Identify and comment on this Delta band saw

[Dumber than lumber]

Can someone here tell me about this piece of old iron?
Model number, capabilities, etc.?
Value, parts availability?

 

[Roberts210]

It's an old one. Possibly with the cast-iron cover. I'd have to guess at the D.O.B., but 1930's or '40's is probably correct. Splay leg stand. As far as reliability, they made 'em strong, and unless badly abused will keep working and working and working. Bearings should be easy to find. It looks like a 14 inch model, as most were. The on-off would be a pull up rod on the other side of the saw. It is slightly possible the motor is 3-phase--best to check with seller, or ask for a clear picture of the end of the power cord. It appears to have the "retirement light", much valued by some "collectors", although I like the magnetic lights of the 1990's better.

 

[RTM]

1st hit at vintage machinery, 1949 vintage, should get you rolling. I doubt parts available, but those guys are experts. As 210 says, bearings etc should be fine

Photo Index - Delta / Rockwell Mfg / Rockwell-Delta - Band Saw 14 inch | VintageMachinery.org

vintagemachinery.org

 

[acer66]

Looks like mine.

Photo Index - Delta / Rockwell Mfg / Rockwell-Delta - Delta/Rockwell bandsaw | VintageMachinery.org

www.vintagemachinery.org

Paid $175 a few years back needed tires, blade and new blocks otherwise solid.
These days I am sure it would go for more.

I do not think that parts are such a big issue,
You can still find nos riser blocks and such.
Only problem I had so far was a motor pulley coming loose because of the set screw going awol but fortunately finding a new pulley was easy and the motor shaft was not damaged.

If it is one that has the gearing for metal cutting it goes for more money.

 

[slowtwitch73]

Its a sweety.....

 

[JHuston]

Looks like your quintessential Delta 14" band saw from the late '40s. It's a very good machine for it's class, which is why there were so many clones from SE Asia. The bearings are all common sizes, and there's prescious little in the way of hard-to-find parts, as they were made in gigantic quantities for well over seventy years. It's not the best choice for resawing, no matter what woodworking magazines would have you believe, but it's an incredibly well supported design, even today, and there are any number of places to get any parts you might need. I've serviced dozens of them as a former Delta authorized service tech, and have nothing but good to say of them if you need a light industrial band saw.
- James Huston

 

[acer66]

Looks like your quintessential Delta 14" band saw from the late '40s. It's a very good machine for it's class, which is why there were so many clones from SE Asia. The bearings are all common sizes, and there's prescious little in the way of hard-to-find parts, as they were made in gigantic quantities for well over seventy years. It's not the best choice for resawing, no matter what woodworking magazines would have you believe, but it's an incredibly well supported design, even today, and there are any number of places to get any parts you might need. I've serviced dozens of them as a former Delta authorized service tech, and have nothing but good to say of them if you need a light industrial band saw.
- James Huston

This and from what I know mine in the link I posted is a 1948 model so spot on again.

I was trying some rudimentary resawing of smaller logs but the clearance is not that great and I was thinking about a riser but I read that if doing so you are trying to do something the saw is not designed for.

What is your take on a riser?

Thank you.

 

[Mintgrun]

The hexagonal bar that has the blade guides on the bottom is extra long on this saw. It looks like one that goes with the riser kit. I found a NOS riser kit, minus that bar, but I don't think I will be extending my saw. I wish mine had come with the belt cover. Belts can be hard on power cords... and stuff. I paid $250 for my saw and steered someone else towards a (nicer) $200 example on CL. I regret not buying that one and selling them mine. It had the belt cover and fence, which mine also lacks. Plus the paint was nicer. Oh well. Mine works well and I've used a longer Delta table saw fence on it when I needed one. The fence is much longer than it needs to be, as are the rails, but the holes in the rails do line up. If this is a "should I buy it?" thread the answer is "yes", depending on price, of course.

Tom

 

[JHuston]

Honestly? The Delta can do some minor resawing here and there with the addition of a riser kit, but the biggest limitation is the design; there's a good reason that most band saws have a solid frame, because effective resawing requires fairly high blade tension and an aggressive blade with a low tooth count, and those things aren't really compatible with a two-piece saw frame and zinc die castings.
My advice would be to get a 3 tpi blade and a riser kit, and cut slow- people like to replace the OEM motors so they can make heavier cuts, but all the hp in the world doesn't clear sawdust out of a cut any faster. Be mindful of the die cast trunnions, as they can be broken if a lot of weight is set down on one end, or the saw is drug around by the table. If you want to add a fence, look for a Delta Home raft table saw, the fence and rails can be tried down to fit the band saw, and the miter gauge is the same.
If Resawing and cuts in material greater than 8/4 in thickness are the main applications, there are better saws than the Delta 14". However, if you want a great general purpose band saw with excellent parts availability and respectable cutting capacity for a saw that's under 500 lbs, you can't do much better.
- James Huston