So I have a opportunity to purchase the above machine for a fair deal from my employer.

I am aware of the phenolic guides being pop riveted I the the sliding table along with not availible for replacement.

So my question is as follows to those in the know with regard to the phenolic ways. Can the material be replaced. It seems from what I can tell that reproducing it should be pretty easy considering phenolic is still readily availible. Well at least I think it is, I could be wrong. From the looks of it I would think it machines fairly easily.

I figure the pop rivers could be taken out then the holes tapped and screws used instead to hold the phenolic ways down. As for the wheels the table rides along the ways on well I have yet to really dig to deep into the machine and check them out. I figure with all the stuff I seemguys domto restor old wadkin, Oliver and the like machines this has gotta be completely doable.

I have intended to buy a brand new Martin T60C all tricked out in the next year or so. With that said I also have my eye on a fully outfitted t12 with sliding table. Point being the spending could just never stop. Another point is I like the idea of no electronics on a slider, what I don’t like is the build quality of the low end offerings of Scmi or Felder when it comes to a fully manual machine.

Don’t get me wrong I love the idea of electronic everything but I also see a big risk involved. I figure if this saw is worth it I could fully go over much like Brian with his mortise machaine paint and all, the works if you will. I could then get a new crosscut fence from Felder or Scmi and Brian’s digital readouts and have a pretty nice machine.

So my hesitation is about the phenolic ways and them failing and me being stuck having to get a very very heavy lead weight out of my basement shop. Really whatever I bring into my shop I need to know it can live there forever baring natural disaster.

So what can people tell me about these phenolic ways or other potential problems. What if the motor goes can I have it re wound?