My first tablesaw: Wadkin AGS 10, help and advice wanted!

[Rumblefuzz]

Hello all, this is my first post on the forum after lurking for a while and reading through lots of previous threads, mostly about similar machines. It's impressive to see the amount of combined knowledge floating around in this place... Also, as a non-native english speaker it's been quite a crash course in words like 'trunnion', 'arbour', 'gib' etc...

So, I've been wanting to get into woodworking as a hobby and finally pulled the trigger on a tablesaw. What I got is an early- to mid-sixties Wadkin Bursgreen AGS 10. For my budget which was about 3- to 500 euros, I still think I couldn't have done much better.

Overall the machine is in quite nice shape, but of course there are some things that can or need to be fixed/upgraded. The man I bought the machine from was a retiring woodworker who kindly gave me a lot of tips&tricks on how to use it safely, and also about what I needed to do to this machine to get it up to modern standards.

The main drawbacks with this machine are:
- it didn't come with a riving knife or a blade guard.
- The rise and fall mechanism works well up to about halfway, and then it requires serious force to get it up any further

Then there are a couple things that I'd like to upgrade at some point:
- the rip fence was replaced/repaired and is now a piece of u-shaped steel profile, attached to the old sliding mechanism. It works, but I'm unsure if it's stable enough. It doesn't clamp at the back although there is a rail there and with a bit of force i can bend the end of the rip fence about 4 - 5 mm away from the blade.
- The on/off switch is a starter unit from GE, model nr. SFKOI. The starter unit is in good shape, but the actual on/off switches are a bit small so I have to fumble for the switch when I want to shut off the saw. I'd like to get one of those big paddle switches that i could hit with my knee.

From top to bottom:
- The previous owner gave me a second -old- sawblade, out of which he had meant to cut a new riving knife. I also managed to find scans of the original knife in an old thread on this forum so I could go ahead and find a metal shop that can cut the blade for me. I'm not confident enough in my own metal working skills to do it myself. But I've also looked into aftermarket riving knifes, the regular sort-of banana-shaped ones with a slot. I think that could just be bolted onto the bracket inside my machine. What do you guys suggest is the best option here? Also, besides the thickness, how important is the actual shape of the riving knife?

- I haven't really looked into the rise&fall mechanism yet. I did put a bit of oil in the tracks that it slides in, to not much avail. I don't really know where to start looking to fix this, except that the tilting mechanism works perfectly smooth, so I'm planning to study that one a bit closer to see if there's anything to be learned from that one.

- Does anybody know if there's aftermarket fences that can be installed on a machine sof this type? I have the impression that everything seems to be made for american-made saws like Deltas and Jets, and I wonder if everything would line up the right way.

- The switch is not just an on off switch. It's this GE unit that's apparently called a 'starter'. Even though I dabbled in electronics a little bit, this was completely new to me and besides it being a relay I'm not exactly sure why this is needed. I will assume that it IS needed though, but could anyone point me to a means of installing a new switch that I can install on the machine without any other modifications?


Okay, that's all... Sorry if my post turned out a bit long, I'm just really trying to pick everyone's brains for as much knowledge as I can . Thanks a lot in advance for any tips, tricks, pointers, helpful links etc.

 

[Ttrees]

Interested in how you go about scanning the riving knife...
I have a startrite 275 and have not got around to making a riving knife yet.
I was thinking making one would not be too much bother ...
Just using an 4" angle grinder and beltsand it when close ...
Just took the sander outside there as it was on fire

I nearly got choked trying to take it apart, and I just kept aerating the fire more and more
I realised I had to cut a small hole in the thing to get at it with a stick ...not a well thought out machine.
No dice... I had to take it outside and get the saw and chisel at it
I was thinking about this problem before today ....need not now anymore....

As for the stop button I think you would be looking for a gasket switch mushroom stop button.
Pricey though,
Or you could hang/hinge a paddle off the apron like Kelly Mehler masteryourtablesaw .
Or you could make a bar like Carl Holmgren .

Take the table off and look at that rise and fall ..
There has been discussions here before on your saw, maybe slightly newer model though
and it included riving knife talk ...possible scanning was mentioned too.
I think the rise and fall was mentioned also.
Good luck

 

[Ttrees]

post916251.html

 

[JonnyD]

I'm pretty sure I've got a couple of ags riving knives in the workshop I will see if I can find them tomorrow. .

Cheers Jon

 

[SkinnyB]

When I brought my ags 12 it was missing the fence and rails. I used some 40x40 aluminium extrusions and some 40x90. Work really nice.

For the Riving knife might I suggest a different approach. I use this method. Works great as when you want to cut only halfway into the wood you don't need to removing the whole riving knife, just swap out the insert.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNXuYlwI8N0




And for over table extraction I use this:



As for under I use a homemade cover that sits under the blade under the table. Im just writing up a guide on making one for another member which ill post up here soon.

 

[Vann]

Welcome to the forum.

...as a non-native english speaker it's been quite a crash course in words like 'trunnion', 'arbour', 'gib' etc...

