Restoration of the 80 year old Wadkin EP Spindle Moulder

Machine: Wadkin EP Spindle Mouler
Furniture maker: Samuel Champion
Date of Completion: 3/2023
Website : samuelchampionfurniture.com/
Instagram : / samuelchampionfurniture
Business Inquiry : [e-mail]
SPECIFICATION:
Table 915 x 810 mm (36" x 32"), 1 1/4" dia top piece. 4 speed 4 hp model (3 phase). Manufacturing in 1946 Green Lane Facory.
Paint Spec used in video. RAL 7011
SECTIONS:
0:00 Introduction
8:15 Cleaning the base and parts
20:27 Cleaning more parts
25:26 Preparing the main casting
27:29 Painting
35:01 Before and Afters
36:32 Further information and using
Thank you all for watching the video. Do consider subscribing and checking out my other videos.
Based in London, UK.
#wadkin
#machinery
#woodshoplife
#furniturerestoration
#machinerepair
#spindle
#woodworking
#machining
#restoration

[@andrewhills6535]

Done a few of these myself - nice job btw 👍🏻🙋🏼‍♂️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

[@masterfranco1991]

Very nice restoration ! I am subscribing. Thank you for the video.

[@grahambaker9377]

Nice job it turned out to be ready for another 80 years.

[@kalebmagnusson981]

Beautiful work. I love the old machines. You did that very well. Very nice editing and music also

[@williamdrabble8781]

Fantastic restoration on such a beautiful machine. Jobs like this are so satisfying. Great video

[@plainnpretty]

Nice job now you have a good working machine for a long time. Thanks for showing it

[@klepper00]

Beautiful job man , thanks for filming it .

[@jwvandehel]

very nice video. the spindle moulder is one of my favorite machines. currently using a 1970 Martin T23 (tilting spindle). the T21 (fixed spindle) i used to use is now for sale. best regards from the Netherlands, jw

[@owainglyndwr16]

We have the exact same model with the exact same defects. Wish I knew what it is worth. Nothing is seized, and the motor has been well maintained. It doesn't have a ring fence or power feed. It has everything else, though.

[@spendtimesavemoneydiy]

I enjoyed every second of this video. It was like a meditation, chill out relaxation video and made me like and subscribe. I learned a thing or two especially about the colours. I used to work on one of these spindles but since I quit working for the man I have to make do with a little Kity spindle moulder. I've got some time I might just watch it again. Thanks 👍🏼

[@samchampionmarchant]

Thank you very much

[@macf13nd0]

Lovely work, and really nicely showcased ❤

[@ovidiutosa589]

lovely ! Thank You

[@devmeistersuperprecision4155]

Congrats on the EP shaper. Old Wadkin rules!!!! In the future, try using dingle edge razor blades to remove table rust. Germany required color coded machines at one point. Wood was green. Metal was grey. In the states, Northfield bought a trailer load of nova green army surplus. That is how we got all our machines a puke green. I paint my wadkins grey and royal post red.

[@josearistidessouzasantos9313]

Que Tupia fantástica

[@wadkin1973]

What is the test number and I will date it. The vast majority of EP's were sub contracted to sentinel steam wagons, but it was usually the EPA ones. Like already said a stanley blade is good for shaving the rust off tables.

[@user-sk7hw9xy1o]

Very Interesting but you are not right about the Whitehill block using a power feed does not make it legal . I noticed that the machine had a Sentinel label .This probably means it was made by them under licence from Wadkin .

[@airnashville3883]

Very nice restoration. I have a euro combo machine that includes a shaper; it's the only function I've never used. I have a good router table and haven't needed the shaper. Plus, they scare the shit out of me.

[@SuperGrover]

Plank the engine hoist, lower it onto the planks and use the engine crane as the trolley. Much safer especially if you keep the straps on...

[@jimpackard8059]

Bit late now that they have risked breaking someone’s legs with that wooden trolley

[@dajesterman]

Very nice!! Now you need a Maka swing chisel mortiser to compliment it!

[@samchampionmarchant]

I have a hollow chisel mortiser which compliments it very well.

[@joschmoyo4532]

I've used Maka. The older ones are bloody dangerous. I have a Muti omvb. Actually a much nicer machine to use and safer. The later air driven Makas work well but are complicated buggers. Put me off horizontal types for ever. To fiddly to set up.

[@joschmoyo4532]

​@@samchampionmarchant Stick with hollow chisel unless you really know what your doing. Oscillating chisels are very fast and accurate but lethal if not used properly.

