Thread: Wadkin BSW 650

Is that the one that was recently listed on FB Marketplace in Cairns?

Originally Posted by Mobyturns

Is that the one that was recently listed on FB Marketplace in Cairns?

Yes do you know anything about the machine?

Originally Posted by Camelot

Yes do you know anything about the machine?

No, and the people who I knew who worked at the old Cains Harbour Board are no longer about.

I put JohnG onto it just in case he was interested. So glad it didn't end up as scrap metal. Its a big unit!

Originally Posted by Camelot

I've bought another Wadkin and like all the Wadkins I buy it needs lot's of TLC, I have attached a pic of the Tag, which has no Test Number so I am assuming Wadkin started combining the Machine/Test numbers and stopped doing individual numbers, however I don't know when this practice started...

I believe the BSW is a Wadkin-Bursgreen machine, designed and built at one of the former Bursgreen factories. However I see this one has a Green Lane tag - which is puzzling. Those plastic "Wadkin Ltd" tags first came out in 1972 and were replaced by "Wadkin PLC" tags about 1982 - giving an eleven year span for possible build dates.

Being a Wadkin-Bursgreen machine, my initial thoughts were that it would date to the first two digits of the number. "81xxx" would be 1981. However if it's a Wadkin Green Lane build, and if that is a test number, then it's a 1972 build. Both 1972 and 1981 fit within the "Wadkin Ltd." plastic tag era.

Bursgreen had (I believe) three factories, but they were closed down one by one. Possibly, upon closure of the factory making the BSW, production was shifted to Green Lane? Who knows. Scrit maybe.

Cheers, Vann.

Not sure when CHB workshops closed. The Cairns Historical Society may be able to assist with research.

Originally Posted by Vann

I believe the BSW is a Wadkin-Bursgreen machine...

Confirmation...

BSW.jpg Crown guard, tag, and name plate - all marked "Wadkin-Bursgreen"

Cheers, Vann.

Originally Posted by Vann

Confirmation...

BSW.jpg Crown guard, tag, and name plate - all marked "Wadkin-Bursgreen"

Cheers, Vann.

That's a nice restoration, I like how they have polished the aluminium on the crown guard, which saves masking and painting.

The tag on my BSW is different from any other I have seen thus far in that it is in 2 parts and there is still a Test Number section on the tag (but it's been left blank), on all the other machines I have seen they only have a Machine Number, like on the one you have posted.

Just started removing the rust from the bed and you can see from the pic's that it's already had one repaint during it's life (don't like the colour though), it is missing the original cover where you gain access to the blade & spindle, so at some point I will look to make one that looks more like the original.
BSW 650 pic 2.jpgBSW 650 pic 3.jpgBSW 650 pic1.jpg

Got the rust of the bed, but it was quite badly pitted along with the Riving Knife, I may mill the Gap Plate because it's got adjustable grub screws which would allow for the material lost through milling, but the bed is too big for me to mill and the pitting shouldn't effect the saws ability to rip a piece of stock.
BSW 650 Bed rust removal pic 1.jpgBed pitted.jpg Riving knife pitted.jpg

Looking at the motor the BSW 650 came with a 10HP motor so plenty of power and the 650mm blade will rip up to 250mm.
10 HP Motor.jpg

Originally Posted by Camelot

...the pitting shouldn't effect the saws ability to rip a piece of stock...

Pitting can be disappointing - but only because you can't get the machine looking like new. As you say, it won't affect the operation of the saw. Once you've got the surface to a standard you can live with, wax it. Wax will partially fill the pitting and will prevent further corrosion.

Originally Posted by Camelot

Got the rust of the bed, but it was quite badly pitted along with the Riving Knife.
Riving knife pitted.jpg

That's an impressively corroded riving knife. Probably worth using as a pattern for making a replacement. I bought a Wadkin CK radial arm saw with pitting like that (for parts). The cast iron cleaned up really well, but corrosion in the steel parts meant it wasn't worth attempting a restore.

Originally Posted by Camelot

...and the 650mm blade will rip up to 250mm.

That's also impressive. My PK only does about 110mm with an 18" (450mm) blade (the maximum size it'll take).

Nice saw.

Cheers, Vann.

110mm from a 450mm blade is not a lot, I get 103mm from a 350mm blade on my Altendorf F45 panel saw.

The PK was always limited as the saw spindle is the motor shaft.
Wadkin addressed this with the PP which is belt driven.
I’m sure I ripped some 150 square river red gum for bearings for a local windmill maker on my PK back in the 90s but probably just the ‘everything was bigger and better back then’ memory.
I never found a PP so settled for a Martin.
H.

Originally Posted by Camelot

Got the rust of the bed, but it was quite badly pitted along with the Riving Knife, I may mill the Gap Plate because it's got adjustable grub screws which would allow for the material lost through milling, but the bed is too big for me to mill and the pitting shouldn't effect the saws ability to rip a piece of stock.
BSW 650 Bed rust removal pic 1.jpgBed pitted.jpg Riving knife pitted.jpg

Looking at the motor the BSW 650 came with a 10HP motor so plenty of power and the 650mm blade will rip up to 250mm.
10 HP Motor.jpg

Looks about as bad as the pitting on my Wadkin DN. What I thought of doing is taking my table top to the guy I listed in the below to grind away about 2mm and resurface the tabletop.

Wadkin DN Bandsaw Restore - Early 1900s

I've been advised it would cost around $300 - $400 but you would have a near perfect tabletop.

Looked at your thread, but don't see any pics of the regrind, did you get it done?

I plan to have a metalwork section in my new workshop (3 or 4 machines), so I will live with it for now and do something about it later down the track if it still bothers me.