# Rebuilding a Vintage Delta Unisaw - Things You Should Know But are Hard to Research



## TreeScreamer (Oct 21, 2017)

Hello Fellow Lumberjocks,

I'm still a newbie here - I only have a couple of threads under my belt. But I've come across a rather unexpected hurdle in rebuilding my recently acquired 1967 Delta Unisaw (Model 34-450). I had been documenting my progress in one of my (two) previous threads titled "Buy a Cheap Saw, Get a Cheap Saw", but with this new hurdle I thought it might be a good idea to create a new thread for the evolving rebuild so that others can (hopefully) easily find this information and use it during their rebuilding efforts.

Before diving in, please let me make this statement: I am not by any means a qualified machinist, nor have I ever had any proper training. But I have done a substantial amount of building and fabrication work in my earlier days, so I'm not afraid to dive into something. My parents and their parents were skilled (card carrying) Engineers and Mechanics, so it's in my genes, so to speak. But again, the reality is that I'm a Biologist by profession, so user beware!

Also, I know that there's plenty of folks here that are really smart and know a thing or two about woodworking machinery. Please contribute - this is intended to not only help educate me, but others that follow down this path.

So, let's first set the stage for this concert. As already stated above, the performer is a vintage 1967 Delta Unisaw. Here are relevant details that I feel are important at this time - I may add to these specs below as it becomes necessary:


> Manufacturer: The Delta Division of Rockwell International (defunct)
> 
> Model: 10" Unisaw (Catalog Number 34-450)
> 
> ...


If you want some other relevant history behind this saw, please follow the link I've provided above to the first thread on the subject. I'm now going to perform the first song.

1. The mysterious Bearing Closure Nut

This is what we're talking about:










See that thing with two notches? That's your "Bearing Closure Nut". Now, if you watch some of the excellent videos available on refurbishing a Unisaw, you'll be hard pressed to find any information regarding this beast. Too often, you simply get something much like "consider replacing your bearings - remove them and install new ones". The reality is that this Bearing Closure Nut stands between you and the freedom of the outer bearing of your arbor.

As referenced above, I've done some fabrication work in the past, and after trying to pound my bearing out of the arbor assembly (in both directions), I took a closer look and realized that this "Nut" is in fact threaded. That's why those two notches are there - they are designed for a spanning wrench that likely looked something like this back in the Rockwell plant:










So that's where I am right now. I know what I need, but I have to find the right tool. To be fair, you can likely try to place a drift in one of the notches and unscrew it with a good whack or two. But trust me on this, if it's happy being where it is after fifty years, it might not want to budge. Damage that notch (or God forbid, both of them) and you've just created a world of hurt.

So I'm working on this presently, but will gladly accept information from all comers. What I know so far (via digital caliper) is that the outer diameter of the retaining nut is 1.55" and the notches are each 3/32". Please stand by for the solution to this challenge.

2. Removing the worm screw collar from the elevator/raising shaft

This one is another interesting challenge. This shaft rides on two (bronze?) bushings, one in the front trunnion and one in the rear trunnion. While still in the cabinet, it looks like this:










Technically, to remove this shaft you need to do the following:

1. Remove the retaining nut on the far left of the shaft.

2. Loosen the set screw in the collar that is just inside the rear trunnion.

3. Pound out the retaining pin located on the rear trunnion side of the worm screw collar

4. Remove the rising wheel located outside of the cabinet.

5. (Carefully) remove the pointer bracket (you'll need a standard screwdriver with a narrow blade)

6. Remove and set aside the two (brass?) plugs from the shaft.

With all of this done, you've technically liberated your shaft from it's Unisaw bounds. But not so fast! Both the retaining collar (#2) and the worm screw collar (#3) are most likely very tightly associated with the shaft. In my case it's been 50 years - and accumulated dust, dirt, and who knows what else is a very effective glue. In my case I tried to vigorously tug the shaft from the outside of the cabinet. But after a couple yanks, I was very concerned about the durability of the bronze bushing on the front trunnion. So ultimately I unbolted both trunnions and lifted everything out of the cabinet. Once done, it was easy to remove the shaft:










and once removed, relatively simple to pound off the two collars using a piece of 2×4 as my drift:










If you've done this and have a better way, please do share 

So, this new thread has taken quite some time. I'm going to close this first contribution and begin my day. More to come!


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## Ripper70 (Nov 30, 2015)

Maybe this would work?


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## Kazooman (Jan 20, 2013)

Make your own wrench out of a scrap piece of steel (bar stock, angle, whatever). Just drill holes and stick in some pins. If you want to get fancy the pins could be a larger diameter than the width of the slots. File flat faces on the pins to give a larger bearing surface and make a snug fit.


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## Reinan (Oct 18, 2017)

Try searching for 'adjustable pin spanner' On your favorite tool ordering site, you should be able to find one reasonably that will work. I would consider soaking the threads with PB Blaster or a similar product before attempting removal, probably for a day or more should get things sufficiently loosened. Heat would also be a good way, use a torch to warm the cast iron and an alignment punch or drift from the freezer slid into the nut to create a small temperature differential.


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## Redoak49 (Dec 15, 2012)

Amazon has a number of different ones …


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## MrUnix (May 18, 2012)

A suitable sized pin punch (or large screwdriver) and a small hammer works just fine. The retaining nut is (should) not be on very tight and will spin right off. A little penetrating oil wouldn't hurt anything either. It is a standard thread, so just put the punch in one of the notches and tap with the hammer. If it is for some reason really on there, you can fabricate a remover out of some scrap metal. Here is one I made out of some old bed frame angle iron for the retaining nut on the spindle of my 1937 Craftsman drill press I'm restoring:









That particular one was really stuck - and I thought I was going to break my bench vice before the thing finally came loose!

For all the info you could ever possibly want regarding the Unisaw, head on over to OWWM where they live for them (and other vintage machines). Home of the earliest Unisaws on the planet. Anything you could ever ask has most likely already been addressed over there… multiple times 

Cheers,
Brad

PS: The reason the information over at OWWM doesn't show up in a google search is that they have a very restrictive robots file that prevents google (and other search engines) from traversing the site. Don't know why they do that, but you can search the site from within once you get there.


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## TreeScreamer (Oct 21, 2017)

Brad - what you suggested was exactly what I ended up doing. However, I cannot take the credit - someone over at the West Seattle Tool Library had nearly the same idea. While I was somewhat embarrassed that I hadn't come up with a similar idea - it worked like a charm:










Relative to the "other" project today, the nut wasn't in all that tight - but having the PseudoSpanner I think made the difference. Of course, once the capture nut was removed, the bearing popped out easily.

If only the "other" project was so easy…

After getting through the full arbor, I turned my attention to retrieving the bearings from the motor. Piece of cake - right? Apparently not so much :-( The journey began with an attempt to remove the set screw holding on the fan blade/front collar (no Rockwell schematic available, so I have to resort to my own nomenclature):










I experienced a misplaced moment of exhilaration when I heard a tiny pop and felt the 1/8" hex wrench nudge - finally, I thought to myself, I got it loose. Well, not exactly. All I had done was managed to crack the head of the screw. More on that later, but I was able to finally remove it using a propane torch and a T20 torx bit.

So after that ordeal, everything should be a breeze, me thoughts. Again, that creeping misguided confidence.

