Delta Table saw. What's it worth?

[BuffettFan]

I have a chance to pick up this old Delta saw.
Asking $300.
What's it worth? I know nothing about it other than it ran when disconnected, the bearings feel smooth and tight and the fence is decent.

Can't power it up, shop is in the process of moving.
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[Marctrees]

It looks in good shape.

Is it 10" ?? or " "12/14" " blade ?

single or 3 ph ?

In all cases $300 is very fair price if it is in usable as is shape.

single phase worth about $300 more than 3 ph.

12/14 worth about $500 more than 10".

Marc

 

[Marctrees]

The fact that it includes the front and motor covers both is a huge plus and relative rarity.

More than half the time at least the front cover is missing.

Definately priced below average.

Marc

 

[Marctrees]

OK, I looked into it and it is a regular 10".

Most popular table saw in US cabinet shops for many years.

Worth every penny of that $300 ... and more.

Marc

 

[rlitman]

Nice machine. What's with the big piece of glass on it?
100% agreed with Marctrees, even if it's 3-phase, it's worth every penny of that $300.

 

[gungatim]

forget what they call the motor cover, bullet or egg or something, but I believe the cover alone is worth a couple bills. check out OWWM.org those old uni's have quite the following.

 

[davewo]

Nice saw. My first thought was, "A unisaw that still has the covers?!"

 

[JHuston]

That is absolutely worth grabbing; the Unisaw is one of the best 10" cabinet saws ever made.
Take the time to adjust and use the fence; too often, people replace the original system with a Biesmeyer because that's what the internet says you're supposed to do. For my money , that Jet-Lock fence can be quite accurate, and the micrometer adjustment is a nice feature to have to sneak up on a dimension ( dadoes, for example).
-James Huston

 

[BuffettFan]

Thanks for all the info folks!

90% sure it's 208V single phase, but will confirm. I think I actually have the voltage listed on one of the hundreds of spreadsheets pertaining to the equipment being moved. It's coming out of a college shop where I work. We are combining this shop with the one I run into an all new shop. I have a SawStop table saw, so this one is surplus.

I put my name on it, so unless one of the higher ups decide they want it, it should be mine.

Not sure what the glass was used for, but it's thick and heavy!

I'll update when something happens.
Thanks Again!

 

[BuffettFan]

Well, it's mine!
Gotta get it out of my truck now.
I'll post a few more pics once it's on the floor.

 

[Marctrees]

EXCELLENT !!!!!!!!!

First thing is to photo motor nameplate... to confirm phase and Voltage.

Marc

 

[Stuart in MN]

Having the dolly so you can roll it around is a plus. Judging by the Delta lettering on the front cover it's an old one, I believe you can look up the serial number online to determine its age.

 

[BuffettFan]

View media item 95645
Finally got it on the floor. Didn't go as easily as planned.
It was a bit too tall and my chainfall ran out of travel before it lifted off the truck.
An hour of headscratching and letting the air out of the back tries and it's on the ground.

Didn't get the dolly with the deal.
Shot myself in the foot on that one.
Before I knew I could buy it, I said I wanted it for the shop's jointer.
Think I'll buy a couple of them for the saw and my jointer. Easier on my back than dragging them around.
I'll get some more pics and check out the s/n in the morning.
I'm whipped now!

 

[JoCoSawdust]

You did great on that. As others have said, the front cover and eggshell motor cover are missing from those a large percentage of the time. I hope you don't re-paint it, it looks great as it is!!

 

[BuffettFan]

Thanks JoCo!
Plan is to clean it up and preserve, not refinish.
The green reminds me of the tablesaw in my high school shop. I believe it was an Oliver, but might have been a Delta.

View media item 95652
Looks like it's been a while since it was cleaned out last.
The cabinet was packed solid with 99% plastic chips and 1% sawdust.

 

[BuffettFan]

Filled a 30 gal garbage can and a 12 gallon shop vac!

View media item 95651

 

[BuffettFan]

View media item 95650
Currently wired for 220 with a NEMA 6-20 plug.
Haven't looked for the s/n yet.
Where should it be?

 

[BuffettFan]

View media item 95653
I had assumed that this was an asset number since it is stenciled and not stamped.
If it is indeed the serial number, it looks like the saw was built in 1965.

