# Tool gloat: UNISAW!



## ic3ss (Oct 19, 2010)

*Take it apart, clean it up, put parts on order*

Several years ago I bought my first table saw, a Delta shopmaster cheapo model. I think I paid $100 brand new at HD. I needed it to complete a wood molding job around the house. It worked for what I needed at the time, and afterwords, I actually avoided using it because it was such a POS. The throat plate is recessed about 1/16" below grade and stock always catches on it. Whatever, it was cheap and I got what I paid for I guess.










Well, now I'm finding myself getting serious about woodworking and I'm buying tools now to allow me to make furniture again. I picked up a used Jet 6" jointer a while back, and a new Delta 13" planer a week later. For big power tools, the only thing I was missing was a good table saw, so off to Craigslist again. I didn't think I needed a cabinet saw, and I thought the size and weight wouldn't work well for me working it the garage, so I was looking at hybrids and contractor saws. What I learned is that there's a big difference in these saws in the type of trunions and how they are mounted in the saw. I really only want to buy one table saw in the next 20 years, I don't like the idea of buying one that's good enough for now but I'll have to replace in a few years. I'd rather pay the money for what I'm sure I'm going to need later now, so I don't have to deal with losing money on an intermediate deal. The one saw that I came back to time and again was the Unisaw. The big thing that sold me on the Unisaw was how old the model was, the availability of parts, how little the model has changed until recently, and the availability of old saws on the secondary market. There's lots of them to be found on the web.










I found this one in Tacoma, WA, and I had to borrow a friend's SUV to bring it back to Salem, OR. It wasn't fun paying $95 to fill the tank after the trip. The seller said it had a 3HP motor, I wanted a 3HP motor, but as it turned out this one had a 1.5HP motor so I talked him down from $450 to $400. I got this thing home last weekend and yesterday I finally had the time to start tearing it apart.


















Someone had replaced the broken start switch with a 20amp light switch. I put a new start switch on order from Grizzly. Then I took the arbor apart and found the bearings are trashed. I found someone on eBay selling a pair of bearings for $22. Normally I've only seen them at that price each, so that's a deal. The saw came with a home made T-square fence and I think if I add some polyethylene wear pads, it should work pretty well, so I need to pick up some of that.

I took off the table extensions and wire brushed everything, then waxed all bare surfaces. So now I'm on hold waiting for parts. More to come. . . .


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## Beginningwoodworker (May 5, 2008)

ic3ss said:


> *Take it apart, clean it up, put parts on order*
> 
> Several years ago I bought my first table saw, a Delta shopmaster cheapo model. I think I paid $100 brand new at HD. I needed it to complete a wood molding job around the house. It worked for what I needed at the time, and afterwords, I actually avoided using it because it was such a POS. The throat plate is recessed about 1/16" below grade and stock always catches on it. Whatever, it was cheap and I got what I paid for I guess.
> 
> ...


Congrats, you got a nice find.


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## D1st (Jan 28, 2010)

ic3ss said:


> *Take it apart, clean it up, put parts on order*
> 
> Several years ago I bought my first table saw, a Delta shopmaster cheapo model. I think I paid $100 brand new at HD. I needed it to complete a wood molding job around the house. It worked for what I needed at the time, and afterwords, I actually avoided using it because it was such a POS. The throat plate is recessed about 1/16" below grade and stock always catches on it. Whatever, it was cheap and I got what I paid for I guess.
> 
> ...


congrats on your purchase. I hope it works good for you.


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## bigike (May 25, 2009)

ic3ss said:


> *Take it apart, clean it up, put parts on order*
> 
> Several years ago I bought my first table saw, a Delta shopmaster cheapo model. I think I paid $100 brand new at HD. I needed it to complete a wood molding job around the house. It worked for what I needed at the time, and afterwords, I actually avoided using it because it was such a POS. The throat plate is recessed about 1/16" below grade and stock always catches on it. Whatever, it was cheap and I got what I paid for I guess.
> 
> ...


the best saw on tha planet that thing will run forever.


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## RKW (Dec 17, 2008)

ic3ss said:


> *Take it apart, clean it up, put parts on order*
> 
> Several years ago I bought my first table saw, a Delta shopmaster cheapo model. I think I paid $100 brand new at HD. I needed it to complete a wood molding job around the house. It worked for what I needed at the time, and afterwords, I actually avoided using it because it was such a POS. The throat plate is recessed about 1/16" below grade and stock always catches on it. Whatever, it was cheap and I got what I paid for I guess.
> 
> ...


congrats


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## ic3ss (Oct 19, 2010)

ic3ss said:


> *Take it apart, clean it up, put parts on order*
> 
> Several years ago I bought my first table saw, a Delta shopmaster cheapo model. I think I paid $100 brand new at HD. I needed it to complete a wood molding job around the house. It worked for what I needed at the time, and afterwords, I actually avoided using it because it was such a POS. The throat plate is recessed about 1/16" below grade and stock always catches on it. Whatever, it was cheap and I got what I paid for I guess.
> 
> ...


I put the arbor together yesterday: no spare parts yet.


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## ic3ss (Oct 19, 2010)

*Parts arrive early.*

So I had a new power switch on order from Grizzly, and it came in yesterday so I was able to mount it on the original box, but I have to stop there with it because the box mounts to the table and the table is off the saw for now. I basically have to re-do all the electrical on this saw. A previous owner replaced a broken switch with a 20 amp light switch. It worked, but it just didn't sit well with me. The wire insulation was starting to get brittle at the motor, and it had an old style 20 amp plug on the end, the kind with the two horizontal spades. There's no way I was about to re-use that so I tossed it all. I was at Lowes yesterday pricing cable and stuff, and I decided I want a 20ft long cord to allow my Uni to sit about anywhere in the garage. I also have an electrician friend coming over this Sunday to help me put in a new 30amp breaker and run conductors to a new 220vac plug we'll put in the wall above my bench, conveniently right next to the panel. This little operation I estimate will cost about $100 including buying the 20ft long 10/3 cable I need to run to the saw switch. I also need a few feet to run from the switch to the motor.










So the switch sits on the bench until Sunday.

Today however, my new arbor bearings came in a day early. I had all the parts laid out on the bench, so I put the arbor shaft in the freezer, then put the first bearing on after it was good and frozen. Not sure if the temp treatment really helped at all, I still had to use my bearing puller to get it back on. Oh well, it was worth a shot. I looked at the arobr when I cut the old v-belts off and it seemed to turn fine with a little grinding noise, but it felt smooth. I'm really glad I decided to change them because when I got the old ones out last week they felt terrible turning them in my hand. They were noisy and very rough. Now the new bearings are on, it just turns so smooth and quiet now. With the arbor back together, and sitting on the elevation shaft, I turned my attention to the drive belts. After reading much about the segmented link belts I decided they were worth a try. I must say, they are spendy, and for a Unisaw I needed 75 inches worth.










Now I've read a lot of stuff out there where people swear up and down that you can't use these belts in a multi-belt configuration. In all the places I've read this, not one person has been able to give a reasonable explanation of why not. So far I'm only hearing people say "Well that's just what I've heard". It doesn't make any sense to me, the belts don't touch anything but the pulleys, they don't touch each other. I say BS!!

Anyway, enough of my rant. I counted the length and I needed 35 links on each belt and that will make the motor sit right in the middle of it's movement range. After it runs for a while, I'll check it again, adjust the motor or maybe remove a link from each belt if needed.










Well, that's all I had time for today. I start my work week tomorrow so nothing else until Sunday.