Turns out removing that fan/collar was it's own special challenge. First, notice in the photo above how little clearance there is between the collar and the front motor housing. Next, take a look at the front of the fan:










My puller arms were unable to clear the center section of the blade - that rather girthy part obscuring the collar. So I did the unthinkable and grabbed hold of that sheet metal center and pulled on that. I know, not that bright right? But I'm a biologist - so how could I know any better? Regardless, that maneuver allowed me to pull the collar just far enough to allow me to barely grab onto the back of the collar with the puller. To keep the grip tight though I had to resort to a quick grip clamp to hold the jaws tight on the beveled lip of the collar. This provided just enough force to finally enjoy the sweet smell of success:










After removing the four rather long screws holding the housing ends to the center section, I suddenly realized I had no idea how to get the thing open. I pondered this for a good ten minutes until I noticed the slight rise of the casting at regular intervals around the front casting. A few whacks on each of these with my wooden drift and it pleasingly popped open!










This then brings me to my final question for today. I had no problem pulling the bearing for the tail shaft, but I'm less confident with how to proceed with the bearing on the front shaft that is currently pressed into the front housing. If I tap the front shaft through the front housing, will the bearing be retained on the shaft so I can then pull it off? Normally I would think so, but after today's events, I have less confidence, with nightmares of a bearing retained in the front housing and no obvious way to extract it.

Oh, and that pesky set screw? Well, it was on so tight that it actually left an indentation on the front shaft:










No wonder that set screw was traumatized:










With nearly everything disassembled now, I figure the loss of one set screw isn't too big a loss. I'm actually quite amazed at how good the condition of this saw is. Now to order bearings and then spend some quality evenings scrubbing and painting prior to reassembly.


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## coxhaus (Dec 14, 2015)

I rebuilt an Unisaw JR and a Delta contractor saw. What worked best for me to get stuff lose was to use a mixture of 50% acetone and 50 % automatic transmission fluid.

To remove the bearing after getting the arbor bearing and shaft out I used a hydraulic jack pipe to tap the bearing off by sliding the pipe over the shaft and tapping it off. It was last year so I have slept since then. This is the way I remember it.


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## MrUnix (May 18, 2012)

The bearing should come out on the shaft, hopefully. Normally they are a press fit on the shaft and a slip fit in the housing to allow for thermal expansion, and frequently will have one or more spring washers between it and the housing for that reason. If it doesn't come out with the shaft, you should be able to tap it out with a pin punch on the inner race.

Cheers,
Brad


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## Nubsnstubs (Aug 30, 2013)

There is a proper method to removing the bearings from the housing. You can find the instructions on OWWM. If you don't do it right, the apposing bearing will put enough pressure on the housing to break or crack the housing. I know this because I didn't read all the instructions on mine, and had a crack before I got the bearings out. Fortunately, I have access to a welding shop, and also a high tech machine shop to inspect the housing after getting it welded. ............... Jerry (in Tucson)


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## jonah (May 15, 2009)

My Unisaw doesn't need any rebuilding, but I'm learning a ton from this thread. Just thought I'd mention it.


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## TreeScreamer (Oct 21, 2017)

I owe apologies on this one. I thought I had posted an update, but must have forgot the final step <sigh>. So let me please update now.

The bearing was easily tapped out of the rear housing. I simply placed the shaft on a block of wood and then placed two more blocks of wood on top of the housing. A couple of taps with a hammer and it came right out:










After that, the bearing easily pulled off the shaft. The only thing left to do was separate the motor bracket from the yoke. That required removal of one pin (you'll need a long-nosed pin drive for this) and then pounding out the shaft with a hardwood dowel and mallet - it takes some effort but you should see it slowly exit.

With that final task, I was left with one completely disassembled Unisaw:










So last night began the trip back. I started with washing/wet sanding the cabinet. No easy task, which was why I chose it first. It probably took a full two hours to remove all the badges and thoroughly clean it inside and out. Tonight I'll begin uploading photos of the reverse process.


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## splintergroup (Jan 20, 2015)

A buddy has one of these
Very inexpensive and nicely made, perfect for those nuts.


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## Andybb (Sep 30, 2016)

David, seems like we need to swap meeting places. You've definitely got the most interesting thing to see. You're gonna get a lot of satisfaction the first time you fire this up!


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## klassenl (Feb 13, 2011)

Is that long arc on that plywood marks…scars of a kickback?


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## TreeScreamer (Oct 21, 2017)

I know - I said this would be a resource for things that were hard to research, and now it's morphing into a running diary of the restoration. I guess part of the reason for this is it's SO much work that in sharing the restoration, folks are aware of what lies ahead (and maybe take advantage of tome easier approaches).

So two nights ago, I started the cleaning process. First thing I chose to tackle is what I perceived would be the hardest - the cabinet itself. For the next few photos I'll do my best to find representative before and after photos. So here is the cabinet before:



















And here it is after removing badges and cleaning (all cleaning, unless otherwise stated, is with soapy water and a nylon bristle brush or wet sanding with 800 grit):



















Having scrubbed, I realized that the spot welds on one of the four sides fusing the top mounting plate to the cabinet had failed:










Any thoughts on whether I should have these repaired? There's still three sides intact, but with that single piece of metal essentially holding the cabinet to the saw top - I'm concerned. Particularly since the table is the easiest way to initiate any movement of the entire saw. I should also mention I noticed some welding in the corner, I have yet to examine more closely, but from the feel of those welds, I suspect an "amateur" performed a repair. I say this because it feels like there's blow through of the base where it was welded to the top.

Last night I turned to the base (no before on this one) and the underside of the cast iron top:




























I had thought the base would be bad, but turns out scrubbing all that webbing is no walk in the park either. I saw where one restorer had access to a sand blaster. If you have one, or the funds to have someone do it for you, then I'd highly recommend selecting this option.


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## TreeScreamer (Oct 21, 2017)

> Is that long arc on that plywood marks…scars of a kickback?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Indeed - that big arcing scar is a reminder to myself that it's easy to be carelessly dangerous to yourself and your appendages and digits. A reminder for me to always take time to make sure everything is set up correctly and to use the equipment properly. In this case I walked away with only some damaged pride…


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## TreeScreamer (Oct 21, 2017)

> David, seems like we need to swap meeting places. You ve definitely got the most interesting thing to see. You re gonna get a lot of satisfaction the first time you fire this up!
> 
> - Andybb


I'm happy to have you over Andy - also remaining eager to see your saw/shop. I too enjoy the Seahawks (though typically recorded to save time) - perhaps there's a game in our future? Maybe not for a couple weekends though - I'm trying to push through this restoration as quickly as I can.


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## runswithscissors (Nov 8, 2012)

For anyone not wanting to go through a total disassembly, I figured out a way to get the motor out and also work on the arbor bearings. Tilting the whole saw makes it much easier to get at stuff underneath. A 4×4 proved to be about right for elevating the side of the saw (the open side, of course, where you want to work). Made it much easier to reach stuff for removal and also for reinstallation. Not being sure how far I could tilt it safely, I clamped a support prop on the other side so that it could go over only so far.

My dad said that in the old days, when they had to put in new bearings on a Model T, they would tip the whole car onto its side. Same principle here, except not as extreme.


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## MrUnix (May 18, 2012)

> For anyone not wanting to go through a total disassembly, I figured out a way to get the motor out and also work on the arbor bearings. Tilting the whole saw makes it much easier to get at stuff underneath. A 4×4 proved to be about right for elevating the side of the saw (the open side, of course, where you want to work). Made it much easier to reach stuff for removal and also for reinstallation.
> - runswithscissors


That is actually the method described in the manual, at least for the older machines where you had to install the motor yourself:










However, for arbor bearings… it is way easier to just take off the top - 4 bolts and you are there. If you mark the location of the table before removal, you can get it back where it was so you don't mess up your sleds and other jigs that rely on the correct position of the blade relative to the miter slots.

