I bought an old Unisaw.... now I have to get it home

[Zachary Hoyt]

I'm living in one of those good news/bad news jokes, seemingly. I just won the bid tonight on a 1949 Unisaw from an online school auction. I've been looking for a cabinet saw to replace my Delta contractor saw, figuring it would work better and also take up less room. Here's a link to the saw:https://www.auctionsinternational.com/auction/27987/item/28-delta-unisaw-179627

The bad news side of things is that I got rear-ended by a hit-and-run driver last Sunday afternoon who bent the tongue on my trusty 5x8 Carry-On trailer so that I am not able to use it unless or until I get a new tongue. I got their license plate and they have been ticketed, but it's going to take their insurance company a while to make up their mind to pay out, I guess. I'm going to try tomorrow to order a spare tongue at Tractor Supply, since that was who Carry-On recommended as a dealer for their parts. Unless I can get a tongue pretty quickly I will need to figure out a way to get the saw into the back of either my Subaru Outback or my Chevy/BlueBird mini school bus.

The bus door is about 3 feet wide and 4 feet tall, but it's a good ways from the ground. The car trunk is smaller, but lower. I imagine I can take the top off, but even so I expect the cabinet will be pretty heavy. It would have been easy with my trailer. I could just have rolled it on with a hand truck, up the built in ramp/tailgate, and the floor is only a foot or so off the ground. My understanding is that the Unisaw didn't change that much over the years, so I imagine that any moving experience with that model of saw would be applicable to mine, even if it was a lot newer one. I'll be grateful for any advice.

[John TenEyck]

Rent a U-Haul trailer. I've hauled several woodworking machines in them, some far heavier than a Unisaw.

I hope the saw is in good shape. I sure like my 1954 Uni.

John

[Patrick Varley]

Do you have a Uhaul near you? You should be able to rent a 5x9 trailer with a ramp for about $30. That's generally what I do as I don't have a place to store a trailer.

[Zachary Hoyt]

Thank you both, that's a good idea. There was a U-Haul place in town last I knew, and I'll call tomorrow and find out.

[Jamie Buxton]

If you take the top off the base, look out for shims which may between the top and the base. Record the positions of each shim so you can reassemble everything correctly in your shop.

[Ray Newman]

Also look into the cost of renting a pickup with a lift gate.

[Andrew Hughes]

+1 one on the shims. I experienced that mistake myself
Good Luck

[Steven Mehl]

I moved my unisaw about 25 years ago using a snow machine trailer that tilted. I used a hand winch to winch it up on to the trailer. Worked great but then it had wheeled base. I'd also check for insects, spiders etc on the base. I manged to bring spiders to my new garage and still can't get rid of them.

[Bill Dufour]

Unbolt and remove the fence rails before tipping it. Too easy to snag and bend things. I just walked it to the back of my pickup and flipped it upside down into the truck. May have used some 2x6 as a ramp. I think it is around 600 pounds? If you take off the top (four bolts) there is no longer a flat surface to set it upside down.
I believe each side wing is 60 pounds. I would guess 120 for the top
Bill D

[Jack Frederick]

Nothing to offer but congrats on the saw. I had a ‘48 which over the years I replaced the arbor, motor & electrics. It is a great saw. Good luck with it.

[Marc Fenneuff]

A Unisaw of that vintage should be around 300lbs. Be sure to remove the motor first as it's about 70lbs on its own. To remove the motor you should first tip the saw on its left side (from the oper position) to make it easier - the correct-vintage manual from vintagemachinery.org (http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/detail.aspx?id=535) will help you in that regard. Then four bolts to remove the table (though I've found it easier to remove the wings first) and it should be manageable. Bring a helper.

