Results 76 to 90 of 90
-
18th October 2018, 08:45 AM #76GOLD MEMBER
- Join Date
- Mar 2018
- Location
- Sydney
- Posts
- 1,166
are you committing to find it a great piece of timber to eat for it's 93rd?
-
18th October 2018 08:45 AM # ADSGoogle Adsense Advertisement
- Join Date
- Always
- Location
- Advertising world
- Posts
- Many
-
18th October 2018, 09:16 PM #77
Gees, hope l make it to 94 !
Melbourne Matty.
-
9th February 2019, 02:02 PM #78
Motor Serial Numbers
Originally Posted by Vann
RB 117m.jpg Note a few pieces of conduit to the right of the box.
And the tag number is X11336B.
RB 117mtag.jpg
Updated motor serial numbers:
X11325B - RB 109;
X11328B - RB 116;
X11330B - RB 113;
X11336B - RB 117.
Nope, those motors certainly weren't attached the the buzzers in any particular order.
Cheers, Vann.Gatherer of rustyplanestools...
Proud member of the Wadkin Blockhead Club .
-
27th May 2019, 06:35 PM #79
MEM Woes – pt.1.
While I've been procrastinating over finishing the reassembly of this buzzer, I've been working on refurbishing the switchgear. It came with MEM switchgear.
The isolating switch is a “modern” (1960s) MEM replacement. The jury is still out regarding whether I’ll reuse it, or replace it with something older.
RB 206.jpg
The stop/start switch is a loverly olde MEM cast iron clad double break magnetic contactor.
RB 207.jpg
A “Darth Vadar” look-alike . Officially known as a: MEM ‘Auto-Memota’ Direct-on-line Contactor Starter. It’s in the 1937 catalogue I recently bought, and I feel it’s almost certainly the original contactor fitted when this 1926 machine was installed about 1929.
I knew its push button station was damaged, needing repair or replacement.
MEMa3.jpg MEMa4.jpg
I bought a NOS "Auto-Memota" from the UK – just in case.
MEM2a.jpg MEM2b.jpg
The new contactor has a 200-250v coil. 240v is available by connecting any phase to Neutral. Unfortunately the guy who built our place wired the three phase circuits with 4-core cable – 3 phases and Earth – no Neutral .
That wouldn’t be a problem, I would simply steal the push button station and fit it to the original contactor. Last week I finally got around to doing that.
MEMa5.jpg
It was then that I noticed that the “bridge” (or whatever it’s called) at the top is also damaged – and this time the broken piece is lost. That’s okay, I can swap the bridges over...
MEMa6.jpg The bakelite "bridge" should extend forward under the screw head in the foreground.
MEMa7.jpg Unbroken "bridge" on the NOS contactor.
...except the contacts are different . Note (below) the copper contact strips on the NOS contactor (left) are arched, while on the original contactor (right) they're mostly flat.
MEMa8.jpg
Consulting the catalogues again I see I have two different versions of the “Auto-Memota" contactor. The original one is a Series 3, while the NOS one is a Series 2 .
Ah well. I can swap the push button station back into the NOS contactor, and swap the 250v coil for the 400v coil at the same time (at least the coils are interchangeable – I checked the catalogues).
Meantime the cast iron case has been de-rusted and re-painted - without problems .
MEMa9.jpg MEMa10.jpg
Cheers, Vann.Last edited by Vann; 28th May 2019 at 05:36 PM. Reason: Two photos added.
Gatherer of rustyplanestools...
Proud member of the Wadkin Blockhead Club .
-
8th October 2022, 07:47 PM #80
A Stand - pt.3.
I took it all apart. I salvaged both long frame members and the deck. I decided to make the hole in the deck, under the cutterblock, much larger to avoid chips building up under there.
Making the hole larger meant two of the deck boards no longer spanned the deck, so when I made up the two new (macrocarpa) ends I cut mortises and ran an additional frame member (complete with tennons) to support the deck.
I then moved on to the legs. I want to reproduce the angles bracing the legs at the front. The infeed end will have a horizontal member (like the original) and a top member (to increase the landing for the electrical switches). I bought some 3/8" rod for ties for the end and back.
Note the new ends, additional frame member and larger hole for woodchips.
Bench8.jpg Dry fitting the new legs and front angles.
One end glued, screwed and tie rod fitted. I had some 3/8" BSW square nuts, so I cut 3/8" BSW threads on each end of the tie rods.
Bench9.jpg Dry fitting the back - looks like I made the back tie rod too short .
A view with the infeed end legs on.
Bench10.jpg Nope, I made the back horizontal too long .