Cheers,
Brad


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## TreeScreamer (Oct 21, 2017)

So - the weekend has arrived and I'm nearly done with the first cleaning of all the parts. But as I close in on what I think should be adequately prepped for paint, I question myself whether that prep is adequate or not. As an example, the "finished" underside of the table:










I added quotations above because if you look closely, you can see that the center section has still retained "dirt" that is most likely 50 years of embedded sawdust. The two extensions look much better because I changed my approach - I replaced the nylon bristle brushes I had been using with scotchbrite pads - but still using soapy water.

So therein lies my question - how clean is clean enough to paint? I suspect the answer in part depends on the paint used. In my case I had picked these up at the local auto parts store:










But now that I've put so much effort into cleaning, I'm wondering if I'm shortchanging myself with respect to paint quality. I did spend plenty of quality time researching this subject on OWWM, but I can honestly say the volume of available information makes my head swim to the point where I'm at a loss for what to do. We have both Commercial and "standard" Sherwin Williams stores nearby, so I thought I would pay them a visit today so I can speak with someone more knowledgeable on the subject. But also eager to hear your collective thoughts.


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## TreeScreamer (Oct 21, 2017)

> That is actually the method described in the manual, at least for the older machines where you had to install the motor yourself:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I think I now understand how the spot welds on the front run of my cabinet were compromised. Anyone have any opinions on repairing this stretch versus leaving it alone?


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## TreeScreamer (Oct 21, 2017)

> A buddy has one of these
> Very inexpensive and nicely made, perfect for those nuts.
> 
> - splintergroup


I had missed this post. I really like that (I kind of have a tolls fetish), but I must honestly say that the price seems almost too good to be true. Typically, this means that the tool/instrument is (poorly) manufactured/assembled in China and will see a limited lifespan before giving up the ghost. How often does your friend use his and is it still working like day one?


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## TreeScreamer (Oct 21, 2017)

> However, for arbor bearings… it is way easier to just take off the top - 4 bolts and you are there. If you mark the location of the table before removal, you can get it back where it was so you don t mess up your sleds and other jigs that rely on the correct position of the blade relative to the miter slots.
> 
> Cheers,
> Brad
> ...


Ahhh - arbor bearings. Thanks for reminding me Brad ;-)

A word (well, I suppose several) on bearings. When I bought the saw, the arbor seemed to spin fine and the runout was excellent too (0.001). But this tear down was initiated originally with the intent of replacing the bearings. Once removed, they seemed to spin fine to me, and I contemplated whether I had wasted my time. But last night I received my new bearings from Accurate Bearings (Lynne was great). When I spin the old bearing by hand, they feel "crunchy" compared to the new bearings, which are smooth like butter. No doubt time would have forced the replacement, likely sooner than later.

One added benefit - my 1967 had bearings with steel sleeves to enclose the bearings. As it was explained to me, these are useless for keeping out dirt (and sawdust) relative to modern bearings that use a rubber seal to protect the bearings. So after the saw, the jointer is going to get a new set of bearings too (cutter head uses the same size as the arbor - nicely convenient).

As a public service, the arbor bearings are most likely going to be a 6203 equivalent and - at least for my motor model, those are 6205 equivalent. Lynne set me up with Nachi "Quest" bearings made in Japan. I had the opportunity to spend three years living in Japan - I can assure you they take their bearings very seriously. I had purchased one replacement bearing from the manufacturer of my jointer - and paid a rather premium price for something made in China. Live - and learn.

Oh - as Brad already alluded (redirected) to, the only thing Lynne wants to know when you call her is the bearings dimensions: inner diameter, outer diameter and width. She doesn't want any other information (seriously) - once you provide said dimensions she already knows which bearings you'll need - in an instant. She apparently is the Accurate Bearings "expert" for us woodworking restorers.


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## runswithscissors (Nov 8, 2012)

I see by the photos of the tilted Unisaw that my way wasn't the same. I just lifted the near edge by the thickness of the 4xr4, not almost all the way over. By going all the way over, you have to lift the motor up to get it out, and those suckers are heavy (especially for a guy who's old and weak like me). I found it reasonably easy to work on both motor removal and arbor bearings with the partial tilting. It helped a lot to work sitting on a medium height stool.


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## TreeScreamer (Oct 21, 2017)

Contrary to appearances, I didn't fall into a hole. Between work and "The Saw", I've been busy. Here is a recap of the last week:

Finally got everything properly cleaned:










That was more work than I had anticipated (or wanted). So decided I needed to now properly paint. Did my research and chose this:










Of course, this paint has specific nozzle specifications for a spray application. So now I'm the proud(?) owner of this (there are non-tool tasks in it's near future; hence what might seem like overkill):










Of course, if one is going to spray paint on, then everything must be properly masked (I'm not sure I'm still having fun):










All staged and ready to paint beginning either tomorrow or first thing Saturday. The chain of events now is let the paint cure for one week while cleaning shafts and installing new bearings. Weekend after Thanksgiving everything goes back together and gets trued up. Three days later the electricians show up and install 240V line and help me get the VFD all wired up.

Then it's finally time to have some fun 

I'll try to post some more photos during "The Paint" (can you sense some trepidation on my part?).


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## Andybb (Sep 30, 2016)

I think this officially qualifies as either a project or a blog. Go Dave Go!


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## avsmusic1 (Jul 10, 2016)

this is so freakin awesome

I'm doing a basic restore on a pm66 right now and I'm reading through this wishing I had documented


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## sawdustdad (Dec 23, 2015)

Great job on the restore so far. Thanks for posting.


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## TreeScreamer (Oct 21, 2017)

Thank you for the positive feedback and kind words. I hope that this will ultimately not only entertain, but in some instances educate and inform as well.

So this evening I finished getting the "paint room" prepped. T-12 hours and counting!










The astute observer will notice a couple of late arrivals for the party tomorrow. I've staged things so that I can begin in the back of the room and work my way forward. I realize I may be leaning a bit towards excessive preparation, but I've never tackled this type of paint job before (much less ever handled a paint sprayer).

What could possibly go wrong….


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## TreeScreamer (Oct 21, 2017)

I do have one question for my more knowledgeable peers. To paint the motor, I was planning to assemble the front bell housing minus the spindle onto (into?) the primary housing where the coil resides. The whole thing is secured by four rather long bolts. I've tried to gently insert the front bell into the main housing, and it's a tight fit, with one lip always getting hung up on one edge - see these two photos to understand what I mean:



















My thought was to use the existing bolts to draw the bell down onto the housing, but I'm really concerned about it getting cocked crooked and damaging the lip (or stripping the threads from the other bell housing on the other side). My concern derives from a suspicion that the housing will be more inclined to "mate" correctly when the bearings are on the shaft and the shaft is in the main housing (understand what I'm saying here?). Perhaps it would be best to simply tape off both openings?

Your insight greatly appreciated! Also, sorry if my terms seem odd. As mentioned above, I am without a schematic so I am left to make names up for all these pieces.


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## MrUnix (May 18, 2012)

> Perhaps it would be best to simply tape off both openings?


Yup…










Cheers,
Brad


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## TreeScreamer (Oct 21, 2017)

Time for a belated update - if a rather frustrating one.

Got everything primed:










Looks good from a distance maybe, right? But up close tells a different story:










Seems that SW Extreme Bond primer doesn't take much liking to cast iron. When I originally visited them, I had my ducks lined up - I wanted Pro-Cryl primer (because another member over on OWWM had succesfully used it), I was (unfortunately) persuaded to use the Extreme Bond instead.

