Small Two Car Operation
- Thread starter HSpencer
- Start date
Don
Your very right on!! I have been on vacation. Orange Beach, AL for a while, and now we have rented our favourite cabin on Greer's Ferry Lake for the last week of this month. The "cabin" vacation will be very laid back with daily side trips in the area seeking winter projects to buy. Looking for a 4 inch Wilton Vise, and anything Craftsman from the 50s or 60s. Would love to find a Craftsman Table Saw/Jointer combination around 1960 or so.
Also always looking for rare tools from that era, Snap-On, Craftsman, Proto, etc.
I have just about mined out this area, and need to expand out on my search!!
I really appreciate your concern, and yes, I have been away from the switch for several days!! OH, how terrible it is to be retired!!! LOL.
Best Regards
Herb
I am real excited about my next restoration project. I scored this Craftsman 8 inch vintage saw today at a flea market. It is in excellent shape, and just needs a new blade and the usual clean up. It cut a 2X4 smoothly as you can see from the photo. I want to restore it as perfectly as possible. It has had one switch put in it, as the old one was in the box. These also had a little grease gun for the bearings, which is missing. I am putting it at 1950, as I found it in the printed out page attached from the 1950 Craftsman tool catalog. I will post progress as I restore the tool!!!! (Wonder if Red Leader has one of these!!! LOL)
Best Regards
Herb Spencer
Best Regards
Herb Spencer
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1/2 Cup
Member Emeritus
Herb,
Your saw would have to be the Holy Grail of saws, absolutely awesome.
I can't wait to see how it comes up.
Regards
Your saw would have to be the Holy Grail of saws, absolutely awesome.
I can't wait to see how it comes up.
Regards
taumac
Well-known member
That's a beautiful saw. That would look great restored and put on display.
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Bob Heine
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Herb,
Not only is it beautiful but just based on inflation, that saw would cost a little more than $930.00 today. Back in the '50s do-it-yourselfers were lucky to own one or two power tools (drill, saw and sander come to mind). You would probably be building your own home, finishing the basement or adding an attic dormer to justify spending that kind of money for one tool. I mean, there was a guy in every town who would sharpen your handsaws so they would cut a two-by almost as fast as them 'lectric ones -- and you didn't have to find your one and only extension cord.
Not only is it beautiful but just based on inflation, that saw would cost a little more than $930.00 today. Back in the '50s do-it-yourselfers were lucky to own one or two power tools (drill, saw and sander come to mind). You would probably be building your own home, finishing the basement or adding an attic dormer to justify spending that kind of money for one tool. I mean, there was a guy in every town who would sharpen your handsaws so they would cut a two-by almost as fast as them 'lectric ones -- and you didn't have to find your one and only extension cord.
Herb,
Your saw would have to be the Holy Grail of saws, absolutely awesome.
I can't wait to see how it comes up.
Regards
1/2 Cup
I can't believe I got this saw. There are not that many of them left these days. Tonight I started polishing one of the side shells. They are like chrome on an auto bumper. I also put on a new plug on the cord.
Quality on every part!!
Best Regards
Herb
Herb,
Not only is it beautiful but just based on inflation, that saw would cost a little more than $930.00 today. Back in the '50s do-it-yourselfers were lucky to own one or two power tools (drill, saw and sander come to mind). You would probably be building your own home, finishing the basement or adding an attic dormer to justify spending that kind of money for one tool. I mean, there was a guy in every town who would sharpen your handsaws so they would cut a two-by almost as fast as them 'lectric ones -- and you didn't have to find your one and only extension cord.
Bob
Thanks for stopping by!! You described a walk down memory lane for this old guy. I was 5 years old in 1950. I love the art deco look of the saw.
I don't think my dad, or anyone I ever knew had one like this. It was probably the rich man's caddy of saws.
Best Regards
Herb
Ford52PU
Well-known member
That is surely the most beautiful saw I've seen. It looks like a 50's car. Beautiful, I'm sure your resto will make it look brand new.
don long
Well-known member
Herb
NICE FIND
When I was looking at your pictures I thought that it looks to be made of aluminum but 19 lbs changes the game What is it made out of???
Don
NICE FIND
When I was looking at your pictures I thought that it looks to be made of aluminum but 19 lbs changes the game What is it made out of???
Don
taumac
Well-known member
19lbs..... That's a MANLY saw. LOL
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Dennis
Thanks for your comments. I am planning to take my time and do a great restro on this saw. I have now found out how rare they are. Last night, I took off the side shells and begin to polish them out. They are chrome plated like a car bumper. I am using a red rouge at first and it is bringing up the shine well, but 65 years of use has left scratches in the chrome. There is a metal polishing company here in town, and I am going to run them by and see if they could be re-chromed or anything like that.
Thanks for your visit!!
Best Regards
Herb
Don
There is a lot of chrome on the saw. The body is aluminum, but not all of it.
The motor shell and lower plate seems to have steel in it, but I cannot be sure. The "catalog page" advertises it as "lightweight aluminum" but at NINETEEN pounds for the saw alone, well that seems a little off chart. This thing is well made in every respect. Even the cord is original, and I did find two repairs to it, but over 65 years of use that isn't bad. I put on a new industrial plug on the cord. If you look at the catalog page you can see that the original plug was two prong with a probe, that I assume is for grounding in some manner. I hope someone on here can explain to me how that was to work. I guess one who was using it outside, would have driven a grounding rod in or hooked it to a water pipe or something to be safe? Back then, we had only two prong plugs.
What is amazing is the condition of the saw and the motor working as well as it does. I greased the bearings and it is smooth and quiet when I cut the two by four with it.
Thanks Don, as usual, for your visit!!! Hope your doing well!!