It now has three legs fitted (no photo), but I've misplaced the "yea olde" slotted countersunk steel screws I'd found to hold the legs in place, so progress has stalled until I find them.
Cheers, Vann.Gatherer of rustyplanestools...
Proud member of the Wadkin Blockhead Club .
-
27th October 2022, 08:12 PM #81
Electrical Conduit.
I've now got the bench to a stage where I can consider where to run the conduit. I am, of course, going to use recycled steel conduit (I'm weird like that ). 5/8" conduit for the 3 phase and Earth wires (4 wires) to the motor. And 3/4" conduit for the two lots of 3 phase and Earth (7 wires) between isolating switch and contactor.
The contactor was located beneath the infeed table.
Bench13.jpg
I'm going to locate it just a little closer to the front, for ease of access.
Bench12.jpg
I believe the wiring between contactor and motor ran either at the back of the bench, or underneath the bench top (most things electrical were removed when the legs were removed and the buzzer was put on a pallet). I want to push the bench hard up against a wall, so at the back isn't an option.
I could run it underneath.
Bench11b.jpg Option "A".
Or along towards the rear along the top and over the back of the motor stand.
Bench11a.jpg Option "B".
Or between the motor and gearbox.
Bench11c.jpg Option "C".
I like to see the conduit, so Option "A" is not appealing. The isolating swtich has knockouts missing from the left side (for conduit to the contactor) and the top, so option "C" (which requires the conduit to enter from above) is my preferred option.
Onwards and upwards.
Cheers, Vann.Gatherer of rustyplanestools...
Proud member of the Wadkin Blockhead Club .
-
12th November 2022, 08:42 PM #82
A Stand - pt.4.
While re-assembling the deck of the bench I replaced the nails with screws from a box of NOS steel slotted csk screws - 3" x 10g. In places removing the old nails had caused additional damage so some patches were applied.
Bench13.jpg
Similarly some even bigger NOS steel slotted csk screws were used to tie in the diagonal beams at the front - 4 1/2" x 12g (big buggers).
Bench15a.jpg The brace visible is temporarily clamped across the open end while moving.
Then I added some chamfered spacers either side of the chip opening - to form a "hopper" to help direct chips into the intended chip bins below.
Bench14.jpg
It's now ready to lift the buzzer from the temporary bench, back onto it's original bench.
Bench16.jpg
Cheers, Vann.Gatherer of rustyplanestools...
Proud member of the Wadkin Blockhead Club .
-
12th November 2022, 09:03 PM #83
A Stand - pt.5.
I removed the tables (to lighten it) and slid the machine across and into position on it's original bench.
Bench16.jpg
Next to bolt it down. I searched but couldn't find the bolts. Then I remebered that at least one was missing, one was too short, and one was a coach screw.
I decided to make new studs. Out with some newly acquired 1/2" rod and the BSW dies.
Bench17.jpg
I also found eight suitable heavy washers and seven square nuts (gotta keep up that vintage look). The eighth nut would possibly foul the chip bin below the deck, so I made one stud shorter and made a recess for the washer and nut. A hex nut would require a smaller diameter recess and could be more easily tightened with a socket.
Cheers, Vann.Gatherer of rustyplanestools...
Proud member of the Wadkin Blockhead Club .
-
15th November 2022, 11:55 AM #84
A Stand - pt.6.
Finally, the buzzer is bolted down on its permanent stand. A picture of the top end of a stud with period square nut.
RB 98.jpg Already covered in dust (not from this machine ).
And a view from the underside showing the bottom end of three studs (including the recessed nut and washer).
RB 99.jpg I may recess deeper if required.
While this has been going on, I've also had another test fit of the conduit (and adjusted some lengths), and I've been refurbishing the MEM isolating switch.
Cheers, Vann.Gatherer of rustyplanestools...
Proud member of the Wadkin Blockhead Club .
-
20th November 2022, 05:43 PM #85
Electrics and Conduit.
I understand why sparkies like modern PVC conduit.
I've test fitted the steel conduit several times. Each time I need to shorten (or lengthen) a piece it's out with the dies in order to cut some more thread. Of course each time I grip it in the vice, tight enough to cut threads, the paint gets damaged and it's another two or three days before the piece is repainted. I could never afford to pay a sparkie to take that long to do the conduit (assuming I could find a sparkie who knows how).
Anyway, it's almost done. Today I reassembled the isolating switch, fitted the last piece of conduit, and started running wires.
RB 119.jpg
RB 120.jpg
Cheers, Vann.Gatherer of rustyplanestools...
