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wadkin MD morticer

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wadkin MD morticer

Postby wallace » 09 Nov 2021, 18:38

Its been a very long time since I did a wip on a rebuild. For the last 6 months I've been working on a biggish planer, its all crated up waiting for its slow boat. I promised myself that I'd do a few of my own machines that I've been accumulating for the last few years.

This was bought for about £150 off ebay and shipped to my place for another £70. I dont have a good track record with morticers, they seem to fall over if you sneeze on them, or it could just be incompitent couriers.



This poor thing did a full flip and bounce off the tail lift



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Luckily the one I'm doing arrived unscathed and has been languishing in the undergrowth for a couple of years. Sheeted and smeered with waxoyle.

First job was to drag it in the shed



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It was originally a line shaft machine but has been converted to run via a motor, it must have been done quite early on. The starter and motor are pretty cool



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I'm not sure on date, at a guess late 20's, Vann will be able to offer some advice.



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Heres a leaflet of an earlier version



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And heres my version on a photo used for the catalogue



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Nearly everything came to bits easily



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4hrs work and its in smaller bits



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I'm considering doing this one differantly to my usual shiny ones. I quite like machines in their working clothes so to speak. So I dont think I'm going to paint it. Just rebuild. The white paint came off ok with some thinners



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Re: wadkin MD morticer

Postby Trevanion » 09 Nov 2021, 19:33

wallace wrote:Luckily the one I'm doing arrived unscathed and has been languishing in the undergrowth for a couple of years. Sheeted and smeered with waxoyle.


I remember talking to you about this when it popped up on eBay, and I thought that it was only a few months back but it's just over a year ago, time flies!

I've got a bit of info on this machine in a catalogue if you fancy it, but I suspect you've probably already got it!
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Re: wadkin MD morticer

Postby Andyp » 09 Nov 2021, 19:52

I have little interest in this type of tooling but your restorations make compelling reading and viewing.
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Re: wadkin MD morticer

Postby kirkpoore1 » 09 Nov 2021, 22:00

That counterweight is a whole other animal than what I've seen before. I bet it weighs more than most of the machines that folks talk about.

I would suggest that it was always a motor driven machine. A lot of manufacturers had motors as options when selling lineshaft-driven machinery.

Have fun!

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Re: wadkin MD morticer

Postby Vann » 11 Nov 2021, 02:03

wallace wrote:...I'm not sure on date, at a guess late 20's, Vann will be able to offer some advice.

Image...

Hmmmm. Not sure I can help.

Wadkin would have used test number 3783 three times over the years. The cast brass Wadkin & Co. tag means it's pre-1936.

If it's from Wadkin's first test number sequence: test 3166 was carried out in September, 1925; while test 4087 was carried out in July 1926. That's ~920 machines over 10 months, or ~92 machines per month. That would place this machine, with test number 3783, somewhere around April, 1926.

However, if it's from Wadkin's 2nd or 3rd test sequences then it would be between 1934 & 1936.

wallace wrote:...I'm considering doing this one differantly to my usual shiny ones. I quite like machines in their working clothes so to speak. So I dont think I'm going to paint it. Just rebuild...

I like that idea - and will be watching with interest to see how that works out.

Cheers, Vann.
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Re: wadkin MD morticer

Postby wallace » 14 Nov 2021, 17:26

A bit more done, because wadkin machines were hand finished parts have a stamp to keep track of which machine they were to go on. I have found in the past that parts are not interchangeable from one machine to the same type.



They even stamped the keys



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If the part cant go to the wire wheel



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I find it easier to sand before wire wheeling



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I've been trying this stuff, first impressions is I like it



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Re: wadkin MD morticer

Postby Mike G » 14 Nov 2021, 18:09

Oh good, another Wallace adventure. Let's see how the no-painting thing works out. It might be great, and you could always paint it afterwards.
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Re: wadkin MD morticer

Postby Malc2098 » 14 Nov 2021, 18:18

Cor!
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Re: wadkin MD morticer

Postby AJB Temple » 14 Nov 2021, 18:30

I like them shiny and perfect I must admit. Good thread as usual from you.
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Re: wadkin MD morticer

Postby AndyT » 14 Nov 2021, 22:04

Well, I'm happy either way. I've always enjoyed your really thorough restoration jobs, with everything back to bare metal then with all the shiny paint taking them back to showroom condition.

But in general, I like tools and machinery to look their age. So I will be interested to see you just take away the years of neglect, so it looks like an old machine that's been really well looked after. At least, if that is what you are going to do.
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Re: wadkin MD morticer

Postby wallace » 15 Nov 2021, 09:08

AndyT wrote:Well, I'm happy either way. I've always enjoyed your really thorough restoration jobs, with everything back to bare metal then with all the shiny paint taking them back to showroom condition.

But in general, I like tools and machinery to look their age. So I will be interested to see you just take away the years of neglect, so it looks like an old machine that's been really well looked after. At least, if that is what you are going to do.


