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  1. #1
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    Default wadkin PK restoration

    Its been a whole 5 minutes since I finished the morticer but I am determined to finish all my project machines. I wasn't going to do a wip but thought everyone likes a machine brought back from the dead. I bought this PK about 3 years ago, it was missing some major items like its fence and crown guard arm.
    The first problem was getting into the workshop, the pallet it was on was rotten so I had to drag it onto my pump truck.


    At least I had the good sense to smear the top in waxoyle and cover it with a plastic sheet. It looks rough but it should come good

    The top was rusty when I got it and I think the rust and the waxoyle has protected the top. When I gave it a shave it was really nice underneath.


    Surprisingly the tilt still worked well

    I've done a few PK's and never come across this which limits the travel of the blade height



    This is the casting that holds the motor, This pic is straight off the machine and has not been touched. Its been sat under an apple tree for over 3 years with just a sheet over the table.


    A bit of a clean


    No wonder their was a bit slop I'm sure thats supposed to be a tapered pin, funnily I've had 3 pk's with this pin broken.




    I've been using liquid metal for filling but found this at my paint dealer for £14

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  3. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Petone, NZ
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    68
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    Default

    I always enjoy your rebuilds, and I'll follow this one with extra interest - being a fellow PK owner.
    Quote Originally Posted by wallace1973 View Post
    ...No wonder their was a bit slop I'm sure thats supposed to be a tapered pin, funnily I've had 3 pk's with this pin broken.

    Can you explain this in a little more detail please? Mine also has slop, but is a Generation 3 PK not a Generation 4 like yours. Nonetheless some of the detail is probably the same or similar. But I can't get my head around what I'm looking at in your pikkie. I haven't had mine apart (yet).


    Quote Originally Posted by wallace1973 View Post
    I don't think you should use that. I'm sure it says "For classic cat". Maybe that will get your PK purring . PK = Pussy Kat?

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

  4. #3
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    Can you explain this in a little more detail please? Mine also has slop, but is a Generation 3 PK not a Generation 4 like yours. Nonetheless some of the detail is probably the same or similar. But I can't get my head around what I'm looking at in your pikkie. I haven't had mine apart (yet).

    That's the gear for the rise and fall which is supposed to be secured on the shaft with the usual tapered pin. This one was secured with a cut down nail that did not fit properly causing the gear to rotate a bit before it would transfer onto its opposing gear. This is the third pk I've come across with issues on this gear, I've had one where the pin was snapped and another where it had been replaced.

  5. #4
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    Default

    More done, to remove he handle from the handwheel is pretty easy, just drill the peened over end a bit and knock it out.


    The handles look a bit rough but since they are made from horn they clean up really easy. Stick the stub in a drill, hold some sandpaper and spin it in your hand, go through the grits and finish with t-cut



    The handwheels are in great shape and just needed putting in the lathe and used grey then red scotchbrite before polishing.



    This machine looked in bad order but the more I dig into its obvious it was well cared for.


    I tried gun bluing for blackening some bolt heads


    And just a little bling

  6. #5
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    Rusty bits wire wheeled and blackened


    Now onto the slider, one of those hammer screwdrivers is invaluble for stuff like this.

    Easier to clean stuff in situ

    The slider has hardened steel inserts for where the bearings run

    Anoher indication that this machine has had an easy life is hole in the centre, this is where the table release locks the slider. generally the run up to the hole has a groove worn into it.


  7. #6
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    Just a tad more, the screws that hold the filler strip for the protractor groove were missing so it had lifted a bit with rust. After initial cleaning of the sliding table there are a few stains but no pits.

    The carriage the sliding table runs on is in good shape but is missing some hard to find bits ie the eccentrics that hold the bearings that the table runs on.


    Someone has changed the bearings at some point originally it would have had open bearings


    I got a big surprize when I went in the house, a parcel from over the pond. Even the dog was excited, well not really, I was stood near the treat drawer.

    There are some very nice people around, I've been searching for the back half of the pk's double mitre for 6 years. I just need to find someone to do the machining.