Proud member of the Wadkin Blockhead Club .
-
21st November 2022, 07:24 PM #86
Electrics and Conduit - pt.2.
A bit more done:
- conduit saddles fitted;
- all wires run through to contactor;
- conduit elbow cover fitted;
- contactor fully wired (except Earth);
- isolating switch partially wired in;
- plug, lead and gland attached to isolating switch (still to be wired in);
- tools and spare parts tidied away.
RB 121.jpg
Cheers, Vann.Gatherer of rustyplanestools...
Proud member of the Wadkin Blockhead Club .
-
30th November 2022, 03:52 PM #87GOLD MEMBER
- Join Date
- Apr 2012
- Location
- Sydney
- Posts
- 1,504
Slowly making progress!
For a moment there I thought you had scored your self an Auto Memota bottle opener and added it to the bench!
-
27th December 2022, 01:58 PM #88
Electrics and Conduit - pt.3.
I finally wired in the lead and plug, and connected the remaining Earth leads.
Yesterday I unplugged two other machines so I could run a lead to this buzzer. I plugged it in and tested the circuit. The contactor clicked in nicely when the "On' button was pushed (the motor is not the one I intend to fit to this machine so is not wired in).
RB 122.jpg
I cycled the contactor ~a dozen times to be sure (using a stick to push the buttons as I don't like my fingers that close to exposed terminals ).
It's now electrically all complete up to (but excluding) the motor. All covers, including the elbow covers, are now fitted and I also added the little green "MEM" labels (the grey isolating switch should actually have the later red "MEM" label, but I don't have the necessary artwork).
RB 123.jpg
Next job is to complete reassembly of the "Ideal" ("Surty" clone) blade guard. Then there's the original motor to reassemble (and I'm having problems... ).
Cheers, Vann.Gatherer of rustyplanestools...
Proud member of the Wadkin Blockhead Club .
-
18th March 2024, 08:57 PM #89
Here's a picture taken in June last year with "Ideal" guard fitted. I'm not sure about the red - it might need toning down a little.
RB 701.jpg
Nothing more has been done to it since that date. There's still a motor problem and a cutterblock problem to be sorted.
Here it is next to it's younger brother - the 1926 bench RB buzzer is in early Wadkin grey (darker), while the later 1946/47 machine is in later Wadkin grey (lighter - RAL 7011).
RB 702.jpg
Cheers, Vann.Gatherer of rustyplanestools...
Proud member of the Wadkin Blockhead Club .
-
18th March 2024, 10:06 PM #90
You may be familiar with this picture of an early RB at Wadkin's Green Lane works.
RB HCat2.jpg
I believe this may be RB 105, the first off the production line in October, 1926 (with the next dozen going to New Zealand Railways). It is cropped from this photo in a 1928 catalogue.
Ra2.jpg
Wallace has kindly sent me this picture of a batch of RB buzzers at the Wadkin works.
Nearest the camera are three RB buzzers the same as mine (short tables, motor mounted at benchtop level), while immediately behind are a further three with flat-belt pulleys for lineshaft drive. To the left are two more RBs - but I cannot tell how these two are powered.
As all twelve RBs that went to New Zealand Railways were fitted with electric motors, I would guess these are a following batch. RB's 105 to 117 were motorised. By RB 158 - 40 machines later - RBs had the tables extended to 5' long and came with their own cast iron stand, suggesting that a maximum of three batches of twelve 'short table' RBs followed the first batch, and the photo depicts one of these batches. This would indicate that the photo dates to 1926 or 1927 or so.
The above photo is cropped from this delightful photo of dozens of completed machines at the works.
Enjoy.
Cheers, Vann.Gatherer of rustyplanestools...
Proud member of the Wadkin Blockhead Club .
Similar Threads
-
Wadkin RB Buzzer
By Vann in forum ANTIQUE AND VINTAGE MACHINERYReplies: 124Last Post: 27th January 2022, 02:13 PM -
Wadkin LA bench drill restoration
By wallace1973 in forum ANTIQUE AND VINTAGE MACHINERYReplies: 9Last Post: 26th December 2016, 10:40 PM -
WOLF bench grinder type 8356 HELP !
By tarquin in forum HAND TOOLS - POWEREDReplies: 0Last Post: 8th October 2011, 01:09 AM -
Bench dog type clamps
By Bob38S in forum HOMEMADE TOOLS AND JIGS ETC.Replies: 3Last Post: 28th November 2009, 11:42 AM -
Type of wood for outdoor bench
By zendo in forum WOODWORK - GENERALReplies: 3Last Post: 18th July 2006, 10:06 PM