About a month ago I was talking to a lady in our church about cabinetmaking when she said "Hold on a minute, I want to ask my husband Dale something." They came back and said his uncle had built some tools in the late '50s I think that no-one had been using for many years and they were stored in Dale's barn. Dale said he would have to get with the parties involved but he thought I could have them if I could use them. In a couple weeks (last Sunday) he came back and said the uncle's daughter and son-in-law are living in New Mexico so transport would be very expensive, plus they had no place to put them and therefore would be happy if someone could use them. He said I could have them if I wanted them, it was cleared with all involved parties. He is a retired rail road man and has a collection of ultralight airplanes so the little bit of money he could get out of them was of no meaning to him; it would mean more to him that someone gets enjoyment out of them. I made arrangements to look at them last Monday. They are built mostly out of fir wood and plywood. When I looked at them Monday I thought they would be worth having but figured it would be a while before I got them running. The band saw is missing the motor, the lathe was missing the tail stock and rest, but the lathe had a very nice 3 jaw chuck on it and as soon as I saw that I knew I wanted them.
I told him I would take them as soon as I sold the wood stove out of my shop. I posted the stove on Craigslist Tuesday and it was sold and moved out on Wednesday. On Thursday I made arrangements to pick up the tools on Saturday. When I called Dale he said he had found a box full of accessories for the lathe. When we got there yesterday he showed me the parts and I figured out how the ultra cool tail stock works.
I can just imagine this guy tinkering around in his shop in those days making these machines. He was a machinist, I assume the tools are his own design. The lower wheel on the band saw adjusts to be co-planar with the top; the top wheel has an adjustment for tightening the blade and tilts for tracking. I will probably get a 1/2 horse used motor for it off of Craigs or garage sale and then put an 1/8" blade on and use it for tight curves. I have a 14" Delta band saw that I will probably just keep a 3/8" blade on then and use for joinery or gradual curves. I am hoping a stock Craftsman blade or something like that fits this saw. It has leather rims on the wheels.
The lathe just needs a belt, and will be ready to try out; I have the rest for it, I am just not showing it in the pic, forgot to put it on. I can't get over the tail stock drilling apparatus. I think I will use a nail in the 1/4" jaw for between center turning.
The stool is my new shop stool now. I took my shop chair into work so I would have a chair for break, had no shop stool for a while and am thrilled to death with this one.
The old Sears table saw was thrown into the deal, in pretty good shape considering, not sure what I am going to do with it, needs a motor.
Bandsaw main.jpgBandsaw open.jpgBandsaw top detail.jpgLathe head.jpgLathe main.jpgLathe tail.jpgShop Stool.jpgTable saw.jpg
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