[Mike Kees]

Zachary, what Bill said. I have hauled at least 5-6 Unisaws home this way. upside down in a pickup works like a charm. No need to pull it apart, except for the fence. I back up to the saws and tip them on. Just keep rotating until it is upside down. Usually put a piece of plywood or card board under them. A couple rachet straps around the cabinet one holding it from moving forward and one keeping it from moving back. Uhaul may actually rent a pickup cheaper than a trailer, I would load the saw the same way in either one. My reason is it far more stable because they are top heavy machines. Good luck.

[Jim Becker]

The smallest UHaul trailer is inexpensive to rent and more than large enough to do the job. It's also not far off the ground so it's reasonable getting heavy things on and off.

[Bill Dufour]

The smallest uhaul trailer is 14.95 a day plus tax and insurance. Much cheaper then home depot. Check the website for actual dimensions, the 4 x7 trailer is under four feet inside.
One theory is you will adjust the top after setup anyway so why not remove it before shipping? At the very least I would remove any fence and side wings.
Last week the single axle 5x8 trailer cost $28 for 24 hours with tax and insurance in California, Probably less in other states.
Bill D

[Zachary Hoyt]

I was able to order a new tongue for my trailer today and Tractor Supply said it should be here within a week. Maybe I will be able to use my trailer after all, or at worst I can rent a trailer from U-Haul. I think the 4x7 would be big enough, but I don't know what selection of trailer sizes the local U-Haul franchisees would have on the lot on any particular day. We're in a pretty stagnant backwater here. I'm eager to see what I have bought. It looks like a single phase plug in the picture, so that seems hopeful.

[Jim Becker]

Zachary, with UHaul, it's best to make a reservation using their online system. It will redirect you to an alternative location if what you need isn't available and offer alternatives, such as the very common 5x8 trailer. Even if you have to pick up at an alternative site, you can usually return to your local one if it's pre-arranged.

[John Lanciani]

I just recently bought a '46 unisaw myself. I had it dismantled and packed into the back of my forester by myself in less than a half hour. A saw of that vintage will need to be torn down for cleaning and refresh anyways, no harm at all in doing it before transport.

Also, if youre not going to remove the motor its best to transport a Unisaw upside down. There are plenty of reports of broken castings from folks who didnt.

[Bruce Wrenn]

If you rent a trailer, be sure to keep receipt. Don't forget mileage to get and drop off trailer. Other driver's insurance should cover that. As for you getting a new tongue, is other's driver's insurance going to pay you for time and expenses? They should. When I moved my Uni, I removed wings ( no fence,) and flipped it upside onto an old tire in the bed of the truck. Strapped it own, and off I went. Unload was reverse of loading.

[Zachary Hoyt]

Thanks for all of the good ideas. That's very encouraging about fitting one in a Forester. Is it just hex bolts and nuts to take one of these apart or are there other things that would require more tools? I am hoping that the other party's insurance company will pay out something worthwhile, but I have no idea. I am just an individual, and it's probably not worth getting a lawyer for this even if I could find one that was interested in taking it on.

[Marc Fenneuff]

Thanks for all of the good ideas. That's very encouraging about fitting one in a Forester. Is it just hex bolts and nuts to take one of these apart or are there other things that would require more tools? I am hoping that the other party's insurance company will pay out something worthwhile, but I have no idea. I am just an individual, and it's probably not worth getting a lawyer for this even if I could find one that was interested in taking it on.

All hex bolts: 1/2", 9/16" & 5/8". You'll also need needle nose pliers for the motor pivot rod and a set of allen wrenches for the handwheels. The motor fixing bolt might actually be 3/4".

[Zachary Hoyt]

All hex bolts: 1/2", 9/16" & 5/8". You'll also need needle nose pliers for the motor pivot rod and a set of allen wrenches for the handwheels. The motor fixing bolt might actually be 3/4".

Thank you, very much, that'll make packing tools a lot easier.

[John Lanciani]

Thank you, very much, that'll make packing tools a lot easier.

And the biggest flat head screw driver you have for the fence bolts. You'll also need to either cut or disconnect the cord from the switch to the motor to remove it.

