Rapidor 3XM

[homecat88Participant @homecat88]

Here is a photo pre- restoration of the Rapidor Saw.

Regards Nick

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi, this is my one, bought it from a chap in Ipswich 21 years ago roughly, and cost £41.00. No idea of the number, as I’ve never looked for one. I had to change the 3 phase motor  for a single phase one, the start/stop unit came off, as that was also 3 phase, and also that plate affair over the motor also came off, and wasn’t put back, apart from them, it looks much the same, as I haven’t found any need to repaint it, and I probably never will.

I also got that No. 2 Fly press on the same day from Birmingham, which cost£57.00

Regards Nick.

[homecat88Participant @homecat88]

Nick, yes it certainly looks original! there is some discussion on which way the blade cuts, and on the reverse stroke seems to be the correct way? The serial/model number is on the top of the far left end of the nearest vice way when viewed from the other side of your photo. It would be great if you could find this number as I am compiling a list of serial numbers to try and work out the man. code with regards year and the numbers made – this is the sort of thing you do when you are retired! The Fly press is certainly a useful thing to have – I have seen modern copies of this  – all from chine of course so the castings are prob nowhere near as strong. I do try and buy old school stuff as much as possible although it is getting difficult.

 

Regards Nick

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi Nick, had to give it a bit of wire brushing to find it.

As regards to which way it should cut, the write-up says the automatic relief is on the back stroke, and therefore the cutting is done on the forward stroke, but the crank that drives the coupling rod to the saw frame, should be rotating anti-clockwise, when looking at the side of the one in my photo.

Regards Nick.

[Clive FosterParticipant @clivefoster55965]

Serial number on the one I bought to sort out mumble-mumble years ago is 3XM 431661. Stamping font is slightly different to Nick Farrs picture.

It had been converted to underneath drive from a line-shaft running inside a drain or irrigation channel let into the floor of a greenhouse/conservatory built onto the rear of a seriously weird house. Old style flat belt Colchester Master alongside it. Pre-smartphone era so no pictures but it took a lot of leaf shifting to get at it! But for £15 I could put up with a little digging. Baseplate is missing so I’m seriously interested in the one being offered by Nick on the other thread. But transport could be an issue.

As luck would have it about 3 weeks later I one a Pollard 15AY drill E-Bay and the seller asked me if I’d like the more modern Rapidor saw he also needed to shift. £100 for the drill and £50 for the saw, both in plug in and go condition. My wallet came out smoking!

So I’ve never done anything with the older saw although having the pivoting vice would be nice.

Can’t find a number on the newer saw. It looks  pretty much like the Major shown in the last 3 pictures on Tonys “Lathes” site but the bow doesn’t have Major cast on it and the vice is fixed at 90°.

Clive

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi Clive, the first one I ever used was driven by overhead line-shafting, with a 2″ wide leather belt, with no guard over it. Certainly wouldn’t be allowed like that now.

Regards Nick.

[homecat88Participant @homecat88]

Hello Clive,

Re the Rapidor baseplate, I can store it for you if you are definitely going to collect it – I had planned to drop it into the scrap yard but was reluctant to do that as once it’s gone, it’s gone and there was bound to be someone who needed one! I also have the t-bolts for the two runners you see in the photo,

Thank you for sending the serial number over!

My Post code is SO18 which is Southampton.

[homecat88Participant @homecat88]

Hello Nick,

Thanks for clarifying direction of cut,

Re the dashpot – I have downloaded a couple of photos of the dashpot assembly and when I took mine apart there was no disk on the underside of the piston assembly,

Is the disk crucial to the damping operation? another puzzler – the adjusting rod on mine only has enough thread on it to just protrude through to the underside of the piston – I think this is supposed to hold the plastic disk away from the piston in varying degrees to adjust the amount of oil returning through. I thought I would look for a die to extend the thread which is very fine but I cannot identify the thread? this would allow the adjusting pin to screw through a little bit further and hold the disk off – I could drill out a little bit of the thread on the upper side to achieve the same thing?

Thank you for the serial number,

Regards Nick

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi Nick, take a look at this thread. powered-hacksaw-blade-lift-for-the-return-stroke/?

Regards Nick.

[Clive FosterParticipant @clivefoster55965]

Nick

I think I have a drawing of the dashpot piston floating around somewhere. I know I sketched it out when I was investigating mine which usually means a proper drawing before I start work. I’ll have root around.

If I can’t find the drawing it won’t be hard to pull the unit off the “spare” saw and do one.

As I recall things I was convinced mine was broken but actually it was just exploring the extreme limits of maladjustment.

Concerning the baseplate not hope of pick-up before August. July was stuffed before heatwave knocked everything back.

Sent you a PM about it.

Clive

PS

Have a look here for a nice picture of the damper innards which should be enough to sort yours. Mine had solid spacer instead of the spring. Doesn’t need much tension on the spring, just enough that the adjustment screw doesn’t unwind of its own accord. Valve plate needs room to lift easily so there is plenty of room for the oil to flow back through when you lift the bow back to the park position.

https://www.model-engineer.co.uk/forums/topic/rapidor-power-hacksaw/#:~:text=By%20co%2Dincidence%2C%20I%20took%20my,hinged%20casting%20on%20the%20saw.

[Author]

Posts