[@amhjoinery2060]

You did a fantastic job on that mate. And good to get a selection of loose top pieces with it. Have you got a 30mm one there too. I’d be interested to hear how you get on re welding the fence. Did I miss it in the video? One of mine has been welded poorly too. I currently have shims between it and the faceplate to keep it square to the bed. I see a few other wadkins lurking there too. A nice pk by the looks. That’s one machine I’ve yet to buy!

[@samchampionmarchant]

The re welding went very well. I cut 90% through the bad weld then clamped it directly to the other fence and both of them in to slots in the table. Springback was less than my 1 1/2 thousanths shim. You were correct though i didnt film it.

[@joschmoyo4532]

Its a lovely old machine but no good for modern high speed insert heads unfortunately. I remember being shown how to grind and use french head cutter's. Scarey bastard things but properly ground and set capable of giving a very smooth consistent finish. The Geometry of the knife essentially meant zero hook angle by the time you got to full depth of cut, so the cutter is scraping rather than slicing the timber. But I refused to use them after a friend lost some fingers. Lacking limiter blanks or formed heads, the bloody things can grab huge chunks of timber. And fingers.

[@amhjoinery2060]

Why do you say it’s no good with modern cutter blocks?

[@joschmoyo4532]

@@amhjoinery2060 You would be fine with two pin safety heads and limiters. Just that your spindle speeds would limit the use of insert head's. That said it may be possible to raise your motor speed with a VFD or changing the pulleys. But modifying machines is risky. It's a beautiful machine but cutter head's thank God have come a long way since that one was made.

[@johnvannisselroy6197]

Nice clean up and restore - especially as, with the number of seized parts, it probably would have been destined for scrap had you not rescued it. I too brush paint my machines (I don't have facilities for spray painting and it's too messy for me), however I did notice one or two more runs than I would settle for. A couple of corrections: You say it was built in 1946 at Wadkin's Green Lane Works. I'm afraid that's not correct. It was sub-contracted to Sentinel Ltd. and built at Shrewsbury. This is what the tag - visible at 25:30 and again at 27:27 minutes - states. The other correction is the build date. EPA's were built at Green Lane work, Leicester until 1945 and then again form 1952. During the post-WW2 rush Wadkin sub-contracted these to Sentinel. As they weren't made at Green Lane they didn't have Green Lane test numbers. Initially I believe they were simply dated, later machines having an "SC" test number allocated. Your machine EPA 953s had 27-1-49 stamped where the test number should be - visible at 42:14 minutes. I am almost 100% certain this indicates the machine was tested on 27th January, 1949. There is little information available, but I believe as part of the contract, Wadkin supplied the castings (possibly raw, un-machined) and all proprietary parts - with Sentinel doing the fitting, finishing and assembly (and possibly machining of the castings). Cheers, Vann.

[@samchampionmarchant]

Thanks for your comment Vann, I got the information about its date and location of manufacture from Wadkin themselves. I gave them the test number and that’s what they told me. They even had the original receipt of purchase but wouldn’t show me as it’s confidential. I’m going to call Wadkin again to double check what they told me. If you don’t mind could you tell me where you got all this information as I’m always keen to learn more about Wadkin’s history. Cheers, Sam

[@johnvannisselroy6197]

@@samchampionmarchant Hi Sam. Wadkin went under in 2008. Shortly after that, Daltons bought the Wadkin name, and currently make machines under the "Wadkin" brand. However AMS bought the Wadkin intellectual property and have machines made for them overseas under the "Wadkin-Bursgreen" brand. AMS is largely staffed by former Wadkin employees. I would suggest that you ask the guys at Wadkin Dalton what the date on the receipt is. AMS hold the original "test" records for Wadkin machines. Unfortunately, as I mentioned in my post, there are no records of the test dates for machines sub-contracted to Sentinel. We have no proof that "27-1-49" stamped where the test number should be definitely indicates the machine was tested on 27th January, 1949 - but it seems most likely. Have a look at this thread on the Canadian forum where wallace and I discuss these machines : forum.canadianwoodworking.com/forum/tools/power-tools/vintage-power-tools/1176488-wadkin-epa Feel free to ask me any other questions you have. I can't answer everything, but I'll give it my best shot.

[@jimpackard8059]

You are certainly correct about the sub contracting to Sentinel around wartime. This machine was not built by Wadkin.

[@pkwoodworking]

That is an amazing machine and well done on the rebuild. I wonder what it would have cost to have the top resurfaced by a machine shop. It would look totally new with a pristine top!

[@samchampionmarchant]

The bed was flat already and re milling or scraping wouldn’t give a return on the cost to have it done. Besides I do like the story it’s scars tell

[@myjellyhead]

I had to scrap an older one than this ,very sad :(