I like to see machines in original paint, they are so often smeared in green paint by dealers trying to make the machine appear newer. I suppose if this has lasted 90 odd years unscathed it deserves a little respect.
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Re: wadkin MD morticer

Postby wallace » 17 Nov 2021, 19:25

Time to take the head to bits



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I'm always amazed at bolts that come out like this after 90 years



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Time to strip the motor



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peculiar voltage



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I've never come across this before, the end bells are centered with little locking studs



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This doesn't look legit to me, I cant imagine a motor maker would have the leads from the windings coming out like this, the gauge of wire looks very small.



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Re: wadkin MD morticer

Postby Robert » 18 Nov 2021, 00:15

Fascinating as always watching your transformations.

Great picture of all that sawdust in the motor windings.

That motor says 3HP and it's 3 phase so 1HP per phase or 750 watts. divided by the as you say odd 346V is a bit over 2A plus a bit for power factor... but still not a lot so maybe the cables are thick enough. I'll defer to bob though for a more informed opinion :)
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Re: wadkin MD morticer

Postby Dr.Al » 18 Nov 2021, 08:45

346 V is one of the three phase voltages that Hong Kong uses (or used?) as well as 380 V. 380 V is a lot more common (and 415 V even more so), but it's possible that the motor you have was designed for a particular market with a 346 V supply.
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Re: wadkin MD morticer

Postby wallace » 22 Nov 2021, 17:04

Dr.Al wrote:346 V is one of the three phase voltages that Hong Kong uses (or used?) as well as 380 V. 380 V is a lot more common (and 415 V even more so), but it's possible that the motor you have was designed for a particular market with a 346 V supply.


I suspect the voltage was because way back in the 20's lots of places ran off their own generating plant before supply became standardised.

I know I said I wasn't going to tart this one up, but I couldn't resist just a little bit on the motor. There was very little original paint left.



A generous application of zinc 182



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Followed by a touch of black enamel



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Re: wadkin MD morticer

Postby 9fingers » 22 Nov 2021, 17:10

Superb!

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Re: wadkin MD morticer

Postby MY63 » 23 Nov 2021, 10:12

What a fantastic job, can you give a little more detail on the paint process, I have a sewing machine stand I would like to paint.
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Re: wadkin MD morticer

Postby wallace » 23 Nov 2021, 18:25

MY63 wrote:What a fantastic job, can you give a little more detail on the paint process, I have a sewing machine stand I would like to paint.


This motor is a bit rough and ready but it seems to have come out ok. My normal process depends on what I start with ie is the original paint sound. If its not I will either remove it all or just the bad bits.
Degrease with brake cleaner, you dont want smchoo getting rubbed into the old finish. Sand, apply filler. Car bodge is fine but I like aluminium filler,(sometimes called liquid metal) its alot more dense and impact resistant. Its a bit harder to sand but the finish is better than car stuff.
Then prime, the zinc 182 is good because it stops rust on bare metal and can be laid quite thick like a filler primer. It wet sands really nicely. Then topcoat, this is just quick dry enamel. I do a light coat at first then wait a few minutes, then I can build it up. The motor probably had a good four coats.

Is your machine stand one of those ornate cast iron jobbys? I would wire brush, degrease, prime and topcoat.
If you have a motor factors near you or a car spray mixer. You can get rattle cans mixed up in enamel to any colour you want. Its cheaper and much better quality than the normal rattle cans
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Re: wadkin MD morticer

Postby MY63 » 23 Nov 2021, 19:42

Thanks Wallace it is a Singer machine but not the standard one. It is called a patcher as the sewing foot can rotate 360 degrees which is very useful. I dont want to touch the machine itself just the stand.

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Re: wadkin MD morticer

Postby wallace » 24 Nov 2021, 09:01

I think a little wire wheel in a drill would be perfect, degrease, prime, topcoat
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Re: wadkin MD morticer

Postby MY63 » 26 Nov 2021, 08:08

Thanks
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Re: wadkin MD morticer

Postby wallace » 26 Nov 2021, 18:00

Well its finished, I'm not sure you can call this a restoration. Maybe a recommisioning.



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I was torn as to weather I should do the buttons



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This is next on the list, its been * so its getting the full monty



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Re: wadkin MD morticer

Postby AJB Temple » 26 Nov 2021, 19:51

You do very fine work. Excellent.
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Re: wadkin MD morticer

Postby Lurker » 26 Nov 2021, 20:08

Always a delight following your posts
I am in awe.
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Re: wadkin MD morticer

Postby droogs » 26 Nov 2021, 21:26

A fantastic refurb once again.
It always amazes me that, not one of the people involved in the design or making of this outstanding piece of machinery probably ever thought it would end up standing neglected and forlorn before being restored to its prime. Or that the machine itself would ever be regarded as out of date or past it. As we have "progressed" i feel we have definitely forgotten that form can be just as important as function, even on the most industrial of machines :eusa-think:
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