Unisaw Resto 99% done, DeWALT sliding table installed *PICS*

[David Eisan]

Hello everyone,

I managed to get the adaptor plates made and installed for the DeWALT sliding table last night,

http://www.federatedtool.com/david/img/adptfront.jpg

http://www.federatedtool.com/david/img/adpback.jpg

I bought two pieces of 1/4" thick, 2-1/2" wide by 24" long aluminium flat stock. I measured down 7/16 from the top edge of the Unisaw cast iron top and clamped them in place. I marked for three holes and then drilled through the aluminium on my drill press with a 5/16" bit. The three holes then were countersunk with a 5/8" countersink so the cap head screws would sit flush with the plate when installed. I clamped the plates back in place on the saw and marked my holes front and back on the Unisaw table edge. I drilled the cast iron table edge with a 3/8" bit to give me a little wiggle room when installing the adaptor plate. With the adaptor plate installed, I clamped the DeWALT sliding table brackets in place behind the adaptor plate, flush under Unisaw table edge and marked the holes from behind. I removed the aluminium adaptor plates, drilled 5/16" holes on my marks and again countersunk with a 5/8" countersink.

I reinstalled the adaptor plates to the Unisaw table edge and also bolted the DeWALT sliding table brackets to the adaptor plates. Everything lined up bolted together very well.

Next I installed the General T-Square (Biesemeyer) fence. Pretty strait forward, I have lost count of how many I have installed, in fact, I had installed one on a Unisaw earlier in the day at a local high school. Nothing exciting here, Mark some holes and drill them. I did have to cut about 12" off of both front and rear fence rails to allow them to clear the sliding table.

Fence rails installed,

http://www.federatedtool.com/david/img/frontrail.jpg

Shot of under the front of the table,

http://www.federatedtool.com/david/img/boltsfront.jpg

You can see how the aluminium adaptor plate I made allows the DeWALT sliding table support rail to be directly under and flush with the front edge of the cast iron table.

Here I have stuffed a 3/4" thick piece of MDF in the mitre slot and I am running a dial indicator back and fourth to check that the sliding table is parallel to the mitre slot,

http://www.federatedtool.com/david/img/aligntable.jpg

Yawn, bashing together a filler box to fit between the front and back fence rails. Made with 5/8" melamine and 3/4" Baltic birch plywood. High end joinery with pocket screws,

http://www.federatedtool.com/david/img/fillerbox.jpg

I installed the filler box and added the table legs.

Here is the saw almost done,

http://www.federatedtool.com/david/img/almost1.jpg

http://www.federatedtool.com/david/img/almost2.jpg

All I need to do now is install the switch and make a few more fine
adjustments.

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For the full horror, here is part 1 of the rebuild,

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=20029

And part 2,

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=20593

Thanks,

David.

[Russ Massery]

Excellent JOB!!!!!! Love to see old iron saved and put back into use! BTW how do like the dewalt siding table? I've been thinking of putting one on mine.

[Jeff Sudmeier]

David,

It sure is looking great! I bet you can't wait to get it fine tuned and cutting wood!

[Tim Morton]

I think I'll just sit here a bit and stare at the beauty of it all.:)(course I am too tired to move after working for over an hour to get a watermelon sized rock out of a hole I am digging...so its a good thing to have something to look at.

[Michael Gibbons]

All those improvements will make a difference in your work. You'll love the 50" fence. Looks good.

[Peter Stahl]

Very nice job. Can you give us a price on the restore job when you're finished?

[Kelly C. Hanna]

Great job David! I love seeing older iron back in service and you've done a fine job!

[David Eisan]

Very nice job. Can you give us a price on the restore job when you're finished?

I keep very good records of what I spend on tools. I just went back and looked them up, I didn't realize that I started buying parts for this saw well over a year ago. I think of it as buying a saw on the installment plan. Pick up the parts as I find them/can afford them.

The total cost was around $1250.00 for everything including the saw. I started with a clunker Unisaw and bought the DeWALT sliding table, new arbor, bearings, Baldor motor, DanFoss starter, General Biesemeyer Fence, Delta Biesemeyer splitter, Delta mobile base and lots of nuts and bolts. If you add up the items looking at retail prices, my math does not work, but I bough most of these items *really* cheaply, or was given them outright. I figure if you were to even get good prices on these items and tried to build this saw by buying a new Unisaw $2200, Sliding table $750, Mobile base $200, Splitter $150, you are looking at least $3300+.

Would I do it again? In heartbeat! I have a really cool saw at about 1/3 the cost of new.

Thanks,

David.

(prices quoted CDN dollars. 1 CDN dollar = 0.794596 USD as of right now)

[Joe Meazle]

David,

You are going to love that sliding table. I put one on my Jet and have not touched my sled since. My miter saw even feels a little neglected.
Joe

[Mike Deschler]

David:

Nice job!!!

Just out of curiosity, how much forward and rear movement does the DW sliding table have? You have got me thinking about a future project