Well, I had hoped that adding the topcoat would cover up the spots, and at first things were looking good, so I went through the complete first coat:










But once dried - and upon closer inspection - things are turning from bad to worse:










So this morning it's back to SW to see what we can do to fix all of this. As an aside, when I first called them to ask about this peculiar outcome, the main tech support had never heard of anything like this before. When I then called the store from which I purchased - there was some consultation while I was on hold, and then I was kindly informed that there might be a better product for priming called Pro-Cryl…

My only option may be to accept a rather peculiar "petina" paint job, because this is starting to take it's toll {sighs heavily}.

For those following - stay away from SW Extreme Bond Primer - at least for your cast iron projects. That's my public service announcement for today.


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## Andybb (Sep 30, 2016)

David….I feel your pain as I would OCD over it too, especially after totally disassembling it. But, remember that nobody is going to care about or see those spots other than you. Consider channeling your efforts towards throwing the on/off switch.  (Use the Force Luke!)


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## TreeScreamer (Oct 21, 2017)

> David….I feel your pain as I would OCD over it too, especially after totally disassembling it. But, remember that nobody is going to care about or see those spots other than you. Consider channeling your efforts towards throwing the on/off switch.  (Use the Force Luke!)
> 
> - Andybb


If only it was that easy Andy! I am a radiating example of excessive OCD, and I cannot accept anything short of my best effort - no matter the cost. That said - it's all fixed and the light is visible at the end of the tunnel 

After an extensive consultation, my friends at SW recommended this:










This is an oil-based primer that was amazingly easy to work with, and eliminated those ugly spots. It also dries very fast (perhaps because it doesn't apply as thick as I have seen with the sprayer). Regardless, I was able to prime in the early afternoon and apply a new topcoat in the late afternoon. The end result from a distance:










and up close the spots are now gone (me happy camper):










This is my first time to tackle such a big painting project, and as a consequence there are indeed flaws (I know where they all are). But I must confess that I'm rather pleased so far:










Now, about the original primer. I had a long talk with the folks at SW who were convinced (with great conviction I might add) that the spots were caused by rust that hadn't been removed. Never mind that every piece had been meticulously cleaned, including wet sanding to get down to the original paint. Never mind the photos I showed them that clearly demonstrated a lack of rust. Never mind the rust on the cabinet that I knew was still lingering when I was done cleaning (that didn't show through the primer/paint).

It had to be rust - so I was told.

So I will say this - it wasn't rust per se (in my never humble enough opinion). Rather I'm convinced it was a reaction between the iron in the cast iron pieces (every single one had those spots) and the primer. So I will again issue my statement to those that find this in a future search. Beware of SW Extreme Bond Primer on cast iron pieces - I have done everything I can to give you the heads up on this


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## Andybb (Sep 30, 2016)

I must admit it does look awesome. I would have repainted it too. I was just trying to give you an out.  Waiting for more updates.


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## MrUnix (May 18, 2012)

Not sure why that stuff did that, but at least you worked it out. I rarely, if ever, prime - particularly cast iron which really doesn't need it. And I also rarely spray, preferring to brush instead - which gives a thicker coat that is a bit more durable. The only time I will spray (using my little purple HF HVLP gun) is on large flat sheet metal panels (like the cabinet), where you want a good smooth finish that is hard to achieve with a brush.

It could have been rust like they said. Did you prep the metal before painting? Usually a good wipe down with a dilute phosphoric acid will get rid of any little bits of rust hiding in the pores of the metal, followed by a wipe down with acetone. I've shot a lot of SW paint, but not that particular stuff you are using - mostly the all surface enamel which I've found to be pretty much bullet proof after curing for a week or three.

Cheers,
Brad


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## MrUnix (May 18, 2012)

Just a follow up… after reading the data sheet for that primer, I'm going to guess it was rust as well. That is a water based latex paint - and water doesn't play nice with metal. It also doesn't list it as suitable for metal other than aluminum or galvanized. That acrylic paint you used is also water based. The PDS for it states to either not prime at all (just use at least two coats), or use Pro-Cryl first.

BTW: The Pro-block primer is oil based.

Live and learn… At least you won't make the same mistake on the next machine ;-)

Cheers,
Brad


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## TreeScreamer (Oct 21, 2017)

> I must admit it does look awesome. I would have repainted it too. I was just trying to give you an out.  Waiting for more updates.
> 
> - Andybb


Updates you say? You have been a great motivator Andy - and though I sometimes tend to be the Secret Squirrel type, I think a sneak peak prior to assembly is warranted:

Not everything was painted green ;-)










Looks even better with the masks removed:










I think most of you can mentally assemble this and see where I'm going with it:










I have a little more work today left to polish some of the remaining bare metal, then it's time for one of the tasks I've been dreading most - installing the bearings. I think I've read far too many posts and have seen too many options and too many "challenges". Hopefully it will be easier than I've painted in my mind's eye ;-)

So - after everything is said and done, would I do it again? Absolutely yes, but not with this paint. Unfortunately I think it's going to be too "soft" and I wouldn't be surprised if I'm painting it again five years from now. Time will tell.


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## TreeScreamer (Oct 21, 2017)

> Not sure why that stuff did that, but at least you worked it out. I rarely, if ever, prime - particularly cast iron which really doesn t need it. And I also rarely spray, preferring to brush instead - which gives a thicker coat that is a bit more durable. The only time I will spray (using my little purple HF HVLP gun) is on large flat sheet metal panels (like the cabinet), where you want a good smooth finish that is hard to achieve with a brush.
> 
> It could have been rust like they said. Did you prep the metal before painting? Usually a good wipe down with a dilute phosphoric acid will get rid of any little bits of rust hiding in the pores of the metal, followed by a wipe down with acetone. I ve shot a lot of SW paint, but not that particular stuff you are using - mostly the all surface enamel which I ve found to be pretty much bullet proof after curing for a week or three.
> 
> ...


I cannot dismiss that possibility - certainly my prep didn't include phosphoric acid. Please tell me more about the SW surface enamel paints. That sounds like a better option for the next project - the Jointer. But I think I'll hold off until summer rolls around. Warmer temps - and some time to actually do some wood working - are much needed.


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## bigblockyeti (Sep 9, 2013)

Is that Powermatic green that you went with?


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## TreeScreamer (Oct 21, 2017)

> Is that Powermatic green that you went with?
> 
> - bigblockyeti


Looks similar, doesn't it? I like my green machines, already owning a Powermatic Jointer and a Grizzly BS. The color itself is SW Rain Forest (4071). It was a regular stock color - I don't need everything to match. The only conscience choice I made was to get a gloss paint - the PM50 has a flat paint, and dust sticks to it like glue.


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## bigblockyeti (Sep 9, 2013)

Yeah, I can imagine a quick shot of compressed air would get rid of all the dust pretty quick. I wish everything inside my Unisaw was a slick gloss coat just like the outside.


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## MrUnix (May 18, 2012)

> Please tell me more about the SW surface enamel paints.



(Click on picture to go to their web site)

Not sure if they offer it in stock colors, but they will match any color you want it in. It's oil based and I've found it to be an excellent paint for metal, particularly cast iron. As mentioned, I rarely prime… just a good wipe down with a dilute phosphoric acid and then a wipe down with acetone right before painting.

