Thread: Wadkin Trenching Heads.

Wadkin’s smallest diameter “Expanding Trenching and Grooving Heads” have an 8½” diameter cutting circle.

These are designed to fit:
Wadkin 12” saw bench models SNR and SS;

Wadkin-Bursgreen radial arm saw model BRA;

Wadkin tenoner model ECA; and

Wadkin double end tenoners model WO and WG.

There are two widths for the above machines:
JP 541 For grooves 3/8” to 11/16” wide, rising by sixteenths, and up to 9/16” deep.
JP 543 For grooves 11/16” to 1¼” wide, rising by sixteenths, and up to 1” deep.

Special making up collars are required to fit these heads on the tenoners.
For double end tenoners and ECA 263 TO 400, two WO 969 and one WO 1001 "making up" collars are required.
For ECA 401 on, two WO 1006 and one WO 1001 "making up" collars are required.

The JP 541 cutters are:
Adze cutters: 1 pair JP 470 and one pair JP 470A.
Spur Cutters: 2 pair JP 471A.

The JP 543 cutters are:
Adze cutters: 2 pair JP 508.
Spur Cutters: 2 pair JP 471.

I believe the trenching heads I picked up and sent to Auscab in 2017 are 8½” heads. Most likely JP 543 heads.

CK1.jpg

I don't think the rectangular cutters to the left have anything to do with these trenching heads.

Cheers, Vann.

Wadkin’s next size “Expanding Trenching and Grooving Heads” have a 9” diameter cutting circle.

These are designed to fit:
Wadkin belt driven tenoner model EK and EL; and

Wadkin double end tenoners model WA, WF and WFG.

There are three widths for the above machines:
JP 472 For grooves 3/8” to 11/16” wide, and up to 9/16” deep.
JP 457 For grooves ¾ “ to 1 7/16” wide, and up to 1½ ” deep.
JP 459 For grooves 1 3/8 “ to 2½ ” wide, and up to 1½ ” deep.

A set of spacing collars is required when used on WF and WFG.

The JP 472 cutters are:
Adze cutters: 1 pair JP 470 and one pair JP 470A.
Spur Cutters: 2 pair JP 471.

The JP 457 cutters are:
Adze cutters: 2 pair JP 463.
Spur Cutters: 2 pair EK 155.

The JP 459 cutters are:
Adze cutters: 1 pair JP 459B and 1 pair JP 459C.
Spur Cutters: 2 pair EK 155.

ET&G heads.jpg Catalogue page courtesy of Auscab.

Cheers, Vann.

Hi Vann, this is two sets of mine, JP54 narrow cutters , JP67 wider cutters .. but essentially the same brass bodies.

20230807_224306.jpg
20230807_220639_HDR.jpg20230807_220552_HDR.jpg
Melbourne Matty.

Wadkin’s third size of “Expanding Trenching and Grooving Heads” have a 10” diameter cutting circle, and a 1” bore.

These are designed to fit:
Wadkin radial arm saw model CK only.

They are pin driven. The pins are 5/16” diameter rod, threaded 5/16” BSW at one end, for 1/2" of length. The rods screw into the inner collar of the saw, pass through the pair of heads and any spacers between, and extend into the outer saw collar. Different length pins are required because the pin cannot extend right through the outer collar as this will prevent the saw nut from tightening the whole assembly.

There are two widths available:
JP 510 for grooves 3/8” to 11/16” wide, rising by sixteenths, and up to 9/16” deep.
JP 506 for grooves 11/16” to 1¼” wide, rising by sixteenths, and up to 1” deep.

The JP 510 cutters are;
Adze cutters: 1 pair JP 470 and 1 pair JP 470A.
Spur Cutters: 2 pair JP 471.

The JP 506 cutters are;
Adze cutters: 2 pair JP 508.
Spur Cutters: 2 pair JP 471.

JP 510 heads, left. JP 506 heads, right. Spacers in three different thicknesses (1/16", 1/8" & 1/4") bottom right.

0-7.jpg

Cheers, Vann.

Originally Posted by L.S.Barker1970

...this is two sets of mine, JP54 narrow cutters , JP67 wider cutters...

Hi Matty. I'm assuming these are 8½” diameter cutting circle heads? If so, I'd say the JP 54 heads with narrow cutters are JP 541, and the JP 67 heads with wider cutters are JP 543 heads.

I see that one of the heads pictured is stamped "JP 541A/30". I don't know what the "A' or the "30" mean. Are they possibly bored to suit a 30mm shaft? I believe the BRA has an inch spindle.

Originally Posted by L.S.Barker1970

...but essentially the same brass bodies.

Essentially the same, but still four different patterns.

In the case of my 10” diameter cutting circle heads, the JP 506 heads have pattern numbers "JP 506" and "JP 507" cast into them, as one is RH while the other is LH.