You don't have to be a non-native English speaker to get confused by woodworking terms. USA woodworkers use a whole bunch of different terms for the same items, and down here in New Zealand (and Australia) we used some different terms again .

...The on/off switch is a starter unit from GE, model nr. SFKOI. The starter unit is in good shape, but the actual on/off switches are a bit small so I have to fumble for the switch when I want to shut off the saw. I'd like to get one of those big paddle switches that i could hit with my knee...

...The switch is not just an on off switch. It's this GE unit that's apparently called a 'starter'. Even though I dabbled in electronics a little bit, this was completely new to me and besides it being a relay I'm not exactly sure why this is needed. I will assume that it IS needed though, but could anyone point me to a means of installing a new switch that I can install on the machine without any other modifications?

I'm not an electrician, but as well as being kinder to the motor on starting and stopping, I believe the use of a contactor makes makes the fitting of remote "Off" switches and extra emergency "Off" switches much easier to install.

...it didn't come with a riving knife...

I'm not familiar with the Wadkin Bursgreen AGS 10 (I have a Wadkin PK awaiting completion), but ideally a riving knife rises and falls with the blade - though many machines don't have this feature. And whether you make one or buy one, it should be thicker than the plate of your saw blade, but thinner than the kerf (width over the teeth), so that if the wood bends while cutting it won't bind on the plate and cause kick-back.

And on the subject of avoiding kick-back, the ripping fence should not reach to far end of the table, but stop alongside the blade - again so that if the wood moves it can't lever off the fence and force the timber into the spinning blade. Of course, if your fence deflects 4-5mm like you say then you'll have to do something such as have a full length fence (for rigidity) with a half length packer (for safety). I suspect none of this matters if you're cutting stable timber products like MDF.

There are quite a few Wadkin owners on the Canadian forum - https://forum.canadianwoodworking.com/f ... wer-Tools= You could ask there if you have unresolved issues.

Cheers, Vann.

 

[Paddy Roxburgh]

Hi, have you taken the table off and cleaned all f the sawdust from the threads that operate the rise and fall and blade tilt? My adjustments were really stiff, one I'd cleaned it all it worked a treat. When putting the table back on you need to make sure that it is square, he easiest way is to check the mitre slots are parallel to the blade

 

[mindthatwhatouch]

The starter should have overload protection within it. Have a look at Steve maskery regarding a knee paddle stop switch. Any suitably rated Direct on line starter will work.

Avoid oil on the ways, use PTFE or a dry lubricant will gunge up less when mixed with sawdust.

 

[Rumblefuzz]

Thanks a lot for all the responses!

JonnyD, I'm very interested to hear if you find those! Finding an original one for sale would be the perfect solution..

SkinnyB, That's some impressive DIY stuff, esp. that fence! I'm interested as to what you use a cover under the blade for? As for going DIY myself I feel I lack the required confidence still. I'd feel more comfortable getting to know a machine like this knowing it is running with factory made and tested parts.

Vann, the bracket that would be holding the riving knife on my machine does indeed move with the arbour, rise&fall, tilt etc. This second idea you mention about the fence is very interesting as I've never heard this before about the fence not reaching all the way to the back of the saw. Also, I had never heard the term 'packer' before in regard of this subject. More to research!!

Paddy Roxburgh, I am thinking of actually taking the whole machine apart actually. That way I can clean everything up and lubricate where needed, and meanwhile I would get to know my machine much better.

mindthatwhatouch, that Steve Maskery switch is amazing, haha! I might try something like this...

 

[SkinnyB]

SkinnyB, That's some impressive DIY stuff, esp. that fence! I'm interested as to what you use a cover under the blade for? As for going DIY myself I feel I lack the required confidence still. I'd feel more comfortable getting to know a machine like this knowing it is running with factory made and tested parts.

Thanks!

Regarding the cover under the table:
The AGS doesn't come with any dust extraction above or below. So this cover surrounds the blade under the table which then connects to my dust extractor.
With this cover on I can collect 95% of all the dust that fall below the table. It makes it alot less dusty when using it. I used to get covered in dust as it flies from the gap between the table and the body of the saw. This eliminates this problem. Plus with the boom on top I can collect any dust that arises from the top.
On some saws the entire bottom of the saw is sealed then a extractor is plugged into the side. I wanted to get something a bit more efficient.

 

[Rumblefuzz]

@ JonnyD, let me know if you find those knifes you mentioned, I'd gladly take one off your hands (depending a bit on where you live maybe?)

 

[MusicMan]

Yes, you need to dismantle it and clean everything, and will learn a lot doing so!

You need the manual, which is on the Wadkin Library. I think yours will be this model (since it has the rise/fall riving knife mount):

http://www.wadkin.com/uploads/files/Wad ... (10%20inch)%20Sawbench%20Manual%20&%20Parts%20List.pdf

This includes an exploded view of the fence. There should be a rod going through the fence, which clamps on the rod at the back. I would see if you can resurrect this design, as it works very well.