I got kind of lucky last time I bought some… went to get a quart for a 1936 South Bend lathe that I was in the process of restoring, and they didn't have the right base in a quart size. The guy felt really bad about it and said "I do have it in the gallon size, so if you don't mind, I'll mix up a gallon for you and only charge you for a quart"! Needless to say, I told him that would be just fine with me 

BTW: That one gallon has now been used to paint the SB lathe, a Delta 10x36 wood lathe, a Unisaw, and I still have enough left to paint another Delta 14" bandsaw I recently purchased and am getting ready to restore. The SB color was very, very close to the Delta color (you can see it in the picture I posted in your other thread about the arbor nut).

Cheers,
Brad


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## TreeScreamer (Oct 21, 2017)

Yesterday completed what I had feared would be the greatest challenge, installing bearings and assembling arbor and motor.

Turns out I worry too much:










Go figure 

I will say that I think I helped my cause by thoroughly cleaning all of the shafts with a green Scotch-Brite pad and WD-40. Once cleaned, I then coated everything with a layer of Johnson Wax. I reasoned that the wax would help to protect the shafts from rusting (and make maintenance easier), but more importantly provide a smooth surface for the bearings to slide on. Without a comparative experience (no cleaning or wax), hard to say I guess. But installation required just a few "taps" with a BFH. To drive the bearings down, I used copper pipe with an ID just slightly bigger than the shafts I was working on, roughly 3/4" for the arbor and 1" for the motor shaft. Doing so meant I was only "tapping" on the inner race of the bearing.

More to come!


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## TreeScreamer (Oct 21, 2017)

Close…










Closer…










Closest…










This evening I had to "repair" the stock switch - the switch box itself was filled with sawdust when opened and the contacts had their fair share of accumulated carbon. All happy now - the normally open ON switch is continuous when depressed, and the normally closed OFF switch loses continuity when depressed.

Anyone know if there is anyone out there that sells a STOP paddle switch designed/adapted for the particular switch on my Unisaw? I know I can fabricate something, but I still have to take care of the rails, and I'm running low on fabrication gas.

Still on my list before getting back to working some wood:

1. Source/order new belts.

2. Find replacement lock nut for motor cooling fan.

3. Figure out how to properly program the Teco L510 VFD and complete wiring.

4. Source/order throat plate.

5. Await arrival and install "The Shark Guard" riving knife/blade protector.

6. Build/paint rails for VSCT fence.

7. Purchase or design STOP paddle switch.

8. Figure out how to install drive screws so I can attach the SN and Model name plates (I may opt for screws for these, even though I ordered said drive screws).

9. Mount extensions and polish/seal entire table.

10. Have fun with new saw.

Feels like that will be my tenth day of Christmas ;-)


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## MrUnix (May 18, 2012)

Belts can be found just about anywhere… just make sure you get some quality brand (Goodyear, Gates, Dayton, etc…). Should be standard A24 (L26) v-belts unless you have different pulleys than what came originally (see here). I found a matched set (Jason Uni-match) for about $14, but they don't need to be matched.

The VFD can usually be used as-is right out of the box initially, and you can tweak it as desired once you have it installed and operational. Wiring is trivial… besides the normal 240v in and 3-phase out to the motor, standard wiring configurations are shown in the manual. For typical three wire control like you have, here is the diagram from the manual (ignore the fwd/rev wiring):










The drive screws you took out are typically reusable, however many people prefer to tap the hole and use small brass machine screws. To install the drive screws, you just tap them in with a hammer like a nail. Since they are kind of small, it helps to put a hole in a piece of paper to hold it with.

Cheers,
Brad


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## Andybb (Sep 30, 2016)

> 8. Figure out how to install drive screws so I can attach the SN and Model name plates (I may opt for screws for these, even though I ordered said drive screws).
> 
> - David Schwarz


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## duckmilk (Oct 10, 2014)

David, it might be worth calling Delta about the paddle switch.
About 15 or more years ago, I was given a shaper and a small jointer, both Delta Homecraft makes and much older than your saw. Each one was missing a couple of minor parts so I called Delta. When the person asked me for a model number, I replied that neither had a model number anywhere, only a serial number. He took down the serial numbers and mailed me exploded diagrams with parts list. I called in the parts numbers and to my great surprise, they had them in stock.
So, it might be worth the effort to contact them.

That saw looks very shiny and nice! Makes me want to touch it  Good job!


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## rbrjr1 (Nov 2, 2017)

looking good..

I think half the "fun" of buying your vintage equipment and refurbishing it is learning EXACTLY how the tool goes together and all the parts work as a single unit.

I just rebuilt a 1952 craftsman table saw.. I'd do it again in a heartbeat (but I'd rent a sandblaster first, lol)


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## TreeScreamer (Oct 21, 2017)

> For typical three wire control like you have, here is the diagram from the manual (ignore the fwd/rev wiring):
> 
> 
> 
> ...


As always - thank you Brad. I'm becoming more comfortable with wiring the switch, but I'm still concerned about properly setting the voltage limit (you likely recall that mine has a limit of 208V). Happen to have at your fingertips and similar desire to share a handy interpretation of what the manufacturer wants me to do to program in this limit (and any other critical limiters I should be aware of before running the motor for the first time)?

Thank you very much in advance!
David


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## TreeScreamer (Oct 21, 2017)

> looking good..
> 
> I think half the "fun" of buying your vintage equipment and refurbishing it is learning EXACTLY how the tool goes together and all the parts work as a single unit.
> 
> ...


Abso#^c%[email protected] and well said! One thing I'm acutely aware of is how everything fits together and functions together. I also learned a lot of nifty tricks I'm happy to share with others regarding re-assembly. Some steps I had to repeat several times because of stupidity - and I'm certain I can help others avoid the same stupid mistake(s). I just need to figure out how best to share the knowledge (i.e. prophylactic post or "morning after" remedy).

Here are some "samplers" though:

1. Believe the posts you read warning against the use of nylon washers on the tilt shaft. At least on mine there was very little freedom to expand, and those nylon washers were a no go. It's a completely different story for the riser shaft - much more freedom to tolerate the thicker nylon washers, and a better place to have them considering the more routine adjustment of this shaft.

2. Installing all of the components on the tilt shaft is a dance best choreographed in advance. But if you know all the proper steps, it can be a piece of cake. One key to share - use this trick to keep pin bore between collar and shaft aligned:










I didn't read about this "method" anywhere, but once I decided to try it, I felt like I had a momentary brush with brilliance ;-)

Oh yeah, that's my attempt to have just a single nylon washer rather than two - that also doesn't work :-(

3. If you lift the yoke as high as you can, you can install the worm gear on the tilt shaft in the same motion that you lower the yoke to mesh with the teeth in the front trunnion. Then just twist the shaft in absence of pin to "lower" the yoke until you have (just) enough room to insert your punch that will ultimately guide in the retaining pin.

4. Don't forget to insert the two brass (?) plugs before you start inserting pins - and don't let the trunnion push the shaft so far forward that the plugs get dislodged without your noticing such an unfortunate event (you might wonder how I know this…).

Easy as pie (if you know how to bake).


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## TreeScreamer (Oct 21, 2017)

> David, it might be worth calling Delta about the paddle switch.
> About 15 or more years ago, I was given a shaper and a small jointer, both Delta Homecraft makes and much older than your saw. Each one was missing a couple of minor parts so I called Delta. When the person asked me for a model number, I replied that neither had a model number anywhere, only a serial number. He took down the serial numbers and mailed me exploded diagrams with parts list. I called in the parts numbers and to my great surprise, they had them in stock.
> So, it might be worth the effort to contact them.
> 
> ...


An excellent point! Through all of this I have not contacted Delta once. I just assumed they would care less about my vintage 1967 Unisaw. That's a really bad attitude on my part that I should rectify - even if they don't have my desired paddle switch.