 

[y'sguy]

Great save. Awesome saw to own in that condition.

 

[Jim C.]

I think you got a great price on the Unisaw, particularly since it still has its original cast iron goose egg motor cover. If you’re leaving it green because you like the color, then green it is. If you’re leaving it green for originally, well, I’m pretty sure Delta painted them grey at the factory.

Jim C.

 

[BuffettFan]

View media item 95654
Thanks y'sguy and Jim.
As for the gray, the inside of the cabinet is gray and the online pics I've found confirm your thought Jim.
Not looking for a restoration at this time, at least so it's staying green.
Maybe after I retire I'll put it back to original.
I'll probably rewire for 110v instead of adding a 220 outlet to the shop. Looking forward to getting it going but my wife insists I continue with the bath remodeling I have in process.

Casting date on the motor cover is 1-31-66

 

[exmaxima1]

No way that's 1966 with that repulsion motor. More like late 40's or early 50's. The motor reads "Milwaukee" which AFAIK dates it prior to 1952. I see no indication of "Rockwell" as well, so it could be prior to 1945.

 

[Dagny]

Must have been nice to live in a time where when you bought something it lasted 5 lifetimes. I have some old delta rockwell tools they last forever no plastic anywhere.

 

[JHuston]

Depending on age, the serial number can be on the tilt scale, the back of the cabinet or the edge of the table ( also at the back).
-James Huston

 

[Dozerhand]

Great find. I bought one that could be its twin 25 years ago when my local high school decided kids didn't need to know how to cut wood. Its done everything I've wanted it to do with the stock fence and miter gauge.

 

[BuffettFan]

I haven't had a chance to look for a different s/n in any of the locations James suggested but when I took the check to pay for it they said that I had made it out for the wrong amount.
They had changed the asking price.
The "Get it out of here today" price was $250.
I'll take them another check tomorrow.

 

[Maui]

You can easily fabricate a dolly for that saw out of wood. I built one in the morning a few weeks ago using some extra plywood, 2X4s, and cast iron casters that I had handy. I lowered the Unisaw onto it manually from my trailer. Works like a charm.

 

[Bigblockyeti]

I had a similar one I scored for $150. Jackpot on the motor, even more so with the motor cover. That looks to be pre-1945 to me. The SN on mine was on an aluminum tag at the back edge of the table not too far from being directly behind the blade. The stencil looks like asset numbers to me.

 

[Maui]

Bigblock, any idea on the year of this 1 hp Delta Unisaw motor?

Maui

 

[Bigblockyeti]

That one has identified the supply voltage as 115/230 which came later than the motors labeled as 110/220 so I'd guess 50's or early 60's. It's also difficult to gauge the vintage by how a motor (or anything else on vintage machinery for that matter) has aged given the variety of different environments and level of maintenance a machine could have been subject to. Some things can look perfect after 80+ years and others completely beaten to death in less than 20. Delta may or may not still have some records for some of the parts stashed somewhere, it would be a total crapshoot trying to contact them as you'd have to get in touch with just the right person and such documentation would have to still exist which I'd wager does not.

 

[Stuart in MN]

Thanks JoCo!
Plan is to clean it up and preserve, not refinish.
The green reminds me of the tablesaw in my high school shop.

I think they handed out that green paint to high school shops for free, so the teachers could have kids who were doing detention repaint every tool in sight.

My dad was a high school shop teacher, and I have a Delta wood lathe he originally bought for the school in the 1940s and was able to take home with him when he retired. It has several thick coats of that same green paint over the original gray.

 

[txlonghorn1989]

Those old Unisaw rounded motor covers are called goose egg covers. Like folks have said it's real nice to find a Unisaw with the motor cover intact. I've got a '47 Unisaw that came like yours with all the original parts. Congrats! You'll love it!

Edit: If you want information on manuals or have questions about just about any aspect of your table saw go to OWWM (Old WoodWorking Machines). One of the absolute best sites on the internet.

