Got a new Unisaw (new to me) and few other things at a good price :)

[Brian D Smith]

So I search most of the craigslist lists in my area daily and I came across a guy about an hour away that was shutting his business down after years of collecting tools (or hoarding pick your poison).

I went to check things out and I found a lot of things I needed/wanted but got the following.

I actually had a unisaw deal in the works but decided to get this one instead.

-got the Unisaw for $350 with the Delta Tenoning jig, it's a 3hp 220v and has the 52" unifence and an extension table out the right side as well. everything was there just missing the motor cover.
-got a PC 7518 for $175 for my router table/life extension i'll be putting on the new saw.
-4'x8' 3/4" Baltic birch ply @ $20 a sheet! he has about 6 and i'll be getting them all probably.


from another local fellow I got:

-Freud SD508 dado stack for
-2 fishtail dovetail chisels
-veritas marking gauge
-quick release drill chuck
-3 self centering drill bits
-mallet
-chain drive veritas twin screw vise
-16 piece forstner bit set
-and possible picking up a few other things so far I have gotten all this for $380

~ a little over 100 bd ft of walnut for $150, some planned to 3/4 and some rough at 4/4 and 6/4 as well as some ripped for molding at about ~1-1.5" wide.

been a busy week, and now that it's finally warming up here in PA I'm getting excited to start setting up shop at the new house!

OH and to make things a little better I sold my contractor saw as well so that really helped offset some of the cost...

just wanted to share some of my recent good fortune :)

Brian

[Jesse Busenitz]

Man..... YOU SUCK!!! I've always wanted one of those twin vises, just haven't forked over the dough for one yet.

[Brian D Smith]

Ha.

What's nice is we didn't haggle either, both guys were asking a price that was fair....for once!

The unisaw was a massive score in my mind though.

[Matt Day]

Wow, some sweet deals there! But you know what they saw, no pictures, it didn't happen!

[Charles Lent]

Yes Brian, you got a massive score. It would have been a great score if all you got was the Unisaw and the 52" Unifence for that price. The rest, in my mind, you got FREE. Very well done.

My 1982 Unisaw came without the motor cover (I'm the third owner). I bought a plastic one (black PVC) off the internet (don't remember where) that just snaps in place over the motor hole. It has a foam gasket all around the edges and it really helps to significantly reduce the sound and contain the sawdust. About a year later I discovered that this cover also has slots in the front side to slip the bar of the miter gauge into when it's not being used. Since there are two of these slots and I have a second miter gauge, the second miter gauge is also now kept there. The only other thing that I've added to my saw is a Wixey DRO and it has significantly improved my fence positioning accuracy and repeatability. I will likely never need to buy another saw in my lifetime.

Charley

[Brian D Smith]

Matt...far enough when I get it all in the garage I'll add proff to the thread.

Charles, thanks for the heads up on motor cover I was just about to start searching. Yes it was a good deal, one of the kind that you have to be in the right place at the right time for.

Going to need a new zero clearance inset now as well for my regular blade and dado set.

[Charles Lent]

I make my own table saw inserts, using the original metal insert as a template for the profile. I usually make 6-10 blanks at a time from scrap lumber, Baltic Birch plywood, Corian, HDPE, etc. (Whatever I happen to have in sufficient quantity around). The better ones of Corian and HDPE get saved and used with my better blades. The wooden ones get used for Dado, etc. Right now I probably have 10 for different Dado widths. I label the bottom side of each to keep it, and the blade that it was made for, together. I usually cut the ones of Corian from discarded sink cut-outs. See your local cabinet shops to find some. HDPE cutting boards from the local discount stores are fairly cheap and it works well too.

To make them, just find some material of the proper thickness and trace around your metal insert, then rough cut each, leaving 1/8" or so for final trimming. I use a flush cutting bit with a bearing in my router table to final trim the edges. Just stick the metal one to a roughed out blank with double sided tape, set the router bit height so the bearing rides on the edge of the metal insert and then let the bit trim off the blank to exactly match size of the insert. I mark, drill, and tap holes for set screws in the same positions as the original metal insert and install set screws (10-32?)for height and leveling adjustments. A regular metal threading tap will thread wood, Corian, and HDPE very satisfactorily for this purpose. (If too loose, use blue Locktite on the threads). I then drill a 1/2 or 5/8 hole in the left front area to use as a finger hole for easy removal from the saw table. Another small hole needs to be drilled in the outfeed end for a pin (roll pin) to be inserted and glued. This pin is very important because it keeps the blade motion from lifting the outfeed end of the insert.

I then check each new insert to be certain that it will fit properly in the saw table opening and sand or trim the edges if they don't fit properly. I then put them in a cabinet until I need a replacement or have a new blade that needs a zero clearance insert. All that's necessary then is to get one from the cabinet and cut the kerf using the desired blade. If making a Dado insert, I use the Dado blade at it's desired width to mark (cut slightly) the bottom of the new insert, and then I finish the length and width of the Dado cut on my scroll saw, being careful to make the opening slightly narrower than the Dado blade width. The Dado blade will shave the blade slot to it's correct width the first time you use it. The scroll saw cut is just to remove the bulk of the material. You want the final width to be exactly the width of the Dado blade setting.

Charley

[Brian D Smith]

As promised. Unisaw in my garage. Wanted to wait till all the snow melted to pick it up.

I have the front cover off because I'm cleaning it as well as the motor cover (had to buy the motor cover).

Thing is a beast to move. And even heavier to lift up onto the mobile base!

309605

[Todd Burch]

Congratulations!

[Brian D Smith]

Thanks!

I had it completely disassembled. So far I just have the right wing put back on.

I'm extremely excited about it!!

[Matt Day]

You should be excited! We all love new to us tools at a great deal. Enjoy setting it up and tuning it.

[Scott Hearn]

Looks like you did good! That will cleanup quite nicely.

I got this one about 2 months ago. I probably paid a bit too much for it, but it still worked out for me. When I'm done I'll have pretty much the same money in it as I would have had in the new Grizzly I was going to go get, but this will have the complete Incra fence/router combo on it! I would have still had to have added all that to the new Grizzly. This one came out of a vo-tech that's local to me. It's been used quite heavily but there wasn't a sign of rust on the table at all, just a lot of wear.

So far I've had the table off of it and cleaned it all up. Since the arbor bearings are just right there when the table is off, I put new Nachi bearings in it even though the bearing's sounded fine. I've hand stoned the arbor to under .001 runout, hand stoned the table to less than .003" flatness and it's now super smooth all over. I've realigned the table to the blade, added a ZCI and an Incra 1000SE mitre so far. Incra says my fence and goodies should ship the 1st part of this week so next weekend I'll be busy installing all of that. I'm pretty pumped.

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a215/shearn3162/IMG_0554_zps2e325f87.jpg (http://s12.photobucket.com/user/shearn3162/media/IMG_0554_zps2e325f87.jpg.html)

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a215/shearn3162/IMG_0574_zpsf0e111f4.jpg (http://s12.photobucket.com/user/shearn3162/media/IMG_0574_zpsf0e111f4.jpg.html)

[Brian D Smith]

sweet saw scott!

i considered the incra setup as well but decided that my shop wasn't quite wide enough. love all the attachments available for it.