Thread: Wadkin PK Gen 4

Originally Posted by Charlie_6ft

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2) Is there some sort of order that you disassemble this apparatus? I undid the 4 x bolts and the grub screw that drives the shaft that does the actual 45º tilt (the BIG gear you see in the 2nd pic) BUT this seems tighter than a fishes a$$ when I tried to pull that front plate off (yes I'd already removed the turn wheel).

So mine is Gen 3, and very different, but I have worked on a Gen 4 once. Please take the following as my suggestion - NOT as the prescribed method.

On a Gen 4 the whole tilt mechanism is located on that one casting. You'll have to remove the bar that links the mechanism to the blade platform. To get into it (assuming you're not going to lift the table off), you'll need to tilt the blade are far as you can - and then maybe a bit more. The end that attaches to the blade platform will probably be easier to get at, but if you can disconnect at the other end, that will make getting the casting out MUCH easier.

Also, before removing the link arm pin, chock the whole thing open, as once the pin is out it may try to swing closed (and your wife won't find you pinned in the machine until she has a chore for you to do ).

I think the casting can then be removed BUT, I suggest you first remove the shaft that the handwheel is on by pushing it into the machine, and then grabbing it from the inside. This may not be necessary, but it will give you more wiggle room.

The casting will be tight, due to the two locating pins through the casting into the main body of the machine. You can get a jemmy bar in either side to gently lever if necessary. Once it comes loose pull it straight out about 75-100mm, then tilt it up until the bottom is clear, and then tilt it right - as the big gear wheel is top left.

WARNING: it's damned heavy.

G4_1.jpg G4_2.jpg

I hope this helps.

Cheers, Vann.

Thanks Vann, makes sense. I did slide the top off and can access the arm that connects to the big gear wheel. There is a grub bolt that holds the pin but not sure if I could get that out - will see how I go. I'll pull the motor out and clear some room too.

Wadkin-PK-Insides.jpg

Despite having a varying number of pullers I just don't seem to have the right thing to get this bearings off! Plan B is to take these to my dad who has a 6 ton press!

Wadkin-bearing.jpg Wadkin-Slider-Bearings.jpg

Sooo ... I went to see my local bearing people, General Bearing Company. They only had two options:

Japanese bearings - AUD$18 (£9.54 / USD$11.91)
Chinese bearings - AUD$9.95 (£5.27 / USD$6.58)

SO ... on initial thoughts I was going to avoid the Chinese bearings BUT the lady who had worked there for 25yrs said the Chinese Accor bearings are supplied to the Australia Army. Effectively they have seen very few of these bearings fail & that from a ROM (rough order of magnitude) there are equally as many Japanese manufactured bearings that fail. Her recommendation from a price point and quality is to go with the Chinese Accor bearings.

The bearings I bought are ACCOR RLS5 2RS for anyone looking for bearings for their machine.

WadkinPK-Bearing.jpg

Originally Posted by Charlie_6ft

Sooo ... I went to see my local bearing people, General Bearing Company. They only had two options:

Japanese bearings - AUD$18 (£9.54 / USD$11.91)
Chinese bearings - AUD$9.95 (£5.27 / USD$6.58)

SO ... on initial thoughts I was going to avoid the Chinese bearings BUT the lady who had worked there for 25yrs said the Chinese Accor bearings are supplied to the Australia Army. Effectively they have seen very few of these bearings fail & that from a ROM (rough order of magnitude) there are equally as many Japanese manufactured bearings that fail. Her recommendation from a price point and quality is to go with the Chinese Accor bearings.

The bearings I bought are ACCOR RLS5 2RS for anyone looking for bearings for their machine.

WadkinPK-Bearing.jpg

I guess if they fit ok then the saw isn't going to be in a commercial shop, so they should last you and the next person

That was pretty much my thinking. She gave these bearings a good wrap so I don't have any concerns and gave me confidence and piece of mind. Realistically this saw will see occasional weekend use.

Originally Posted by auscab

Using silicon under the tops of machines on the moving parts shouldn't be a problem if you were careful with it. There are better things to use though.
And.
Silicon spray or silicon lube of any sorts is usually kept well away from woodworking workshops. It interferes with polishing / finishing the wood.
It can make timber un finishable . Ive never seen it happen on new woodwork just read about it a number of times. First I heard of it was the old polishers at work trying to solve the problem of nothing taking to a damaged polished surface needing repair and they said the reason could be the use of a silicon based modern furniture reviver.
Even putting it on steel surfaces can transfer it across to the wood.
If you walked into a professional furniture manufacturing workshop with a can of silicon spray though they would quickly tell you that stuff is not staying in here.
I use either candle wax or a smear paraffin oil on those surfaces.

