Another Wadkin AGS 10 restoration thread.

[julianf]

I finally concluded with the underwriters today, and officially own the salvage of the saw that they were insuring on behalf of the couriers.... : /

It would have been a nice saw - 1ph in reasonable condition, with factory dust extraction motor hood etc but I think someone drove into it with a forklift, and bent the fence bars, and cracked up the fence casting and another part .

Anyway, I've purchased the salvage, and, worst case, will buy a cheap 3ph unit and make a hybrid from the two.

It would be wise for me to properly assess this one in the mean time, but at present I'm feeling a bit foolish in that it's not even clear to me the best way to get the table off.

Do you separate the lower, pressed steel section from the upper cast, and go about it that way, or is it best to remove the blade and stick your hands in that way?

The saw is in an awkward access space at present where I "shoved" it whilst the uncertainty of if it was going to be accquired by the underwriters was resolved, but I hope to get it moved to a more open space at the weekend.

I'll see if I can't add some photos then too, but it looks much the same as any other AGS10 that someone has driven into with a forklift.... : (

 

[MusicMan]

Yes remove the blade first. The table is held on by studs/nuts going up from underneath in each of the four corners. You might have to take the dust extractor cover off. You get at two from the motor side and two through the saw blade hole. Fiddly but possible.

Lots of us own these saws and can advise. No need to split the base section down.

Good luck (as long as you post photos!)

Keith

 

[julianf]

A couple of photos prior to smashy-smashy -

Then onto the sad times -

I dont even know what that part is at the end of the fence casting - some of it never even got here.

So, my broken bits are -

The fence casting.
Whatever that bit on the end of the casting is.
The front fence rail.
The fine adjustment "dial"

The fine adjustment part, i know, is available, but the fence is harder.
Ive an offer on one which is probably reasonable (as in price - £150) but i know that one has a knackered fine adjustment too, and its miles away, so if that's another £100 on top for the fine adjust and £40 in transport, then im getting quite close to the cost of buying a cheaper 3ph unit and breaking them both to one good unit.

 

[Ttrees]

Looks like you could weld that up to me
An arc welder would be cheaper than buying more parts

Tom

 

[deema]

You could get the casting welded, or pinned & welded which after a grind and bit of filler and a coat of paint would be as good as new. The bar could be heated and straightened and since it has a rack underneath is probably the only solution.

The only real alternative is to buy the cheapest AGS you can find canobilse it, selling off the remaining bits. There is always a ready market for AGS spares.

 

[julianf]

The casting probably isn't the main concern, as I don't think the fracture is really in s structural point.

The rail is more of a concern - it's bent in a few places from where the force had been spread over the fence to table mounts. I honestly don't think it could be straightened to a standard that would be what I'm looking for.

It could be replaced with a length of turned bar, but then I'd loose the micro adjust also.

If the chap offering me the set was closer and the micro adjust wasn't knackered, id go for that, but as it is, I do wonder if it's not best to get the rest of the saw running nice whilst looking out for a breaker.

Someone had also cut a new hole in the pressed steel part of this one, I think for a dust port. I can leave it, or weld it up easy enough, but it's another factor pushing toward a breaker saw.

The insurers wrote this down as a total loss, and I purchased the salvage, so I have some slack for getting it fixed up, but the saw wasn't big money to start with as I took some time looking for it : ( hence the insurance payout wasn't going to be enoughand buy another at market rate anyhow (which is why I went down the salvage path)

 

[julianf]

I should make up some sort of wheeled base for this.

I'm actually better at metal work than I am at wood, so would an angle iron (steel) base with some wheels on it be all that I really need?

Any recommendation on some decent wheeled castors? My workshop floor is concrete, and fairly flat, but it's not a shiny, power trowelled factory floor.

 

[Ttrees]

Here's a link for one I made for my old Startrite
If I was to do it again I would make the set of wheels inside the cabinet closer to the edge as its a bit pivoty.
I could have got it closer to the edge... I will on the next one I suppose.
It still works pretty well though
post1133741.html?hilit=carl%20holmgren#p1133741

Tom

 

[MusicMan]

Don't despair, this all looks fixable.

There are plenty of accurate bar straightening services, e.g. http://www.johnmacnab.co.uk and you may find one nearer. I would do this for the fence, which is critical as you say, and you want to preserve the rack on its underside. This shouldn't cost too much, cheaper than finding a scrapper.

The rest of the fence mechanism looks salvageable. You'll need to straighten the fine adjustment "dial", which is a knob turning a spur gear that engages on that rack. You'll need to dismantle this.

