Finally bought a saw, a Unisaw

[Firebrick43]

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Been on the fence about table saws for quite some time. Neighbor has a decent ridgid contractors saw and I have a dewalt tracksaw. But running a mile and a 1/2 down the road for a rip cut or to (and a cup of coffee) takes to much time.

With the new addition that will need some cabinets and the price of an MFT I decided to get a grizzly 1023.

A Cabinet maker friend of mine convinced me to get a used unisaw instead of a grizzly. He had a 1023 and bought a unisaw later enjoying it more.

So I found this one. It's 2005ish. Apparently from a school that had it for just a year before they shuttered their shop program. The forced into retirement teacher bought it a swapped the 5hp three phase for a 3hp single.

The thing is nearly flawless. No scratches or wear anywhere. The arbor has 10 microns(.00039") runout on the flange. Was at 20 microns but a little work with a scraper and some Arkansas stone and cut that in half. Didn't find any bow in the table deeper than .002" with a 24" straight edge.

It came with a biesmeyer quick change splitter(would have prefered a riving knife) and a biesmeyer overarm guard. This was a safety feature I was looking for. Also came with a delta mobile base and a delta folding table. It has the unifence with a uni-T after market extrusion.

The bad. Thing is heavy. I knew this but having to disassemble the saw and carry it downstairs to the basement *****. But it mass makes it quiet and vibration free as well. It was fairly easy to set back up and squre everything to the blade

I didn't steal it. I paid 1500$. Little high compared other unisaw advertised in Chicago area but it's prestine condition and the numerous accessories I think made it a fair price, I think. It still was significantly cheaper than a grizzly shipped and adding the accessories.

Need to get a dado set(any recomendation for a good value set).

Thinking about a Ridge carbide 40 tooth combo blade, anyone any experience with them?

Thanks

 

[Musicinabottle]

I'd love to have one myself. I saw a very nice Vega for $450, and if I had a concrete floor, I'd have snapped that up, but no concrete floor or space really. That's a very nice saw though. Nicely done!

 

[cgrutt]

Nice! Congrats great saw. I have a Powermatic 66 which is very similar. Buy a Forrest blade for it and don't look back. Forrest also makes a great dado set but I'd imagine it's quite expensive relative to others. Good luck with your saw. Oh and some zero clearance throat plates....

 

[dnschmidt]

Ridge Carbide makes great blades. They are equal to Forrest so you can't go wrong with either choice.

 

[Fbmoose48]

The right Freud and Amana blades are quite good and less than half the price of Forrest.

 

[AZ Pete]

I have used Freud blades, dados, for everything for about 25 years, and never disappointed. This on a Delta cabinet saw with a unifence. Get a good mitre gage and you are pretty well set. Though I do prefer a mitre saw for trim work.


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[bigdav160]

Nice saw. Too bad Delta is only a shell of it's former self.

$1500 was about what that saw cost new in 2005. Don't let anyone tell you there hasn't been price inflation since then

 

[seber]

I've owned Grizzly, Powermatic, Oliver, Unisaw and a bunch of contractors saws. Also a really nice one made in Beloit,Wi. that I can't think of the name. The Unisaw was easily the best. I also found the Unifence to be vastly superior to the Biesemier. I wish I could have kept that saw when I left Colorado.

 

[jhnlngn]

I have the Freud dial-a-width dado set and love it. I don't remember what I paid for it when I bought it around 9 years ago, but it's so easy to use.

http://www.freudtools.com/index.php/products/product/SD608

 

[ez-duzit]

These are excellent saws.

 

[Firebrick43]

Nice saw. Too bad Delta is only a shell of it's former self.

$1500 was about what that saw cost new in 2005. Don't let anyone tell you there hasn't been price inflation since then

New unisaws are 2500+ and the accessories would have added another 700+
But yes, the new price back then was much closer due inflation.

I have seen quiet a few comments on deltas lousy customer service. I was glad this saw was made in the USA (Tennessee). Wasn't to much later they moved production overseas. Of course they moved it back a few years later to South Carolina. I needed some biesmeyer splitter parts (anti kick back pawls and spring) and they were already obsolete by delta(they own biesmeyer). Luckily some internet part houses had some still in stock.

I have the Freud dial-a-width dado set and love it. I don't remember what I paid for it when I bought it around 9 years ago, but it's so easy to use.

http://www.freudtools.com/index.php/products/product/SD608

When I first read your post I assumed it was a wobble dado which I don't want(due to the rough cut). But I looked at the link and was suprised that it wasn't. How do they adjust? I mean I understand one turns the dial, how does the mechanism move the four blades? How narrow can it go?