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## HokieMojo (Mar 11, 2008)

ic3ss said:


> *Parts arrive early.*
> 
> So I had a new power switch on order from Grizzly, and it came in yesterday so I was able to mount it on the original box, but I have to stop there with it because the box mounts to the table and the table is off the saw for now. I basically have to re-do all the electrical on this saw. A previous owner replaced a broken switch with a 20 amp light switch. It worked, but it just didn't sit well with me. The wire insulation was starting to get brittle at the motor, and it had an old style 20 amp plug on the end, the kind with the two horizontal spades. There's no way I was about to re-use that so I tossed it all. I was at Lowes yesterday pricing cable and stuff, and I decided I want a 20ft long cord to allow my Uni to sit about anywhere in the garage. I also have an electrician friend coming over this Sunday to help me put in a new 30amp breaker and run conductors to a new 220vac plug we'll put in the wall above my bench, conveniently right next to the panel. This little operation I estimate will cost about $100 including buying the 20ft long 10/3 cable I need to run to the saw switch. I also need a few feet to run from the switch to the motor.
> 
> ...


The only reason I could think of that you wouldn't ant to use these (since you said they don't touch), would be if you ended up with each belt taking an uneven amount of tension because each belt isn't the exact same size. I don't know if that is true, it's just a guess as to a "potential" problem.

I'm enjoying this blog a lot. I hope you keep gong with it. I can't contribute any knowledge, but I'm enjoying the learning process. I hope to pick up an old unisaw someday myself.


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## Beginningwoodworker (May 5, 2008)

ic3ss said:


> *Parts arrive early.*
> 
> So I had a new power switch on order from Grizzly, and it came in yesterday so I was able to mount it on the original box, but I have to stop there with it because the box mounts to the table and the table is off the saw for now. I basically have to re-do all the electrical on this saw. A previous owner replaced a broken switch with a 20 amp light switch. It worked, but it just didn't sit well with me. The wire insulation was starting to get brittle at the motor, and it had an old style 20 amp plug on the end, the kind with the two horizontal spades. There's no way I was about to re-use that so I tossed it all. I was at Lowes yesterday pricing cable and stuff, and I decided I want a 20ft long cord to allow my Uni to sit about anywhere in the garage. I also have an electrician friend coming over this Sunday to help me put in a new 30amp breaker and run conductors to a new 220vac plug we'll put in the wall above my bench, conveniently right next to the panel. This little operation I estimate will cost about $100 including buying the 20ft long 10/3 cable I need to run to the saw switch. I also need a few feet to run from the switch to the motor.
> 
> ...


Why did you did not use the Regular Delta Black Belts. Other than that it will be a great Unisaw.


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## ic3ss (Oct 19, 2010)

ic3ss said:


> *Parts arrive early.*
> 
> So I had a new power switch on order from Grizzly, and it came in yesterday so I was able to mount it on the original box, but I have to stop there with it because the box mounts to the table and the table is off the saw for now. I basically have to re-do all the electrical on this saw. A previous owner replaced a broken switch with a 20 amp light switch. It worked, but it just didn't sit well with me. The wire insulation was starting to get brittle at the motor, and it had an old style 20 amp plug on the end, the kind with the two horizontal spades. There's no way I was about to re-use that so I tossed it all. I was at Lowes yesterday pricing cable and stuff, and I decided I want a 20ft long cord to allow my Uni to sit about anywhere in the garage. I also have an electrician friend coming over this Sunday to help me put in a new 30amp breaker and run conductors to a new 220vac plug we'll put in the wall above my bench, conveniently right next to the panel. This little operation I estimate will cost about $100 including buying the 20ft long 10/3 cable I need to run to the saw switch. I also need a few feet to run from the switch to the motor.
> 
> ...


The belts I took off were branded Delta, but were old and cracking. I just cut them off and noticed they were firmly formed to the shape of the pulleys. I did some reading about replacement belts, that's how I came across these. It just seemed like a good idea to go with the linked belts as they say that they don't take a set from the pulleys. I found after taking the belts out of packaging that they did in fact have a memory. In my #1 post in this blog, the belts are shown on my bench and you can see the bends are firmly formed. However, after linking the belts to length and the ends together, I turned the belt inside-out so the narrow face is on the inside, and it was now almost a perfect circle of 25 inches in circumfrence. The idea behind these belts is that they don't take a set, and that prevents the belt from "slapping" the pulleys as it goes around, thus reducing vibration.

That's the idea, I'll let you know how it goes. But first I need to get my saw running.


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## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

ic3ss said:


> *Parts arrive early.*
> 
> So I had a new power switch on order from Grizzly, and it came in yesterday so I was able to mount it on the original box, but I have to stop there with it because the box mounts to the table and the table is off the saw for now. I basically have to re-do all the electrical on this saw. A previous owner replaced a broken switch with a 20 amp light switch. It worked, but it just didn't sit well with me. The wire insulation was starting to get brittle at the motor, and it had an old style 20 amp plug on the end, the kind with the two horizontal spades. There's no way I was about to re-use that so I tossed it all. I was at Lowes yesterday pricing cable and stuff, and I decided I want a 20ft long cord to allow my Uni to sit about anywhere in the garage. I also have an electrician friend coming over this Sunday to help me put in a new 30amp breaker and run conductors to a new 220vac plug we'll put in the wall above my bench, conveniently right next to the panel. This little operation I estimate will cost about $100 including buying the 20ft long 10/3 cable I need to run to the saw switch. I also need a few feet to run from the switch to the motor.
> 
> ...


I was confused at first by the multi-belt but now I see each has its own ring on the pulley. I can't think of any good reason why it wouldn't work just fine, assuming all the belts are exactly the same length (which you've confirmed already). I'm really pumped about this restore.


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## Grandpa (Jan 28, 2011)

ic3ss said:


> *Parts arrive early.*
> 
> So I had a new power switch on order from Grizzly, and it came in yesterday so I was able to mount it on the original box, but I have to stop there with it because the box mounts to the table and the table is off the saw for now. I basically have to re-do all the electrical on this saw. A previous owner replaced a broken switch with a 20 amp light switch. It worked, but it just didn't sit well with me. The wire insulation was starting to get brittle at the motor, and it had an old style 20 amp plug on the end, the kind with the two horizontal spades. There's no way I was about to re-use that so I tossed it all. I was at Lowes yesterday pricing cable and stuff, and I decided I want a 20ft long cord to allow my Uni to sit about anywhere in the garage. I also have an electrician friend coming over this Sunday to help me put in a new 30amp breaker and run conductors to a new 220vac plug we'll put in the wall above my bench, conveniently right next to the panel. This little operation I estimate will cost about $100 including buying the 20ft long 10/3 cable I need to run to the saw switch. I also need a few feet to run from the switch to the motor.
> 
> ...


When you have a double sheave and use 2 belts (or 3 or more) they always recommend buying belts in matched sets. They are bought in matched sets of 2 or matched sets of 3 etc. They are supposed to be the same length etc. I have watched them run and one usually looks slack but this is what they taught us in the USAF. Always replace both belts and use matched sets. They cost more too. Can you reuse your link belts on another tool and get a matched set for this saw?


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## ic3ss (Oct 19, 2010)

ic3ss said:


> *Parts arrive early.*
> 
> So I had a new power switch on order from Grizzly, and it came in yesterday so I was able to mount it on the original box, but I have to stop there with it because the box mounts to the table and the table is off the saw for now. I basically have to re-do all the electrical on this saw. A previous owner replaced a broken switch with a 20 amp light switch. It worked, but it just didn't sit well with me. The wire insulation was starting to get brittle at the motor, and it had an old style 20 amp plug on the end, the kind with the two horizontal spades. There's no way I was about to re-use that so I tossed it all. I was at Lowes yesterday pricing cable and stuff, and I decided I want a 20ft long cord to allow my Uni to sit about anywhere in the garage. I also have an electrician friend coming over this Sunday to help me put in a new 30amp breaker and run conductors to a new 220vac plug we'll put in the wall above my bench, conveniently right next to the panel. This little operation I estimate will cost about $100 including buying the 20ft long 10/3 cable I need to run to the saw switch. I also need a few feet to run from the switch to the motor.
> 
> ...


