classic motorcycle forum

I've found the six-spring earlier clutch is even worse.
I've done all the things you have and now accept that it's as good as it's ever going to be. This is on an early Goldie, and spoils what is otherwise a great bike to ride.
Conversely the clutch on my plunger A7 (the earlier enclosed type) is as nice as that other much-maligned clutch, the Velocette, ie, very good.
That's a nicely engineered unit (unlike the cheap-arse BSA things) but the set-up instructions need to be followed to the letter, and many seem unable to do that.

My little Waratah 125 was bought from the original owner - decals still (mostly) visible.
He bought it from Williams Bros in Wentworth Ave in Sydney with his army demob pay.
And then rode it the 400 odd miles out to Hillston.
Think he said it took 2 days, but not sure on that.
At 30 mph, thats 13 hours !
Used all his petrol rationing coupons (4 ?) to do it.

Surviving bikes show differences in those toolboxes also, so its not just brochure creep ?

P.S. Tom Byrne in Wentworth Ave was the Excelsior Dealer then. 
About 100 yards up the hill from P & R Williams.
From advertising, the Excelsior was either 5 or 15 shillings dearer.
Byrnes did Triumphs also, and went on to become the main BMW Dealer.

Powerhouse Museums example
Their thick gold pinstripe is different to my thin gold twin pinstripes.
Maybe someone got it wrong ?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waratah_motorcycles#/media/File:1948waratahmotorcycle.jpg

I have literally spent hours, and hours adjusting my clutch (A10) to no avail. I have checked the plates for burrs and flatness, fitted new springs, and fitted an SRM pressure plate with the radial bearing on the push rod. I set the the pressure plate with a clock gauge to ensure that it was lifting absolutely squarely. none of this has made much difference to its operation. The clutch operates fairly well when its cold but as it warms up the gear change becomes increasingly notchy and neutral more difficult to select. I have just given up on it because I don't know where else to go. I have learned to live with it. Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you don't. Sorry this is not much help to you, but this is my personal experience. The clutch is a 4 spring clutch by the way. Always when cold first gear engages positively and smoothly with just a click no crunching or difficulty in engaging. A perfection action until it warms up then neutral becomes hard to find and first engages with a clunk. The A10 clutch is an enigma. Some seem to function well, others not so much.

Just how do you "set the timing by moving the magneto gears"  ??
Or is that the time honoured method of tapping the gearwheel onto the taper, and then locking it with the nut ...

Whatever... within half a tooth would be enormously better than it is now.

Are you clicking it into neutral in the last little bit while rolling to a stop.
And from 2nd, or 1st
Or attempting it once stopped.

Neutral (deliberately) has a lesser notch to it, to prevent the 1st to 2nd shift from hanging up.
It can be a very finicky adjustment of the clutch to get this action just right.

Whomever rebuilt it could have improved/changed/altered this ?
Changing the gearbox oil can sometimes work wonders with the action too.
Ain't old bikes fun !