  8. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by wallace1973 View Post
    ...The carriage the sliding table runs on is in good shape but is missing some hard to find bits ie the eccentrics that hold the bearings that the table runs on...
    I had one missing on my PK. A friend who has a machine shop made one up for me. He's a very good turner and made a beautiful job, but unfortunately he had to charge me almost full rate and it came to $150 NZD (~£75 = $135 AUD).

    Quote Originally Posted by wallace1973
    ...Someone has changed the bearings at some point originally it would have had open bearings...
    I agonised for a long time over open (original) or sealed bearings for my slider. With hindsight - they're exposed to so much dust, and with the very low rpm involved, sealed, or at least shielded bearings, seems the best way to go.

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

  9. #8
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    Jul 2005
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    Oberon, NSW
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    Quote Originally Posted by wallace1973 View Post
    Someone has changed the bearings at some point originally it would have had open bearings
    Hehe. When I was servicing the PK I used at my last job I religiously oiled those bearings through the ports in the table. Then, one day, the 20yo apprentice came up and pointed out that "we changed those bearings for sealed bearings just before you started..."

    To my chagrin, I hadn't looked closely enough to notice. (In my defence, it is hard to tell the difference when they're mounted.) I simply nodded and said "A bit of oil never hurts" and kept it up as part of the maintenance regime.

    Four years later, I was leaving and the same apprentice was taking up my position so I had a few weeks to ensure he was up to speed. When it came time for him to do tool maintenance I was startled to see that he was also oiling those same bearings... Still... a little oil can't hurt, right?
    I may be weird, but I'm saving up to become eccentric.

    - Andy Mc

  10. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by wallace1973 View Post
    Just a tad more, the screws that hold the filler strip for the protractor groove were missing...
    I just had a look at the screws in mine. If you can't locate replacement screws, I have a handful of 5/16" brass slotted CSK machine screws that are the correct length. The heads are a touch large though, and don't go flush into the countersink in the filler strip.

    Looking at the Wadkin machine screws - I wonder if they didn't grind them down flush (actually, I'm sure they did). But if you were to do this, you might need to cut the slots a little deeper first.

    I've misplaced the 1/4" slotted CSK screws for the wooden lip on my sliding table - and now have a row of brass replacements .

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

  11. #10
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    I might have some screws in my stash, I agree the screws look ground down, theirs not much meat on them. I need some of the plane bearings that are used for side to side play also. Does anyone watch that 'Doubleboost' guy on youtube. He lives pretty close to me so I might ask him to do my machining.

  12. #11
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    more done, I'm pleased the motor was ok after spending 4 years outside. Bearings in good shape so just flushed and repacked.

    After much filling and sanding a few coats of primer



    Followed by the usual RAL 7011 enamel

    Theres no reason to paint inside other than it looks good

    This saw was missing its fence, its original fence ended up in canada. I've been looking for a fence for years so in the end I got the fence off a EQ spindle moulder which has the same fine adjuster but it doesnt tilt. I think it should work well and I think the provision to use the EQ's hold downs which go into the top of the fence will be quite usefull.


  13. #12
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    That EQ fence looks like it will do the job nicely. Auscab will be watching this closely as he has a non-Wadkin fence on his PK.

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

  14. #13
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    Time for a bit assembly.

    I thought I'd better put it on a pallet before it gets too heavy for my block and tackle


    I dont know why but I had two tins of black enamel with just a bit in so I thought I'd pore one into the other. It had some kind of reaction and coagulated into a horrible mess.
    Luckily paint supplier close by

  15. #14
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    Bit more done, the table is in pretty good condition with no pitting just staining. the infill strip which is steel has some decent pits in it. My method for cleaning is Stanley blade, wire wheel, scotchbrite on the ROS.

    Found these stamps on a corner, does the arrow denote military?

    Guess who forgot to feed the wires from the switch and motor before putting the table on. Took 45 mins of contorsionist work to get them in,


    The slider release was missing so I had a go at making a new one in the style of the early pk machines.





  16. #15
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    I had a rummage around my junk piles and found these which I'm going to try and make into a crown guard and support.


    I'm copying off the holy grail brass crown guard


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