Grandpa-
I know about matching the belts, I've seen exactly what you're talking about one belt carrying the load while another is slack. This seems pretty uniform. I tightened the motor last night and all three belts feel pretty much the same tension. Close enough that I can't tell the difference with my hand anyway. I guess in theory one could have an issue with this link belt if there is varying dimension in the links, multiply the error 35 times and I suppose you could end up with wildly different sizes, but that doesn't seem to be the case here.

At the risk of sounding like a commercial, I think I forgot to mention this product by name, its Power Link Twist Belt made by Fenner Drives.


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## AmandasHusband (Jan 10, 2011)

ic3ss said:


> *Parts arrive early.*
> 
> So I had a new power switch on order from Grizzly, and it came in yesterday so I was able to mount it on the original box, but I have to stop there with it because the box mounts to the table and the table is off the saw for now. I basically have to re-do all the electrical on this saw. A previous owner replaced a broken switch with a 20 amp light switch. It worked, but it just didn't sit well with me. The wire insulation was starting to get brittle at the motor, and it had an old style 20 amp plug on the end, the kind with the two horizontal spades. There's no way I was about to re-use that so I tossed it all. I was at Lowes yesterday pricing cable and stuff, and I decided I want a 20ft long cord to allow my Uni to sit about anywhere in the garage. I also have an electrician friend coming over this Sunday to help me put in a new 30amp breaker and run conductors to a new 220vac plug we'll put in the wall above my bench, conveniently right next to the panel. This little operation I estimate will cost about $100 including buying the 20ft long 10/3 cable I need to run to the saw switch. I also need a few feet to run from the switch to the motor.
> 
> ...


I just bought a Grizzly 1023SL from a guy on craigslist. The saw had been sitting for a while and the belts are stiff to the position it sat in. So I'm going to have to replace them.

I thought about going the link belt route, but didn't know if there is a benefit considering vibration is non existant anyway.

I did a little research about replacing them with a link belt and all I really found was:
- You need all three to be the same length
- Link belts reduce vibration
- Link belts won't last as long as other belts.

I don't kow.

I'll be keeping an eye on this series. This saw is a beaut! Thanks for posting all of this.


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## ic3ss (Oct 19, 2010)

ic3ss said:


> *Parts arrive early.*
> 
> So I had a new power switch on order from Grizzly, and it came in yesterday so I was able to mount it on the original box, but I have to stop there with it because the box mounts to the table and the table is off the saw for now. I basically have to re-do all the electrical on this saw. A previous owner replaced a broken switch with a 20 amp light switch. It worked, but it just didn't sit well with me. The wire insulation was starting to get brittle at the motor, and it had an old style 20 amp plug on the end, the kind with the two horizontal spades. There's no way I was about to re-use that so I tossed it all. I was at Lowes yesterday pricing cable and stuff, and I decided I want a 20ft long cord to allow my Uni to sit about anywhere in the garage. I also have an electrician friend coming over this Sunday to help me put in a new 30amp breaker and run conductors to a new 220vac plug we'll put in the wall above my bench, conveniently right next to the panel. This little operation I estimate will cost about $100 including buying the 20ft long 10/3 cable I need to run to the saw switch. I also need a few feet to run from the switch to the motor.
> 
> ...


I haven't heard that link belts don't last as long as other belts. The only thing about belt life is that it's the opposite. One guy said they outlasted his solid v-belts. I dunno.

I would say that if vibration is not an issue with your saw, there's probably no big reason to spend the extra money on link belts.


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## ic3ss (Oct 19, 2010)

*I have the POWER!!!*

Yesterday I had my electrician buddy over for dinner and plied him with beer and BBQ steak so I could get the lowdown on the right way to get 220v to my table saw. I made a late run yesterday to home depot and bought 30ft of 12/2 SJ cable, a 20amp breaker, cable plug, 20amp socket, a box, and 15ft of 12/2 romex. This morning, I found that the plug and the socket that the HD "expert" gave me yesterday were of differing types. The plug was 20amp 220v and the socket was 20amp 110v. So off to HD again this morning and I upgraded both plug and socket to the larger round spade locking type. When I got home I quickly found that the cover plate that I had for the first socket didn't fit the new larger upgraded socket. I also needed a pipe nipple and locking rings to mount the switch to the saw, so off I go again. Projects are fun to work on, but this is the sucky part if your not well organized.










So I am really lucky in that the ideal place for my new 220v outlet is going to be a few inches below the power panel, so this means I don't have to fish cable behind drywall, I don't have to drill holes in studs, so it's much easier.










I cut a hole in the drywall for the box, ran one end of the romex down an existing hole in the panel and right out of the box hole. I seated the box and screwed it down, stripped back the romex and connected then mounted the new socket.










I cut the romex to length to where the new breaker will go, then connected the wires to the ground bus and the breakers, then seated the breaker in the panel.



















Now it was time to install cable and switch assembly in the saw. The switch box is mounted to the saw by a 3 inch length of pipe that screws in to a threaded hole in the bottom of the cast iron top. I screwed the pipe in to the top then mounted the box to the pipe.










I pulled out the old cable all together, the insulation was cracking on both ends and I just didn't want to use it. I wired in my new cable to the motor and had to make a few adjustments to the switch in the box before I got it to where I was comfortable with it. Then it was time to test it out, fire up the saw for the first time since I bought it.










In the many reviews on the old unisaws and all the forum posts, I've heard about the motor bang wen it starts up. This saw doesn't do that at all. It seems to start fairly quietly. In my last forum post, I talk about these Power Twist Link Belts that I decided to try out. The reviews saw that they are supposed to take out much of the vibration, and some people have said that they run quieter than the standard v-belts. When my saw runs with the top off and no blade mounted, I can hear the belts, it almost sounds like a fan running at high speed. Not quite what I expected, but not anything that's annoying either. After letting it run for a couple of minutes, I shut it down and I noticed the belts were warm and seemed a little more slack than they were, so I loosened the motor and adjusted belt tension again. Started and ran again, seems to run fine.

NOTE: The only thing I found that's not quite right with the belts is that with the top on and the blade elevation all the way up, the link belts sit a bit higher in the pulley and it actually hits the cast iron top so the outside surface of the belts would rub the top if you started it up with the arbor all the way up. I will have to make a conscious effort to check this before starting the motor whenever I'm cutting thick stock.

So at this point I put the top on and bolted the extensions on, paying close attention to leveling the seams. With the full width top on and bolted down with a blade installed and the throat plate in, this thing is a little quieter than it was with the top off, but it's way quieter than my old Delta Shopmaster TS200LS. Which isn't saying much, cause that thing's a POS. The Unisaw just hums along.










When I was setting up for this last test, I realized I put the saw blade on backwards only after I took the picture, before I actually turned the thing on.

My fence needs some attention, so I'll work on cleaning that up tomorrow, and I need to order some glide pads so it's not so hard to move the thing around. Also, my mobile base comes in on Thursday, so with that on it will be pretty easy to work with it.


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## Beginningwoodworker (May 5, 2008)

ic3ss said:


> *I have the POWER!!!*
> 
> Yesterday I had my electrician buddy over for dinner and plied him with beer and BBQ steak so I could get the lowdown on the right way to get 220v to my table saw. I made a late run yesterday to home depot and bought 30ft of 12/2 SJ cable, a 20amp breaker, cable plug, 20amp socket, a box, and 15ft of 12/2 romex. This morning, I found that the plug and the socket that the HD "expert" gave me yesterday were of differing types. The plug was 20amp 220v and the socket was 20amp 110v. So off to HD again this morning and I upgraded both plug and socket to the larger round spade locking type. When I got home I quickly found that the cover plate that I had for the first socket didn't fit the new larger upgraded socket. I also needed a pipe nipple and locking rings to mount the switch to the saw, so off I go again. Projects are fun to work on, but this is the sucky part if your not well organized.
> 
> ...


