase of a VFD to allow slower, and maybe faster (depending on bearing ratings) spindle speeds. Switching can then be done with simple pushbuttons - rather than the contactor previously fitted. I'm also concerned than there be easily accessed emergency switching.

I looked through my accumulation of old fittings and found I have two cast aluminium boxes with On and Off pushbuttons. They probably date to the 1960s or 70s, but they have an art deco look.

aLP111.jpg

They were both like the one on the left, but I plugged the two holes in the cover (right) and drilled a single hole in the centre to fit a mushroom head pushbutton. I had to plug two holes in the rear portion (neither were BS conduit thread) and it had fresh paint when I took this photo today.

So I have a question for other LP/LQ users. Where is the most convenient place to put Box 1 - with On & Off buttons, and Box 2 with the big Off button?

My LP may have originally been flat belt driven, but Mark (wallace) has a later one with what may be original buttons, mounted to the left on the spindle. Mark also has an LQ which also has buttons to the left of the spindle, but rotated 90 degrees to face the operator.

aLPw2a.jpg

My initial thoughts were to put the double button switch to the right of the spindle, and single button to the left - both mounted on arms about 300mm long. But I wonder if experienced operators have any recommendations.

The VFD will most probably be mounted on the wall behind the recessor.

Cheers, Vann.