1972 Rockwell/Delta 34-338 Contractor's Saw

[David J. Smith]

I am in the process of cleaning and reconditioning a Rockwell/Delta model 34-338 table saw. My father purchased it in 1972 and it has given faithful service since then.

This summer I tore it down to repaint all the parts and free up the movement of the arbor bracket and carriage. Most of the work is completed now I am ready to begin reassembly. Installing the arbor with the new bearings should be interesting.

The toggle on/off switch is on my list for replacement as is the stock fence. Both are still good, however, so I'll probably keep using them initially.

The only parts I am having difficulty finding are the special hex screws which hold the stand together. The are 5/16-24 screws but have a special head which mates with a "dimple" in the frame. Some how two came up missing over the years. Any suggested sources for possible replacement would be appreciated.

I have seen several articles on aligning the saw but that will still be a challenging task given the location of the trunnion bolts. I was unaware of this requirement when I started and wondered why there was so much "slop" in some of the parts when I disassembled it.

Jim Fancher seems to have embarked upon a similar journey several years ago and I would be interested to hear how his turned out.

-- David in Carlisle, PA

[Lee Koepke]

I am in the process of cleaning and reconditioning a Rockwell/Delta model 34-338 table saw. My father purchased it in 1972 and it has given faithful service since then.

This summer I tore it down to repaint all the parts and free up the movement of the arbor bracket and carriage. Most of the work is completed now I am ready to begin reassembly. Installing the arbor with the new bearings should be interesting.

The toggle on/off switch is on my list for replacement as is the stock fence. Both are still good, however, so I'll probably keep using them initially.

The only parts I am having difficulty finding are the special hex screws which hold the stand together. The are 5/16-24 screws but have a special head which mates with a "dimple" in the frame. Some how two came up missing over the years. Any suggested sources for possible replacement would be appreciated.

I have seen several articles on aligning the saw but that will still be a challenging task given the location of the trunnion bolts. I was unaware of this requirement when I started and wondered why there was so much "slop" in some of the parts when I disassembled it.

Jim Fancher seems to have embarked upon a similar journey several years ago and I would be interested to hear how his turned out.

-- David in Carlisle, PA
David, if you have enough patience to restore one of those saws, maybe you have enough to search Delta.com ... when I restored my mid 60s version, I needed a few misc parts and after a bit of searching ( www.owwm.com (http://www.owwm.com) ) I found the Owners Manual w/ a parts list. Delta still stocks certain parts, even from that long ago.

Good luck !!!

PS, we visited your town last summer in our tour of PA, its a beautiful little town !!! :cool:

[Louis Rucci]

I just acquired a 1950's vintage Dewalt 8" radial arm saw. Made by AMF in Lancaster Pa. I'm planning on restoring that

OWWM is definitely the place to go. Found the original manual there.

As a fellow Pennsylvanian (Phila, Hershey) good luck on your restoration.

[David J. Smith]

Thanks, Lee and Louis. I have the original owner's manual and parts list plus the "recent" updates from Delta. Unfortunately, the stand bolts are no longer carried. It's interesting because they were used on a number of models so it would make sense to have them available.

As of this date, the saw is back together and I am in the process of aligning the blade. I am just glad that I had sufficient time this summer to devote to the project.

I'll post some pictures upon completion.