600,000 Unisaws! The odds could be in my favor! Imagine when you add Powermatics and other manufacturers to that list!?! How many other boneheads are like me, making their next hobby owwm's?? At least I found something constructive to do between project "orders" from Swmbo!
Any web space dedicated to that first one??
Be careful Mark and Kim Smith...you are poking around a secret society that would make "Eyes Wide Shut" look like a kids pajama party. I know for a fact that Unisaw owners have to swear to a secret oath upon delivery. If they don't agree, the Unisaw goes away and they get a Craftsman. They have a secret handshake and everything, kinda like Fred Flintstone's Water Buffalo Lodge (yak ak a dak...you can fill in the rest). I understand the initiation rites are not for the faint of heart.
Part of the oath is "succession planning"...if one of the members "achieves room temperature", the machines are secretly re-distributed amongst the membership. Hence they never hit the open market.
All that scared the hell out of me a few years ago and I bought the contractor's saw instead.
Just this.
On Fri, 27 Feb 2004 20:57:49 GMT, Pat Barber brought forth from the murky depths:
Whoa! The next time you need an OWWM tuned up and painted just let me know. That's good money for a couple days' work.
Of course, I could get a motor for $70, the base for $50, paint for $10, belts for $25 (linkbelt), and bearings for $20. I guess I'm a better shopper than you and could probably find lower-pricing for the fence, too.
.-. Life is short. Eat dessert first! ---
an A001. You're awesome!! I think I'm going to have to hate you for a while! ; ) Should I dare make the finished project my desktop photo??
The company I work for covers an area of half the state of California. In the multitude of service centers we operate out of, I know of two locations that have big ol' table saws ( and I haven't been to half of these s/c's.) I don't remember the manufacturer's of these old machines, it's been about 10 years since I've seen them. Guess I'll have to visit and poke my head around when no one is looking! Follow the sawdust trail. Gotta love the hunt!!
ROFL!!
BTW, she makes me put her name in my email addy. Something about I don't pay enough attention to her, I don't want to show her off or something like that. It made things quiet which is what matters most.
Actually no. My saw is A-100. The oldest and original four-footed Unisaws all came with a alpha-numeric serial number. Of the couple/few dozen four-footed Unisaws I'm aware of A-100 is the lowest alpha-numeric serial number. The rest are scattered up through the alphabet and the "newest" four-footer I know of was numbered L-404.
You could try and extrapolate a number of four-footed Unisaws produced in 1939 but there's no evidence that I've found that there were 999 saws for every letter between A and L. In fact, the sum of this equation would be monstrous to consider for a saw in it's first year and given the size of the plant in Milwaukee where the saw was built. The best evidence for a "true" number comes from an ad I have where Delta proclaims that it took three months to build 1000 Unisaws. Even that, given the size of the plant, is something of a stretch in my opinion. In other words, I don't trust hyperbole.
I have yet to find/be made aware of anything below A-100 so I'm holding bragging rights that this saw was the first.
Wellllllllllllllllllllllll, thanks and I appreciate that but I was only standing in the right place and the right spot and happened to find this saw though there is a heroic tale associated with "rescuing" it from the evil man who was selling it. In other words, we were but a heart beat from losing it to a "lesser" owner who might have done something really unspeakable to it, like cut the side open an load a 3 horse Baldor in it.
Do a search of El Guapo on Google if you like long stories.
That's understandable and by the way shows you have certain tendencies that are required in anyone searching out vintage machines. In other words, your jib is cut correctly. You will do well.
Funny you should mention that. I have it up on my 'puter.
You will find that the hunt is half the fun.
By the way, the first mantra of searching and finding vintage machines is, "you get back what you put in". The second mantra, "there is no such thing as buyer's remorse. There is though the remorse of not going to look and the one that got away".
UA100
Good call on your part. No sense in burning a chit on something like that...you only get so many before the lawyer shows up so save them for important stuff like buying more tools.
pay enough attention to her, I don't want to show her off or something like that. It made things quiet which is what matters most.
>
Uh, Larry. . . what's the tab so far on "Dina", and how's she doing? Haven't seen any recent pics or progress reports.
The search of "El Guapo" has been read many times. Most recently, a few weeks ago. First time, a couple of years ago. A story to enjoy and inspire, over and over!
Hi U. I can call you U, for short, right? Have you ever physically compared these "lettered" saws to determine if the lettering was a result of early design changes? (Sort of like the "type" designation with the P-C biscuit joiners?)
U is good. I also answer to most any other capital letter.
I have done a thorough inspection of the saw with serial number A-100. I have not been able to compare it thoroughly against another four footed saw with a single Alpha-Three Digit serial number so the answer to the question I think you are asking is no.
On the other hand, based on your own study of the P-C plate joiners, I'll answer the question I think you might be asking?
I have compared the '39 saw against other (later saws) saws. As a matter of fact I was doing just this today with a '58. There are very subtle differences mechanically with the '39 and all other saws. Actually I think it's two but I'm having trouble tonight with fatigue so I'll have to think about it harder when I'm rested.
Does any of the above answer the question?
UOn Sat, 28 Feb 2004 14:04:47 -0500, "Norman D. Crow" brought forth from the murky depths:
Let's see, I think she'd approve. She's smilin'.
Original cost $90 (he wanted $100, I offered $80) Paint - $6.85 (alkyd machinery paint, D&W color)
2 saw blades - $4.99ea (HFT 40t carbide, I drilled to 5/8 arbor) 220v twistlock socket & plug - $20 crosscut sled - $4.50 (1/4 sheet BB ply) outfeed table - $6 (1/3 sheet BB ply)Total so far: $137.33
I cleaned her up but (didn't strip her) and painted her, lubed the metal casters, greased her trunnion, put the new blade on, and had at her. She really liked having a blade--one with _all_ the teeth on it. If you recall, the one I took off had 5 missing and 9 chipped.
I also took the time to cut and paint some 1/4" ply to enclose her for dust collection when I got the Griz G1029, so now she's air-conditioned. I'm glad I did. She still spits a bit off the top, but 93% of the dust is handled.I suppose I could add a smaller hose on top. Maybe this summer. I need to get some of those 0.3u bags, though. (Do I install one fine top bag and put a plastic sack in the bottom 30u bag? Who has done the superfine upgrade?)
She still has the built-in vibrator (she won't even pass the prone-nickel test as she comes up to speed). I haven't spent the time to determine if it's a bent motor shaft (99% probability) or bent pulley (what a totally weirdass job THAT is--the motor stays put as the trunnion moves with the belt angling up more space on the 5" wide pulley face.) Since I cut @ 90° 95% of the time, it doesn't make too much difference. Ditto the broken hand-gear to make said angle adjustments.
I'll find some pics and put them online somewhere soon. Thanks for asking, Nahmie. She appreciates it. ;)
.-. Life is short. Eat dessert first! ---
Cool. I've been looking for someone to call Ç or Ñ for awhile now.
Where have all the bench saws gone? long time passing Where have all the bench saws gone? long time ago Where have all the bench saws gone? Gone to crapsman every one.... when will they ever learn when will they ever learn
Where have all the crapsman gone? long time passing Where have all the crapsman gone? long time ago Where have all the crapsman gone? Gone to contractors every one when will they ever learn when will they ever learn
Where have all the contractors gone? long time passing Where have all the contractors gone? long time ago Where have all the contractors gone? Gone to unisaws every one when will they ever learn when will they ever learn
Where have all the unisaws gone? Long time passing. Where have all the unisaws gone? long time ago. Where have all the unisaws gone? Picked by restorers every one, when will they ever learn when will they ever learn.
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