The Unisaw looks good!


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## WayneC (Mar 8, 2007)

ic3ss said:


> *I have the POWER!!!*
> 
> Yesterday I had my electrician buddy over for dinner and plied him with beer and BBQ steak so I could get the lowdown on the right way to get 220v to my table saw. I made a late run yesterday to home depot and bought 30ft of 12/2 SJ cable, a 20amp breaker, cable plug, 20amp socket, a box, and 15ft of 12/2 romex. This morning, I found that the plug and the socket that the HD "expert" gave me yesterday were of differing types. The plug was 20amp 220v and the socket was 20amp 110v. So off to HD again this morning and I upgraded both plug and socket to the larger round spade locking type. When I got home I quickly found that the cover plate that I had for the first socket didn't fit the new larger upgraded socket. I also needed a pipe nipple and locking rings to mount the switch to the saw, so off I go again. Projects are fun to work on, but this is the sucky part if your not well organized.
> 
> ...


Going to be sweet when you get it done. I added a sub-panel to my garage so I could add other outlets and lights. Something to consider in the future (e.g. if you add dust collection).


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## Grandpa (Jan 28, 2011)

ic3ss said:


> *I have the POWER!!!*
> 
> Yesterday I had my electrician buddy over for dinner and plied him with beer and BBQ steak so I could get the lowdown on the right way to get 220v to my table saw. I made a late run yesterday to home depot and bought 30ft of 12/2 SJ cable, a 20amp breaker, cable plug, 20amp socket, a box, and 15ft of 12/2 romex. This morning, I found that the plug and the socket that the HD "expert" gave me yesterday were of differing types. The plug was 20amp 220v and the socket was 20amp 110v. So off to HD again this morning and I upgraded both plug and socket to the larger round spade locking type. When I got home I quickly found that the cover plate that I had for the first socket didn't fit the new larger upgraded socket. I also needed a pipe nipple and locking rings to mount the switch to the saw, so off I go again. Projects are fun to work on, but this is the sucky part if your not well organized.
> 
> ...


Did you use a romex with 2 insulated conductors or were there 3 insulated condutors. there should be 3 wires with insulation.


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## ic3ss (Oct 19, 2010)

ic3ss said:


> *I have the POWER!!!*
> 
> Yesterday I had my electrician buddy over for dinner and plied him with beer and BBQ steak so I could get the lowdown on the right way to get 220v to my table saw. I made a late run yesterday to home depot and bought 30ft of 12/2 SJ cable, a 20amp breaker, cable plug, 20amp socket, a box, and 15ft of 12/2 romex. This morning, I found that the plug and the socket that the HD "expert" gave me yesterday were of differing types. The plug was 20amp 220v and the socket was 20amp 110v. So off to HD again this morning and I upgraded both plug and socket to the larger round spade locking type. When I got home I quickly found that the cover plate that I had for the first socket didn't fit the new larger upgraded socket. I also needed a pipe nipple and locking rings to mount the switch to the saw, so off I go again. Projects are fun to work on, but this is the sucky part if your not well organized.
> 
> ...


Grandpa-

A cable with three insulated conductors + a bare ground wire are for a system that uses 220v and 110v.

In a three conductor configuration, there would be a red wire which would be the second 110v phase. You would put black tape on the ends of this red wire to denote that it's the second 110v phase. The white wire would be the neutral.

Black = hot. 
Red with black tape = hot. 
White = neutral. 
Bare wire = ground.

In a two conductor configuration using romex, you take the white wire that would be the neutral if the system were using 110v, and you put black tape on the ends of the wire's insulation. I used a sharpie marker to denote that the white wire is not neutral and is instead the second phase of 110v. So I end up with two blacks (hot) and a bare ground wire.

Black = hot. 
White with black tape = hot. 
Bare wire = ground.

Black to white (neutral) = 110v. Black to black (red or white with black tape) = 220v. My unisaw does not need 110v so there's not need for the third conductor.


----------



## AmandasHusband (Jan 10, 2011)

ic3ss said:


> *I have the POWER!!!*
> 
> Yesterday I had my electrician buddy over for dinner and plied him with beer and BBQ steak so I could get the lowdown on the right way to get 220v to my table saw. I made a late run yesterday to home depot and bought 30ft of 12/2 SJ cable, a 20amp breaker, cable plug, 20amp socket, a box, and 15ft of 12/2 romex. This morning, I found that the plug and the socket that the HD "expert" gave me yesterday were of differing types. The plug was 20amp 220v and the socket was 20amp 110v. So off to HD again this morning and I upgraded both plug and socket to the larger round spade locking type. When I got home I quickly found that the cover plate that I had for the first socket didn't fit the new larger upgraded socket. I also needed a pipe nipple and locking rings to mount the switch to the saw, so off I go again. Projects are fun to work on, but this is the sucky part if your not well organized.
> 
> ...


The saw looks good.

I don't know if I missed it or not, but do you have the motor cover and dust door?

I just bought the new breaker and everything to run 220 for my new (to me) saw this weekend. I got the same 110 socket/outlet you did. So I'll be heading back to HD to exchange it. But I'm running ½" PVC conduit about 10 feet or so along my garage wall for the outlet.

I'm really enjoying this series though. Looking forward to your next entry.


----------



## HokieMojo (Mar 11, 2008)

ic3ss said:


> *I have the POWER!!!*
> 
> Yesterday I had my electrician buddy over for dinner and plied him with beer and BBQ steak so I could get the lowdown on the right way to get 220v to my table saw. I made a late run yesterday to home depot and bought 30ft of 12/2 SJ cable, a 20amp breaker, cable plug, 20amp socket, a box, and 15ft of 12/2 romex. This morning, I found that the plug and the socket that the HD "expert" gave me yesterday were of differing types. The plug was 20amp 220v and the socket was 20amp 110v. So off to HD again this morning and I upgraded both plug and socket to the larger round spade locking type. When I got home I quickly found that the cover plate that I had for the first socket didn't fit the new larger upgraded socket. I also needed a pipe nipple and locking rings to mount the switch to the saw, so off I go again. Projects are fun to work on, but this is the sucky part if your not well organized.
> 
> ...


and jealousy rears it's ugly head again (-:


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## ic3ss (Oct 19, 2010)

ic3ss said:


> *I have the POWER!!!*
> 
> Yesterday I had my electrician buddy over for dinner and plied him with beer and BBQ steak so I could get the lowdown on the right way to get 220v to my table saw. I made a late run yesterday to home depot and bought 30ft of 12/2 SJ cable, a 20amp breaker, cable plug, 20amp socket, a box, and 15ft of 12/2 romex. This morning, I found that the plug and the socket that the HD "expert" gave me yesterday were of differing types. The plug was 20amp 220v and the socket was 20amp 110v. So off to HD again this morning and I upgraded both plug and socket to the larger round spade locking type. When I got home I quickly found that the cover plate that I had for the first socket didn't fit the new larger upgraded socket. I also needed a pipe nipple and locking rings to mount the switch to the saw, so off I go again. Projects are fun to work on, but this is the sucky part if your not well organized.
> 
> ...


AmandasHusband -

I do have the motor cover and the front dust door, I just forgot to put them on when I took the pictures yesterday, I guess I was too excited to see it run.

