Thread: Wadkin Wood Lathes

When looking more carefully at the "new" banjos I noticed something odd about one:

Rest7.jpg

The toolrest hole in one is 1" diameter, whereas my RT banjo holder takes a 1 1/8" diameter toolrest - as do all RS lathes (or so I thought). So I started looking for other differences.

Rest8.jpg "New" handle top; RT handle at bottom.

The handles look the same (the pattern numbers being equally unclear on both)

Rest14a.jpg RT handle left; "new" handle right.

My RT has a standard Wadkin ball lever handle, whereas both "new" handles are bent rods. All are 1/2" 12tpi BSW. The "new" banjo has a brass slug in the threaded hole to avoid scouring the toolrest post, while the RT doesn't (I haven't disassembled the second "new" banjo yet).

From above both RT and "new" banjos look the same, except around the slot where the edges are rounded on the RT banjo.

Rest13.jpg RT banjo at bottom.

However when turned over there are greater differences

Rest10.jpg RT banjo at left.

Rest11.jpg Rest12.jpg RT banjo at left - note the RS pattern number "RS11".

To get the eccentric shaft in or out of the banjo, there's a bush at the back end which needs to be removed. To lock the bush in place the RT banjo has a 3/8" long, 24 tpi, 3/16" BSW grub screw drilled and tapped into the end:

Rest15.jpg Rest17.jpg

Whereas The "new" banjos use a 5/16" long, 20 tpi, 1/4" BSW grub screw drilled and tapped from above:

Rest16.jpg Rest18.jpg

The highest RS lathe number in the Extreme Wadkinitus thread is RS 1777 of 1957, which means that at least 1673 RS lathes were made (assuming numbering started at 105). The lowest number is RS 133 with a test date that is pre-1930, so they were in production for at least 27 years (remembering Extreme Wadkinitus only lists up to 1960). Over a period and quantity such as this, we can expect a number of detail changes.

But are the differences here a result of that, or are these very well made reproductions? Anybody else found a 1" RS/RT toolrest holder?

Cheers, Vann.

These are the tie-down bolts:

Rest19.jpg Rest23.jpg "New" above; RT below.

The "new" banjo tie bolts are definitely not manufactured by Wadkin. Even if the rest of the banjos are Wadkin made, the tie down bolts were made to attach the banjos to a bed of two 8" x 4" wooden beams.

Rest22.jpg Rest21.jpg RT left; "new" right.

There is only one of these for the "new" banjos. It did not come from the same pattern as the RT piece. It is fractionally larger in both width and length, and the corners aren't rounded.

Rest20.jpg Pattern No. "RS7"

Only the RT piece has the pattern number.

Cheers, Vann.

I've seen a few RS lathes with Al hand wheels and the cast Al Wadkin nameplate so I would assume these are later than 1957.
The one Glen bought from Cessnock/Maitland area last year.
There were at least two in the stash Cam and I picked up a bit earlier including the one I kept.
I can't chase any more info on these as I am still in Canada.
Currently have access to the big Oneway lathe at a mates in Saskatoon.
Its been a while since I turned anything on a Wadkin but I fear I am going to be disappointed after using this amazing Canadian built machine.
A few mods like VFD speed control and hollow spindle to facilitate a vacuum chuck might ease the pain.
H.

It has a look of none wadkin to me, maybe they subbed some work out.
I used to have RS 115

Originally Posted by wallace1973

It has a look of none wadkin to me, maybe they subbed some work out.
I used to have RS 115

Sorry photos out of order and non identified, doing this on an iPad.
The first two are of the Canadian built Oneway.
The Green, yellow and light blue Wadkin RSs all have the later handwheel.
I ment to post this as a reply to Vanns post re the last date for an RS being 1957.
Once I'm back in Oz I can chase some numbers and look in my catalogues as to when the later handwheel and nameplate was introduced.
H.

Originally Posted by clear out

I've seen a few RS lathes with Al hand wheels and the cast Al Wadkin nameplate so I would assume these are later than 1957...

On the PK, Wadkin changed from cast-iron spoked handwheels, to aluminium spoked handwheels about 1949. My RT lathe - a 1951 machine - has a cast-aluminium spoked handwheel. I don't know when they changed to the webbed aluminium handwheels and cast aluminium Wadkin nameplate. I should have paid more attention .

Edit: A quick look through online cattledogs shows that between 1958 and 1960 they introduced the rectangular "Wadkin Bursgreen" nameplate on almost all machines, but handwheels were still spoked.

Cheers, Vann.