Wadkin Bursgreen TS?

[Graham Wilson]

Is anyone familiar with Wadkin Bursgreen table saws? Any idea what the model of this one is and whether manuals/parts are available for it? Fount it for sale locally through a friend of a friend who knows I do some woodworking. I have a little bench-top table saw but I'm looking for something larger for a cabinet project I'm going to start this summer.

[Niels J. Larsen]

Graham,

I don't know much about this saw myself just yet, but I will be buying a similar saw tomorrow. Mine has an additional sliding table.

I found another SMC member (Phil Pritchard) who has extensive knowledge about the brand and here is his answers to my questions about what to look out for:

"As to prices in the UK where I live my take is as follows:-

A reasonably clean AGS10 in working order without any extension tables and
with 3-phase motor but no sliding table will fetch in private sale from £200
to £500. Single phase motors will add £50 to £150 to that figure as they are
scarcer and of more interest to the home woodworker. As an aside conversion
from 3-phase to single phase (motor and contactor set) runs about £130 or so
for the parts in the UK with the proviso that the machine has a conventional
4-foot motor mounting (some AGS12 and AGS14 models have a peculiar L-shaped
foot motor mounting). Pricing for the sliding table model is more difficult.
There were several models offered over the years, e.g. the Bursfold which
had a pressed steel arm similar to the model you've been offered. From about
1970 onwards the AGS10 when supplied with a factory-fitted sliding table is
generally badged as a "BRT10" and not an AGS10, although those models are
easily distinguished by the darker green and (sometimes) 2-tone green paint
scheme. I'd say that a functioning sliding table is probably worth £100 or
so on top of conventional saw not so fitted. Overall, therefore, the price
looks to be at the upper end of what would be reasonable over here. But then
I'm a cheapskate!

Plus points of the saw is that it appears to have a genuine Wadkin mitre
fence. These are often missing and fetch £100 or more on eBay. The saw also
has both left and right extension tables fitted (the right hand one goes
missing). It also has the riving knife, although the crosscut fence (on the
sliding carraige) appears to be non-original and there's no crown guard. It
does have the pointer to the scale for the rip fence (something else which
gets lost, see photo 5). Other than that it looks like a fairly original mid
1960s model.

Things to look for:-

1. Check the rise and fall and tilt for working correctly. Wind the blade
full up and full down and run the tilt from vertical to 45 degrees. Both
controls should work smoothly and be neither excessively tight or overly
sloppy. Either state indicates wear or adjustment issues and can be
expensive to fit.

2. Look inside and ascertain if the trunnions are cracked or rusty. Also
check for missing teeth in the mechansim

3. The rip fence should run true and square. The cam lever locks the fence
in position and must work but the fine adjuster knob, which is used for fast
accurate setting, often fails. They cost about £45 + VAT for a replacement.

4. The sliding table should run true and not "shimmy". In other words all
the bolts should be tight. You'll need to ask about flip stops as without
those the table is a lot less useful. If they have them, great, if not take
the replacement cost into account.

5. Make sure the roller bearings on the sliding table are good (they're not
specials so would be cheapish to replace) and that the running bar isn't
badly worn/scored.

6. Check that the main cast iron table top hasn't been worn hollow,
especially in front of the saw (steel ruler will do this). This rarely
happens with wadkin machinbes are the cast-iron was of good quality, but I
have seen it from time to time and it's to be avoided. The other usual
things about cracks, welded repairs, electrics all working, etc apply to
this as they do to every other machine.

Remember that you are buying a 50 year old machine so it will have signs of
wear and tear, but overall I'd say it looks to be a reasonably clean and
complete machine. That's always a good sign.

I hope my reply is of use to you.

Regards

Phil

P.S. From a safey standpoint I'd recommend building a run-off table at least
1 metre long at the rear of any saw such as this. It can be a fold down
design, but it is an essential to safe ripping of longer material"

As you can see he's answering based on photos of my saw, but there's a lot of useful information that applies to most of their saws of this type.

Hope you can use it - otherwise please try to contact Phil for more information.

P.S. The manuals are available at wadkin.com under the support section.
If the automatic download doesn't work, just send them an e-mail directly - they're happy to help.

P.P.S. How much do you have to pay? :-)

[Graham Wilson]

Thanks for the reply Niels. I've found a fair bit of info about the AGS 10/12 "saw bench" but they look quite different from the photo I've been e-mailed. The blade rising wheel and motor are on opposite sides. I've asked for a shot of the badge so we'll see what it says.

I've been told that it is 12'' and single-phase 220 with a lesson motor. The price is negotiable at this point... the seller was storing it for a friend, has not used it (unfamiliar with it) and has been trying to get rid of it for a while.

[Art Walker]

I think this turns out to be a Bursgreen model "MY", preceding the Wadkin-Bursgreen AGS series.

Art