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## TreeScreamer (Oct 21, 2017)

I forgot:

11. Decide how I want to mount the motor cover (thinking a piano hinge and lock knob so I can easily access the interior when I want, but otherwise keep it "reasonably" sealed.

12. Install dust trap and commensurate ducting to route to "new" dust collector.

Lucky 13 and beyond - all the other things I'm forgetting or yet to realize still lie ahead…


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## MrRon (Jul 9, 2009)

I wasn't interested in the topic, but started reading and followed all the threads. I was immediately impressed by the clear and precise language you used. It made reading and comprehending very easy. Your education appears to have not been wasted. You have documented the entire process of rebuilding a vintage machine and an outstanding rebuild it certainly is. The Unisaw looks except for the color like a brand new machine.. As for value, I would think it would be worth more than a current, comparable Grizzly saw.

I have been an advocate of speaking the English language as it was intended. It was a delight to read your post.


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## rbrjr1 (Nov 2, 2017)

> An excellent point! Through all of this I have not contacted Delta once. I just assumed they would care less about my vintage 1967 Unisaw. That s a really bad attitude on my part that I should rectify - even if they don t have my desired paddle switch.
> 
> - David Schwarz


Will a traditional paddle switch not work? 
I can't tell the dimensions from your pictures (have one of just the switch?) but the existing switch appears to be a standard size.

when I build the table saw station for my rebuilt viintage saw, I'm using THESE 
you can see on one of the pictures that they're good for single phase AND three phase applications. 
HERE is my rebuild summary..


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## TreeScreamer (Oct 21, 2017)

> You have documented the entire process of rebuilding a vintage machine and an outstanding rebuild it certainly is.
> 
> - MrRon


Thank you Ron for this and other kind compliment(s), and for following the build - I'm happy that my peers found it to be an enjoyable ride (which will hopefully be done soon). I've learned quite a bit, and can now anticipate some of the challenges that I may encounter in the future. That said, most of what I accomplished couldn't have been without the help and support of the fine folks on this forum


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## TreeScreamer (Oct 21, 2017)

> Will a traditional paddle switch not work?
> I can t tell the dimensions from your pictures (have one of just the switch?) but the existing switch appears to be a standard size.
> 
> when I build the table saw station for my rebuilt viintage saw, I m using THESE
> you can see on one of the pictures that they re good for single phase AND three phase applications.


I suspect it would. But there's a nostalgic factor with the switch for me (I don't know why - I certainly departed from the traditional color scheme). Some part of me simply wants to keep all the original parts, but simply "upgrade" where necessary to provide desirable functions. Having an easy button to locate if I need to stop the saw with some urgency is one of these desires. Though truth be told - if it was THAT urgent, I'd probably just walk away from the saw and let events unfold from a distance.



> HERE is my rebuild summary..
> 
> - rbrjr1


Nice job - that looks fantastic!


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## TreeScreamer (Oct 21, 2017)

So today I plan to fire up this saw and move one step closer towards true completion. Still struggling a tad with programming in the motor parameters. Basically, I have a motor rated for 208V and 7.8A, and I want to make certain I don't exceed operational parameters. My OM has the following settings classes that I think apply:

First, the Group 01 settings/commands:










Then the Group 02 set:










For setting the max Amps, do I want to use code 02-00 or code 02-01? For the maximum voltage, shall I use code 01-01 or will 02-04 automatically handle the maximum voltage limit for me?

Sorry for having to solicit repeated assistance with this - it's seriously mostly Greek to me :-(


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## TreeScreamer (Oct 21, 2017)

Nearly complete! Need to take care of the table this evening and I need to figure out how to latch the motor cover closed. There are a handful of other tasks still to complete, the next major ones being the VSCT fence and plumbing in the dust collector. But as it's own project, it's nearly complete. Once the fence is installed, I'll come back with a final photo, but for now, here's the current status, including a video of the first test run with blade installed.

The nearly complete saw:










And here's the YouTube video (sorry for the rather lackluster production - it's been years since I've published a video and I guess I need practice):

UniSaw Test Run

Hope you enjoyed this journey with me - it's nearly complete


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## bigblockyeti (Sep 9, 2013)

Code 02-01 for max amps, 02-00 is just the current the motor should pull when not under load. For max voltage you'll need to set both 01-01 & 02-04. They can start to do weird things if all parameters aren't set pretty close to where they need to be.


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## bigblockyeti (Sep 9, 2013)

The video looks great though I'd shorten the accel time dramatically and the decel time by as much as I could without worrying the blade inertia would spin the nut off the spindle.


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## Andybb (Sep 30, 2016)

David, you did an *amazing* job on this. Throwing that switch for the first time had to be incredibly satisfying. What did you decide on for the fence?


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## MrUnix (May 18, 2012)

Read the section in the manual regarding auto-tuning the motor… it tells you what parameters to initally set, and will automatically optimize the motor settings for you.

Cheers,
Brad


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## avsmusic1 (Jul 10, 2016)

This is my favorite thread in a long time - just wanted to say so


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## TreeScreamer (Oct 21, 2017)

Andy and Mr. Music - thank you! You guys are great for my ego 

Brad - you're a wealth of knowledge. I wouldn't have been able to get the saw up and running without your help.

Yeti with a big block - thanks for the advice on acceleration and deceleration. I will make this one of my next programming objectives. Might even be brave enough to tackle Brad's auto-tuning advice.

Finally, yes Andy in was incredibly satisfying to see it run (and not have the blade fly off the arbor and destroy all my month-long effort, severe limbs, arteries, sheet rock… Not that I really thought that would happen - just saying). As for the fence, I chose the VSC Tools fence - I like the flexibility of building something to my needs, and working with Alan (though not necessarily the underlying fabrication work - yet another project).

David


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## rbrjr1 (Nov 2, 2017)

> For setting the max Amps, do I want to use code 02-00 or code 02-01? For the maximum voltage, shall I use code 01-01 or will 02-04 automatically handle the maximum voltage limit for me?
> 
> Sorry for having to solicit repeated assistance with this - it s seriously mostly Greek to me :-(
> 
> - David Schwarz


notice that table 01 is for the controller and 02 is for the motor. 
you should put the same information in 02 that is located on the motor, for 01, you should put the parameters you want to work with (if different ~less~ than the motor specs)


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## TreeScreamer (Oct 21, 2017)

Away long I have been - so sorry am I (can you tell I just saw the newest Star Wars movie?). Pretty darn close now to cutting wood:










I just need to latch the motor cover closed and raise the saw blade up through the Leecraft zero clearance table insert. I also need to begin fabricating the guide rails for the VSC Tools fence…I know - how long have I been saying that? Well, truth be told, I had a wee bout with the flu. I also was in need of one critical tool that I lacked.

So now I'm the proud owner of this:










Needs a little work, but more or less ready to go after a couple parts and some cleaning. Maybe a little more intensive restoration this summer, but I need a break from that for now.


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## bigblockyeti (Sep 9, 2013)

Oh man, that's a slippery slope your approaching there, first one, then two, then thirty! I've fallen victim too, a few of mine are here: http://lumberjocks.com/topics/219441


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## Andybb (Sep 30, 2016)

Cut wood you must!!


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## Andybb (Sep 30, 2016)

Well?


> ? Pics


 Vids??


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## TreeScreamer (Oct 21, 2017)

An update so you want? Certainly this crowd has cheered me on and made posting the trials and tribulations worthwhile. So an update ye shall haveth. Fair warning though - you asked for it.

