Craftsman 8 inch table saw refurb

[thehazmatguy]

I had such a good time doing a clean & paint on my drill press that I thought I would give it another try on a table saw.

I picked this up on my lunch break last week in Phoenix:

It's in real decent shape but I wish it didn't have to be on the stand. There was also a 1958 Craftsman radial saw I thought about because it was only $25 on CL. Somebody on here did a refurb on one (and it looked great) but I'm limited on my garage space, so I went with a table saw.

I guess I'll start cruising eBay for blades, table extensions, dados and such. Any guidance from other members will be greatly appreciated. I've never had a table saw before.

 

[893cv]

I will be watching this refurb! I just got this same saw two weeks ago.

 

[A_Pmech]

My grandfather bought one EXACTLY like that back in the 50's and I've used it several times. Dad and I were just talking about it a few days ago actually. Yours is a carbon copy of his, right down to the stand it is mounted on. The only difference being he sprung for the two webbed iron side extensions.

He built the cabinets for at least two, possibly three kitchens over the years with that saw.

 

[Gort the giant robot]

You might wanna consider finding the anti kickback device for it also. Mine was not on one day and i lost 3 teeth when a 1 x 6 that i was ripping hit me in my face. I have 3 of those same saws and love them. 8 inch blades can be hard to find.

Gort.

 

[Kaervak]

I'm in the process of acquiring my grandfather's 10" Craftsman table saw from that same period. The saw looks nearly identical to the 8" one you have. The stand is different and the motor is a 1HP, but other than that, looks like a smaller clone. Unfortunately the fence, guide and extensions are completely gone and the saw isn't in the greatest of shape. Going to be one hell of a labor intensive resto for me, but I'm definitely up for it.

 

[thehazmatguy]

You might wanna consider finding the anti kickback device for it also. Mine was not on one day and i lost 3 teeth when a 1 x 6 that i was ripping hit me in my face. I have 3 of those same saws and love them. 8 inch blades can be hard to find.

Gort.

I'd really appreciate some pictures of your saws with the safety/anti-kick back in place. Can you post a few on this thread? I read someplace that they (an original one) can be very hard to find so I was thinking that I might try to retrofit a newer one to the saw I have.

 

[jtbinvalrico]

Nice find. I pulled up some excerpts that may help you. That saw you have looks like this one from the 1951 Craftsman catalog, they have it set up here with some extra features:

They dedicated a page to it's description:

Here's a close-up of the anti-kickback you are looking into. You can see the pawls situated on the splitter:

And here's your saw gracing the cover of the catalog:

 

[softailgarage]

Wow, must be the season of the restoration. I just started on my Cman saw, a little newer, 1959. I'll be watching this. Since I'm here, how do you clean up the swirled aluminum without removing the swirls ?

 

[Outlawmws]

Those older T saws make most of the mew ones look like the junk they are. I was in my Sears last Dec, and wandered though the power tools section . Sad...

Keep us posted on progress!

 

[Gort the giant robot]

I have a very small Craftsman table that the blade stays fixed and the table tilts. I have never used it. I thought it was cute.

Gort.

 

[thehazmatguy]

I ended up buying a second, almost matching, table saw. I wanted the second one because of the extension - but that is a wash because the extension doesn't have the correct rail on it.

I only paid $40 for each saw so I'm not too worried about buying two saws. I'll still have two saws when I'm done and I expect to sell the second saw to recoup some of my expenditure.

It's missing an attachment on the back and has ruined (modified) parts that make it undesireable for me. I did get some original Craftsman blades, a sanding attachment and a grinding wheel.

I like the way the motor attaches directly to the saw on the second one too. That's going to mean I'll swap all the "good" stuff fromt he first table saw to the second.

First table saw, with motor mount on stand:

Second table saw, mount on back of saw:

The Craftsman logo is a little different on each of them. I prefer the metal badge to the sticker type logo... so I'm probably going to mix and match parts as I like them.

First saw:

Second saw:

 

[Outlawmws]

One option you have with two saws, is to mount them on one pedestal and bolt them together. instant "extension" and the option of having one setup with a Dado, and the other with a saw blade... will the "new" fence rail work on the "old" saw?

 

[thehazmatguy]

One option you have with two saws, is to mount them on one pedestal and bolt them together. instant "extension" and the option of having one setup with a Dado, and the other with a saw blade... will the "new" fence rail work on the "old" saw?

I have a small space to work with so two saws won't work but it's an interesting idea.

