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Thread: I bought an old Unisaw.... now I have to get it home

  1. #31
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Location
    Central North Carolina
    Posts
    1,830
    The easiest Unisaw move that I've been involved with used a standard pick-up truck and a moving pad, but a thick blanket would work too. We removed the fence and table extensions and put the moving pad in the bed of the truck overhanging the end of the tailgate. We (two of us) then tipped the Unisaw so the overhang of the Unisaw caught on the padded tailgate. Then we lifted/rotated the Unisaw onto the tailgate with the pad under it's table top and the Unisaw upside down. Pulling on the moving pad and pushing the saw got it from the tailgate into the bed of the truck where we secured it from moving. The trip was almost 100 miles and uneventful. The Unisaw was unloaded, again with just the 2 of us, by reversing the procedure, onto a moving dolly and it was wheeled into his shop. No muscle strains, bruises, or aching backs It was easy and uneventful all the way. Getting it off the moving dolly involved just tipping the Unisaw until one foot of the saw touched the floor and then the second. When the weight of the saw was on it's two feet, the dolly was removed, and then we together lowered the high side until the saw was sitting on all 4 feet.

    Charley
    Last edited by Charles Lent; 07-10-2022 at 10:42 AM.

  2. #32
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
    Location
    Piercefield, NY
    Posts
    1,638
    I picked up the saw yesterday and it looks good. The last person who worked on it had seemingly failed to put the key in the keyway of the pulley and motor shaft, as it was missing and both the pulley ID and shaft OD are shiny. The pulley has a little bit of slop, but I won't know if it vibrates till I get it running. I got a foot of 3/16" square key for $2.50 and will put some in soon. There are only two belts but they look nearly new. I am wondering if 2 belts are enough for a 1 hp motor, or if I need to get 3. There was about a 5 gallon bucketful of sawdust in the bottom of the cabinet, despite the poorly made dust hose hookup on the left side. With no motor cover it's no wonder it didn't work. Overall it's about what I'd expect from a school shop. Clearly the teacher was no brighter than necessary, but that's typical at least around here.

    I am a bit confused by a couple of things. There were these three odd table/bracket type things bolted to three sides of the saw, and they all have this triangular bolt pattern in them. I can't tell if they are factory accessories or something some weirdo thought up afterward. I can't come up with a plausible reason why something would need to be bolted to all three sides in turn, but there may be a reason that is beyond my poor power to imagine.

    The other thing that I don't get is the plug/wiring. It is a 3 prong twist lock plug marked 120-250V. When I disconnected the switch wires there was a black and a white wire coming from the switch, and they were connected to a dark and a light wire from the motor, respectively. I marked which was which. The other two wires from the motor were tied together. Most of the motor data plate is missing, so I am at a loss. Also I am colorblind, and even if I wasn't the wires on the motor are so old that I don't know if I could see the colors anyway. The cords both look newer. I'd rather run it on 120v since I could plug it in anywhere in the shop, but if it would be better for the motor I can add a circuit for 240v for it. I figured that 1 hp is pretty manageable for 120.

    I went and picked it up in the bus, and will be taking it up to Piercefield a week from Monday. I should be able to remember till then how to put the top, rails and motor back on, and everything else is still together. I'm very grateful for all the advice prior to going to get it, and I would appreciate any insights about the wiring or the odd extensions, or anything else. Thank you all very much.

  3. #33
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
    Posts
    65,638
    Running a 1hp (or even 1.5/2hp) motor on 120v shouldn't be an issue at all. Two belts sounds correct. 3+ HP generally has three belts for most saws. Is there enough of the motor plate there that you can identify the actual motor? You might be able to obtain visuals online to make up for the missing information. Some folks here will also likely know what connections to check to see if the machine is setup for 120v or 240v now. There's no real benefit to running on 240v so your desire to be able to use the saw "anywhere" via 120v (and appropriate amperage) can be achieved.

    Relative to dust collection, the poor performance isn't really about a missing motor cover. It's more about these early machines had no way to have the airflow come from the blade or even the middle ground of having a sloping floor to the DC port. Current generation modern saws even have a shroud around the blade inside the cabinet.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  4. #34
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Rochester, Minn
    Posts
    225
    I agree with Mike. If you can get the edge of the top into a pickup, a person can flip it up onto its top quite easily. That's how I got my '48 machine home. (I had a trailer that was made out of a pickup.)

