Restoring 8" Delta Crescent Jointer

[bretgreen]

Hello Everyone!
I just picked up a sweet old goodie.
I got a delta/crescent 8" jointer from 1955 with the cast iron base and original motor. Photos to follow. I am in the process of restoring it and it still has the original switchbox and switch which is great, but somewhere along the timeline, someone took the original Delta Red switchplate off and put on a Delta/Unisaw plate. It looks odd to say the least. If anyone has an original Delta Red Switchplate with the circle r or without and can part with it, I would greatly appreciate it.

[Alan DuBoff]

Whew, what a honey...please do post more pics...This would be a perfect match for Jeff Horton's Unisaw he restored recentely! :cool:

[Jeff Horton]

I am not sure of this, but I thought that red was the plate for the shaper? At least that is what my 1948 shaper has on it. Or very similar to yours. I know my '48 Unisaw has a black and silver plate on the switch. Of course maybe they changed to Red plates at some point?

Regardless, we want to see more photos!

[Bill Simmeth]

I am not sure of this, but I thought that red was the plate for the shaper?FWIW... The Delta 132 switch was used on the Unisaw, shaper, band saw and jointer. The switchplate on the Unisaw was of a unique design incorporating the "Unisaw" brand name. The other tools shared a "generic" switchplate design. The rough progression of the switchplate is as follows...

41685
This is the original switchplate for non-Unisaw tools and is quite rare (with the black color). It dates to the late 30s and maybe 1940.

41686
In or about 1941, the black was replaced with red. Probably made it easier for the plant employees to differentiate between it and the Unisaw switchplate which was also black and silver.

41687
In the early 1950s, the plate was redesigned to recognize Rockwell's ownership of Delta. (Col Rockwell actually took control of Delta in 1942.) This probably coincided with the move of the Delta plant out of Milwaukee.

41688
The switchplate was "modernized" in the early 1960s. This is the last design before the switch assembly was discontinued.

[tod evans]

hi bill! where ya been hiding?

[Bill Simmeth]

Hey back at ya, Tod. Had a wicked-crazy spring, not much time for forums. But now, as the song says, "Summertime and the livin' is easy". Well, at least a little more so!

[tod evans]

bill, glad you`re back around! missed your words of wisdom.
bret, i`ll tell ya "nice score" when i know you scored more than a switch;) tod

[bretgreen]

Here are the before pictures. I will leave you with after pictures when I have them.
I still need the red switchplate with the R. Anyone?

[tod evans]

nice score bret! can`t wait to see it finished. tod