Looking for advice about old unisaw

[Jamie Hargrave]

I have an opportunity to pick up an older unisaw (serial number g5032) for $300. It's a 1 phase motor (3hp I think), and I only have one picture of it. The shape looks to be ok considering it has been stored in a shed for the past couple of years! There is no fence and only one wing on it as far as I can tell. The problem is that it is a couple of hours drive away. It would be real nice to replace my craftsman contractor saw with a cabinet saw. I'm not concerned about the work needed to bring it up to snuff, but I'm just not sure it is worth $300. What do you think, and what should I be looking for if I go take a look at it? Thanks in advance for the advice!

[William OConnell]

If it runs buy it

[David DeCristoforo]

A running Uni of any vintage is a steal at three bills. Extension wings are easy to find and pretty cheap and the stock fences were not worth a hill of beans anyway....

[Pete Bradley]

It's not as simple as "if it runs buy it". That price is in the ballpark for a complete old unisaw in need of restoration, but a $300 Unisaw may end up being a $350 usable Unisaw or a $1000 usable unisaw depending on condition and your abilities.

If the serial number is correct, it's in the 1939-40 range, and a single phase machine will have a repulsion start-induction run motor of either 1 or 1.5 HP. These motors have gobs of rotating mass and high starting torque compared to their modern counterparts, so don't let the numbers throw you.

To determine if the price is right for you, here are some questions to ask:
1. Are there parts missing or broken? The old pulleys, handwheels, lock knobs , and particularly the locking mechanism of the handwheels can be difficult/expensive to replace. Make sure the raise/lower and tilt mechanism works and there are no broken teeth in the gears. Replacements are available, but not cheap.
2. Are the tables or other parts severely rusted and pitted? If so, it's probably a parts machine.
3. Do you have the skill and tools to replace bearings and service the motor yourself? If not, add those costs. Saw Center will do a set of bearings and true the arbor, and you probably have a local shop for the motor. If the motor's toast, you need a replacement that fits the opening, figure $200-$300.
4. Does the switch or starter work? If not, do you have the knowledge to fix it?
5. What will a replacement fence cost? Add that to the total.
6. You'll need a blade, set of belts and a new plug and wire. Add those to the total.
7. Rust removal? Stripper? Paint? Add cost and time.
8. Does it have 4 feet, a goose egg motor cover, original switch, and/or dust door? All make the machine more desirable to collectors, maybe to you too.


There's lots of good information on owwm.com also.

Good luck!

Pete

[Rollie Meyers]

For $300.00, buy it, those older machines are still better then the Chiwanese boat anchors being sold now:eek:, and the folks at www.owwm.org (http://www.owwm.org) are willing to help on any restoration questions you may have. FYI I bought a 1973 vintage unisaw & just got it running (needed to buy a new motor & stole the jetlock fence off my 10" Delta contractors saw untill a Biesemeyer can be put on it.):D

[William OConnell]

Heres mine at a job site a few years ago. Its a 1949 also
Buying and tweaking that saw was almost a spiritual experience for me. I like the old heavy machines. It has the old honeycomb motor thats been talked about. I wouldn't trade this saw for a newer one. Notice the 18k gold paint on the base. I painted it that color, well because I'm a maniac


http://www.indianisland.us/Gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=1029&g2_serialNumber=1

[Mike Wilkins]

If it is a single phase Uni, even with a missing wing, it is a bargain at that price. One of the great facts about the Delta Unisaw class of saws, is that parts are readily available. You could replace the left side wing with a cast iron router wing, and for the right side an extention table to support the rip fence.
And for fences, there are many available. I used the Unifence on my 1964 Rockwell/Delta Uni, and it bolted right on.
You need to grab it before someone else does.

[Jamie Hargrave]

I'm going out to look at it tomorrow morning, and taking cash and a trailer with me! I'm not so concerned about the general rehab of the say, just if there is anything specific to be looking for on this particular model. I already have a saw shop mule replica fence to put on it so that isn't a problem. What do I need to be looking for, specifically with the motor as I know nothing about repulsion/induction motors.

[Pete Bradley]

R/I motors are relatively easy to work on, but some shops won't touch them because of their age. If it runs, it's worth fixing. If you have decent mechanical skills, you can do a bearing replacement yourself. If it doesn't run, you have a bit of a quandry, since the fix may or may not be expensive, and the alternatives are finding another 1725 RPM bullet motor, finding a later 3450 bullet and matching pulley, or putting in a new motor and opening up the hole in the cabinet to clear it. Any of these options will likely run you $250 or more.

The only other part that's particularly difficult is the locking pin and wedges used in the handwheels of the early Unis. If the lock knobs are present and work, you're all set. If a lock knob is missing, see if there's a slotted pin and 2 flat wedges down the bore (unlikely once the knob is gone). Replacements are hard to find and updating to the current style involves replacing more parts than you want to. If you take the lock knobs out for transport, be sure to put a bolt in the hole to keep the other parts in. If I recall correctly, the table bolts work well for this purpose.

Pete

[Jamie Hargrave]

Ok, thanks for the advice everyone. I went out and looked at the saw. Turns out it is a Rockwell 34-451 serial # g5032. I'm still trying to figure out how old it is. Unfortunately for him, and fortunately for me, the guy didn't really know what he had, or it would have been sold long ago. The saw came with a 52" unifence, and an extension table that he hadn't bothered to mention! It has a 1.5hp motor on it, that has a capacitor, which I guess means that it is a induction motor, it is rated at 20/10 amps, so I would imagine that 1.5hp rating is a little conservative. It needs a bit of clean up and tlc, but overall seems to be in pretty good shape. The price... I managed to talk him down to $240!! Oh yeah, I'll post a pic when I get home tonight, just to prove it did happen!

[Sean Kinn]

Awesome score! At that price even if it requires a few minor parts and cleanup time it's still a huge bargain.