So there I was, Biesemeyer style Very Super Cool Tools fence to fabricate, and one rather grungy drill press in hand. The first discovery I made was the press had led a very hard life, and the run out on the chuck was so extreme, it's too embarrassing to post - and certainly too severe to deploy for the fabrication project. So tear down time it was.

Completely naked a mess it was:



















and with that mess came broken parts:










That had to be repaired:










There were self inflicted wounds:










and wounds that were no doubt decades old:










That had to be replaced with something likely equally as old:










And balanced with something new:










There was also a motor that had to be converted over from 120V to 240V in preparation for something a little more powerful controlled by another VFD (stay tuned for this one). But when all was said and done, I had this fine little lady purring like a kitten:










And so I could (finally) return to my fabrication work 

It's getting late, so I think the fence project will be the subject of my next update. Hopefully this satisfied the thirst for an update on my progress 

Edit - it would be negligent and impolite if I didn't add that this is the readers digest version of a much longer saga over on OWWM.org. Those folks were instrumental in guiding me towards the proper restoration of the drill press. If you enjoyed this thread, you'll likely find equal pleasure in that one too


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## Andybb (Sep 30, 2016)

Ah, another blog you had. Jealous we are. Thanks for the link.


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## TheFridge (May 1, 2014)

Good info on painting and everything else. I have a '59 unit with goose egg and dust door in great shape I'm about to do a full job on plus vfd. My only issue was lack of equipment painting knowledge. I have to put a Rockwell 20" drill press back together before I do it though. Bearings alone were 80$ through accurate bearing  The motion industries In town wanted 80$ for just one of those. Screw that.

Mighty fine job. Keep up the good work.

I've discovered a torch and a couple sizes of pvc pipe will handle most bearing installation jobs.


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## MrUnix (May 18, 2012)

> I've discovered a torch and a couple sizes of pvc pipe will handle most bearing installation jobs.
> - TheFridge


+1

Never felt the need for a torch, but a collection of various sized pipes (both PVC and metal) along with some deep well sockets has been all I've ever needed.



> Bearings alone were 80$ through accurate bearing  The motion industries In town wanted 80$ for just one of those. Screw that.


I hear that… I've found Accurate has some of the best prices around for quality bearings… typically 20-40% cheaper than online places like VXB. I just ordered the bearings for my 1937 Atlas (Craftsman badged) drill press and the total was ~$80 for 7 (press + hi/lo pulley + motor), and was only that expensive because of the odd-ball bearings it used. For my Unisaw, it was only about $20 for them (arbor and motor bearings).

Cheers,
Brad


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## TreeScreamer (Oct 21, 2017)

> Ah, another blog you had. Jealous we are. Thanks for the link.
> 
> - Andybb


The processes have really taught me quite a bit. For instance, I'm not sure I would use a water-based latex paint again; the final product seemed pretty soft, making me question long-term durability. But it has also continued to harden with time, raising my confidence in use. The biggest benefit was ease of use (both application and location). Being inside your house on a cold rainy day is far better than not being able to paint outside with an oil base because you and your spouse cannot live with the fumes (and shouldn't from a safety perspective), not to mention it's too cold for the paint.

The other are those bearings. They're actually very easy to remove and install, and there seems to be a core (like the 6203) that seem universal on many machines. One trick that I have found very useful (when possible), is to clean the shaft with a scotch brite pad (WD40 as the lubricant) before you start the process. It's much easier to remove a bearing from a clean shaft than to force it off a dirty one. The same goes of course for installation - on the drill press, the (original) bearings slipped onto the upper spindle with light tapping. Probably won't be that easy when I replace with new ones when I do a full restoration, but I think you get my drift (pardon the cryptic pun).

David


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## TreeScreamer (Oct 21, 2017)

Greetings again - I'm back 

So now in the didst of guide rail fabrication and installation. As referenced more than once, I chose the Very Super Cool Tools Biesemeyer Style fence in the end. The positive aspect of that decision is that I get to work with (and follow the antics of) Allan Little - pretty cool dude that makes woodworking seem shockingly easy. The downside - there's an extensive amount of fabrication involved - not for the faint of heart.

The project starts with some raw steel from the local steel yard. I realize now that I never took a proper photo, but here is the angle iron (x2) and 3" x 2" square tubing captured in one of my saw photos.










This stuff arrives pretty nasty and greasy - it is best cleaned if you don't want to transfer that crap all around (and over) everything you come into contact with. In my case, some thorough washing using Pine-Sol (the only de-greaser I happened to have on hand) and then hitting it with the grinder and an 80 grit wheel did the trick. That probably took a couple of hours to complete but after cleaning with some denatured alcohol, provided a nice shiny substrate with which to continue my efforts:










That of course is where the drill press comes into play. I had to drill and tap eight 1/4" holes with which to bolt the square tubing to the angle iron. The holes were obviously much easier to produce versus the hand drill - even though there is still a minor run out issue that needs to be resolved:










and certainly could never have installed these so accurately and straight with said hand drill:










This then set me up for another of my rare brushes with brilliance. Having aggravated a herniated disk in my back (note to self - do not try to balance 80# motor with one hand and knee while installing retaining bolt with other), I needed a better way to position guide rail relative to saw to mark position of retaining holes in saw table. To the rescue a freebie roll-out table that came as a "gift" of sorts when I purchased the dust collector in the background. Worked like a charm:










Appropriately positioned, one of the scientists favorite tool had a chance to shine:










And the tool came through with flying colors:










So tonight I drill out the 5/16" holes in preparation to hang the guide rails. Once confident of the mock up, it will finally be time to paint 

That's it for tonight - off to the work shop I go.


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## TheFridge (May 1, 2014)

I want to hear about the fence after a bit of use. Pretty sure I'll be getting just the head in the future.

I found the torch to help a bunch. I don't know if the fact that it was freezing in my shop had anything to do with it but nothing wanted to go together with firm taps. For instance. At the top of the quill I heated the bore of up a hair so I didn't have to beat it onto the spindle and into the bore.


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## Andybb (Sep 30, 2016)

Just curious if you have plans to add a knife/splitter? Have seen a few posts about doing that to a Unisaw.


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## TreeScreamer (Oct 21, 2017)

> Just curious if you have plans to add a knife/splitter? Have seen a few posts about doing that to a Unisaw.
> 
> - Andybb


Sorry Andy - been away painting. When I purchased the Shark Guard, I went all in - including riving knife. Everything is ready to install, just waiting for paint to dry…so I can add more paint and wait for it to dry too.


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## TreeScreamer (Oct 21, 2017)

Regarding said riving knife referenced above for Andy. I thought I had posted photos, but see I again am suffering from the early signs of dementia (lucky me). So let's make things right in my mental universe with that photo:










If you look closely, you'll again see the raw steel in the upper right that is destined to become the new fence. My demon, my taunter.

Oh…did I mention the fence? I have no doubt that in the end all the work will be worth it, but it is much more work than I bargained on (isn't it always?). Excessive OCD doesn't help. I will say this, considering my space and the limitations therein, I think if I had this all to do over I would purchase one Incra set up to use for both router and saw. But that's foresight and hindsight may hold a different future.

So about that fence then. This past weekend was spent on the final fabrication steps. This involved drilling all the holes to mount to saw (and not so future extension table), (82 degree) countersink the holes for the flat head, grade 8, 5/16" x 1-1/4" black oxide bolts, and drill extra holes (two per side) in the extension wings. But finally that was done and I could do a real test fit of everything:



















In my best Scooby-Doo…Roooking Good!!

