Thread: Lathe Bargain

A couple of serious lathes there. Likely to go cheap as dirt because they look so bad and are so big.

Were I 25,000 KM closer I'd have one or both in my shed.

The Wadkin RS, RU & RUJ models were intended for serious professional use. They quickly established a reputation as reliable, robust, high-performance machines that could turn out all but the very largest jobs likely to be encountered in a medium-sized workshop. Built at the 20,000 square foot, Green Lane Works, in Leicester, they joined a vast range of woodworking machines manufactured in a thirteen-bay production and assembly plant that employed, in the early 1950s, over seven-hundred staff.
The RS was available with a choice of three centre heights: 6, 8 or 10-inches (152, 203 or 254 mm) that were able to take, respectively, work 42, 66 and 78 inches (1066, 1676 and 1981 mm) long. The bed was heavily constructed, with its flat top and vertical location surfaces hand scraped dead true, and fitted with a removable gap section as standard. With the gap piece out the 6-inch lathe could turn a diameter of 24.5 inches (622 mm) the 8-inch version 28.5 inches (723 mm) and the largest model 32.5 inches (825 mm); the wide of the gap was common across the range and allow a workpiece 12-inches deep (305 mm) to be carried on the faceplate. The massive headstock-end plinth held the drive system: a 1.5 h.p. 950 r.p.m. motor (common to all types) mounted on a hinged plate driving directly to the spindle through a flat belt over 4-step cone pulleys.

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Yeh the problem with some of those ausctions is getting the blasted stuff out.

Check the big ass disk sander....the auction price is pretty low and I expect it to stay low....but they will hit you $350 to extract and load the thing....AND they expect you to bear the cost of electrical disconnection and any other preparation before they lift and load it.

That wadkin lathe will be a big lump too........

I once baught a timbrel and wright metal capstan lathe sight unseen for arround $30.....the discription saud 4 foot bed...thaught it would fit in my shed great

When I went to inspect it............. hell it was a monster of a thing weighing like 4 tonnes without the chuck.....the chuck alone would have need a small crane or a bunch of blokes to lift.

I sold it as is where is to a mate for $300...and he got a bargin.

cheers

Would this be 240v 3 phase or 480v?

That Barker bandsaw would look so good in my shed - - - but 2 is enough

Originally Posted by TTIT

- - - but 2 is enough

Never enough... but sometimes too much!

We had a Wadkin at t.a.f.e when I did the woodturning apprenticeship! Nice lathe! Wish I had the means to get it in!

Originally Posted by jaredlacey

Would this be 240v 3 phase or 480v?

we dont have 480V supply in this country.

3 phase supply measures 240 Volts, phase to neutral and 415 Volts phase to phase.

Most 3 phase motors of that size run delta confuguration with no neutral connection so would be 415 Volts.

If it makes any difference, replacing a motor would be a minor issue.

OR even better hooking up using a single phase to 3 phase variable frequency drive....Variable speed

cheers

Originally Posted by soundman

we dont have 480V supply in this country.

Gunna have to disagree with you here, we do. Have it running in my shed now.

480 Volts would be unusual and is not reticulated as general mains supply.

I gather you have either your own substation or a transformer that produces it.

The only reason we would see 480 volt 3 phase supply used in Australia is to accomodate equipment designed for overseas supply

Or are we talking about a 480 volt supply from a SWR system in a rural area.

In that case it will more likely be a 480 volt single phase, cos ya cant make 3 phases from a single wire all that easily.

Either way......a 480 Volt three phase motor is no use for most people.

cheers

Um, I think you've missed the point Jaredlacey was making, he said 3phase or 480v, at no point did he say 3phase 480v.

That Barker bandsaw would look so good in my shed - - - but 2 is enough

Nah! you can never have too many bandsaws

But both lathes are oldies but would do up very well and you would have a real solid lathe, brick whatsa name house thingy.

Originally Posted by soundman

we dont have 480V supply in this country....

We do, it is 2 phase, 180° out of phase & you get it in rural areas.
Basically a 480V transformer with a centre tap.
We have it at our place but I only use the single phases at 240V each.

No I'm not missing the point.

If you looked at the listings for the auction both lathes appear to be listed as 3 phase.

and quote.

Would this be 240v 3 phase or 480v?


Thus the clarification.........most likely it will be 415 volt 3 phase delta connected.

Or Did he mean "would this be 240V, 3 phase or 480V.

Again the answer is almost certainly 415 Volt 3 phase.

When ya go to these industrial auctions there is plenty of 3 phase gear and it often goes cheap as chips, because it isn't new and funky enough for modern industrial users and the single phase hobbist cant deal with the 3 phase.

While ther may be plenty of 480 Volt pumps and a bit of other agricultrual equipment on 480 Volts......It would be very unusual to see industrial equipment on 480 volts, particularly comming out of a workshop in a city.

AND, its hard wired, from the discription. Which means you have to disconnect it at your cost.

cheers

=hughie;But both lathes are oldies but would do up very well and you would have a real solid lathe, brick whatsa name house thingy.

Ceramic Defecatorium is the term you are looking for.