One thing though, on my motor cover, it's the square sheet metal kind and it's mounted to the cabinet with long screw standoffs. Well the day I bought it, we tried to take it off and all of the eight screws that hold the thing on were stuck. The standoffs have a threaded hole on each end, and a corresponding screw through the sheet metal of the cabinet and the cover. We did manage to free up three on the outside and one on the inside of the cabinet, enough to remove the cover. Weird though, all of the threads look in good shape with no rust or anything I can see that would have caused this. It's not like they were just on tight, we worked to get them all the way out. The screws look like the original ones. Oh well, it'll be interesting putting it back on.

For your socket/outlet thing: It's nice to know it's not just me. :-]

I had thought of running a exterior conduit and making a power drop from the ceiling but decided against it. Maybe later.


----------



## Grandpa (Jan 28, 2011)

ic3ss said:


> *I have the POWER!!!*
> 
> Yesterday I had my electrician buddy over for dinner and plied him with beer and BBQ steak so I could get the lowdown on the right way to get 220v to my table saw. I made a late run yesterday to home depot and bought 30ft of 12/2 SJ cable, a 20amp breaker, cable plug, 20amp socket, a box, and 15ft of 12/2 romex. This morning, I found that the plug and the socket that the HD "expert" gave me yesterday were of differing types. The plug was 20amp 220v and the socket was 20amp 110v. So off to HD again this morning and I upgraded both plug and socket to the larger round spade locking type. When I got home I quickly found that the cover plate that I had for the first socket didn't fit the new larger upgraded socket. I also needed a pipe nipple and locking rings to mount the switch to the saw, so off I go again. Projects are fun to work on, but this is the sucky part if your not well organized.
> 
> ...


I am really confused now. Are you running a 2 wire 220V to this saw. Which do you have? 2 insulated wies and a bare ground or 3 insulated wires and a bare ground? The bare wire is a ground and never a neutral. normally we see a black with 110V, a red with 110V and a white neutral. later the bare earth ground has been added. i just know of a house down the road from my house that was wired using the bare earth ground as a conductor in a 3 way switch. It burned and I just don't like the smell of homes burning. The bare wire is a safety ground and not a conductor. If you can disconnect your bare wire and the saw will run then it isn't a conductor. If you touch the saw and ground it then you were using it as a conductor. I was just reading how you plied you electrician friend with beer and got concerned. You handle it your way.


----------



## ic3ss (Oct 19, 2010)

ic3ss said:


> *I have the POWER!!!*
> 
> Yesterday I had my electrician buddy over for dinner and plied him with beer and BBQ steak so I could get the lowdown on the right way to get 220v to my table saw. I made a late run yesterday to home depot and bought 30ft of 12/2 SJ cable, a 20amp breaker, cable plug, 20amp socket, a box, and 15ft of 12/2 romex. This morning, I found that the plug and the socket that the HD "expert" gave me yesterday were of differing types. The plug was 20amp 220v and the socket was 20amp 110v. So off to HD again this morning and I upgraded both plug and socket to the larger round spade locking type. When I got home I quickly found that the cover plate that I had for the first socket didn't fit the new larger upgraded socket. I also needed a pipe nipple and locking rings to mount the switch to the saw, so off I go again. Projects are fun to work on, but this is the sucky part if your not well organized.
> 
> ...


Grandpa-
Nowhere in my post did I say that I used the bare wire for a neutral. Please read again, I though I was clear enough.

I use 12/2 romex. This has a black, a white, and a bare wire. I can use this for 220v 20amp device if I use the white for the second 110v leg and tape or paint the ends of this white wire black. A white wire that's taped or painted black indicates that it is not being used for neutral and that it is in fact hot. I then use the bare wire to bond the motor and cabinet to ground.


----------



## Grandpa (Jan 28, 2011)

ic3ss said:


> *I have the POWER!!!*
> 
> Yesterday I had my electrician buddy over for dinner and plied him with beer and BBQ steak so I could get the lowdown on the right way to get 220v to my table saw. I made a late run yesterday to home depot and bought 30ft of 12/2 SJ cable, a 20amp breaker, cable plug, 20amp socket, a box, and 15ft of 12/2 romex. This morning, I found that the plug and the socket that the HD "expert" gave me yesterday were of differing types. The plug was 20amp 220v and the socket was 20amp 110v. So off to HD again this morning and I upgraded both plug and socket to the larger round spade locking type. When I got home I quickly found that the cover plate that I had for the first socket didn't fit the new larger upgraded socket. I also needed a pipe nipple and locking rings to mount the switch to the saw, so off I go again. Projects are fun to work on, but this is the sucky part if your not well organized.
> 
> ...


Hey! I doidn't mean to upset you. I just wanted you to understand that most people don't understand the difference in grounding or conducting. It seems that you have an understand so charge forward and good luck. 
The thing that caught my attention was plied. When I look up ply in the Webster's dictionary It says "to keep furnishing". That can be as bad as plying and driving.


----------



## ic3ss (Oct 19, 2010)

*Now I'm on the fence.*

The last couple of days I've been staring at the fence and all of it's parts sitting on the garage floor waiting for some attention. This is a home made T-square type fence. It looks like someone tried to make a Biesemeyer on the cheap. The steel looks to be put together ok, on the surface at least, but it has no glide pads so it's kind of hard to move it on the table. I decided that it will cost me about $40 in glide pads including shipping, and some elbow grease cleaning it up, so if I can end up with a good fence it will be worth it to try. I also have to get a new sacrificial face to mount to it. I'm thinking of using UHMW from Woodcraft http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2000897/2580/UHMW-Sheet-14-Thick.aspx for the fence face.










I put only one light coat on for today. The sun was out and I think it got up to about 60 degrees today, so it wasn't hot. I'll wait at least 'till tomorrow before putting on a second coat.










I used a razor blade, a wire brush and some 100 grit sandpaper to clean off all of the old adhesive and rust, then wiped it down and set it out in the sun so I could paint it. I have a can of appliance epoxy left over from when I restored a Stanley No.8 jointer plane several months ago. It's a nice and hard finish, and it's black.










With the fence curing it's first coat of appliance epoxy, I pulled out the miter gauge and cleaned up the bar a little, and waxed it. It was in pretty good shape so I didn't need to do much to it. Not sure how much I'll really use it, I don't have very good luck with miter gauges. It's the original Rockwell gauge so I guess I'll keep it.










In one of my replies on the last blog post, I talked about the motor cover and was complaining about how the screws didn't want to come out. Well, I took another look at them today and ran the screws through a die, and ran a tap down in the ends of the standoffs. They cleaned up really good. Three of the standoffs are still screwed into the cabinet but I just don't have the muscle to get the damn things out, so I just left them in and screwed the cover on. It tightened good, and comes off fine so I don't think there should be any issues with it. Except for the numbers someone wrote on the back of the cover with a permanent marker, it looks o.k.



















My weekend is over and I've got to go back to work tomorrow, so I should have the next post maybe on Sunday. My mobile base comes in on Thursday so that will make it easier to work on the saw as I'll be able to pull it out, spin it around, and put it back when I'm done. Thanks for looking.

- Wayne


----------



## Cosmicsniper (Oct 2, 2009)

ic3ss said:


> *Now I'm on the fence.*
> 
> The last couple of days I've been staring at the fence and all of it's parts sitting on the garage floor waiting for some attention. This is a home made T-square type fence. It looks like someone tried to make a Biesemeyer on the cheap. The steel looks to be put together ok, on the surface at least, but it has no glide pads so it's kind of hard to move it on the table. I decided that it will cost me about $40 in glide pads including shipping, and some elbow grease cleaning it up, so if I can end up with a good fence it will be worth it to try. I also have to get a new sacrificial face to mount to it. I'm thinking of using UHMW from Woodcraft http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2000897/2580/UHMW-Sheet-14-Thick.aspx for the fence face.
> 
> ...