I've owned Grizzly, Powermatic, Oliver, Unisaw and a bunch of contractors saws. Also a really nice one made in Beloit,Wi. that I can't think of the name. The Unisaw was easily the best. I also found the Unifence to be vastly superior to the Biesemier. I wish I could have kept that saw when I left Colorado.

My cabinet maker friend basically said the same. He had a unifence on his grizzly he bought for a song and dance (the unifence). His newer unisaw has a biesmeyer and he wishes he would have swapped fences before selling the grizzly.

I am suprised you put the unisaw above the powermatic. But few people get to own both in their life! I spent way to much time thinking and reading about this purchase. There were a lot saying that the powermatic was better but at that level they were splitting hairs and many never did own both. If I had found a like optioned/condition powermatic I would have bought it.

Odd thing is I have dropped 1500+ on a gun/canoe/camping gear without nearly as much consideration and they only get used a few times a year.

 

[Firebrick43]

Nice! Congrats great saw. I have a Powermatic 66 which is very similar. Buy a Forrest blade for it and don't look back. Forrest also makes a great dado set but I'd imagine it's quite expensive relative to others. Good luck with your saw. Oh and some zero clearance throat plates....

I considered the Forrest. Grandfather had one on his little shopsmith and the cut was good(didn't care for the shop smith however). Many have said the ridge is just as good at 40-50$ less and half the cost for resharpening.

Yea, need to make some plates. Made a few pine ones for the neighbors ridgid but I am considering either making some phenolic ones for the unisaw or machining some aluminum ones with a small phenolic insert so I would not have to make a whole new plate, just a small phenolic rectangle.

 

[ez-duzit]

...am considering...machining some aluminum ones with a small phenolic insert...

Makes no sense whatsoever and I wouldn't want a small rectangle of Phenolic flying at me.

 

[The Cobbler]

I recently acquired a 3hp Unisaw . not hooked up yet. anxious to replace my Delta Contractor's saw.

 

[Firebrick43]

Makes no sense whatsoever and I wouldn't want a small rectangle of Phenolic flying at me.

It would be retained by 4 small screws to the aluminum plate.

 

[ez-duzit]

Why go to all that trouble?

 

[mllester]

I have essentially the exact same saw and set up since 2004. I love it - wouldn't change a thing.

I'm a Forrest blade guy too. In my 12" sliding miter saw and the Unisaw. no doubt they are more expensive, but I think generally you get what you pay for.

Enjoy making sawdust!!!

 

[Firebrick43]

Why go to all that trouble?

Thought was that instead of replacing the whole plate a small rectanglar insert would be cheaper/ easier. Would have to rout the outside profile and drill/tap the height adjuster screws.

Also phenolic plate is expensive. A piece big enough to make a solid plate would make three inserts. Have plenty of cutoff aluminum 1/2 plate.

Don't know. Maybe my thinking is FU

 

[ez-duzit]

I've had the same (1-piece) zero insert in my Unisaw for probably 10 years.

 

[jhnlngn]

When I first read your post I assumed it was a wobble dado which I don't want(due to the rough cut). But I looked at the link and was suprised that it wasn't. How do they adjust? I mean I understand one turns the dial, how does the mechanism move the four blades? How narrow can it go?

What you get is this chart that tells you which chippers and how many clicks to turn the dial to your desired width. The outermost chipper is the one that has the dial and each click moves the spacer on the chipper .004". The adjustment then isn't between each of the blades, but just the last inner chipper and the outermost chipper. The teeth slightly overlap so as you move the adjustable chipper away from the one next to it you still get a full cut. The dado width is adjustable from 7/32" to 29/32", assuming your arbor is long enough to accommodate 29/32".

As far as a zero clearance insert, I just bought some online that fit my saw. I'm sure Woodcraft, Rockler, etc have them available for your saw. I'd rather work on projects with my saw than mess around fidgeting with inserts.

 

[Jim C.]

I have a 2000 Platinum Edition Unisaw and a 1948 Unisaw. I like them both and use them frequently. I think you’ll like your Unisaw too. At $1500, you didn’t steal it, but it also looks to be in great condition and ready to go. There’s something to be said for that. As for blades, I’m a Forrest fan all the way. I use Forrest blades on all my saws to include my sliding miter saw. I bought my first Forrest blade about 25 years ago on a recommendation from a woodworker friend of mine. It was an investment that I’m glad I made. I have a few more now, to include the dado set. They were expensive, but in my opinion, they have more than lived up to their reputation and cost. Good luck with your Unisaw, and check out the Forrest blades.

Jim C.

 

[dutchgray]

Looks like a nice saw, excellent condition with accessories and ready to be put to work, not every purchase has to be a great deal, getting the right machine for fair money is absolutely fine.

 

[Jarhead0408]

Awesome saw you have there. A Unisaw is definitely on my list.

