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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
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    uk
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    456

    Default Wadkin MA morticer restoration

    I've been pretty busy doing lathes this year, I've done 4 but since I already did a thread on one I thought it pointless to do another thread. I'm now doing an morticer which I've never done before so looking forward to it.
    I bought this about 3 years ago thinking it might have some good parts to salvage, but instead I'm going to try and resurrect it. Before I got it it had spent some time outside and since in my possession its sat out side smothered in waxoyle and covered with a tarp.




    This one dates from 1946 which I think is wadkins wonder years

    I really like using waxoyle to preserve metal, it works its way into everything and helps loosen stuff

    I just love the way bolts that are 72 years old come out looking like this

    My first balls up

    They made proper insulating tape back in the day, the brass screws in is connector look new

    That motor and chain head are pretty heavy

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  3. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Melbourne, Australia.
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    825

    Default

    That's an early one Mark, interesting to see not many changes on the MA over the years. Sure will look nice all painted up !
    Melbourne Matty.

  4. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    uk
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    456

    Default

    I'm undecided if this will be a keeper, If I could get my hands on the chisel head then I would be very tempted.

    Abit more done, I started disassembling the motor which is always a challenge when I haven't done one of these before so a little heat a tap their.

    The MA has a little flat belt pulley on the back of the motor which is used for the chain sharpener.


    I think someone made a cockup so covered it with the motor tag

    7hrs later and we have a bare main casting and boxes of bits


    This is the couterweight which must weigh 20 stone, I had to lift the whole machine up and take this out of the bottom.

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Oberon, NSW
    Age
    63
    Posts
    13,354

    Default

    I thought the MA was a square chisel mortiser?

    I ask as I used to operate a chain/chisel (MF) job in a joinery and we had an MA (in parts) out back... which was chisel only. Or was there some sort of adapter to allow the MA to switch modes?

    Good luck with the resto; as you know, they're a nice machine.
    I may be weird, but I'm saving up to become eccentric.

    - Andy Mc

  6. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
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    uk
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    456

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    I suppose the MA was the cheap mans MF, instead of having a chain and chisel side by side you could turn the MA into a chisel by bolting on a head which took drive from a bevel gear or change it to a chain by bolting on a bar.

  7. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    uk
    Posts
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    Default

    One thing about smearing the machine with waxoyle is it has done a fantastic job of protecting it but its a pig to remove. I maybe need a diesel pressure washer.

    Its just a matter of working my way through boxes of bits cleaning now.




    Me thinks this chain bar is toast.

    I was extremely lucky to comes across part of the chain sharpener attachment

    And even more lucky to find the chisel head assembly, these things are seriously hard to fine by themselves.

    I also picked up this rotary table which I plan on using on my recessor.

  8. #7
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Petone, NZ
    Age
    68
    Posts
    2,808

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by wallace1973 View Post
    ...I also picked up this rotary table which I plan on using on my recessor.

    Okay, I'm envious. I'd be seriously jealous if it was a genuine Wadkin one (although this one looks to be a better table).

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

  9. #8
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    uk
    Posts
    456

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    I missed out on one of those BCA jig borers a while back so I had the bright idea of just using the LP and getting a rotary table. This was in with the deal with the chisel head.
    A tad more done, you don't really realise how much time it takes to do this stuff. It took 3 hrs to clean up the handwheel



    The front safety guard has been damaged repaired and damaged again


    There is a peice of casting missing so not sure how to go about a fix. It still has its bushing so maybe I could braze the bushing to the casting.

  10. #9
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    uk
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    Default

    A bit more done. The starter on this looked a bit worse for ware.

    After a bit of a clean it doesn't look too bad. if it dosent work I found another in my stash

    The chisel head was a bit fun to take to bits, whoever made the gear for the top made it an interference fit for some reason. It took a puller, a load of heat and a hammer on the end of the puller.


    Some nice bronze caged double row bearings as you'd expect.

    The lever is quite a lump of steel.

    A little heat and some stilsons got it moving

    How much force do you think would be needed to bend a 11/2" bar

    Everything is pretty much disasembled and derusted so I started on the main casting.

    A bit of work with the dremmel to clean out the casting gunk

    Then starting with a bit bodge, I quite like using liquid metal body filler. Its harder than car stuff and you dont get those horrible pin holes.

  11. #10
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
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    uk
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    This is the bit I accidently broke when disassembling. I ground the edge but left enough to align the break.


    A bit bronze snot


    The other broken bit was a bit more complicated, so I drilled and tapped then removed the old repair


  12. #11
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
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    uk
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    Been a busy little boy.


    The chains that attach the motor to the counterbalance weight were seized on loads of links so I just let them soak in wd40 and used an air line to remove crud.

    On the subject of the counterbalance which is a big chunk of cast iron, I was curious what it weighed because I struggled to move it around. 95kg



    I need to find a small handwheel for the forward/back adjuster but I've made some progress

  13. #12
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    Beach
    Posts
    165

    Default

    Looking good!!
    I have taken notes for cleaning up my MA, fortunately it just needs a clean, even the paint job is OK.

    You were lucky to get the chisel attachment, they are hard to find once they go missing over time!

    Have fun,
    Alli

  14. #13
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Melbourne, Australia.
    Posts
    825

    Default

    Looks fantastic Mark, well done!
    Melbourne Matty.

  15. #14
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    uk
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    456

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    Thanks Ali, Matty
    The chain has a tensioner bolt that had been snapped off, there was a lump of wood wedged in to keep the tension. I drilled a hole and tried with a stud extractor but it seems reluctant. Gave it some heat and a squirt of wd40, I will come back to it.

    To do the raised letterng I just got a wad of rag and dabbed a bit paint on.

    This machine had the much sought after switch but it was missing the off button. A request on instagram found a full switch in no time.


  16. #15
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    Sep 2012
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    uk
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    Pretty much completed now. The piece of casting that was missing was built up using liquid metal filler. Its like car bodge but alot denser

    I re wired everything and it worked first time which is unusual because electrickery is not my strong point.












    I did run into a small problem of the gears for the chisel head not being the same. For a replacement set it costs a few hundred quid. I'm hoping the dealer I got it from has another with the correct gear. Then I need to fix the threads on the main spindle, someone tried to put a 1/2" BSW on a 5/8ths thread so the first few threads are a mess.

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