With work and family I have had very little time to work on my recent restoration project. It is a 1968 Delta unisaw with a 2hp 3 phase motor. As you may remember from the previous installment I had it torn apart and was working on cleaning the cabinet and trunnion assembly. I have completed the cleaning and have painted the trunnion, installed new arbor bearings and have it reassembled.
I finally got around to working on the cabinet. There were numerous holes that had been placed in the cabinet over the past 40 years so I decided to fill them. The smaller holes were filled by mig welding. The larger holes were filled by tacking a backing plate inside the cabinet, mig again, and then grinding the welds and filling with body filler. I have applied 2 coats of primer, with a light sanding between coats and have the first of 2 top coats applied. I have decided to go with the same color as the Walker Turner table saw I did earlier. Shown below are the cabinet and cast iron plinth the cabinet mounts to. The cast iron motor cover, goose egg, needs to be stripped yet and will be painted shortly.
For those that dont remember, Here is the saw as I found it..
-- My job is to give my kids things to discuss with their therapist....medic20447@gmail.com
10 comments so far
PurpLev
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2752 posts in 543 days
posted 111 days ago
nicely done… welding is so far beyond my abilities… nice to see it done , and done well.
curious – are you planning to keep the 2HP 3Phase motor? or replace it with something newer? 3HP 1Phase?
-- When in doubt - There is no doubt - Go the safer route.
Don K.
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1095 posts in 221 days
posted 111 days ago
Looks great Ken…can’t wait to see it all together.
-- Don S.E. OK
MedicKen
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468 posts in 357 days
posted 111 days ago
PurpLev…...I considered replacing the motor if the one on the saw wasnt any good. I replaced the bearing and purchased a variable frequency drive(VFD) to run the motor. The VFD will convert single phase power to 3 phase and was considerably cheaper than a single phase motor of equal or greater hp. I bench tested the original motor with the VFD and it runs great, so I am gonna keep it. FYI….the cost of bearings and the VFD was $150. A new motor is in the $400 range and will not fit in the opening with the motor cover on. I would have to modify the cabinet and I am not going there.
-- My job is to give my kids things to discuss with their therapist....medic20447@gmail.com
SCOTSMAN
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2244 posts in 480 days
posted 111 days ago
Man this is beautiful workmanship I am looking so forward to seeing this finished keep em coming pics I mean LOL. Alistair
-- excuse my typing as I have a form of parkinsons disease
marcb
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700 posts in 568 days
posted 111 days ago
Looks good, keep up the good works.
Once you go 3 phase you don’t want to go back, completely different world of power and smooth running bliss.
huff
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1616 posts in 180 days
posted 111 days ago
This is one of the best restoration projects I’ve seen. Great job so far, keep us posted.
-- John @ Myrtle Beach
Karson
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25801 posts in 1295 days
posted 111 days ago
Great restoration.
-- What happens in the workshop stays in the workshop. No wait that doesn't sound right. Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †
a1Jim
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16841 posts in 472 days
posted 111 days ago
WOw Ken
This will look just like new when done. Great work
-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon
ratchet
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301 posts in 682 days
posted 110 days ago
This is a worthy endeavor! The cabinet looks amazing and that color brings me back a few. Looking forward to your next installment.
Thx
Mark Shymanski
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1555 posts in 607 days
posted 110 days ago
Great restore blog!
I got a real kick out of your signature line LOL!
-- ...it's rennovation time!!!