Restoring my Dewalt GWI

[James Williams 007]

I recently found a Dewalt GWI RAS and yes I did order Wally's book but I would like to start the restoration process and I need a little insight. What would be the best approach to removing rust? I have used citric acid to restore old stanley planes but I don't know if that would be the best approach here or if electrolysis would work or sandblasting maybe? I am going to do a semi restoration at first because the guard that came with the saw is from a different year and my hope is to eventually find the right guard and then strip everything and put a nice paint job on it. The objective now is to remove rust and free up all moving parts and get it in good working order so that I can make sawdust.
The motor seems to work great but it spins for a long time after I turn it off is this normal of this saw? After looking at pics of other GWI's it seems that the motor is missing something.... maybe the reset button and another switch?:)

[Brian MacDonald]

You might try Boeshield Rust Free for the rust removal. Spray it on and let it sit for minute or two and wipe off. Over time, with continued use, it might dull the surrounding paint, but as you're looking at doing a restore in the future, that may not be an issue for you.

I had a similar long spin-down on my 925. I asked on the Dewalt forum on Delphi and all recommened replacing the motor bearings. I was able to pull the bearings and find a match at a local bearing house for about $20 for both and it did cut the spin down considerably.

Looks like a nice old saw, good luck with the restoration.