I can put the new fence on the old saw but I'd prefer the original stuff. The new fence is nicer and seems to work way better - but I'm not much of a wood worker. So, the extra effort needed to set up the original hardware for a good cut isn't a big deal. I'd rather have an original looking set up. Also, I will probably sell the newer, nicer rail/fence with the extra saw to make it more appealing to buyer.

 

[thehazmatguy]

I saw this on Craigslist and I had to have it. At first I only wanted it for the 4 new 8 inch blades and the Craftsman motor - but it's so tiny! How can I not find room for this little saw?? As Gort said above, these little tilt-table saws are cute. (Something I thought I'd never say about a tool) I might have to keep this one.

I might be a hoarder.

And here's the kicker... this motor is in such good shape. It's dated 8/56 so it's a near date-match for my drill press (10/56). The bearings are as dry as a bone so they'll have to be swapped out asap.

I have a 1 hp motor that I'm really tempted to put on this saw. It's the same color and I think it'd be funny to have such a strong little saw. I'd like to refurb this motor and paint it gold to match the Craftsman table saw I'm working on.

 

[A_Pmech]

That Homecraft saw is an interesting design. I've never seen one of those before.

 

[John Timmins]

The tilting table top saw was made in 1952

 

[darkk]

I only bought this one for the motor and realized it had a lot of the accessories with it. Still going to get rid of it and keep the motor and the miter gauge.

 

[zuk123]

DarkK-- Holy kee-rap you've got the guards! NO ONE has the guard for these old saws!

I've never seen you exact model, but I like the fence adjustment.

TheHazmatGuy- I have that same saw as a project. Mine's in worse shape and I know the table tilt mech is screwed up. If you think about using it, get it off the wheels! It is small enough that you can easily move it without them and it is just waiting to hurt you with them on. You might want to bolt it to a plywood pad to make sliding it around easier. You can make it less tippy at the same time. My grandfather used one like this to build innumerable bird houses. That was his 'get away to the basement' hobby. It works well for small pieces, but I can't imaging breaking down a sheet of 3/4 ply on it

I've got 3 tablesaws on my list at the moment, the 10" version of the Craftsman, the 8" Homecraft, and a tiny one with no name.


Good luck with yours, looking forward to seeing what you accomplish (and stealing any good ideas )

zuk

 

[darkk]

DarkK-- Holy kee-rap you've got the guards! NO ONE has the guard for these old saws!I've never seen you exact model, but I like the fence adjustment.I've got 3 tablesaws on my list at the moment, the 10" version of the Craftsman, the 8" Homecraft, and a tiny one with no name.zuk

Too bad you're not a bit closer, I'm not fixing this one. I only bought it for the motor. I also have an old Walker Turner jig saw I have and am not restoring, just bought it for motor also. I'd hate to scrap this stuff but what the hell am I going to do with it all. I have enough projects already.

 

[thehazmatguy]

I've gotta admit that my interest in this project has faded. The more I think about it, the more I am convinced that I should have bought a 10 inch compound sliding miter saw. That would do just about anything I think I would need to do. Oh well...

I got all the paint off of the one I'm going to refurb.

Since then, I've primed and painted it gold but the paint finish isn't even. So, I need to respray it for an even finish and then coat it in satin clear.

I've also spent a bit of time on the cast iron top too. It looks great from about 5 feet but there is some pitting that I won't be able to get out.

I've also pulled the motor apart. It needs new bearings, paint and even a new metal band.

work continues...

 

[subdajj]

The first saw is Model # 103.22161 with a J rail. The second is Model # 103.21041 with a L rail. You can find manuals and info on both saws at VintageMachinery.org

Dont give up when your done it will be a great piece

 

[Packard V8]

One option you have with two saws, is to mount them on one pedestal and bolt them together. instant "extension" and the option of having one setup with a Dado, and the other with a saw blade...

Excellent suggestion. I did this some years back with two Craftsman 10" saws.

On the 10" saws, they have one tilt clamp at the front, but with the motor on the back of the arbor mount, they can twist. To maintain one as a perfect 90-degree blade angle, I added a second clamp bolt at the rear of the tilt mount, set the angle with a machinist's square and clamped them both tight. Then any angle cutting was done with the other saw.

One other hint = many larger saw owners toss the OEM rip fence and rails and pay big bucks for aftermarket. I was able to pick up a set of the round chrome rails and Unifence from a Delta. Worked well on the double Craftsman setup.

jack vines

 

[rick carpenter]

Please take lots of pics and post your resto progress often! I've got a very similar Model 103. Mine's a King Seely unit though but it looks nearly identical to your first one with the motor hanging from the frame/base.