[Zachary Hoyt]

Thanks, that'll be good to know. I have some pretty big screwdrivers, and will also take some normal ones to disconnect the cord. I'll mark the wiring so I know how to put it back on the right terminals. Now I've just got to wait for the bid to be approved, and then maybe I can go get it next Friday, or if not then the following one, I hope.

[Tom M King]

You can get one to have good dust control, but not like it sits stock. Mine is not quite that old, but old enough to share a lot.

There are gaps all around, under the top where it sits on the base that need to be stuffed with something. Every open space anywhere could be caulked from the inside while you have the top off. I never took the top off of mine, so all those places are just covered with blue tape.

The tilt slot on mine is now covered by a couple of pieces of magnetic sheet, with a cutout to go around the wheel shaft. They are easily moved whenever a blade tilt is needed.

Mine didn't come with a motor cover. I built a wooden box with slide in tracks for a 12x12 furnace filter. The filter is not to keep anything out, but rather to allow air to be drawn in, and sawdust not get thrown out. It works well. I can run the saw for over an hour, and the motor never gets warm. All intake air is drawn over the motor, which also keeps it pretty clear of dust.

The bottom of the base is completely open. If it's going to sit on a mobile base, like mine, there needs to be a cover made that can fit inside the cabinet.

I also have an overarm dust pickup. We can use it inside a house with a 3hp DC, and no dust gets on anything.

[Peter Mich]

I don’t have anything to offer about transporting the saw. Instead, I am just enjoying reading the efforts and contributions of others in order to help a fellow member solve a problem. Getting the saw home feels a bit like a modern day version of a small scale barn raising. Zach, I hope your adventure comes off without a hitch (or should that be “with a new hitch”).

[Bill Dufour]

I would cut the cord as close to the motor as possible. On the bench at home add a new cord to the motor and install a twist lock connector to both cords. How old is the saw? How old is the cord insulation?
bill D

[Zachary Hoyt]

I don’t have anything to offer about transporting the saw. Instead, I am just enjoying reading the efforts and contributions of others in order to help a fellow member solve a problem. Getting the saw home feels a bit like a modern day version of a small scale barn raising. Zach, I hope your adventure comes off without a hitch (or should that be “with a new hitch”).

SMC is a great community, and many people have been very kind in answering my questions and making suggestions, not only in this thread but in many others where I've asked for help over the years.

I will cut the cord if I have to, but if I can disconnect it fairly easily I'd rather do that, and I can find out about the cord condition then. The cord to the switch looks newish in the pictures, but I don't think the short cord is visible, or if it is I didn't notice it.

[Tom M King]

If you end up taking the top off, mark it so you can put it back in exactly the same place. I think there may be enough play in the holes in the cabinet to matter. They're to allow for aligning the top, but it would be extra effort to get it not only aligned to the blade, but also the same distance from the slots when the blade is both straight up, and tilted. I'm not absolutely sure that's an issue, but think it could be.

[Zachary Hoyt]

Thanks, I'll take a marker and use it on the underside if needed. I'll first just check if the blade is parallel to the slots, because if it isn't there's no reason to replicate the misalignment. So far my experience of buying tools from school auctions is that they have had some pretty goofy work done to them, like the V belt on the Reeves drive on the drill press, or the completely non-functional homemade fence on the bandsaw. The scroll saw was new enough that it maybe hadn't been worked on, or else whoever did did a good job.

