This one turned up on a Machines 4U here with a big price on it of $3500 !! and its got plenty missing . I rang the seller after watching it for a few weeks, I asked about the machine , the parts , the distance , there was no way I was driving that far, probably around 15 hours non stop, each way. And then I got to the price. I reeled off a number of machines and what the prices were for them , and he asked what was I was prepared to pay?
Well, I think I offered more than most would, but I am a Wadkin tragic
( thanks Henry , Good name ) And I did get something I have wanted since missing the last one I saw in Sydney and Missed at $1000 about two years ago.
So I offered $1500. And he accepted the offer because he's smart enough to know he's probably not going to get such an offer, ever again!
Idiots just don't ring at all and offer probably two or three times what it may bring on ebay , if it sold at all .
But I am happy
I do have a plan .
If it arrives safely after being handled by forklifts and truck drivers , fingers crossed with that one !
Cartage was $257 on top .
The seller and myself had plenty of good chats over the phone and he told me he is a beekeeper as is / was ? his Dad , and his Dad was the guy who converted it to a single phase motor , took off the cover plate, all the switch gear under it , the switch, and all the wiring by the looks . The bridge guard and bracket is gone as well , and the belt guard at the back . after asking a few times about any of the parts I learned that the original motor and mount were still there.
His Dad built Bee boxes using the RD and used to rave about what a great machine it was , it was one of two machines he kept after selling others off .
So , this is what I'm thinking of doing with the machine , a bit of a conversion / restoration . I want to get a cover plate copied at a foundry , it's the same size as the DR band saw one I have , I'm pretty sure , so I should be able get the foundry to use that . Its such a basic shape , I hope that they can use it .
I hope to be able to get some bracket dimensions off any one here who has such a bracket and make a pattern and have that done as well . Then I'll fit a bar and , what I'd like to do is adapt that to take a pork chop guard , Ive been playing with some ideas and think Ive got it worked out.
I have a spare original Wadkin switch , its a vertical one which looks the same but the tags, and raised parts are the wrong way around for a horizontal mount , but it will look as close as I can get , and its just for looks .
I want to have the motor wired to a modern switch which I will mount off the machine , on the wall and a safety stop button on the floor probably as well .
And Ill have to make a belt guard .
And Id like a shelix head , or a shelix type head. I'm looking forward to some peace and quite.
Quite a bit to do !
With the good weather back , my DR band saw is coming inside finally. Ive had that running as of yesterday and it sounds good.
The white package is 28KG of Beeswax .
Extra fingers crossed that the Truckies don't Break the thing XX
Ill have to cross my fingers and cross my legs and hop around the workshop making wishes to the Truckie fairies:p
Rob
