"On the road again
Goin' places that I've never been
Seein' things that I may never see again
And I can't wait to get on the road again"… (thanks Willie).
The misses and I decided to visit a warmer clime for a week (the winter was getting to her), so we headed for Tonga. The flight left from Auckland, but rather than book a connecting flight from Wellington, I decided to drive to Auckland a few days early to see family, but also to do a little rust hunting.
Instead of SH1, I elected to take the secondary route, which would take me through Te Kuitì, as I’d heard there was a gentleman there with a Wadkin RB 9” buzzer, like mine.
I cold called at Steven’s premises and asked if I could have a look around. No 9” Wadkin buzzer, but he had a couple of 12” buzzers by Smith. Steven was happy to show me around, and very soon I was like a kid in a lolly shop.
Wadkin RM planer/thicknesser;
Wadkin DR bandsaw;
Wadkin CK radial arm saw x 3;
Wadkin PK dimension saw;
Wadkin LQ recessor;
Wadkin JTA disc & bobbin sander;
Wadkin setting stand x 2
Smith 12” buzzer x 2;
Smith chain mortiser;
Sagar spindle moulder.
There were also a few Scandinavian machines including a four-sider.
I didn't take pictures of all of them (several were under tarps), but here are some:
Wadkin RM 2456, test 47549 of 1953
Attachment 459763
Attachment 459764
Attachment 459768
Steven says until recently there were four 24" and one 16" RMs in Te Kuiti.
Wadkin DRA 533, test 10790 of 1938.
Attachment 459765
Attachment 459766 Attachment 459767
Attachment 459769
Wadkin PK 1472, test 43339 of 1952
Attachment 459770
Attachment 459771
Attachment 459778
Wadkin JTA 477, test 36890 of 1950;
Attachment 459786
Attachment 459787
Attachment 459788
(to be continued)
Cheers, Vann.