[Bill Dufour]

U-haul 5x8 utility trailer. $26.95 with insurance and tax for 24 hours. The 4x7 is about $4.00 less per day. AAA never got back to me about if my car insurance covered a rental trailer or not. So $8.00 for the trailer insurance
Due to the location of the switch box just below a bolt a ratcheting box wrench made removing one corner bolt much easier.
Bill D

[Charles Lent]

The easiest Unisaw move that I've been involved with used a standard pick-up truck and a moving pad, but a thick blanket would work too. We removed the fence and table extensions and put the moving pad in the bed of the truck overhanging the end of the tailgate. We (two of us) then tipped the Unisaw so the overhang of the Unisaw caught on the padded tailgate. Then we lifted/rotated the Unisaw onto the tailgate with the pad under it's table top and the Unisaw upside down. Pulling on the moving pad and pushing the saw got it from the tailgate into the bed of the truck where we secured it from moving. The trip was almost 100 miles and uneventful. The Unisaw was unloaded, again with just the 2 of us, by reversing the procedure, onto a moving dolly and it was wheeled into his shop. No muscle strains, bruises, or aching backs It was easy and uneventful all the way. Getting it off the moving dolly involved just tipping the Unisaw until one foot of the saw touched the floor and then the second. When the weight of the saw was on it's two feet, the dolly was removed, and then we together lowered the high side until the saw was sitting on all 4 feet.

Charley

[Zachary Hoyt]

I picked up the saw yesterday and it looks good. The last person who worked on it had seemingly failed to put the key in the keyway of the pulley and motor shaft, as it was missing and both the pulley ID and shaft OD are shiny. The pulley has a little bit of slop, but I won't know if it vibrates till I get it running. I got a foot of 3/16" square key for $2.50 and will put some in soon. There are only two belts but they look nearly new. I am wondering if 2 belts are enough for a 1 hp motor, or if I need to get 3. There was about a 5 gallon bucketful of sawdust in the bottom of the cabinet, despite the poorly made dust hose hookup on the left side. With no motor cover it's no wonder it didn't work. Overall it's about what I'd expect from a school shop. Clearly the teacher was no brighter than necessary, but that's typical at least around here.

I am a bit confused by a couple of things. There were these three odd table/bracket type things bolted to three sides of the saw, and they all have this triangular bolt pattern in them. I can't tell if they are factory accessories or something some weirdo thought up afterward. I can't come up with a plausible reason why something would need to be bolted to all three sides in turn, but there may be a reason that is beyond my poor power to imagine.

The other thing that I don't get is the plug/wiring. It is a 3 prong twist lock plug marked 120-250V. When I disconnected the switch wires there was a black and a white wire coming from the switch, and they were connected to a dark and a light wire from the motor, respectively. I marked which was which. The other two wires from the motor were tied together. Most of the motor data plate is missing, so I am at a loss. Also I am colorblind, and even if I wasn't the wires on the motor are so old that I don't know if I could see the colors anyway. The cords both look newer. I'd rather run it on 120v since I could plug it in anywhere in the shop, but if it would be better for the motor I can add a circuit for 240v for it. I figured that 1 hp is pretty manageable for 120.

I went and picked it up in the bus, and will be taking it up to Piercefield a week from Monday. I should be able to remember till then how to put the top, rails and motor back on, and everything else is still together. I'm very grateful for all the advice prior to going to get it, and I would appreciate any insights about the wiring or the odd extensions, or anything else. Thank you all very much.

[Jim Becker]

Running a 1hp (or even 1.5/2hp) motor on 120v shouldn't be an issue at all. Two belts sounds correct. 3+ HP generally has three belts for most saws. Is there enough of the motor plate there that you can identify the actual motor? You might be able to obtain visuals online to make up for the missing information. Some folks here will also likely know what connections to check to see if the machine is setup for 120v or 240v now. There's no real benefit to running on 240v so your desire to be able to use the saw "anywhere" via 120v (and appropriate amperage) can be achieved.

Relative to dust collection, the poor performance isn't really about a missing motor cover. It's more about these early machines had no way to have the airflow come from the blade or even the middle ground of having a sloping floor to the DC port. Current generation modern saws even have a shroud around the blade inside the cabinet.

[Terry Therneau]

I agree with Mike. If you can get the edge of the top into a pickup, a person can flip it up onto its top quite easily. That's how I got my '48 machine home. (I had a trailer that was made out of a pickup.)

