I bought a vintage Delta Unisaw from a friend that needed some cash for the holidays. I now have a few questions.
Check the pictures out here:
formatting link
plugged it in and it runs fine. I ran a piece of 1/2" ply through it and found the blade dull but the saw seams smooth. The adjustment wheels work well.
What year is it?
Should I consider keeping it over my Jet contractor saw? or wait and upgrade to something else later?
Don't know what you paid for it but it looks like you have a project. Based on the other link on your post, I have a feeling you are ok with that.
I squinted at the patent plate on one of your pictures and it looked like it had a 1934 date on it which seems a little early. I suspect if I owned it I would be very tempted to play with it (don't know if I would get rid of the Jet until I knew what I had.).
Pitfalls are finding parts, but if you rebuild, without being too careful about maintaining its vintage, you might end up with a nice machine, and conversation piece. Trouble with vintage restoration is you can extend part availabilty problems forever. replacing some stuff with more modern hardware might be better if you can make it fit.
If it was mine, and I kept it, I would probably be cleaning it up a lot.
Reminds me of the older (not that old) Unisaws I used to use in HS and college wood classes. The new Unisaws don't match up that well.
I agree with DanG, probably about 55 or 60 years old. One of the keys is the Milwaukee name on it. Check the owwm.com website for the Unisaw chronology. More to the point re the serial number; there is a list on owwm.com to which you can compare yours, but it's not complete. Many people have had good results calling Delta directly and asking them.
Another thing you should know--don't be put off by that "1 HP" motor. It's probably a repulsion-induction (R-I) motor and that 1 HP acts like a lot more of today's horses.
Are you nuts? First, a Unisaw is usually what people upgrade to. You're now already there.
Second, a bad cabinet saw is superior to even a good contractor saw for at least three reasons: beef, power, and footprint. The trunnions and guts in general will be much more robust in a cabinet saw. The drive system of the cabinet saw will transfer power better and is not limited to roughly 1½ HP as the contractor saw is. Even though they look bulkier, weigh more, and cost more, the cabinet saw takes up less floor space than a contractors saw because there's no motor hanging out the back.
The Unisaw (and others of their ilk, such as PM 66es) are ageless. Many of the parts of a modern Unisaw will fit yours. Maintenance will be a breeze. In some respects (old cast iron vs modern stuff, for example) the older machine (in the narrow focus we're applying in this discussion) is superior to the current offering.
That JetLock rip fence might be a "pitfall" if you want to call it that. It's not terrible, but if you were to throw a Biesemeyer at it you would pretty well have gilded the lily to the max.
Definitely a keeper. But please put a nice new power cable on it and position the cable so there are no bends or kinks to make it look like the present one does. A motor clean out and bearing replacement would probably be in order.
I have a similar model that's a '55 but I think they made them with that base for about 30 years until the early 60's. Everything on them can be rebuilt and the bearings or the entire yolk and shaft can be bought today. The only minor problem can be finding someone who will rebuild the motor if you need that. There are people who will do it but their numbers seem to be dwindling. The motor can be replaced with a new style that will have the correct brackets if needed. Every one has mentioned owwm.com and it is a great resource for general info and repair. They are fun to mess with, easy to work on and very much worth the effort.
I believe that this tune was written about a similar situation:
If you start me up If you start me up I'll never stop If you start me up If you start me up I'll never stop I've been running hot You got me ticking gonna blow my top If you start me up If you start me up I'll never stop
You make a grown man cry Spread out the oil, the gasoline I walk smooth, ride in a mean, mean machine Start it up
If you start it up Kick on the starter give it all you got, you got, you got I can't compete with the riders in the other heats If you rough it up If you like it you can slide it up, slide it up
Don't make a grown man cry My eyes dilate, my lips go green My hands are greasy She's a mean, mean machine Start it up
If start me up Give it all you got You got to never, never, never stop Never, never Slide it up
You make a grown man cry Ride like the wind at double speed I'll take you places that you've never, never seen Start it up Love the day when we will never stop, never stop Never stop, never stop Tough me up Never stop, never stop, never stop
You, you, you make a grown man cry You, you make a dead man come You, you make a dead man come
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here.
All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.