My New Saw

[MBG]

I had just gone through doing my own home remodel depression (tear-down, rough construction, cabinets, flooring, drywall...you get it). I didn't want to think about the hobby I once loved so I sold my 4-year old Delta X5 Unisaw with a nice router table in the wing thinking I would survive with my track saw system alone. A few months passed and I missed a TS. Now I was depressed that I sold the Uni. Then I found a NIB Craftsman 21829 and really liked it. It complemented my elaborate track saw system perfectly. But, on Black Friday while watching TV and paging the ads on CL I mistakenly touched my iPad screen on an ad that simply said Table Saw $150 OBO. I was ready to hit the back button when this vintage 1950's Unisaw appeared:





After spending quite a few hours on it and sucking all the info I could at OWWM:






This was one of the most enjoyable projects I have ever tackled. I think it's even given me back the excitement to do some more woodworking!


Stealth gloat - while I was in my flatwork funk I tried turning on a Delta 46-460 and loved turning bowls. I quickly outgrew the midi and bought this:




No more excuses to stay out of my woodworking haven - my garage.


Mike (thanks for reading)

[LCHIEN]

good for you! Looking great!

[SHADOWFOX]

Nicely done, Mike! That saw turned out real nice.

That lathe is beautiful!

Regards,

[lombard]

Nice looking uni! Looks a lot like mine, only cleaner with fresh paint. I do need to restore mine at some point, but it just works so well as-is I hate to tear it apart.

One recommendation...I hated that fence (could never get it dialed in parallel to the miter slots and hold without any flex). Bought a Delta 36-T30 fence system for it. It bolted right on to the existing holes in the table (had to use some washers as spacers to get the angle iron supports away from the rough edges of the table). Super easy to install and adjust parallel to the miter slots and blade. I kinda miss the easy dial-a-knob fine adjustments for setting distance from the blade, but other than that, it's rock solid.

[capncarl]

Here is a ton more woodworking equipment for you to rebuild. Price for all seems reasonable. It would take a big truck to get it home though.
http://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/tls/4260509146.html
capncarl

[atgcpaul]

Very nice, Mike.

A couple years ago, I made a social faux pas on one of my early (and only) posts on OWWM that it seemed a shame to restore these old items like new and then paint them to their original state rather than adding some flare to the paint job. Needless to say, that thread got a little heated which wasn't my intent at all.

Anyway, very good job again. I have an old RAS I wan to rehab but I'm scared to try to pry open the motor housing. Wood, I'm good. Metal, maybe not mettle.

[JR]

A $150 Unisaw?! Awesome deal. It's looking really nice after your refurb.

I'm glad to read that you're out of your "funk".

[MBG]

A $150 Unisaw?! Awesome deal. It's looking really nice after your refurb.

I'm glad to read that you're out of your "funk".

Thanks - my kitchen remodel took 2-years doing it all by myself and I worked on it almost every free moment. I enjoyed making all the cabinets and it came out fantastic. The rough construction and tear down took WAY longer than I anticipated. I have seen several others lose interest after long kitchen re-models. If I were to have the chance again I would build the cabinets and have help on everything else. Even though I've had woodworking as a hobby for many years I learned so much when I had to make some 50 some raised panels - especially organization and efficiency.

(Maybe my original post came out like I was in deep depression. It wasn't that bad. I was contemplating having a table-saw-less for a while. I used my track saw system for about 90% of the cuts on the cabinets so that helped make the decision to sell my first Uni)

Mike

[dbhost]

Great restoration job!

[Pappy]

Buck Fifty for a Unisaw......

I can't believe there have been 8 responses and I'm the first to say...

YOU SUCK!

[greenacres2]

I don't know Pappy--for $150 with nothing done to it, i'd have agreed with "You Suck". Hands down, a score when it came home. Seeing it now, with cash out of pocket adding, at a minimum i'd guess, $200-$300 (especially if we count the Blade--but i'm not sure that counts as part of the rehab. Hope the referee has a rule book handy...). The labor, no way to measure, but i'd add a grand, maybe $1200.

So--we have a "brand new" piece of "old arn" at let's say $1,500 "invested". Let me think on this a minute....yeah, i'll go with Pappy...YOU SUCK!!

Beautiful work--i don't know if i'll ever be that patient, and i admire what you did.

earl

[MBG]

Thanks for the replies. I originally thought maybe I'll just put belts and arbor bearings on this thing and be done with it, but, it almost became an obsession. I found myself even cleaning pitch off washers and bolts. It was a great learning experience. I even tore the 85# motor apart and replaced the bearings and brushes. I even made my own motor start circuit throw out weight spring nicknamed "necklace." I could't believe it but I also cleaned up the commutator bars on that nice new mustard lathe. I also used the lathes digital speed display to make sure the spring allowed the weight to pop at the correct RPM.

Mike

[lrr]

Thanks - my remodel took 2-years doing it all by myself and I worked on it almost every free moment.
[...]

Mike

Ahhh, now I feel better. I was thinking you were some kind of super-human restorer. When you mentioned Black Friday, I though you meant LAST Black Friday! Doing a restore like that in less than 2 months would be an unbelievable accomplishment for one person!

By the way, you did a fantastic job. I am amazed at the new look, based on all the rust showing in the "before" picture. Part of me would be voting to do the original color like you did, and the other would have fought to take it to an auto body shop and have it done in Candy Apple Red.

[MBG]

Ahhh, now I feel better. I was thinking you were some kind of super-human restorer. When you mentioned Black Friday, I though you meant LAST Black Friday! Doing a restore like that in less than 2 months would be an unbelievable accomplishment for one person!

By the way, you did a fantastic job. I am amazed at the new look, based on all the rust showing in the "before" picture. Part of me would be voting to do the original color like you did, and the other would have fought to take it to an auto body shop and have it done in Candy Apple Red.

Ha - sorry my kitchen/house remodel took 2-years. The saw was purchased last November. I could do the next one in half the time.

Mike

[LinuxRandal]

Mike, you don't list motor size or whether your planning on using a full or thin kerf blade? Also, what do you prefer to do with the saw, over the track saw setup?