Thread: New (to me) Wadkin BRA

Yep I keep mine at 90 degrees and use jigs. They are a great saw but all RAS are easy to knock out of true . The Dewalt I used before getting the BRA was much worse. It has to do with how Ive used them as well. Usually just as docking rough sawn stuff to length and quite a bit of large stuff gets pushed across the saw bench. Sometimes with 4 staff using it all day as well years ago. Blade jams occasionally and knocks sends them out real easy.

My current blade is almost 14". Its 350 mm . 36 teeth.

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Rob

Cant see exactly the same blade at Carbitool now but they have this 350mm 36 tooth blade to compare with what ever you may look at close to you.


Radial Arm - Carbitool

Rob

I’ve got the 350mm Carbitool one. It’s great, just let them know you need the bush to reduce the 30mm bore down to 1 inch.

Thanks all - Looks like they are all out of those blades: Radial Arm - Carbitool & at $200 I am pretty sure I can get it cheaper through Brisbane Saw Services. My 18" blade cost $200 so a 14" must be cheaper!

Interesting origin for this BRA. Took a loooong way round to get to Australia.

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So did a bit of ringing around for a blade and Bandsaw Blades | Circular saw blades | Router Bits | Australia could source one for me. Very happy with their service and price including shipping was only $180 so a bit cheaper than alternatives (Carbitool). It has a slightly higher tooth count than the Carbitool one also which is a bit of a bonus. Here are the particulars:

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I had a go at cleaning up up the guard. I was ½ tempted to sand smooth the aluminium and polish it to a mirror finish but I don't have the patience for that! I was painting something else so thought I would give this and the frame a lick of paint. Will have to pull the rest of it apart sometime and paint the test of the machine at some point.

Obviously not the original paint (apologies in advance) but it's all I had and don't mind it.

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Originally Posted by Charlie_6ft

...I was ½ tempted to sand smooth the aluminium and polish it to a mirror finish but I don't have the patience for that!...

I think your decision to paint it, rather than polish it, was a good one.

But I note your 4th photo is the back of a PK blade "flask". I hope you're not going to paint that blue .

Cheers, Vann.

Well you know how I said I was painting something else ... it was the PK, Wadkin PK Gen 4, so best match the flask with the saw colour

At least its not pink

The BRA Guard Visor/Nose Guard are ~£130.00 (AUD$250) excluding postage from the UK. I've got a piece of brass thats 2.5mm thick which I want to use to make this as it doesn't look like rocket science.

Wadkin BRA Brass.jpeg

What is the best way to bend brass to the 90º angles as above?

WadkinBRA Guard.jpg

It will depend on the hardness of your brass piece. If it was extruded with an eye to pressing or bending it will be soft enough for that intended use and should be suitable to bend. If it was intended for machining it will be harder and will crack or break if bent to 90 degrees unless it is annealed first. if you have a corner that you're going to machine off you could try a small trial bend there, that will give you quick feedback on whether it is suitable as is.
If you don't know what the intended use was I don't think that you will degrade it by annealing a soft piece intended for pressing or bending so I would heat the line where you plan to make the fold to a dull red colour and quench it in water. That should make it soft and you should then be able to bend it without cracking it.
RG

Originally Posted by RG62

It will depend on the hardness of your brass piece. If it was extruded with an eye to pressing or bending it will be soft enough for that intended use and should be suitable to bend. If it was intended for machining it will be harder and will crack or break if bent to 90 degrees unless it is annealed first. if you have a corner that you're going to machine off you could try a small trial bend there, that will give you quick feedback on whether it is suitable as is.
If you don't know what the intended use was I don't think that you will degrade it by annealing a soft piece intended for pressing or bending so I would heat the line where you plan to make the fold to a dull red colour and quench it in water. That should make it soft and you should then be able to bend it without cracking it.
RG

Legend thanks - yup have a corner I can sacrifice. Will give it a go

Originally Posted by Charlie_6ft

Whats the best way to clean up these cutters?
• Rust removal
• Sharpening of cutters and scribing knifes

I find a wire wheel will round 90º corners. I do have Evapo-Rust so perhaps removing the cutters and leaving them overnight will remove the rust then I just got to figure out how to sharpen the bits.
With sharpening, I thought of sticking some wet-and-dry to a piece of glass or using a wet stone and using this to sharpen the cutters.

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I'm going through the same exercise with my CK trenching heads.

For the adze cutters I've used the wire brush wheel (bench grinder mounted) for rust removal - keeping well clear of the laminated portion. But mine don't have as much rust as yours. I then sharpen as I would for a thick chisel - with a hollow grind.

For the spur cutters (or knickers) I've been using my Veritas Mk2 honing guide on an oil stone (hoping for quicker metal removal than on a finer waterstone).
I seem to be getting passable results, although I haven't completed them yet (there's always something else that needs doing more ).

I wouldn't worry too much about the rust on the adze cutters. So long as you polish the base, on a stone or sandpaper, so they sit flat of the trenching head. And grinding the bevel until it meets the bottom face when you sharpen will get rid of any rust on that face. Then oil the remaining faces to stop rust spreading.

Jack English Machines does a very good video on setting them up once you've sharpened them.

By-the-way, these do not fit an MA mortiser .

Cheers, Vann.

Originally Posted by Vann

I'm going through the same exercise with my CK trenching heads.

For the adze cutters I've used the wire brush wheel (bench grinder mounted) for rust removal - keeping well clear of the laminated portion. But mine don't have as much rust as yours. I then sharpen as I would for a thick chisel - with a hollow grind.

For the spur cutters (or knickers) I've been using my Veritas Mk2 honing guide on an oil stone (hoping for quicker metal removal than on a finer waterstone).
I seem to be getting passable results, although I haven't completed them yet (there's always something else that needs doing more ).

I wouldn't worry too much about the rust on the adze cutters. So long as you polish the base, on a stone or sandpaper, so they sit flat of the trenching head. And grinding the bevel until it meets the bottom face when you sharpen will get rid of any rust on that face. Then oil the remaining faces to stop rust spreading.

Jack English Machines does a very good video on setting them up once you've sharpened them.

By-the-way, these do not fit an MA mortiser .

Cheers, Vann.

Thanks Vann - good plan. When you say you get "passable results" as in their sharpness? The adze cutters & knickers are super sharp so was hesitant to touch them.

Epic fail posting this in the MA post

Yup seen Jacks vid