Ungloat

[Herb Kelley]

Went to a rural auction this AM.
The main attractions were a Lobo 20" 5HP planner "like new" and a Unisaw. What I found was a Lobo 3HP planner with a heavily rusted bed, feed, knifes and mechanism. It seemed to move OK. The Unisaw was also badly rusted "bought new with little use". When I say badly rusted I mean pitted with new rust spotted on top of old rust. None of the lookers could figure out how to make the unifence lock down. It was a model 802 with a metal dust hood. A saw blade was on the arbor and it was also badly rusted. It upset me to see how someone can allow their expensive tools to be so neglected, to say nothing about the sale bill description. OK, this is not an ungloat it is a rant. Thanks for listening.
Did not stay around for the sale.
A question, would the tables on both machines require regrinding to make them useable again and at what estimated cost?

[Todd Burch]

Herb, I know that was frustrating, it's happened to me too.

Surely the tables are correctable. I'll put it in perspective for you. A few years ago, I went down to Mexico and met a carpenter with a homemake tablesaw. I wouldn't have use his wooden tablesaw top to string across 2 sawhorses for a temp workbench it was so bad. However, it was good enough for him and he made fine looking items with it.

[Mac McAtee]

I look at tools like that as great opportunities. Pitted doesn't mean it isn't flat. Rust can be combated and pretty much made to vanish. The pits may not look pretty but they won't effect the function of the saw. The only moving parts are the up/down, tilt wheels and bearings. Even if they were frozen up they still can be made to function properly. I hope someone got those tools who can clean them up and joint our motley crew here at Saw Mill Creek.

[Herb Kelley]

I look at tools like that as great opportunities. Pitted doesn't mean it isn't flat. Rust can be combated and pretty much made to vanish. The pits may not look pretty but they won't effect the function of the saw. The only moving parts are the up/down, tilt wheels and bearings. Even if they were frozen up they still can be made to function properly. I hope someone got those tools who can clean them up and joint our motley crew here at Saw Mill Creek.

Mac,

To your point, I would have seriously considered staying and bidding if the saw was a left tilt/bes fence. Could not see buying a project that when finished, I really did not want.

[Mac McAtee]

Herb,
That's what makes life interesting.

Please do not think that I was being critical of what ever decision you made. I just was making the point that in my mind a machine in the condtion you discribed, to me, is an oppourtunity, not a liabilty.