  5. #35
    Join Date
    Sep 2016
    Location
    Modesto, CA, USA
    Posts
    9,811
    Wonder if those brackets held the mitre guage or push sticks, wrench? Regarding the dust my theory is leave it there when you hook up your dust collector or measure each pile and make a board fitted to exactly that shape and size to channel the airflow.
    Bill D

  6. #36
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
    Location
    Piercefield, NY
    Posts
    1,638
    Thanks for the suggestions. My current table saw just dumps the sawdust in a pile underneath, so I can figure out the dust collection later on, when I get caught up with things. That's a good idea about identifying the motor to get more information and I'll give it a try today. The brackets/table extensions were flush with the table top, and it seems like if they were used for storage they'd interfere with using the saw, maybe. There was a wooden plate with some headless bolts sticking out that was attached to the back and was where the blade was stored when I picked up the saw. I took it off to make for easier loading.

  7. #37
    Join Date
    Sep 2016
    Location
    Modesto, CA, USA
    Posts
    9,811
    What make is the motor, I can not read the data plate.
    Bill D

  8. #38
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
    Location
    Piercefield, NY
    Posts
    1,638
    Thanks for the help. I had to leave early Monday morning and didn't get back till last night. The motor is original and I was able to find a picture online of the plate from a similar motor. My mother looked at the wires and took her best guess at the colors and I hooked it up for 115 and changed the plug, and it ran when I plugged it in and flipped the switch. The motor is a little stiff to turn by hand but when I turned it off it kept spinning for a very long time. The motor is still outside the cabinet, sitting on the floor of the bus, but when I get it up to Piercefield on Monday I'll be able to put it all back together and actually try cutting some wood.

    I am very happy that it runs, and soon I'll be able to put my old saw up for sale and make a little space in the workshop. I've already moved a lot of stuff out of the workshop and into the attic now that the foam is sprayed and the floor is down, and once I get the kitchen drywalled I can move the appliances and the rest of the kitchen stuff out of the shop too. I'm very grateful for everyone's help with this project, and I'll take a picture and post it once I have it working.

  9. #39
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
    Location
    Piercefield, NY
    Posts
    1,638
    The saw is now in the new workshop and put back together. There were no shims, so either it came without them from the factory or they were lost by someone(possibly the same person who lost the key out of the motor shaft). It seems to cut nicely with a cheap construction type blade, and I'll see about getting a better blade in the fall once I get caught up. There is less vibration than from my old contractor saw. It is a lot heavier, so maybe that's it. The arbor bearings probably should be replaced, but again I'll wait till I have more time. For now it is cutting fine, and zipped through my 13 ash stair treads with no apparent effort.
    Attached Images Attached Images

  10. #40
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Location
    Central North Carolina
    Posts
    1,830
    With a good straight edge you can check the flatness of the table, in several places left to right, again front to back, as well as diagonally. If you find un-flat areas, or more likely a potato type twist, loosen the top to frame bolts to see if it then goes flat. Then measure the gap between the table and mounting points, and add washers of the thickness needed for each mounting bolt location to allow the table to be flat when all of the bolts are again tightened. Each bolt position will likely require washers of a different thickness. For fine adjustments, consider buying steel shim stock of the needed thicknesses and making washers from it for that last little shimming needed. A truly flat saw table is worth the effort. This is not a 5 minute fix, but definitely worth doing. When it's flat in all directions and all of the bolt are tight, you will be very pleased with the result. A properly set up and tuned Unisaw is the answer to a dream. I'm living it now too. I'll never need a better table saw.

    Charley
    Last edited by Charles Lent; 08-06-2022 at 11:06 AM.

  11. #41
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
    Location
    Piercefield, NY
    Posts
    1,638
    Thank you very much for the tips on shimming the table. I didn't see your advice till tonight. I want to do that and a few other things to it once I get caught up with completing the shop, after we move to the house. For now I'm just using it for rough ripping, making door casings, stair treads and such for the house and it already is nicer than my contractor saw. It runs smoother, and I like the fence better.

  12. #42
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
    Posts
    65,638
    That extra mass isn't hurting you in the "runs smoother" department, for sure. 'Glad it's working out!
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  13. #43
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
    Location
    Piercefield, NY
    Posts
    1,638
    Yes indeed. It's certainly much heavier, and that is nice except for when I go back up Monday and have to get it up onto the mobile base. I met a buyer and dropped off my old (but 50 years newer) saw today on the way back through from the new house to the old, but I kept the base. No one else is likely to want it since it puts the saw up about 7" or so, but it's nice for me. Just 11 more days or so till the official move date, if all keeps going well at the house.

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