Rob

So I think I found the solution. I was watching a metal working video on YouTube and ol'mate mentioned he sprayed surfaces with Feast Watson Timber Wax Spray. This will be good for not only the slider cage but also the tabletop and if I have any left over I may even use it on something I make.

Screenshot 2023-04-28 at 9.43.23 pm.jpg

When you took the table bearings off did you keep a track of where they came from. They have locating grub screws, so assuming they are in the same position as they left the factory. It makes it a lot easier to set up.

Originally Posted by wallace1973

When you took the table bearings off did you keep a track of where they came from. They have locating grub screws, so assuming they are in the same position as they left the factory. It makes it a lot easier to set up.

Hey Mark, I know what you mean but mine don't seem to have these. I did spot these here: Restoring a pair of Wadkin PKs | Page 2 | MIG Welding Forum

Perhaps someone made up new ones and replaced the grub screws or maybe Wadkin did away with these in the Gen 4 saws?

WadkinPK-SliderBearings.jpg

Originally Posted by wallace1973

...They have locating grub screws...

I read somewhere that you've now refurbed 7 Wadkin PKs, so you obviously know what you're talking about. But on my Gen 3 PK the slider eccentric pins were never bored, and the locking grub screws don't have the little pin turned down on the ends.

I've also worked on a Gen 4 PK that also didn't have the pins bored. It seems to have been a bit haphazard as to when they were bored and when they weren't. I guess it came down to who built the machine back in Green Lane.

Edit: the two PKs I mentioned above are my PKA 800 of 1945, and PK 1857 of 1955.

Cheers, Vann.

So I had a go using this 'Anchor Professional One Shot Multi Layer Paint Stripper' I've been really underwhelmed but has come highly recommended so perhaps I am doing something wrong? What I did was:

• Apply with a 3" paint brush
• Waited about 1hr
• Tried to wipe\scrap off paint

WadkinPaintStripper01.jpg WadkinPaintStripper02.jpg

I found it took paint off aluminium like a dream and could literally just wipe it off with paper towels. It sort of started to dissolve the top coat of paint but not really the layers underneath. I took to it with a large powerful grinder with a 'Twist Knot' wire wheel which flicked off the top coat without making dust but as soon as it hit the dry stuff it just disintegrated the paint into dust. The result with the grinder was very good but created so much dust my entire garage filled up with fine floating particles. I did wear a dust musk BTW.

So what is the go? Do I have too high an expectation on this paint stripper?

You should see the top layers crackle up straight away . Don't wait an hour. It'd almost be dry by then. It should only take a few minutes. Less even. It'll only react down so far so I put it on wet and either keep putting more on and mush it around in circles with a brush so it gets to lower layers Or let it react with the top layer , then scrape it off after 3 minutes with the paint that has lifted and apply more. Are you trying to get back to cast iron ?

When you get down to the final depth I scrub with metho and coarse steel wool .

There is an process to stripping that you have to learn to be good at it . Letting the stripper do the hard work and knowing when to scrub it off then start with more is one of the stages to learn . Knowing how to wash it off at the end and buff dry with metho is another. If the timing is wrong it can turn into a s++it of a mess and take ages to do .

edit . It’l come off fast if it’s an enamel paint . Which it most likely is . If it’s some sort of two pack on there that’l be a different story . It then could be quite hard to get off .

Rob

The little bit of knowledge I have about Paint Stripper is that it works on one layer at a time. If you can "paint it on" and cover with foil it will dissolve lower down. I used automotive stripper on 2 projects I have. I also used a pressure cleaner to blast off the stripped goop. It worked on some bits and others I had to get out the twist knot grinder.

Its not a job you can rush. You may find that some areas need more than one or two applications.

Oh.....wear gloves because it bites!!!!

Righto, OK sounds like I see what I have done wrong - left it to dry so back to square one. Yes taking it back to bare metal so I can undercoat with red oxide.

The casting seems to have a few layers:

- Maroon - possibly red oxide undercoat?
- Off white (I think) - some sort of filler coat, it's fairly thick?
- Wadkin grey - original colour
- Matalic green - someone tried to do a respray at some point, possibly the worst spray job I've seen, it's cheap and nasty & doesn't look like a whole lot was stripped down. There was even over spray on the table top.