Thanks for keeping us up-to-date on your progress, Wayne. There's not a saw made today that can compare to the quality of your vintage Unisaw.


----------



## Beginningwoodworker (May 5, 2008)

ic3ss said:


> *Now I'm on the fence.*
> 
> The last couple of days I've been staring at the fence and all of it's parts sitting on the garage floor waiting for some attention. This is a home made T-square type fence. It looks like someone tried to make a Biesemeyer on the cheap. The steel looks to be put together ok, on the surface at least, but it has no glide pads so it's kind of hard to move it on the table. I decided that it will cost me about $40 in glide pads including shipping, and some elbow grease cleaning it up, so if I can end up with a good fence it will be worth it to try. I also have to get a new sacrificial face to mount to it. I'm thinking of using UHMW from Woodcraft http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2000897/2580/UHMW-Sheet-14-Thick.aspx for the fence face.
> 
> ...


Thanks for keep us updated.


----------



## ic3ss (Oct 19, 2010)

*Mobile base, cable holder, and more fence work.*

My mobile base arrived last Thursday and I've been chomping at the bit to get my work week over so I could put it on the saw. Today it went together pretty easy with one exception: the directions have some problems. If you buy one of these, HTC3000 Heavy Duty base, it tells you that you need a 1/2, a 7/16 and some other wrenches all standard sizes. NOT!!!! This thing is metric through and through. It was a small annoyance but once I realized what was going on, it went together really easy.










I put together two halves of the base first, then I set the saw up on a couple of 2×4s and it left just enough room to slide the two halves under it and connect them with the remaining bars. The directions specify to measure the base of your tool and leave about 1" extra room to allow a wrench to go on the nut inside the base next to the tool.










When I took out the 2×4s and set the full weight on the wheels, I noticed the brackets for the casters flexed a little but not bad. With the two brakes off, I can push this thing around the garage with relative ease now.










I see most people have mobile bases with the two fixed wheels on the front and back of the left side, while the front and back of the right side get the swivel casters. This arrangement didn't work for me. I want to be able to push the saw up against a wall along the back of the saw for storage. Otherwise I'd have to do a bunch of twisting and turning to get the thing in there.

Although it was only about 50 degrees outside, today was the first sun we've had for a while so I took advantage of it and put a second coat of appliance epoxy on the fence. I also scrubbed down the rails with 100 grit sandpaper, then put a first coat on those. Tomorrow should be clear and a little warmer, so I should be able to get the fence painting done this weekend.










I was digging around one of the scrap metal bins at work yesterday and found these. I thought one of them would make a great cable holder to be mounted to the side of the saw.










I decided to go with the larger diameter one. I cut it in half, drilled a hole in the top of both halves and bolted them together. Then took off the motor cover and drilled and bolted the hanger to the cover. Not bad I think.



















. . . and the finished product:










So the saw is pretty much done except the fence. I still need to complete the paint job, then mount the glide pads on the front and with it sitting on the rails, I have to get an elevation above the back rail so I can make a foot so the back of the fence will ride on the rail. With the fence able to sit and move on the table, I'll then mount the fence faces. Thanks again for reading, I hope someone can glean some useful info from all of this.

- Wayne


----------



## Ken90712 (Sep 2, 2009)

ic3ss said:


> *Mobile base, cable holder, and more fence work.*
> 
> My mobile base arrived last Thursday and I've been chomping at the bit to get my work week over so I could put it on the saw. Today it went together pretty easy with one exception: the directions have some problems. If you buy one of these, HTC3000 Heavy Duty base, it tells you that you need a 1/2, a 7/16 and some other wrenches all standard sizes. NOT!!!! This thing is metric through and through. It was a small annoyance but once I realized what was going on, it went together really easy.
> 
> ...


Looking good, Nice!


----------



## Beginningwoodworker (May 5, 2008)

ic3ss said:


> *Mobile base, cable holder, and more fence work.*
> 
> My mobile base arrived last Thursday and I've been chomping at the bit to get my work week over so I could put it on the saw. Today it went together pretty easy with one exception: the directions have some problems. If you buy one of these, HTC3000 Heavy Duty base, it tells you that you need a 1/2, a 7/16 and some other wrenches all standard sizes. NOT!!!! This thing is metric through and through. It was a small annoyance but once I realized what was going on, it went together really easy.
> 
> ...


I like the way you got it on a mobile base.


----------



## ic3ss (Oct 19, 2010)

*Mending fences*

Over the last few blog entries, I've included pictures of my fence and rails sitting outside drying fresh coat of black paint. This fence that came with the saw is someone's shop build of a T-Square fence. It was in rough shape on the surface, but looks like it's in pretty good shape and could benefit from a couple of tune-up items. The angle iron rides directly on the guide tube, metal on metal, lacking the smooth movement that something like a Biesemeyer fence has. See, the Biesemeyer has these plastic pads mounted under the angle iron in four points allowing a low friction movement. Today my Biesemeyer glide pads arrived early, so I was able to mount the four pads. Each glide pad is made with two posts sticking out the back face, to go into holes in the metal and that's how it's mounted.










My task is to drill two holes per glide pad, using a #15 drill bit. I had to make a quick run to the hardware store to get the bit. For those of you who don't have a numbered drill bit set, the #15 bit is 0.180" or 4.572 mm and the size of the glide pad post is 0.186". You could get by with using an 11/64" bit and ream it out a bit, but I only payed $1 for the correct bit. The plastic post is just oversized enough to provide a tight fit.



















The glide pad posts are spaced at EXACTLY 1" apart. Out of eight holes I drilled, I ended up with one that was spaced slightly too far from it's mate and I had to ream it with a small round file. All of these pads were hard to get in. I had to cover the pad with paper to protect the pad, then use channel lock pliers to seat the posts. I was very careful to have the jaws directly over the post to avoid deforming the pad.



















I got the two that bear the weight of the fence mounted, and the one I had to ream the hole on ended up being crooked. Oh well. Now for the inside pads.

I had already drilled and mounted the two pads for the inside surface, so now I tap the hole for the set screws that will allow me to adjust the fence parallel to the saw blade.



















I also mounted the front rail to the table, and I got to use my new drill press to drill the holes. The rail is long enough to support an old extension table that I didn't want when I bought the saw, so I mounted the rail further to the left shortening the overhang on the right side and allowing fence usage on the left side of the blade. Tomorrow, I'll mount the back rail and front guide tube. Then I have to work out a pending snag. The fence used to be operated without the plastic glide pads, now that I've added them to the side of the clamping surface, the pads take up space, and now the fence barely fits down on the guide tube only with the alignment adjusting set screws backed all the way out. I'm not sure exactly how I'm going to accomodate the extra space required by the pads, but I have a few ideas I'll try.

I'd love to hear any suggestions.

-Wayne


----------



## Beginningwoodworker (May 5, 2008)

ic3ss said:


> *Mending fences*
> 
> Over the last few blog entries, I've included pictures of my fence and rails sitting outside drying fresh coat of black paint. This fence that came with the saw is someone's shop build of a T-Square fence. It was in rough shape on the surface, but looks like it's in pretty good shape and could benefit from a couple of tune-up items. The angle iron rides directly on the guide tube, metal on metal, lacking the smooth movement that something like a Biesemeyer fence has. See, the Biesemeyer has these plastic pads mounted under the angle iron in four points allowing a low friction movement. Today my Biesemeyer glide pads arrived early, so I was able to mount the four pads. Each glide pad is made with two posts sticking out the back face, to go into holes in the metal and that's how it's mounted.
> 
> ...


Looks good!


