Vintage Martin T75 restoration

[Patrick Walsh]

Taking pictures is pita.

In this case though I think imperative so I remeber how to put the thing back together. Once I start pulling things apart I’ll start sharing photos.

I gotta get a cord on the machine and plug it in and make a few cuts. After that if everything checks out I’ll probably dive into the sliding table and make that right. Once I have the machine dialed in to my standard and working properly I’ll start pulling everything apart restoring it. I’ll still do,it piece by piece though.

I’ll start with sliding table. Tear it down make it work right then tear it down strip, fill prime, paint put back together. I’ll then probably take all the pieces than can be unbolted and removed with ease for the saw and do the same as above. Once that’s done I’ll take the cast iron tables off completely clean them up and repaint. The remove the motor trunion and machine innards and Stewart tacking all that once piece at a time.

Lots and lots of work.

Patrick, Congrats on the Saw! Was that saw listed on E bay? I have one just like it, mine's Sn. 76260. Love the Felder fence! That's a nice upgrade. As far as the Sliding table goes, that doesn't sound good. Perhaps there is something foreign in there. Stranger things have happened... Yes, the bearings are captured in a linear race, more like ~3' long. You can see the edge of it from underneath. It's about 1/8" thick, and moves at 1/2 the speed of the carriage as you move it. I can help you adjust the slider, but it'll be easier if I grab some pictures. It's not real intuitive (as with many things German) but eventually makes sense. Bear with me.
I agree with your synopsis on the outrigger support post. Mine was a piece of conduit with aluminum duct tape to snug it up. I've since replaced it with a steel rod, and have been mulling ideas to incorporate bearings into it. I can't believe the saw has radial thrust bearings under the kipp levers, but then the outrigger post is sort of an afterthought. The Germans are kinda know for stuff like this though. I have my theories... ;-)
When you disassemble the sliding table portion, please document the process with pictures. I know it's a pain, but there is not much info out there on these. I read somewhere that the fixed races on the sliding table and base are reversible on some vintages, doubling their life. Wouldn't that be cool!

[Brian Holcombe]

Are you going to use the contemporary Martin blue or another color?

[Patrick Walsh]

No Martin Blue as much as I like it I do not like it on the vintage machines.

Im not thrilled about the old green colors either but to be honest I’m a bit of a purist for things like this. I think I’m gonna try and take it right back to its original everything.

I’m tempted to go another color but I think I may regret it. Black is a option for me as I like black but you know as said I’m a purist and I may regret it and I’m not doing it twice. The green I know I can live with.

I know many will not agree but. Plus I figure if I ever decide I just have to have a brand new Martin slider it will make selling the machine a bit more easy if I have brought it back to new and not painted with a red racing stripe.

Are you going to use the contemporary Martin blue or another color?

[Brian Holcombe]

I like the updated color but original green, newly done, will look great. Just like antique and vintage cars, original colors or an update both look great when all is done well.

[Patrick Walsh]

With cars I’m less of a hot rod guy and more like all the way back to original everything. Not that I’m a car guy. I do have auncle with a small museum of early teens Piece arrows. Those cars are restored back to original everything minus modernizing certain aspect of say the drivetrain I believe. Much like my intention to add bearings to the arm that support the outrigger table.

Anyway I really like the approach of bringing something that was perfect when it was made back to perfect again. Imop few things were made perfect and this Martin may just be one of them. I’ll let you know in like two years when I. Done and have had a chance to actually use the saw enough to develop a relationship with it.

If I’m gonna pimp anything it’s gonna be M3 or a 911.....

I did drive by the most fenominal color red Lamborghini at a dealership local to me the other day and do a double take thinking out loud “man I really would never want to be the type of person that actually purchased or wanted to drive that car, but dam is it freaking beautiful” I think I actually said that out loud to myself. Or maybe not but I thought it.

Maybe a Matt black vinyl wrap lol or Matt white would probably be more the rage lol. Hmm I do like white like I really really like white. Not for this though, babies diaper butt green it is.

[Warren Lake]

if you decide to go with the 911 here are a few ideas



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWhN5Kywgxg

[Patrick Walsh]

This would be the dream for me.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HocgTnX0Hok

But I’d be torn to just leave it all original.