Last night I stumbled on a Facebook marketplace ad for an identical Unisaw that had a 50" Biesemeyer fence. The seller wanted $475 or best offer. I shot an immediate offer to buy it at their asking price, but I think someone beat me to it haha. Whoever it was that got it...they got a heck of a deal.

 

[6PTsocket]

Nice! Congrats great saw. I have a Powermatic 66 which is very similar. Buy a Forrest blade for it and don't look back. Forrest also makes a great dado set but I'd imagine it's quite expensive relative to others. Good luck with your saw. Oh and some zero clearance throat plates....

The 66 is a lot beefier than the unisaw. Yours is left tilt. That was only an option late in the unisaw's very long production run. Given the choice I would go with the 66. It is built like a tank.

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[Handyfarmer]

Nice

 

[southalabama]

I like Freud blades

Unisaws are nice.

 

[kentenn]

I picked up a 1945 Unisaw a few years ago for $425. Did a complete restoration and probably have about a grand in it all together. It’s a great saw. I’m very happy with it. The only negative was the lack of an emergency shut off switch. I ordered one (haven’t installed it yet).

 

[R_einan]

Congrats, looks like it’s in amazing shape, and will likely serve you well for the rest of your life. I scored a ‘92 3hp last summer and have been happily making sawdust since. Mine had the same unifence yours does and I find it very versatile and like it a lot, though jigs are shop made to work with it. Enjoy!

 

[kctyphoon]

Awesome saw.. honestly - any bigger table saw with an extension is a great saw in the hands of someone that appreciates it. I am not a person that thinks a well equipped contractor type saw will deliver any less quality then a stationary.. I have a platinum edition delta contractor saw with a biesmeyer extension and fence, that all rolls on a mobile base.. by far not a top of the line saw, but it cuts straight and that's all you really need.

 

[txlonghorn1989]

Makes no sense whatsoever and I wouldn't want a small rectangle of Phenolic flying at me.

When I read what Firebrick wanted to do I had a very similar thought.

Welcome to the Unisaw Club Firebrick!

 

[Firebrick43]

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Just can leave things alone. The uhmw slider that carries the fence weight catches the miter slot slightly and isn't that slick. After veiwing a YouTube video that had something similar I cranked this out in a few mins.

Two roller blade bearings with seals carries the load. The axels are 8mm dowel pins are the axels. 8 mm holes are reamed to size so the dowel pins are pressed into the bearing then into the block. Green locktite would work if you don't have a reamer. The center post is a 2" 5/16 set screw loctite in.

The fence rolls so easy now just light pressure with your thumb and forefinger

 

[guy48065]

You got the best combo there with the Unisaw + Uni-T fence extrusion.
I went one step farther and bought a length of aluminum T-slot extrusion the same dimensions as the sacrificial UHMW insert in the fence. It's only used when I need a jig, guide, whatever to attach low near the blade.
I can't recall where I bought it--likely either direct from 80/20.com or through their eBay site.

I'm with the others on the zero-clearance insert. I have NO interest in ever changing from my Forrest blade so I have the first MDF insert I ever made.

 

[Roberts210]

I used a Delta Tilting Arbor saw for 25 years until I found this 1965 Unisaw while helping a friend move in 2009. One of the drivers had gotten it in a load of misc. scrap stuff he bought lowball at an auction and couldn't figure out what to do with it. The table is on the other side of the saw in this picture. I paid $50 for it. Note the motor. It says it's a 1.5 H.P. but with the diameter of the thing it has tremendous torque--much more torque than the 1.5 H.P. motor that was on the Delta T.A. say.

I put my Biesemeyer fence on it and gave it new bearings and a paint job. Love it.

 

[ez-duzit]

R2--I have that 1.5hp motor on one of my Unisaws--plenty of power.

 

[guy48065]

R2--I have that 1.5hp motor on one of my Unisaws--plenty of power.

Q: I have a 1948 Rockwell shaper with that beastly induction motor and was considering replacing it with a 3-phase & VFD in order to get variable speed. Any downside to that plan?

(or should I ask in the VFD forum?)

 

[ez-duzit]

g4--pretty sure that will give you variable speed capability.

 

[guy48065]

g4? Whattzit? Search & Google turns up nothing.

 

[seber]

I am suprised you put the unisaw above the powermatic. But few people get to own both in their life! I spent way to much time thinking and reading about this purchase. There were a lot saying that the powermatic was better but at that level they were splitting hairs and many never did own both. If I had found a like optioned/condition powermatic I would have bought it.

The Powermatic is somewhat heavier but the one I had was badly machined and the roller gear was misaligned. It caused the gear to wear badly. I sold it to someone who only used it occasionally before it gave up.