----------



## emetric (Sep 21, 2009)

ic3ss said:


> *Mending fences*
> 
> Over the last few blog entries, I've included pictures of my fence and rails sitting outside drying fresh coat of black paint. This fence that came with the saw is someone's shop build of a T-Square fence. It was in rough shape on the surface, but looks like it's in pretty good shape and could benefit from a couple of tune-up items. The angle iron rides directly on the guide tube, metal on metal, lacking the smooth movement that something like a Biesemeyer fence has. See, the Biesemeyer has these plastic pads mounted under the angle iron in four points allowing a low friction movement. Today my Biesemeyer glide pads arrived early, so I was able to mount the four pads. Each glide pad is made with two posts sticking out the back face, to go into holes in the metal and that's how it's mounted.
> 
> ...


try using a larger angle iron to increase the space between the tube and angle. I made my own rails for a delta t-2 (which is very similar to a biesmeyer), and using larger angle iron helped me out.


----------



## Ken90712 (Sep 2, 2009)

ic3ss said:


> *Mending fences*
> 
> Over the last few blog entries, I've included pictures of my fence and rails sitting outside drying fresh coat of black paint. This fence that came with the saw is someone's shop build of a T-Square fence. It was in rough shape on the surface, but looks like it's in pretty good shape and could benefit from a couple of tune-up items. The angle iron rides directly on the guide tube, metal on metal, lacking the smooth movement that something like a Biesemeyer fence has. See, the Biesemeyer has these plastic pads mounted under the angle iron in four points allowing a low friction movement. Today my Biesemeyer glide pads arrived early, so I was able to mount the four pads. Each glide pad is made with two posts sticking out the back face, to go into holes in the metal and that's how it's mounted.
> 
> ...


Well done, Looking good!


----------



## ic3ss (Oct 19, 2010)

ic3ss said:


> *Mending fences*
> 
> Over the last few blog entries, I've included pictures of my fence and rails sitting outside drying fresh coat of black paint. This fence that came with the saw is someone's shop build of a T-Square fence. It was in rough shape on the surface, but looks like it's in pretty good shape and could benefit from a couple of tune-up items. The angle iron rides directly on the guide tube, metal on metal, lacking the smooth movement that something like a Biesemeyer fence has. See, the Biesemeyer has these plastic pads mounted under the angle iron in four points allowing a low friction movement. Today my Biesemeyer glide pads arrived early, so I was able to mount the four pads. Each glide pad is made with two posts sticking out the back face, to go into holes in the metal and that's how it's mounted.
> 
> ...


emetric,

The gap between the angle iron and the guide tube is ok as I can see at this point. It's the thickness of the guide tube itself that's the problem. It's now too wide to fit between the fence angle iron with pads and the clamping foot at the handle. Here I'm holding the guide tube in the fence clamp while the fence is upside down on the table. I backed out the adjustment set screws all the way and it made just enough room to slide the guide tube in with the clamp handle all the way unclamped. With that, the fence clamp will be too tight to move the fence, and therefore the clamp handle won't have much movement.



















I noticed there's paint on the clamping cam and the foot. I'll try to clean that off. Then I'll grind a little off the back of the foot where it contacts the cam. I only need about another 1/16".

-Wayne

I'm thinking of maybe sanding down the clamping foot about 1/16". Or a more blunt approach would be to hammer the clamp mount to bend it out a little, but I risk screwing something up.


----------



## LeeJ (Jul 4, 2007)

ic3ss said:


> *Mending fences*
> 
> Over the last few blog entries, I've included pictures of my fence and rails sitting outside drying fresh coat of black paint. This fence that came with the saw is someone's shop build of a T-Square fence. It was in rough shape on the surface, but looks like it's in pretty good shape and could benefit from a couple of tune-up items. The angle iron rides directly on the guide tube, metal on metal, lacking the smooth movement that something like a Biesemeyer fence has. See, the Biesemeyer has these plastic pads mounted under the angle iron in four points allowing a low friction movement. Today my Biesemeyer glide pads arrived early, so I was able to mount the four pads. Each glide pad is made with two posts sticking out the back face, to go into holes in the metal and that's how it's mounted.
> 
> ...


Hi Wayne;

I've enjoyed reading about your Unisaw restoration project.

A very big plus in doing it as you have is you will be VERY familiar with how everything works, and how to make any adjustments the saw may need.

These old unisaws are worth the effort, no doubt about that.

Lee


----------



## ic3ss (Oct 19, 2010)

ic3ss said:


> *Mending fences*
> 
> Over the last few blog entries, I've included pictures of my fence and rails sitting outside drying fresh coat of black paint. This fence that came with the saw is someone's shop build of a T-Square fence. It was in rough shape on the surface, but looks like it's in pretty good shape and could benefit from a couple of tune-up items. The angle iron rides directly on the guide tube, metal on metal, lacking the smooth movement that something like a Biesemeyer fence has. See, the Biesemeyer has these plastic pads mounted under the angle iron in four points allowing a low friction movement. Today my Biesemeyer glide pads arrived early, so I was able to mount the four pads. Each glide pad is made with two posts sticking out the back face, to go into holes in the metal and that's how it's mounted.
> 
> ...


Lee-

I couldn't agree more. This Unisaw was made in 1983, and is way more than I really need but it's nice to have something like this that's overbuilt. That way you're not working it so hard and it'll last longer. Plus the extra weight keeps the vibrations at a minimum.

I think I need to do a nickel test and see how it does. I'll have to think about that.

-Wayne


----------



## emetric (Sep 21, 2009)

ic3ss said:


> *Mending fences*
> 
> Over the last few blog entries, I've included pictures of my fence and rails sitting outside drying fresh coat of black paint. This fence that came with the saw is someone's shop build of a T-Square fence. It was in rough shape on the surface, but looks like it's in pretty good shape and could benefit from a couple of tune-up items. The angle iron rides directly on the guide tube, metal on metal, lacking the smooth movement that something like a Biesemeyer fence has. See, the Biesemeyer has these plastic pads mounted under the angle iron in four points allowing a low friction movement. Today my Biesemeyer glide pads arrived early, so I was able to mount the four pads. Each glide pad is made with two posts sticking out the back face, to go into holes in the metal and that's how it's mounted.
> 
> ...


Sorry about that, I guess I misunderstood what you were saying originally. Anyway, the self adhesive uhmw slick tape might be thinner and just might give you the additional clearance that you need. You can get it at woodcraft for around $10. Sanding the pads down might not work because it might make the the connections of the post to the pad weaker. Just a thought.


----------



## ic3ss (Oct 19, 2010)

ic3ss said:


> *Mending fences*
> 
> Over the last few blog entries, I've included pictures of my fence and rails sitting outside drying fresh coat of black paint. This fence that came with the saw is someone's shop build of a T-Square fence. It was in rough shape on the surface, but looks like it's in pretty good shape and could benefit from a couple of tune-up items. The angle iron rides directly on the guide tube, metal on metal, lacking the smooth movement that something like a Biesemeyer fence has. See, the Biesemeyer has these plastic pads mounted under the angle iron in four points allowing a low friction movement. Today my Biesemeyer glide pads arrived early, so I was able to mount the four pads. Each glide pad is made with two posts sticking out the back face, to go into holes in the metal and that's how it's mounted.
> 
> ...


I thought about the self adhesive tape but decided against it thinking that after a while it may slide off. Have you used it before? Is it reliable to stay put and handle pressure well? I actually filed down the locking cam yesterday and was able to get enough clearance to get the fence on the guide tube. Seems to work pretty well now, but I'll keep the tape in mind. Thanks for the suggestion.

