Vintage Martin T75 restoration

[Patrick Walsh]

More bench it took a while. I just had to add the ebony bling. So glad I did, as just like ten saw everytime I use the bench I’m in love all over gain. Honestly I go into my shop every morning just to put on my shoes before I leave for work.

I really do love what I do.

Yup those are ebony dare bore pins. And yes they all are functional and not just plugs.

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And it wouldn’t had been complete without hand made hold fast and plane stop by Peter Ross. I just love supporting other makers when I can.

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The whole thing in person is like art. But it’s also highly functional and just a beast. Oh the legs are 10x6 on the front, the back like 9x6. The top is like 5.5x28x9 so May people told me don’t go 28” wide. So glad I didn’t listen!

[Jim Becker]

I have no idea what I’m gonna do with all this lumber?

You are welcome to "store" some of it in my shop. ROFLOL!! (But not the bubinga...I'm allergic to it. Sadly)

[Mark Hennebury]

Go big or go home. gotta love it!
Only two kinds of people in the world:
Those that sharpen their chisels when they are dull.
And those that sharpen them , when they know they can be sharper.

The plate that i used is from a set of shims; the shims already have a U shaped cutout in them and have the thickness stamped on them, i believe that they are hardened, i will check the size of the one i used tomorrow. my guess is it was 0.0625"

Life on the edge;

Were you ever 100% sure about your choices of the rock face? you make a lot of calculations subconsciously based on observation, knowledge and experience and that gives you a pretty good instinct. Never 100%, but acceptable. No one lives forever. The only 100% safe ones are already dead. Oh, and stand to one side, you know just in case.

I had to compress it in several goes, as the spring is long. So compress it a bit, put in the shim, reset the press, compress it a tiny bit more, enough to remove the shim, them compress it more and replace the shim. The shim is solid and did not concern me about popping out. I felt quite fine taking the setup out of the press with the compressed spring in it. I mean i wouldn't point it at anyone, but i didn't mind handling it.

[Mark Hennebury]

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[Patrick Walsh]

Mark

Do you remember is that shim hardened and or do you think it matters

Thanks so much..

Crap you answered me.

Ok looks like I gotta search McMaster Carr for them

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[Darcy Warner]

I put the spring and tube under the front frame of my gooseneck trailer and dropped the Jack's down. Slipped a piece of steel I had laying around in the tube slot. Took 5 minutes tops.

[Mark Hennebury]

Hi Patrick,
they are called slotted shims and are made of Stainless steel, you can buy them in packs.
The one that i used was 0.050"

https://www.tenaquip.com/product/precision-brand-slotted-shims-individual-packages-42350-gr298?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI4NCqlZf-5QIVIB-tBh2m_A1DEAQYCSABEgL2XvD_BwE

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[David Kumm]

If you watch ebay and CL, you can find assortments in steel cases for a decent price. Dave

[Patrick Kane]

I wish i could follow how you all are compressing the spring and holding it in that state of compression as you position it into place on the machine. I will probably never do this in my life, but im curious.

How smooth is the blade bevel with the spring assist? Im sure that large diameter hand crank helps too. I imagined the Felder's height and bevel adjustment would be disappointing--the aluminum hand wheels on the machine are a little chincey and small--but the adjustment is super smooth. Surprisingly smooth in fact.

[Mark Hennebury]

If you look closely at the photos, you will see that there are slots in the spring tube. when you compress the spring you push in one of the shims, it holds the spring in place. You can the remove the assembly from the press and put it on the saw, then you can tilt the saw a little to compress the spring and release the tension on the shim, enough to pull the shim out.

I wish i could follow how you all are compressing the spring and holding it in that state of compression as you position it into place on the machine. I will probably never do this in my life, but im curious.

How smooth is the blade bevel with the spring assist? Im sure that large diameter hand crank helps too. I imagined the Felder's height and bevel adjustment would be disappointing--the aluminum hand wheels on the machine are a little chincey and small--but the adjustment is super smooth. Surprisingly smooth in fact.

[peter gagliardi]

I did not have the benefit of shims, a hydraulic press, or even a gooseneck, but I did somehow manage to do it, with no tools I can recall, and pretty sure I was alone, so its possible.
I remember disassembly as being a bit dicey, but not so much with assembly, once I knew the springs power.
I still want to see that saw close up.
It is a very fine restored example of that particular saw!

[Patrick Walsh]

Well change of plans for the weekend.

The engine lift I intend to borrow is not available till next weekend. So the top will not be coming home.

As a result I had to resort to palm B.

The arbor is heavy, real heavy and stuck square up on a bench on the complete other side of my shop. I intended to use the engine lift to over to the chain hoist. I made a stop at harbor freight on my way home from work.

I came home with this.

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It’s not whatever one Martin sells but you know I’d never pay that kinda money for a silly lift table. I’ll spend on lots of silly things but a lift table I just don’t get it. Sadly the larger table was sold out. This one is good for 500lbs the larger 1000lbs. The real kicker was this table did not get me high enough but the large one would had. I’ll be exchanging it in the morning. I was able to build up the height using cribbing and plywood.

Everything across the shop and in position for the big lift. I’m so nervous at this point as one wrong move and there goes my perfect paint job.

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Truth be told I did scratch the inside of the machine on one place but it’s so far back up in there and buried by a million other things it doesn’t matter much. The top edge of the arbor is a bit scratched as that is what it has been resting on for months.

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[Jim Becker]

You will not be sorry having one of those lift tables in your shop even after all this is over. WAY handy, and not just for moving heavy things. Consider that a nice, stable and flat surface on it, such as a torsion box, gives you an excellent and easy to use assembly work station that's variable in height...less back strain and easier attention to details in a comfortable working position.

Looking good on the re-assembly!

[Patrick Walsh]

And more because they won’t fit above.

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The door. Man o man no bull crap I bet I have like 40-50hrs just into this door alone. I stripped, primed, bondo, sand, some more bondo, sand, prime, then the polyester, then sand, probably a bit more bondo, sand again, prime again and then probably the coats of paint before I was happy with it each sanded between coats.

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From the factory the radius on the door was a mess. You know this piece is buried under the cast table and nobody will ever see it. The problem with me is I’ll always know and it matters to me. Not like a little but like allot.

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[Patrick Walsh]

Couple more.

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If you look close you will see the paint is not perfect. I think had I taken the time to color sand every part before assembly I could have gotten a show car finish. I thought hard about it then decided not to push my luck.

Mark will notice a few components not assembled fully or maybe a bit wrong. For instance the arbor need to come out so I can press the pull on. I also left out two square key ways on the locknut side. Without them everything went together easy peasy no press needed. I tried to pop them in and then put the rest of the assembly together and it wasn’t happening. I;l are it apart in the morning and call it done.

I also brought home one more toy. Well it’s crap harbor freight stuff but if it gets this saw together I’m happy. Bad news is and as I suspected in the store when the larger 20k press was sold out I don’t have the height on this 12k press to get the job done. I could try and press off to the side and I just might. Probably not very smart though.

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And this guy made my day today. He landed on my bench at like 4:30 this morning. As are all the bugs in a woodshop he was covered in sawdust. It always breaks my heart seeing the bugs made to suffer by me and other men. He looked thirsty so I shared my water with him. To my surprise he actually moved toward it and I suspect drank it. He hung out till like noon time before I came back from the bathroom and he was gone. He even made his way onto my workpieces a few times. I would gently put him back on the bench when it was time to move onto another piece. And yet again I’d find him on my workpiece. Kinda funny. I love animals and creatures so much. They are so perfect in every way we are not.

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