Thanks in advance!
Rick

 

[helm]

I rescued one of these saws from the garbage. It was put out on "big items pick-up week". A lot of WD-40, Scotchbrite, and elbow grease has done wonders for the top. I've got the miter gage, fence, guard and one wing. However, I don't have a motor. Motors are not cheap.

What do you think about using a $39 Tractor Supply bench grinder as a motor? It says the motor is rated at 1/2 HP and I could put a pully on it instead of grinding wheels.

Comments?

Thanks.

 

[jerryd68]

I have a similar saw but mine is the "100" it is missing one of the cast iron wings if anyone knows where one is!

 

[d.mcfarland]

I rescued one of these saws from the garbage. It was put out on "big items pick-up week". A lot of WD-40, Scotchbrite, and elbow grease has done wonders for the top. I've got the miter gage, fence, guard and one wing. However, I don't have a motor. Motors are not cheap.

What do you think about using a $39 Tractor Supply bench grinder as a motor? It says the motor is rated at 1/2 HP and I could put a pully on it instead of grinding wheels.

Comments?

Thanks.

Use Craigslist or eBay and find a suitable motor. They should be less than $39 anyways! You could always find another vintage power tool and just keep the motor from that, just like the OP is doing.

 

[FunkyfullWidth]

Wow, must be the season of the restoration. I just started on my Cman saw, a little newer, 1959. I'll be watching this. Since I'm here, how do you clean up the swirled aluminum without removing the swirls ?

I'm working on a similar saw right now. Can anyone answer softails question about cleaning up the aluminum? Maybe a buffing wheel with some cleaner/polish? Also whats the best way to clean up the badges.
(badges?? we don't need no stinking badges...)

 

[rick carpenter]

I just got back restoring my 103.22161 table saw, cleaned up the tilt assembly yesterday and worked a little on the motor today. It's on a 44" w X 26" d X 25" t base.

The motor that came with it is... interesting. Its specs are 1/2 hp, 1750 rpm, Model 115.6962, Type CR220K21, date(?) "7 54". The 3" pulley on the motor and the 1.25" pulley on the arbor give 4200 blade rpm. The online 1955 manual says it needs a 1/2 hp, 3450 rpm motor with 4500 blade rpm, though it says a 3/4 hp, 3450 rpm motor can be used. I wonder if Sears upgraded the motor specs after my '54 model was made, or maybe I have a replacement motor? I don't know the differences in torque.

Though I'm going to keep an eye out for a more appropriate correct vintage motor, I'm going to try to make this one work in the meanwhile. I may have to swap in new bearings but it spins by hand cleanly. I'm gonna wire a safety off switch somewhere somehow that's the least intrusive to the vintage 'look'. I have the specs on rewiring it but I want to replace the bad cord with a grounded 3-wire cord. How/where do I connect the ground?

 

[jakemac]

Either someone replaced the motor, or the original owner tried to cheap out. The original motor would have been the 1/2hp 3450rpm model #115.6963. Or the equivalent 3/4hp model.

That saw would work with the 1750rpm motor, but not very well on thick or hard wood. A table saw really needs a higher rpm.

I will say that with arbor adaptors, the model #115.6962 makes a great (but unsafe) wire wheel machine. I'd love to find another one.


OBTW - the green ground wire just needs to be attached to one of the screws that holds the bottom plate on. That will ground the whole case if there is a short.

 

[rick carpenter]

Thanks Jake. I started poking around at old catalogs online after I posted and the "Model 80" (103.22161) table saw always did require a minimum 1/2 hp, 3450 rpm motor. The 44" base was typical for a Model 80 & 4-3/8" Planer-Jointer combo. Though both were powered by one table saw motor in the combo the 1954 catalog notes the Planer-Jointer took a minimum 1/2 hp, 1750 rpm motor. So I guess that's how it happened but why who knows. Til I find a 3450 rpm motor, I'll use this setup and my el cheapo Ryobi 10" portable table saw. Thanks again.

 

[bubinga]

I rescued one of these saws from the garbage. It was put out on "big items pick-up week". A lot of WD-40, Scotchbrite, and elbow grease has done wonders for the top. I've got the miter gage, fence, guard and one wing. However, I don't have a motor. Motors are not cheap.

What do you think about using a $39 Tractor Supply bench grinder as a motor? It says the motor is rated at 1/2 HP and I could put a pully on it instead of grinding wheels.

Comments?

Thanks.

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