You may notice that there were still those pesky miter slots that needed to be accommodated. That started with three strategically placed holes as shown below. What you can see is blue sharpie ink outlining what I considered to be minimal boundaries for the slot. What you cannot see are the scribe marks I made tracing the precise dimension of each slot. I used the bottom right and left corners of those scribed marks to locate my drill bit, and then another punch halfway between and along the bottom plane of the scribe to mark the bottom:










I used a jig saw to rough cut the slot, followed by a rough "polish" with my grinder equipped with a cut-off disk, then final cleaning with a file and sandpaper until I was pleased (that does occasionally happen). With that done, I did one final "sanding" with a red scotch-brite pad and denatured alcohol to get the steel squeaky-clean. Finally it was time to prime  This time, I chose SW Kem-Kromic. This is oil-based, a fact announced as soon as you open the paint can (one gallon is the smallest size you can purchase) - excellent ventilation and a respirator were/are my friend. Explosions/fire and death are things I tend to shy away from - sorry thrill-seekers ;-)

By Sunday morning guide rails were primed and - again - I was somewhat pleased with the outcome. I should mention that the Kem Kromik was applied with a nap roller; the result is acceptable, but in better weather (i.e. a warm spring/summer day) I would have broken out the sprayer. But the prospect of cleaning said sprayer in cold rainy weather just wasn't working for me. There will be the drill press though in the not too distant future…

But I digress - back to the task at hand. Here were my primed rails ready for their first coat of paint:










And I was SO ready to lay down that paint. For this round, we're using SW Industrial Enamel. Another oil-based product, and again respirator-worthy. The plan WAS to apply two coats; first coat on one side, wait two hours, apply first coat on the other side, then wait 8 hours to dry and repeat for the second coat. Fast forward and 36 hours later the first coat on the first side was dry enough to paint the other side - which I just completed. Surprise for me!! :-(










So progress I make with end (slowly) coming into view. Eager for this to be done and get back to cutting wood. No more restoration projects for a little while. But there's still plenty of work to be done, so stay tuned.


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## skiler (Jan 17, 2013)

I don't even have a Unisaw and probably never will, but this is an awesome post. I thoroughly enjoyed it. You write very well or write very well you do.


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## TreeScreamer (Oct 21, 2017)

> I don t even have a Unisaw and probably never will, but this is an awesome post. I thoroughly enjoyed it. You write very well or write very well you do.
> 
> - skiler


Wow!

I'd like to say thank you on behalf of the group and ourselves - and I hope we passed the audition 

Seriously - thank you.


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## Andybb (Sep 30, 2016)

Yes John. Pass you did.


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## skiler (Jan 17, 2013)

With colors flying you did !


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## TreeScreamer (Oct 21, 2017)

You are both too kind. Others have tread more nimbly through the waters I have muddied. There was much learned, and so many things I think I would do differently if given a second chance. When opportunity is appropriate and I feel secure in my knowledge, I'll try to give back.

Tonight I slapped on the final coat of paint. With two ceramic heaters blowing at 67F (and making the garage/shop much warmer than that), I have the drying time down to 12 hours. So by tomorrow, I should have completely dry paint, and then by next Wednesday it should be completely cured - if everything occurs per the Sherwin Williams data sheet.

To minimize any damage to the currently dry and already curing paint on one side, I have applied this solution courtesy of the local Home Depot (BTW - these are normally orange in color, but hard work they have done):










In keeping with yesterday's theme (I know at least one of you knows what that theme is). I can only say this…

Don't let me down!

If indeed these rather massive beams can remain steadfastly perched on their Egyptian-inspired pillars of support, then I will add….

I've got a feeling…a felling deep inside. Oh yeah.










Goo goo ga choob 

Thanks for following. Next up will be the extension table and built in support to keep everything from tipping over. So…stay tuned


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## Andybb (Sep 30, 2016)

Looking forward to another Day In The Life.


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## TreeScreamer (Oct 21, 2017)

Now it's past my bed I know - and I'd really like to go.

But not old and 65 just yet ;-)

Yes, I'll Let It Be now.


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## TreeScreamer (Oct 21, 2017)

Actually worked some wood for a change. Busy building extension table - what should be the final step in this long saga. Got to put the Unisaw to good use. I'm quite pleased because cuts are now nice and straight - finally a step in the right direction.

Here's all the pieces post-production; Lowe's 2×4 studs milled with Powermatic Jointer followed by DeWalt Planer and cut to size with the Unisaw. The box joints were cut using PC router mounted to JessEm Mast-R-Lift II and equipped with a 0.249" Whiteside spiral upcut bit (labeled 0.25" - ask me why I know), guided by my Incra LS Positioner. The mortise and tenons were cut using a PC router mounted to my Pantorouter machine (look here) and equipped with a Whiteside 0.5" spiral upcut bit.










Here's a closer look at the M/T joint. I realized I conveniently forgot that the mortise was a major pain on the 34" run (cut at 17"). I had to rig up a subjig on the LS Positioner to make the two cuts):










The 3/4" Baltic Birch plywood was not purchased from Lowe's. It was cut with the Festool track saw and the dog holes bored out with my prized FAMAG Bormax Forstner bit using the Delta DP (there's the PantoRouter in the background):










Now need to seal the deal - so to speak. Then glue on laminate top (white Formica - again from Lowe's) and mill/build the legs. By next weekend I should be at final assembly stage and the following week tying up any loose ends.

Then I resume the original project that was stalled by my DeWalt contractor saw


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## Andybb (Sep 30, 2016)

Nice outfeed and assembly table.

Ah yes. The original project. I love it when it takes me 2 months to build or upgrade a machine thinking it would only take a day or so.

"Now, what was I making before I did all this?"


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## TreeScreamer (Oct 21, 2017)

So this weekend was fabrication of the legs:



















I still have to apply seal and bolt them up to the table, but definitely in the home stretch and can see the tunnel at the end of the light….










There are of course a few things remaining to button up, which means…

I'll be back ;-)


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## TreeScreamer (Oct 21, 2017)

I know pride is one of the seven deadly sins, but I think I'll indulge in a little sinning just this once (does lying count?). Anyways, let me please present one finished Delta Unisaw! There is still duct work for the dust collector to be laid, but that will be the topic of another thread (or perhaps a blog). A thank you to the many that have followed this journey - it seemed to take forever, but I am pleased with my destination upon arrival 




























And now, let the wardrobe closet commenceth!


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## Andybb (Sep 30, 2016)

Entitled to that deadly sin you truly are. Excellent job David! Hows about just a 30 sec video? I feel unfulfilled without hearing it run and that motor ramping up.

PS How about a paddle switch under the rail so you don't have to reach under to start and stop that beast?


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## TreeScreamer (Oct 21, 2017)

Thanks Andy for the kind words


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## TreeScreamer (Oct 21, 2017)

> Entitled to that deadly sin you truly are. Excellent job David! Hows about just a 30 sec video? I feel unfulfilled without hearing it run and that motor ramping up.
> 
> PS How about a paddle switch under the rail so you don t have to reach under to start and stop that beast?
> 
> - Andybb


Sorry Andy - somehow I didn't come anywhere close to reading your post carefully. Today I start my work on the wardrobe closet in earnest - no doubt there will be opportunity to fire up the Unisaw and record a new video.

As for the start switch - funny you should mention that. I had diligently restored the original switch, completely disassembling and cleaning all the contacts. Unfortunately, during my last use there were several instances when I pressed the go button…and nothing happened. I really want to keep the original factory switch, but may have to rethink that.

I also have an issue with the motor door. In lowering it to clear the extension table, I made it too low to the point where it interferes with raising the blade. Probably going to have to modify how it is mounted to the saw.

David


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