Sadly the ship has sailed on me ever owning one of these. Last I knew one in decent condition with 150k on it was going for 30K that may have been ten years ago now.

That 911 is also very very nice. Both cars much like a the old t75 I just purchased made to use and to last in way things just are no longer made. I had a 95 m3 when I was like 20, I love that car lived for it actually, busted my rump for it. It’s still in my view ten time the car of a new m3 but still was afar cry for a e30.

if you decide to go with the 911 here are a few ideas



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWhN5Kywgxg

[Brian Holcombe]

Your not missing anything, this stuff is so much more fun than cars.

[peter gagliardi]

Due to the design, the Martin is always going to need a bit more force to move than say, your old Altendorf and others. A captive ball system inherently has more drag on it than a roller style setup.
Even my new Martin takes some effort to move.
Once cleaned and oiled though, it should be minimal.
The Martin is built heavy, and just feels like it has the heft that is really there.
Without hearing the noise, no way to diagnose. However, some noise - slight occasional dragging, and/or clacking is normal , and will minimize with clean and lube as well. If the races get packed, you can actually get a stuck ball or two, and then the carriage is just dragging the fixed ball along, causing wear.

[Patrick Walsh]

Thanks Peter,

I’ll try to take a short video with audio and post it.

Due to the design, the Martin is always going to need a bit more force to move than say, your old Altendorf and others. A captive ball system inherently has more drag on it than a roller style setup.
Even my new Martin takes some effort to move.
Once cleaned and oiled though, it should be minimal.
The Martin is built heavy, and just feels like it has the heft that is really there.
Without hearing the noise, no way to diagnose. However, some noise - slight occasional dragging, and/or clacking is normal , and will minimize with clean and lube as well. If the races get packed, you can actually get a stuck ball or two, and then the carriage is just dragging the fixed ball along, causing wear.

[Patrick Walsh]

Well not my saw but I do get to use it everyday.

I set this up yesterday. It had to fit in a freight elevator to get to our fourth floor shop. Pretty scary with the elevator having a 4K lb weight limit. It’s tested with way more weight than that but still it was scary.

I had to take the sliding table and carrage off the machine to fit it in the elevator. Even then it had only 1” to spare to get through the door.

Getting the machine back together and Calibrated to cut perfect was a good primer for the work I’ll have to do at some point on my t75. For all the reading I have done on setting the sliding table to the cast table I was surprised how easy it was. I mean it took me like 2-3 hours but I imagined it might take me days the way people talk about it online.

Pretty sweet saw. Who knows maybe I can buy it someday. Sure does look good with my jointer in the background.

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[Martin Wasner]

Your not missing anything, this stuff is so much more fun than cars.

I've never lost it in a tablesaw and gone backwards off the track though...

[Brian Holcombe]

I've never lost it in a tablesaw and gone backwards off the track though...

Hah!

extra words.

[Patrick Walsh]

Ok this doesn’t really count as doing something but...

I had to work today, like eleven miserable hours. Ok not miserable but kinda and only on account of I’m getting a cold.

Anyway, at 7pm as I was leaving I couldn’t help but go check on my new baby. Having just setup the T-73 for my boss and being completely floored by how smooth it was I just had to go slide my antique back and forth and obsess over the nois it makes. Honestly it’s driving me nuts to not just tear the table off and do a marathon session so I can at least know what I’m gonna or not gonna have to do about it.

In sliding the table back and forth I noticed that the outrigger arm was kinda sloppy within itself. You know how it’s a male female type thing. I had noticed some slop prior and also noticed some plastic gib screws near where the make extrusion exits the female extrusion. Anyway instead of just trying to adjust them I decided to take the whole thing apart. Much like the sliding table it has been kinda killing me to get a look inside at the bearings and to see what kind of wear I a, gonna be dealing with.

Anyway a few pictures bellow. I think I’ll start with this piece, tend to whatever needs tending, fully remove and paint needs prime, polish any metal, replace all the screws and I think have some new plastic gib screws made up.

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[Patrick Walsh]

for whatever reason I’m trying to delete a post and it won’t let me but is insisting I have at least x amount of characters.

So I’m explaining my problems just to have some text to replace text I dont want posted lol..