 

[txlonghorn1989]

Just for a reference here are a couple of pics of my motor plate and the serial # plate on my '47 Unisaw. If you find your serial # an email to Delta's customer service will generally result in them telling you the month & year of manufacture and the plant where your machine was built. With the serial # you can also figure it out from the list of Delta serial #s at vintagemachinery.org. Vintage Machinery is referred to as the mothership at OWWM (and OMWM - Old MetalWorking Machines). Good luck!

Edit: FYI, the motor plate and serial # plate on my saw have not be restored. This is the condition as I received the saw. I bought it from the son of the original owner who bought it new in 1947. His dad has passed away the year before and according to the son was still using it up to a year of his death. The son was around my age - old! ;-) The original owner did spray paint the exterior that blue but I'm not complaining.

 

[Bigblockyeti]

Ok, so if your 47' has spec'd 115/230V supply voltage then the OP's must be earlier. I could have sworn I had a picture of the motor plate but can't find it right now. Looking through CL archives at my original ad a couple years ago, my saw was a late 39' or 40' with a 1hp motor that spec'd 110/220V at 12/6 amps respectively so at some point in time between 39' and 47' the voltage called for changed from 110/220 to 115/230. To add another layer of complexity, when these saws were first sold, almost 80 years ago now, they did not come with a motor or a motor cover. You purchased the motor separately per what you needed and only bought the goose egg cover if you wanted one adding to their rarity. It's entirely possible that a motor would be of a slightly different vintage than the saw it's mounted in even if it's the only one that's ever been in it.

Also included is a picture of the SN plate on the back edge of the table behind the blade.

 

[exmaxima1]

Ok, so if your 47' has spec'd 115/230V supply voltage then the OP's must be earlier. I could have sworn I had a picture of the motor plate but can't find it right now. Looking through CL archives at my original ad a couple years ago, my saw was a late 39' or 40' with a 1hp motor that spec'd 110/220V at 12/6 amps respectively so at some point in time between 39' and 47' the voltage called for changed from 110/220 to 115/230.

Mains voltage changed from 110 to 115 in the 30's

 

[Honest Bob]

Those table saws go for $500 where I live. Great deal.

 

[Marctrees]

Buffet - So . you have access to a Sawstop at some "College shop".

So you have tablesaw experience by trade ?

What do you do ?

Marc

 

[PugetDude]

$300 for a single phase Unisaw with the original covers.
You've officially ventured into "You ****" territory.
(note: Not "YOU ****"", but a "You ****" none the less.)
Congratulations, looks like a great old saw.

 

[BuffettFan]

Big Block, Thanks for all the great info on these saws. I've got so much going on right now, I haven't gotten to dig any deeper on the s/n.
I agree about the number in the OP being an asset number, I think I even mentioned that. Odd that it happened to also be a s/n from 1965, but I thought the saw was significantly earlier from the beginning. The casting # on the cover isn't the clearest, I just assumed 1-31-66 because of the stenciled number being in some agreement with that age. Right now the saw in buried under a bathroom remodeling project that got out of hand. Started out to replace the toilet. Now the room is bare studs.
I am very eager to dig deeper into the saw's history.

Stuart, I think you're right about the green paint! every machine in the high school shop was the same color!

txlonghorn, thanks for the link, great site!

Thanks Puget! I'm pretty happy with it and I've just scratched the surface of the thing. All I knew about them when I bought it was that people seem to like them!

Marc, I teach shop in an engineering college, machine shop and wood shop, among other duties. Just started my 5th year of "semi-retirement" after 27 years in manufacturing. I started out at the bottom, and when I left to come here, I was running the shop. Up to 25 people under me when things were booming. Lotta headaches!
I like this gig a lot whole better!

Thanks for all the great info folks, please keep it coming.
BF

 

[Bigblockyeti]

I dug deeper in my photo archives and found the photo of the motor plate on mine. While I'm certain the saw is a 39' (post four foot plinth) or 40' the motor being sold separately would have probably been close to the same age but not necessarily the same. I know what you mean about project getting out of control. I moved a year ago and had a massive shop, shed & garage douche beforehand and though I now have a three car garage, it's smaller than my previous two car garage and I'm devoid of a shop or a shed, with the shed deficiency soon to be rectified. The whole move, 5 months with everything in storage and getting settled, the garage is a disaster, with mountains of stuff everywhere. Needless to say, moving is a pretty big project, especially when trying to do everything yourself!