The narrower cutting JP 510 heads are slightly deeper (due to the greater depth of the bigger "adze cutters") and have "JP 510" and "JP 511" cast into them, again for left and right hand heads.

Cheers, Vann.

Faark! I thought the 2'" DeWalt trenching head we used on my Dad's DeWalt RADS was a serious weapon! Not sure I would like to operate that unit.

Wadkin's fourth size of "Expanding, trenching and Grooving Heads" have an 11" diameter cutting circle, and a 1¼" bore.

These are designed to fit:
Wadkin radial arm saw model CC and CD;

Wadkin single end tenoner model EKA; and

Wadkin double end tenoners model WF, WB and WBB.

In the case of the CC and CD they are driven by a square key that engages a slot in the saw spindle, A set screw tightens against the square key.
I have no information on the tennoners.

There are three widths for the above machines:
JP 468 For grooves 3/8” to 11/16” wide, and up to 9/16” deep.
JP 460 For grooves ¾ “ to 1 7/16” wide, and up to 1¼” deep.
JP 464 For grooves 1 3/8 “ to 2½ ” wide, and up to 1¼” deep.

For saws CC and CD, JP 460 and JP 464 heads can cut up to 1 5/8" deep - except on single-phase AC machines

A set of spacing collars is required when used on WF, WB and WBB tenoners.

The JP 468 cutters are;
Adze cutters: 1 pair JP 470 and 1 pair JP 470A.
Spur Cutters: 2 pair JP 471.

The JP 460 cutters are;
Adze cutters: 2 pair JP 463.
Spur Cutters: 2 pair EK 155.

The JP 464 cutters are;
Adze cutters: 1 pair JP 466 and 1 pair JP 467.
Spur Cutters: 2 pair EK 155.

ET&G heads.jpg Catalogue page courtesy of Auscab.

Photos of JP 464 trenching heads (pattern numbers JP 464 and JP 465).

JP 464a.jpg JP 464b.jpg

I have these heads on loan. Both have been dropped and each lost a knicker/scriber (it wasn't me).

Cheers, Vann.

A couple of decades back I procured one of these saws in a job lot of Wadkin machinery from a joinery here in Sydney.
It came with the gunmetal trenching heads, which were scary looking muthers .
I never had the machines in my shed as the DR36 bandsaw and RL ? Plainer were too large and awkward to get thru the small doorway.
I left them at a blacksmith mate’s large workshop and after playing with them whilst in his care he made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.
I doubt he ever used the trenching heads, he has however a few years ago left the rat race for the mid north coast and I haven’t been in touch for a while.
I might chase him up next trip north, you never know he might be interested in parting with the heads.
H.

Thanks Henry,
Keep me posted on how you go.
I'll keep an eye out on UKeBay in the meantime.

And thanks Vann for the informative thread.

Cheers,
RG

Originally Posted by RG62

Thanks Henry,
Keep me posted on how you go.
I'll keep an eye out on UKeBay in the meantime.

And thanks Vann for the informative thread.

Cheers,
RG

Have you got a job your planning on using trenching heads on or just want to complete the machine and have it ready for when you may need them?
Rob

Here's my head stash.

I have the set Vann sent me on one of the BRA's. Blade tip diameter is 222mm with 1a inch bore.
The other toothed spacers are smaller at 202mm tip so don't match this head.

IMG_4155a.jpg IMG_4154a.jpg

This JP508 set at 260 tip diameter and 1 inch bore.
IMG_4156a.jpg IMG_4157a.jpg

Two of these Gunmetal heads . No pattern marks. Ive no idea of the make.
The cut diameter is about 10 inches. Bore is through a sleeve that is adjustable and slotted with a grub screw at 1 1/4 inch. Missing 5 knickers and with two different blade widths.

IMG_4161a.jpg IMG_4162a.jpg IMG_4163a.jpg
And this , not sure what make? I should have checked for a makers mark. I think it says Nolex , just spotted it in the picture. 1 1/4 inch bore . I didn't measure the diameter.
IMG_4158a.jpg IMG_4159a.jpg IMG_4160a.jpg


Rob

That's a nice collection of weaponry there Rob,

At the moment I am short on space and big on machines so I'm just looking to complete the machine with tooling for future use. I'm also looking for some appropriate metal legs to tie the rise and fall handwheel and locking lever to and to be the basis of a bench as the saw came without a bench.

Cheers, RG

Sorry, off-topic from Wadkin ... but just to mention (photos are from years ago) ... Supersaw with trenching head.

https://www.woodworkforums.com/membe...-picture229026

https://www.woodworkforums.com/membe...-picture229027

393117485_1029629058305141_7776269322481012429_n.jpg

I have this set which has BRA written on the box, they fit my CK and work really well