-Wayne


----------



## emetric (Sep 21, 2009)

ic3ss said:


> *Mending fences*
> 
> Over the last few blog entries, I've included pictures of my fence and rails sitting outside drying fresh coat of black paint. This fence that came with the saw is someone's shop build of a T-Square fence. It was in rough shape on the surface, but looks like it's in pretty good shape and could benefit from a couple of tune-up items. The angle iron rides directly on the guide tube, metal on metal, lacking the smooth movement that something like a Biesemeyer fence has. See, the Biesemeyer has these plastic pads mounted under the angle iron in four points allowing a low friction movement. Today my Biesemeyer glide pads arrived early, so I was able to mount the four pads. Each glide pad is made with two posts sticking out the back face, to go into holes in the metal and that's how it's mounted.
> 
> ...


no I haven't actually used it before but I did purchase a roll for the purpose of using it to help make my t2 fence slid smoother on my home made rails. I will let you know when I actually use it. I would imagine that it would hold up pretty well, most self adhesive items that I have used lately have surprisingly strong tack even under fairly hot conditions for extended periods of time. I am glad that you were able to find a workable solution. I still need to add a measuring tape and of course slick tape to my own setup. I guess there just isn't enough time…..


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## ic3ss (Oct 19, 2010)

*Rail and fence adjustment*

I decided the easiest way to get the space to accommodate the guide tube was to file down the locking cam. I found a pretty slick way to do this while ensuring that I don't file any flat spots on the cam.










I stuck a small file down in between the cam and the locking shoe and used the shoe to press the file against the cam, and ran the locking handle up and down. I think I filed off about 0.10", just enough to make the difference. Then I had to drill and tap holes to mount the guide tube to the front rail. 









I had to make the holes bigger on the front rail but I didn't want to take it off to do it on the drill press, so I used my great big DeWalt. This thing so powerful, it's just a beast. The bit caught at the bottom of the hole and I twisted the hell out of my wrist. I love this thing for it's power, but sometimes I forget that I have to put my whole body weight into using it every time. Ouch.










Then I found the front rail was too high to let the miter gauge pass over the guide tube, so I had to dismount it and drill the holes over sized so it will sit a little lower. With the guide tube on, I had to adjust both ends to be the same distance away from the table, making it pretty much square to the miter slots.










As I suspected, the set screws for fine adjustment were too long and kept hitting the rail mounting bolt heads. I took them out and ground the contact ends down.










There was no support for the end of the fence when I got it, so it just slid on the table. I don't want that, so I'll have to make a foot for it to ride on the back rail. Here you can see how big a foot I need.










With the end of the fence supported to the height to make it straight, I figured that I needed a 2" tall foot, then the glide pad to make it straight. Just so happens that the fence and guide tube are made out of the same box steel stock, which measures 2" thick. I had about 6" of overhang on the fence so I just cut off a couple of inches and drilled the holes for the glide pad, and two mounting bolts to fix it to the bottom of the fence. I did have to put a couple of washers between the fence and foot for a shim.














































So I think the only thing left that I need for this saw is a sacrificial fence face. I think I'm going to use a sheet of UHMW from Woodcraft for a fence face. Other small items that I'll get around to at some point are I have to get another electrical box and re-run the cables into and out of the switch. One cable comes out the back and has a sharp bend in it because it's so close to the cabinet. The other cable comes out the side of the box and runs right into the elevation adjustment wheel. I'd also like to add a hanger for the miter gauge and another one for the fence on the side of the cabinet. And before I get busy using the saw, I need to get a fence rule fixed to the guide tube.

I have to work tomorrow, so I'll get my fence faces before the weekend then mount them. Have a great day.

- Wayne


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## ic3ss (Oct 19, 2010)

*. . . and done!*

I finally got the time to go to woodcraft this week and I picked up a piece of 3/4" UHMW poly to be used for a fence face. It sat until today, Easter, when I got the time to work on it. I cut it to length, cut the top corners off at a 45º and cleaned up the edges with a file. I counter sunk the screw holes and tapped the steel .for the 1/4-20 stainless steel screws.




























I didn't have the fence supported very well on the drill press, so a couple of the holes in the steel didn't quite line up properly with the holes in the poly, and I had to ream out the poly on a few holes and still didn't get the one on the far end to line up so I just left the screw out for now.

I picked up a clamp thingy for my beam caliper that fits in the miter slot and adjusted the table to the miter slots to within .001", and then found the fence poly face was true 90º to the table. Then I adjusted the set screws to align the fence to the miter slots to within 0.001".

Well that's it, Jumberjocks, my Unisaw is done. I hope you've enjoyed reading, and hope someone will find something in here useful.

- Wayne


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## bugsiegel (Dec 12, 2008)

ic3ss said:


> *. . . and done!*
> 
> I finally got the time to go to woodcraft this week and I picked up a piece of 3/4" UHMW poly to be used for a fence face. It sat until today, Easter, when I got the time to work on it. I cut it to length, cut the top corners off at a 45º and cleaned up the edges with a file. I counter sunk the screw holes and tapped the steel .for the 1/4-20 stainless steel screws.
> 
> ...


I like the way you doubled the 1900 electrical boxes to bring the switch out enough to shut it off with your knee.
I have the old delta switch and then built up some wood which is on a hinge that I hit with my knee but I like your way better. Looks like I"m going to have to order a switch and make a change.
I also have the 1.5 HP motor. I don't know what it is to use anything bigger but I have run hard stock through it and when It feels like I'm loading it up I slow down some. I love this saw. I also bought it used. My serial numbers indicate it's birth date to be around 1985.
Have you checked yours?
I ordered a cover for the motor ( don't remember where) and just last week mounted it. now I want to bring dust collection to it so I don't have to open the door and scoop out all the dust.
First I have to buy a dust collector….....
Enjoy your toy


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## Dennisgrosen (Nov 14, 2009)

ic3ss said:


> *. . . and done!*
> 
> I finally got the time to go to woodcraft this week and I picked up a piece of 3/4" UHMW poly to be used for a fence face. It sat until today, Easter, when I got the time to work on it. I cut it to length, cut the top corners off at a 45º and cleaned up the edges with a file. I counter sunk the screw holes and tapped the steel .for the 1/4-20 stainless steel screws.
> 
> ...


congrat´s with your new good looking toy 

it has been a great set of toturials to read

take care
Dennis


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## ic3ss (Oct 19, 2010)

ic3ss said:


> *. . . and done!*
> 
> I finally got the time to go to woodcraft this week and I picked up a piece of 3/4" UHMW poly to be used for a fence face. It sat until today, Easter, when I got the time to work on it. I cut it to length, cut the top corners off at a 45º and cleaned up the edges with a file. I counter sunk the screw holes and tapped the steel .for the 1/4-20 stainless steel screws.
> 
> ...


Paul,

The switch box ended up being handy, doubled up like that, and the reason the guy before me had it that way was because the switch is too deep. Also the wires were cramped so I left the extension on and it works well. My Unisaw was manufactured in '83, and I don't have a dust collection system yet. I keep looking at the wall mount unit at Rockler for $220, I dunno maybe for Christmas. For now though, the bottom is open and the cabinet is raised a little by the mobile base, so sawdust just falls out and I can just sweep it up when I move the saw back to it's parking spot along the wall. When I do get dust collection, I'll have some more work to do on the saw though. I have to make a ramped floor to force the sawdust towards the DC port while sealing off the bottom. I have to come up with an elegant solution to plug up mounting holes for the old motor controller box that used to be mounted on the back of the cabinet, the holes are now open. I also have holes where the motor cable goes through, and another one on the side of the motor cover. Someone tried to cover them with duct tape, and when the tape was pulled off, it left a bunch of duct tape crap behind on the paint.

Anyway, DC will be nice and I'll be able to have the planer and jointer use it too. I'll enjoy less cleanup.

- Wayne


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