Might have found my Unisaw!

[Chris Foley]

I have a lead on the unisaw below. I don't have the exact model numbers yet. I am going to see it tomrrow hopefully. I am trying to upload a photo now (never done this before). It has an older Beis fence and is 3Hp. It looks like an older model but I don't have the manf. date or the exact model number yet.

**Update**

Model is 34-450
It was manufactured around 1985

[Karlan Talkington]

Good luck, Chris! Hope the lead proves successful!
Just in time for Christmas ;)

[Jim O'Dell]

That would be sweet! Hope it works out for you!!
And that Biese fence looks just like the brand new one in the slightly opened box out in my shop.:D I don't think there are any major differences in Bies fences. It is what it is. Jim.

[Jamie Buxton]

That's not the OEM switch on it. It looks like a house lighting switch. If it is a house lighting switch, it is not designed to handle a 3 hp motor, and is likely to burn out quickly. That's not a big deal. You can buy 3-hp-rated switches for $50 or so from many woodworking catalogs. But it might be a bargaining argument with the present owner.

[Ron Williams]

It looks like the magnetic controls have been taken off which is a big safety issue and would be expensive to replace

[Chris Foley]

I noticed the switch already. That is a small thing. I will have to check into the starter circuits.

Thanks for all the input. I am headed out that way after work tomorrow. We will see then.

Chris

[Jamie Buxton]

McMaster-Carr offers a DPST switch intended for control of a 230 volt 3 hp motor for $28.

Woodworkers Supply offers a magnetic switch for 3HP motors for $65. I believe I've seen similar from Grizzly.

Like I said, it is a bargaining point, not a show-stopper.

[Chris Foley]

Anyone have the electrical manual for this model??

[Jamie Buxton]

Anyone have the electrical manual for this model??

There would be nothing in it. The saw has a motor, a switch, and a plug.

My Unisaw, which is a little newer than that one, had a straight mechanical switch. Some time later, Delta started putting magnetic switches on Unisaws. The switch is one specified for controlling 230 volt 3 hp motors. The 230 volt use means that both hots get switched, so the switch is a double pole single throw (DPST). (The standard house lighting switch controls only the one hot, so it is single pole single throw.) The motor spec means that it has to handle a big inductive surge when the motor is turned off, so the contacts are bigger than a house lighting switch.

[Ron Williams]

I have never seen a Unisaw of the era without a starter control and overload protection

[Josiah Bartlett]

My 34-450 has the push start-stop switch like Jamie's but they are not mag switches. In fact, I don't think it has any overload protection either. That is definitely the wrong one, but it shouldn't be hard to remedy. You can get a Mag switch from Grizzly or Shop Fox pretty reasonably and mount it to the fence rail, which is a nice safety upgrade. The main reason for the mag switch is that it releases if the saw loses power when the breaker trips, so it doesn't restart until you use the switch.

[Bill White]

I don't know.......You need to load it up, ship it to my shop, let me test it out for a year or two. I'll certainly let you know how it works.
Bill

[Rod Sheridan]

Chris, "might have found my Unisaw"??????

Man, you need to clean your shop more often!

[Bruce Page]

That should clean up nicely with a little TLC.

[Chris Foley]

Well, this baby has been VERY well cared for. All the surfaces have zero rust. The belts are in great shape, the bearings and shafts all have no play at all. The motor was rebuillt a few years ago. The guy owned a cabinet shop in Fla several years ago and moved to Houston. The mag switch was removed and remote mounted (elimnating the bump to start issue).

I am picking it up on Friday!:D

Chris

[Bruce Page]

Congrats Chris!

We'll need better pictures. :D