One step away from the dump

[Edward P. Surowiec]

My Father in-law's old (1950's) C'man TS has been in my shop/garage for several months. Today I decided to disassemble it so that I could (without help) haul it away. Man-O-Man they made robust tools back than. I felt bad about doing this to a very well made saw.
Does anyone have any suggested use or application for the cast iron table top.

[Bob Ross]

Hi Ed,

I made a router table top with one. It ain't pretty but it sure works nice. I used a 4.5" right angle grinder with 1/16" cutting wheels, a jig saw and files to cut the insert hole. The part of the throat opening that was not included in the cut out got filled with epoxy metal.

I parted out the rest of the saw (113.298xxx) on ebay and realized over $300.

[Dylan Smith]

My Father in-law's old (1950's) C'man TS has been in my shop/garage for several months. Today I decided to disassemble it so that I could (without help) haul it away. Man-O-Man they made robust tools back than. I felt bad about doing this to a very well made saw.
Does anyone have any suggested use or application for the cast iron table top.

I'd use the table top for something - it's hard to get a table that flat and sturdy.

As for the rest, at the very least recycle it, don't just pitch it in the landfill.

[Ron Jones near Indy]

Hi Ed,

I made a router table top with one. It ain't pretty but it sure works nice. I used a 4.5" right angle grinder with 1/16" cutting wheels, a jig saw and files to cut the insert hole. The part of the throat opening that was not included in the cut out got filled with epoxy metal.

I parted out the rest of the saw (113.298xxx) on ebay and realized over $300.

Good use for the top. If you want pretty, a local machine shop should fix it up at a reasonable cost.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Alternatives:
1.) restore it and use it as a tennoning machine. Mount two identical blades on it with a spacer to get the thickness tennon you like and it'll be dead on every time.

2.) router table

3.) restore it and make it a metal cutting saw with an abrasive blade in it.

4.) restore it and use it with a dado and a sled

I'd not toss it in the rubbish no way no how.

[Rob Russell]

Another alternative is to turn it into a disk sander. Mount a 10" sanding disk, having the flat table would be nice on the sander.

[Edward P. Surowiec]

Thank you all for some excellent ideas. Wish I had requested them before I disassembled the saw but no big deal to reassemble it. Anyway is was a good experience to see how well tools were made back in the 1950's and the extent to which you could take them apart.
Thanks again.
Ed

[scott spencer]

The wings, legstand, fence, switch, handwheels, miter, guards, motor, motor mount, and insert all have resale value on places like Ebay. I've bought and parted out 5 or 6 older Emerson made Cman saws in the past few years....I buy one or two a year as time and the market allow.

The cast iron table is typically cost prohibitive to ship but you could find other uses like a wing, router table, sander, etc....it's probably worth something in scrap iron!

[Anthony Whitesell]

My Father in-law's old (1950's) C'man TS has been in my shop/garage for several months. Today I decided to disassemble it so that I could (without help) haul it away. Man-O-Man they made robust tools back than. I felt bad about doing this to a very well made saw.
Does anyone have any suggested use or application for the cast iron table top.

Any idea what the model number of the saw is?

[Ed Breen]

Hey Ed,
I have an old 50's Cman saw which I have linked up next to my rigid cabinet. I use it for dados, and attached to it is a router table set up.
I sure have a wide table when I need it. I also have a secong Cman at my daugjhter's house and gave a third one away.
Ed

[Don Bullock]

I donated my old C'man TS to Habitat for Humanity and they were very happy to get it.

[George Sanders]

I have three of these things. They seem to multiply like rabbits!:rolleyes: I have one that I put a new rip fence, machined pulleys, and a link belt on. Runs beautifully without vibration and cuts true. The second one has the 27" deep table and I plan to set it up like the first but with an extended table and a cabinet style base. The third is for parts. My saws are all better made than anything the borgs have on display and I highly recommend them.