Finished. Pictures to follow.
Been far to busy to post until now but here she is. So a brief report followed by summary.
No major repairs required, just a slightly bent shaft for the main table adjustment. Easily fixed on a hydraulic press using v blocks and a dial indicator. Original bearings are tight and fine.
The entire machine was stripped down to bare metal and inspected before priming and respray. Original magnetic and isolation switches restored but bypassed. Power is now supplied via VFD mounted where old light was mounted on top left using Original bolt holes. Original on off switch below depth stop may be reinstated later if suitable replacement can be found.
Any bright metal surfaces were wire brushed just enough to remove old paint but retain original patina. Natural tannins from timber have left a gun metal/ oxide finish on many surfaces that inhibits rust.
Two coats primer. Four coats of semi gloss oil base paint.
Difficult surfaces to reach were sand blasted back to bare metal while retaining original fairing bog as far as possible.
Some parts needed heat to loosen rust. Nothing badly seized though.
Sharpening station fully restored. Will need new drive belt. Chisel Sharpening grinding Stone needs dressing with diamond dresser.
Chain and bar on order. Will need new backing plate. Original one lost.
Fully reassembled the tensioning system for the springs brings the head in to perfect compensated balance via a cam lobe on the pinion. This reduces the tension as the head is brought lower because of reduced leverage. Simple and effective.
All the dovetailed ways are smooth and tight with no signs of wear at the extremities. The table floats easily and adjustment is smooth and light. The machine is a joy to use. Plenty of power and surprisingly quiet despite the bevel gear drive. The reason being they are helical rather than square cut.
The operating lever axle runs in a pair of bronze plain bearings. Very slight wear. Regreassed with a generous squirt of graphite powder this was enough to eliminate the very slight play.
The VFD reduces the arbor speed nicely for larger chisels. Nice smooth start up.
Works well.
Can't wait to see how she goes with a chain and bar.
Final thoughts. Best deal I've ever got and the Queen of the shop. Robinson makes Wadkins look rather pedestrian by comparison and I'm a huge fan of Wadkin.
You can tell this machine was designed by woodworker's rather than just engineers.
Its functionality and beauty is unique to Robinson machines. It's a real lady. A sculptural elegant graceful work of art.
It got the full treatment because it deserves no less.
Added later 09 min 18 s:
God I hate computers. Can't even figure out how to post pics without buggering it up.
Added later 28 min 17 s:
Added later 01 min 34 s:
Added later 01 min 15 s:
