Cross Cut Clean Up – Part 2

by | Jul 5, 2012 | 3 comments

Once we’d made a start at cleaning up the saw we had to bring our attention to the electrics. We knew that they would work as we’d seen the saw running back in Kent but they were very old and we’re not that keen on fires! The bearings inside the motor didn’t appear to be in too bad condition but the grease had hardened and as they receive such a lot of use we decided to have them renewed at the same time as sending the motor off to be re-wound.

The next big job for us was to get the slide of the saw working smoothly and this was tedious work as the mount and bearings for the slide were truly caked making the motion very stiff and uneven. Each bearing and its housing needed a lot of attention if we were to continue using them so we stripped each one right down, thoroughly cleaned all of the parts and re-greased them before re-assembling. We considered replacing the bearings themselves but they moved so smoothly and freely once cleaned it didn’t feel necessary. Richard had been worrying that wear to the sliding rods could cause a lot of play once the saw was back in use, but when he remounted the bearing housings he realised that the fixings on one side would allow for some adjustment in their positioning and this would enable him to take up any slack later on.

After giving the paint work a gentle clean to remove all of the loose dust we could see that it was in great condition so we decided to apply just a coat of wax to bring it up like new, protect from rust and preserve the original finish.

Like with the rise and fall, the slide of the saw was now working smoothly so we waited for the motor to be returned.

Related Posts

About Helen Fisher

About Helen Fisher

Helen seeks to explore ways to live with greater joy & sustainability for both ourselves & the planet. Concepts which have led to the launch of her second business We Are Carbon. As the producer of our videos, Helen brings a unique perspective & injects life to our education ensuring it is both a pleasure to watch & easy to follow & learn from. Learn More About Helen & The English Woodworker.

3 Comments

  1. douglas

    That is looking stunning, can’t believe it’s the same saw!. Very thorough rebuild going on, and generally typical Wadkin under the grime. Nice to keep the original finish too. These machines are blessed with a very good home.

    Reply
  2. Andy

    I have to tell you guys, there are a lot of wood blogs out there and I read many of them but none with more interest that this particular thread. It’s fascinating to watch you bring the old machinery back. The gentlemen who made that stuff were real artisans. What a great project!

    Reply
  3. Ken

    Absolutely amazing and so nice to see. Thanks for keeping us updated.

    Great job guys

    Reply

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Subscribe to Updates:

Related Posts:

Chair Building Basics – New Video Series!

https://youtu.be/NBTqW5t3HGs   In our latest series we learn how to build a chair. Chapter One is already live. This series can be purchased by Clicking Here. If you're already a Member then you may need to Login First. Chair building can require specialist tools...

Build A Hall Table – Online Video Series

https://youtu.be/QhZmhGAMFFk   Our latest video series is the build of a traditional Hall Table For Full Details & To Purchase CLICK HERE As you'll expect, we build the whole piece with basic hand tools. The focus with this project is learning how to build by...

Two Steps Forward, Two Steps Back

A lathe is pretty straight forward. You get a bit of wood spinning, and then gracefully shove a sharp implement into it. As it spins, material is removed evenly from around the centre point, and you end up with your turning. How we get the wood spinning though is the...