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View Full Version : Oliver 260D Twin Motor Table Saw !



lou sansone
12-15-2005, 8:03 PM
Good evening wood workers
I thought that some of you might to gaze at a few photos of a saw that I recently owned. There are a couple of other folks here at the creek that also own this same saw. Bill S has one in mint shape.

The oliver 260D is a dual arbor tilting arbor saw. it is quite unusually and many may not have see the in's and out's of one. So I thought that you might like to see one. They are quite impressive when all dressed up and especially when you hit the start button. These is nothing like the sound of a direct drive saw.

Ok for the particulars
The saw has twin 5 hp louis allis direct drive motors that each can energize a 16" blade. the arbor is 1" and the clamping flanges are a full 6" in diameter. No blade stabilizer needed. Each motor has its own drum brake that really works pretty decent. I would say it stops the 16" blade in less than 6 seconds ( who said that only the Europeans have thought of safety - this saw was 1948 vintage ! )

The slip ring assembly that you see is to allow power to be directed to the correct
to the motors


I think that these saws really worked well for pattern shops that needed to accurate cross cut and also rip on a regular basis. before the advent of combo blades, this saw was designed to make the switch over from one type of cutting to the other quite rapid. One arbor could have your dedicated super fine cross cutting blade and the other a true ripping blade.

The motors are built into a massive casting called the "turret" which I have failed to take a picture of when I had the saw apart for overhaul. The raise/lower handle on the front of the saw is part of a worm screw assembly. The worm screw turns a worm gear that is fastened to the turret. As you turn the raise and lower handle what you are really going it rotating the turret that has both motors case right into it. One motor and blade rotates up to the 12 O'Clock position. The would represent the greatest height for that blade. The other motor is directly opposed and at the 6 o'clock position ( not in service and all the way down). If you were to continue to turn the raise / lower handle the blade would begin to lower into the machine, until it disappeared completely ( it would be at the 3 O'Clock position) . The other blade that was at 6 o' clock would now be at 9 o clock. If you continue to crank on the raise / lower handle the blade that was at 9 o clock would all of a sudden appear out of the throat plate and become the active blade.

Tilting is accomplished by tilting the entire turret and blade flask as you can see from the photos.

The sliding table has a 30 inch stoke. not real long, but good enough for cross cutting a lot of things.

One of the pictures shows a 1/2" flat washer just sitting on the table while the 16 inch blade is just spinning away. the saw is rock solid, but at 2350 lbs it should be. enjoy the photos

lou

lou sansone
12-15-2005, 8:05 PM
few more photos

Jim Dunn
12-15-2005, 8:16 PM
:eek:Wow what a saw!! Looks kinda like a dragracer with that big saw dust ejector hanging on the side:D:D Kinda like headers:eek:
Lou thanks for posting pics of such a fabulous saw

Jim

Richard Wolf
12-15-2005, 8:17 PM
That's a great looking saw Lou. Where did I see this saw? Did you just sell this on Ebay?

Richard

Lee DeRaud
12-15-2005, 8:19 PM
Simply awesome...looks like it could cross-cut a Harley motor without slowing down.:eek:

Dennis McDonaugh
12-15-2005, 9:08 PM
Lou, what's that that looks like its etched on the table top? Is it for determining miter angles?

Vaughn McMillan
12-15-2005, 9:16 PM
Amazing saw, Lou. Nice and compact. I could so fit that in my garage. (I'm guessing I'd have to get some electrical upgrades, though.) Thanks for the pics and description.

- Vaughn

Roy Wall
12-15-2005, 9:18 PM
Nice saw Lou!!

Questions:

1) Whats that "triangle thing" on the fence side...back on the edge.?

2) I notice these old saws have a "short fence"....stopping about mid-blade (whereas modern Bies type fences are much longer...)

Is this to allow for wood (of that era) to expand after the rip cut and not get pinched and do horrible things?? Was is based on the drying processes at the time??

Thanks for tilting one of those beasts!! I'm going to try that "washer trick".:cool:

Paul B. Cresti
12-15-2005, 10:40 PM
Lou,
Thanks for the more in depth pictures. All I can say is what the hell happend to the American CS?????? Companies like this and other produced these great machines only to fade away. The Europeans continued all while our machine shops and foundries disappeared.... it is a shame that we were able to produce machines that advanced that long ago and now we have nothing ....other than Northfield....

Bruce Page
12-15-2005, 11:25 PM
I remember looking at it on Ebay. Sweeeet!

Alan Turner
12-16-2005, 5:04 AM
Lou,
Thanks for the pix and descriptions. I am gathering that the x-cut will not handle a dado because of the sliding table. How is the dust collection? Is it good enough that the dust does not foul the slip rings? What are you using now that you sold the Oliver? I am sure you told us, but I seem to have missed that thread. A full European slider I am assuming.

lou sansone
12-16-2005, 5:31 AM
Lou,
Thanks for the pix and descriptions. I am gathering that the x-cut will not handle a dado because of the sliding table. How is the dust collection? Is it good enough that the dust does not foul the slip rings? What are you using now that you sold the Oliver? I am sure you told us, but I seem to have missed that thread. A full European slider I am assuming.

Alan you brought up a good point that I did not cover in this presentation. The sliding table can actually slide in 2 directions!! The entire sliding table section with the rollers and such, actually sit on top of another lower base ( hidden from your view ) that is attached to the main table. If you loosen up a couple of handles from underneath, the sliding table assembly actually will slide a full 6" to the left ( when standing in front of the saw). This allows one to put all types of deadly dado heads and other things on the saw arbors. In fact, now days folks like to set the saw up with a dado head on one arbor and a forrest combo blade on the other arbor. talk about quick change !

lou sansone
12-16-2005, 5:42 AM
Nice saw Lou!!

Questions:

1) Whats that "triangle thing" on the fence side...back on the edge.?

2) I notice these old saws have a "short fence"....stopping about mid-blade (whereas modern Bies type fences are much longer...)

Is this to allow for wood (of that era) to expand after the rip cut and not get pinched and do horrible things?? Was is based on the drying processes at the time??

Thanks for tilting one of those beasts!! I'm going to try that "washer trick".:cool:

Hi roy
here are a few more photos for you and others on the F style fence. The F fence was very adjustable in many ways. If you look at it carefully you will see that if you loosen up a couple of little levers ( very cute) you can slide the fence forward or backward as you like. In addition you can tilt the fence to 45 degrees for working with beveled stock and other odd shaped stuff. The fence has a rack and pinion type adjustment as you can see from the hand wheel. once the hand wheel is locked you have a micrometer adjustment on the back end of the fence with the black knob. The entire fence can also be angled, but I am not clear on how you would use that feature.

lou sansone
12-16-2005, 5:47 AM
Lou, what's that that looks like its etched on the table top? Is it for determining miter angles?


hi dennis
you got it. the cross cut sled was made for doing pretty precise miter cuts for patternmakers.

Brett Baldwin
12-16-2005, 9:47 AM
Now that is a well thought-out saw. It really is a shame that we don't have much of that level of machinery being made here anymore. I'm afraid I missed the auction, if you don't mind telling, what price did it end at?