To buy and restore a Wadkin Bursgreen 12BRT cabinet saw or not?

[Wayne in Oz]

Hi everyone,

Firstly, I have already posted this on the 'woodworkers forum' as a lot of Aussie chippies frequent that site, so apologies if you've already seen my post. I'm posting here because the UK is the home of Wadkin Bursgreen machinery so I anticipate getting a lot more advice here.

I am a keen hobby woodworker who works primarily with solid timber, as opposed to manufactured boards. In addition to making furniture, I love restoring tools and keeping them as original as sensibly possible. I'm looking to buy an old cabinet saw to restore. I already have one money-pit (a boat) and I don't want to spend quite a few thousand dollars on a new saw.

I have found a Wadkin Bursgreen 12BRT saw that appears to be in fairly good condition and, importantly, complete (except for the sliding table). It's a 3-phase machine and my cunning plan would be to replace the motor with a 3 HP single phase motor that I can run off my dedicated 15 Amp domestic supply. I don't think I'm under any illusions about such a project and what it may involve. I believe a motor stands to cost about 200 English Pounds and I would almost certainly replace the arbor bearings and drive belts. I would also have the arbor and blade support checked to see if they turn true so there's always a risk of unforeseen additional costs. That's the nature of restorations.

If I could pick up this saw for between 300 and 350 English Pounds, do you think such a project would make sense? Would I be better to buy an AGS model? What am I looking to achieve? - 1. an engaging project and, 2, a heavy, bullet-proof saw that I could not afford to buy new. Thoughts?

Cheers,

Wayne in Melbourne, Australia

 

[Fitzroy]

Is a BRT not just and AGS with a sliding table. You say the sliding table is not present, and I doubt available second hand. If that’s the case you may as well get an AGS, unless the BRT is a steal locally.

I have an AGS which I smartened up, replacing arbor bearings and deconstructed to clean. A simple machine to work on and bearings standard size ms so easy to replace. My machine has had a single phase motor fitted at sometime and there is no modification it just bolts on in the same place. If the motor shaft size is different you may need new pulleys.

I love my AGS.

Fitz

 

[misterfish]

I have a BRT10 - a 1970's old style model. It is essentially an AGS10 but with a sliding table. It has the triple drive belt system.

It's a good solid machine (as you wold expect from from Wadkin Bursgreen). It uses metric thread and sizes throughout (20mm arbor). It is a single phase phase machine as supplied by Wadkin.

Mine was originally from a school and had not been used very much when I got it and it has caused me no problems apart from needing a 16 amp type C mcb to allow the initial current surge to not trip the breaker.

It is an excellent piece of kit

Jeff

 

[Wayne in Oz]

Hi Fitzroy and Misterfish,

Firstly, thank you both for replying and offering me some advice.

I don't know anything about Wadkin saws so I have no idea if a BRT is/was made as a panel saw version of the AGS. From what I can glean, all AGS saws have cast, two-piece bases, whereas the BRT appears to have a base constructed of sheet metal. The serial number on the machine starts with '80...' so I assume it's a 1980 model. I wonder if the BRT was intended to be a lower cost, cheaper to make version of the AGS?

Regarding the arbor bearings, are these of a 'standard/readily available' size on the BRT because I would hate to be forced into buying super-expensive OEM ones that might not even be available? Regarding cost, tools and machinery (and boats) are very expensive in Australia compared to the US and Europe. I know what I'm prepared to pay for a saw of this quality and it should still prove to be a much cheaper pathway to ownership than buying a new machine of similar quality (if such a beast still exists).

My final question concerns the paint Wadkin applied. Is there a specific name/Pantone colour etc... for the paint or do I simply eye-ball a mix? Many thanks in advance,

Cheers,

Wayne in Oz