Wadkin JTA Disc/Bobbin Sander

[timberframe [OP]]

Well I think I've rounded out the big tool collection for now. As a shop that does a large variety of work, mechanized sanding makes a lot of sense and the JTA, which combines a good sized disc with an oscillating bobbin was a practical option considering I also do a lot of heavy timber work. I'd been looking for one for a while but was also looking at the General and State offerings which might not have withstood heavier work. Mike Mckenna saw one pop up in Quebec and contacted Jack who contacted me and the rest is history. It came from a college where it had lived for many years and though they had a loading dock, they couldn't load it onto my trailer. So instead of driving for 16 hours in winter, navigating a strange city to try and coordinate a lift/shove/pull/heave onto my trailer in a language I dont speak, I decided to risk a trucking company. They of course had a lift gate truck and effortlessly loaded the machine and trucked it to me in an enclosed truck (no salt spray!) for about the same cost as gas in my truck and a LOT less stress. Best money I ever spent.

It arrived in perfect condition due in no small part to the excellent crating and palleting job the college did. So refreshing to see some people out there still give a crap about doing a good job.

Here it comes up the drive to my rented "big shop":



The college disassembled it and put a number of components on a seperate pallet.




The lift gate made it effortless....



The only outwardly visible damage and not from shipping:



I showed this picture to my electrician friend and he texted back: "Ha ha ha ha!"



Now I just have to put it all back together!

Huge shout-out to Mike for helping with some translation services on the Quebec end and getting everything started properly.

B

[timberframe [OP]]

Starting to go back together. Even the small bits are heavy!

[Carlosinthesticks]

It's a beast, very nice, hope it all comes together for you.

[Bob just past Ayr]

Looks like it will be heavy enough to do the job . Good score, shows what can be done when we work together.

[Greg_Hansen61]

Congrats Brent. They're great machines. Here's a link to a manual just in case you haven't already got one:

https://www.wadkin.com/wadkin-jta-di...-bobbin-sander

Greg.

[ErikM]

Nice score, hope that you have a chain hoist to help in the clean up and reassembly.

[gdtrfg]

Great. Just great. Someone else gets a JTA and I still don’t have one.
Looks like a nice one Brent, congrats on a great score. That little fella is a nice addition to your equipment quiver.

[J Vann]

Very nice Brent.

It looks like a product of 1952.



JTA 553, test 41690, of 1952.

And now for some boring trivial musings:
- the JTA is in the 1936 catalogue.
- the first JTA in the Wadkin by Test Number thread is JTA 212 (108th built) of 1940.
- the last JTA in the Wadkin by Test Number thread is JTA 1024 of 1965, indicating that at least 920 were built.
- a lot of early Wadkin machines had 'A' as the third letter, indicating that the machine was AC powered. Generally this third letter was dropped by the early 1950s, but for some reason the JTA retained the 'A' through to at least 1965 (along with ECA and EKA tennoners).

Cheers, Vann.

[M.McKenna]

Glad to help out Brent. Gotta find good homes for our surplus Wadkin. I always have my ear to the ground and speak both languages well. So Paul, and anyone else, especially Canadians, if you're looking for something let me know.

I have found most of what I can handle in my shop. It's no temple but...that's where I send some duplicate finds. Right Jack?

Myself I am on the hunt for a Wadkin setting guage to use setting blades on my RD and RK.

[gdtrfg]

Don’t count me out as a Canuck Mike. Born and raised in B.C. I got chased out due to 30% unemployment in the late ‘80’s.

[Pfakir]

Very nice Brent.

It looks like a product of 1952.



JTA 553, test 41690, of 1952.

And now for some boring trivial musings:

- the last JTA in the Wadkin by Test Number thread is JTA 1024 of 1965, indicating that at least 920 were built.

Cheers, Vann.

Vann
I thought I’d sent you this from mine a few years ago.

H.

[wallace1973]

Mike one of those setting gauges sold on ebay recently, I think it made £4O. If you need anything forwarding give me a shout

[timberframe [OP]]

Sometimes people seem to work pretty hard to botch jobs.....

[nnieman]

Wow on today’s episode of “you can’t fix stupid”
Good thing you found that!

Nathan

[Matt Matt]

You got a great machine, that maybe 1000 were ever made!

I do have the same machine, and it might get sold when I die....(but I hope not).

At 2300 lbs., it is not a toy.