[Bill Dufour]

Wonder if those brackets held the mitre guage or push sticks, wrench? Regarding the dust my theory is leave it there when you hook up your dust collector or measure each pile and make a board fitted to exactly that shape and size to channel the airflow.
Bill D

[Zachary Hoyt]

Thanks for the suggestions. My current table saw just dumps the sawdust in a pile underneath, so I can figure out the dust collection later on, when I get caught up with things. That's a good idea about identifying the motor to get more information and I'll give it a try today. The brackets/table extensions were flush with the table top, and it seems like if they were used for storage they'd interfere with using the saw, maybe. There was a wooden plate with some headless bolts sticking out that was attached to the back and was where the blade was stored when I picked up the saw. I took it off to make for easier loading.

[Bill Dufour]

What make is the motor, I can not read the data plate.
Bill D

[Zachary Hoyt]

Thanks for the help. I had to leave early Monday morning and didn't get back till last night. The motor is original and I was able to find a picture online of the plate from a similar motor. My mother looked at the wires and took her best guess at the colors and I hooked it up for 115 and changed the plug, and it ran when I plugged it in and flipped the switch. The motor is a little stiff to turn by hand but when I turned it off it kept spinning for a very long time. The motor is still outside the cabinet, sitting on the floor of the bus, but when I get it up to Piercefield on Monday I'll be able to put it all back together and actually try cutting some wood.

I am very happy that it runs, and soon I'll be able to put my old saw up for sale and make a little space in the workshop. I've already moved a lot of stuff out of the workshop and into the attic now that the foam is sprayed and the floor is down, and once I get the kitchen drywalled I can move the appliances and the rest of the kitchen stuff out of the shop too. I'm very grateful for everyone's help with this project, and I'll take a picture and post it once I have it working.

[Zachary Hoyt]

The saw is now in the new workshop and put back together. There were no shims, so either it came without them from the factory or they were lost by someone(possibly the same person who lost the key out of the motor shaft). It seems to cut nicely with a cheap construction type blade, and I'll see about getting a better blade in the fall once I get caught up. There is less vibration than from my old contractor saw. It is a lot heavier, so maybe that's it. The arbor bearings probably should be replaced, but again I'll wait till I have more time. For now it is cutting fine, and zipped through my 13 ash stair treads with no apparent effort.

[Charles Lent]

With a good straight edge you can check the flatness of the table, in several places left to right, again front to back, as well as diagonally. If you find un-flat areas, or more likely a potato type twist, loosen the top to frame bolts to see if it then goes flat. Then measure the gap between the table and mounting points, and add washers of the thickness needed for each mounting bolt location to allow the table to be flat when all of the bolts are again tightened. Each bolt position will likely require washers of a different thickness. For fine adjustments, consider buying steel shim stock of the needed thicknesses and making washers from it for that last little shimming needed. A truly flat saw table is worth the effort. This is not a 5 minute fix, but definitely worth doing. When it's flat in all directions and all of the bolt are tight, you will be very pleased with the result. A properly set up and tuned Unisaw is the answer to a dream. I'm living it now too. I'll never need a better table saw.

Charley

[Zachary Hoyt]

Thank you very much for the tips on shimming the table. I didn't see your advice till tonight. I want to do that and a few other things to it once I get caught up with completing the shop, after we move to the house. For now I'm just using it for rough ripping, making door casings, stair treads and such for the house and it already is nicer than my contractor saw. It runs smoother, and I like the fence better.

[Jim Becker]

That extra mass isn't hurting you in the "runs smoother" department, for sure. 'Glad it's working out!

[Zachary Hoyt]

Yes indeed. It's certainly much heavier, and that is nice except for when I go back up Monday and have to get it up onto the mobile base. I met a buyer and dropped off my old (but 50 years newer) saw today on the way back through from the new house to the old, but I kept the base. No one else is likely to want it since it puts the saw up about 7" or so, but it's nice for me. Just 11 more days or so till the official move date, if all keeps going well at the house.