You should look at the exploded parts diagram. I am pretty sure yours is this model: http://www.wadkin.com/uploads/files/Wad ... %20(10inch)%20Old%20Manual%20&%20Parts%20List.pdf

though you do seem to have another fine adjuster on the right hand side of the fence, possibly home-made. This is not essential anyway.

 

[SteveF]

that all looks fixable
the table splits to 3 parts to make it more manageable

Steve

 

[julianf]

I have given johnmcnab a call, and am going to send them photos etc. but it sounds promising at present.

I'll need to see if I can get the micro adjust out of the casting to send them also.

I think that the fence casting fracture is probably non structural. I'll see if I can take some more photos later and upload them, but I think it was because the bar bent underneath it, so cracked away the end of the casting, and, possibly, that bit, in normal use, does not actually see work.

The part had chipped out entirely now, and, when I place it back in, the fit is good. I'm wondering about braizing or that jbweld stuff.

In the mean time, I've been eyeing up cross cut mitre fences, as, at least, that function still works at the moment.

Thank you for the comments. With luck johnmcnab will be able to sort out the two bent bits.

 

[MusicMan]

Good, that looks promising. As far as I can see from the pics, you are right about the end of the casing not being structurally important. Difficult to weld it back in good alignment, and if not structural I would epoxy it (greasing the fence so as not to make it stick!).

Yes your cross-cut mitre gauge looks a home-made substitute! There are plenty on the market.

Keith

 

[julianf]

I suspect one of those incra 1000se ones is what I'm after. They just cost a whole load of cash! : (

My interest is not so much in angles (at present) but in cutting small hardood parts to uniform and repeatable length.

I had to go out today so did not manage to send the straightening firm the photos, but I'll update here as soon as I can.

I'm planning on sending them the micro adjust also, but I need to work out how to get it out of the casting first.

 

[MusicMan]

Look at the Wadkin parts diagram. It is essentially a straight pull after you have removed whatever retains it. My guess would be a circle on the far end from the knob. I'll have a look at mine later and see if I can see.

 

[julianf]

I have looked. From what I can tell, the knob screws onto the end and that is pretty much what keeps it in place.

My current plan is to remove the knob (assuming my understanding is correct) and then slip a tube over the end in its place, to get leverage to pull it back into shape.

There is a danger I'll do more damage this way, but my only other option is cutting the micro adjust, and removing it that way. And then I'm £100 down on a new one.

It's not that I totally begrudge spending any money, as I'll eventually get some sort of payout from the insurance, but I just need to make sure I don't spend £100 here, and £50 there, and end up doing more than a whole new machine for breaking would cost.

Cutting the part out would be the sensible thing to do, if it were not for the numbers.

 

[MusicMan]

I had a look but couldn't see how to release it. The bearing is blind on the side towards the saw. Maybe if you take the fence off it will be evident. Your plan to straighten the rod should work.

Don't cut anything, there must be a way to disassemble it!

 

[julianf]

Someone has just put this on eBay -

It's obviously the newer single rail fence from the later saws.

Without ever using the newer style, it's always seemed that the dual rail version would be preferable, but I guess I could convert to the more modern one?

The table in that photo is off the wider AGS. I wonder if it might not have the studs in the same place as my saw, and I could just fit the entire table with overhang. Probably not.

But I'm sure the fence could be transplanted. Would that be a good path to take?

 

[MusicMan]

i am not familiar with that model so can't say. But I do like the fence that locks fore and aft, and the mechanism for it is very good.

 

[Trevanion]

Someone has just put this on eBay -

I was just coming onto this thread to mention this listing as I've also just seen it on eBay but it looks like you already found it.

The fence casting is the exact same one they used on the Wadkin PBR just without the rollers, so it's safe to say it's sturdy enough without being dual rail as a PBR puts a hell of a lot of strain on the fence when the feed wheels are pressing the timber against it. It would never be under that kind of pressure on a TS.

I wouldn't be surprised if the whole bed fitted your machine though, They did the wider beds with this fence on the newer and older cabinets and I think the only difference was the size of the bed and nothing else so it should bolt on just like the small bed on your machine.

It's a hell of a coincidence these have popped up, possibly won't happen ever again so might be worth chasing it up.

 

[julianf]

I spoke to the chap earlier in the day.

The issue is transport. He reckons it's too heavy for a standard courier, and so would have to go on a pallet.

Then I'm looking at £255 or somthing, and I've seen whole 3ph saws sell for that on eBay.

I'm wondering if the fence above is nicer to use than the older fence. As in all things being equal (which they are not!) which fence would be nicer?

Thank you.