What I did this winter....

Jim in Idaho · Mar 31, 2021

Spent the period from mid-November to mid-February remodeling a big portion of the house. In January, I found a guy in Boise selling a beatup old Wilfley lab table. I've always wanted a close look at Wilfley's ideas, so bought it. It had all the stuff with it, but mostly in baskets.
I spent the last 6 or 7 weeks rebuilding it. I had to make a new table, including the wooden underframe. Do some work on the motor, and make some new bronze bearings for the drive unit. Also made a variable speed mechanical pulley and sliding motor mount, so I could vary the pulse rate while running. It has all the 0n-the-fly adjustments these tables are noted for, including pulse rate, and stroke length, as well as table tilt. I also stripped and painted everything, but the inside of the drive unit. That runs in an oil bath, so doesn't rust anyway. House pics suck, but thought you guys might enjoy the shaker table pics. I'm currently working on the water distribution system, and then the water discharge system.
Jim

pepperj · Mar 31, 2021

Looks heavy-any idea?
Great rebuild

Jim in Idaho · Mar 31, 2021

Yes, they are heavy. Very solidly constructed. I'd guess it weighs around 200-250. The table alone weighs 28lbs. But, the table, is easily removed, and that helps. They're not really made to be portable. They work best when setup, and adjusted for a particular ore, either placer or lode. Wilfley supplied them with an option for two tables...one for fine gold, and one for coarser material. The table I built is a near copy of their fine gold table, but made from 1/4" ABS.
Jim