Best Regards
Herb
A little further research to the Craftsman 8-inch Electric Hand Saw shows that this saw was new and improved for "1950". The earlier version (1946-1949) was similar but the changes made were (1) a larger base (2) Better one piece rip guide (3) Graduations on the front of the base plate in 1/8 inches and notched every inch. Improved tilt design for 45 degree bevel cuts. (You have to lower the base plate to move the tilt to 45 deg). (4) New "lighter weight aluminum" (nineteen pounds? LOL)
Saw runs at no load speed of 5300 RPM.
Uses 8" blade with 1/2" Arbor hole.
Depth of cut 2-7/8" (2 in at 45 deg)
Develops 1 1/2 HP
Double sealed ball bearings through out the saw.
So far, no parts, no literature available that I can find.
Best Regards
Herb Spencer
Saw runs at no load speed of 5300 RPM.
Uses 8" blade with 1/2" Arbor hole.
Depth of cut 2-7/8" (2 in at 45 deg)
Develops 1 1/2 HP
Double sealed ball bearings through out the saw.
So far, no parts, no literature available that I can find.
Best Regards
Herb Spencer
Bob Heine
ALLIANCE MEMBER
My parents bought a new home in 1952 and its electrical outlets were two-prong. However, the romex did have a bare ground wire inside the sheathing. It was used to ground all the boxes which made the outlet brackets grounded as well. A year or two later my father bought a 1/4" drill and reciprocating sander, which came with two-prong plugs with pigtails. One had a spade connector on the pigtail and the other had a screw (probe?). To use the tool safely you were supposed to loosen the screw from the receptacle cover, slip the spade connector under the screw and tighten it down. The pigtail with the screw was supposed to replace the receptacle cover screw.
That design didn't last long. By 1956 (maybe earlier) Craftsman portable power tools all had the 3-prong plugs we use in the US even today. For a long time Sears included an adapter plug with their power tools. I still have a few of the adapters, including an old GE bakelite adapter that doesn't have polarized prongs (the two prongs are the same size).
I think they expected you to remove the receptacle screw and ground the adapter. I don't recall ever doing that. I did have a neighbor borrow my battery jumper/charger and rather than ask for an adapter just removed the ground lug from the plug (my tool-lending franchise has since been closed).
And now we've come full circle with most portable power tools being "double insulated" with only 2-prongs on their cords.
Thanks Bob
I surely well remember those adapters that came with electrical items in the earlier years. I remember when people used to cut off the ground prong on items they bought as their homes had only two prong outlets. I also remember the green ground wire that you put under the screw. Yes we have indeed come a long way in everything we have.
LOL--right now I am off to Kansas (maybe) on a craigslist deal to see a 1958 Craftsman table saw/jointer combination. I hate to make a run just on craigslist as often they don't pan out. I have been lusting for one of those old table saw and jointer combos on the same stand. WOW you can clean them up great if they are all there. Not sure I will go but part of me says go, but I have so much other things going on right now.
Best Regards and Thanks!!!!
Herb
I surely well remember those adapters that came with electrical items in the earlier years. I remember when people used to cut off the ground prong on items they bought as their homes had only two prong outlets. I also remember the green ground wire that you put under the screw. Yes we have indeed come a long way in everything we have.
LOL--right now I am off to Kansas (maybe) on a craigslist deal to see a 1958 Craftsman table saw/jointer combination. I hate to make a run just on craigslist as often they don't pan out. I have been lusting for one of those old table saw and jointer combos on the same stand. WOW you can clean them up great if they are all there. Not sure I will go but part of me says go, but I have so much other things going on right now.
Best Regards and Thanks!!!!
Herb
Last edited:
Getting a little OCD in my old age. Two things that have always bugged me are car cleaning and detailing materials and power tool manuals. So, I dedicated a day to fixing that. Next, I will make a property book on CD for the power tools and serial number them, and it will include a photo of each.
YOU are saying: "This guy needs something to do"!! LOL
Best Regards
Herb Spencer
YOU are saying: "This guy needs something to do"!! LOL
Best Regards
Herb Spencer
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1/2 Cup
Member Emeritus
No its not OCD Herb. Mrs 1/2 Cup has kept all the manuals and receipts for every appliance we have ever owned you would be surprised just how often you refer to them.
Regards
The saws just keep on coming. I got this barely used Dewalt 7 1/4 inch saw with a bad blade at the same flea I got the antique Craftsman. I cleaned it up and put a new Freud 60 tooth fine finish blade on it.
It is like brand new. I think someone broke a carbide tooth and thought the saw was bad. The old blade had one tooth missing. It cleaned up well.
I really didn't need it, but they were asking $40.00, and I offered them $30.00 claiming the blade was bad and they took it. Amazon is selling this saw currently for $119.00 on sale. List is $159.00.
Not asking for a "you ****" but will take one if you like.
Best Regards
Herb Spencer
It is like brand new. I think someone broke a carbide tooth and thought the saw was bad. The old blade had one tooth missing. It cleaned up well.
I really didn't need it, but they were asking $40.00, and I offered them $30.00 claiming the blade was bad and they took it. Amazon is selling this saw currently for $119.00 on sale. List is $159.00.
Not asking for a "you ****" but will take one if you like.
Best Regards
Herb Spencer
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taumac
Well-known member
Ok I've give you a combination you **** for the 2 saws you got
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1/2 Cup
Agree. My wife has all her kitchen appliance manuals in a three ring binder.
Prior to my "repentance" I was bad to just shove all my tool manuals into a desk drawer, and over the years I have lost many of them.
Like my First Grade Teacher once said "Herbert can do better".
Best Regards
Herb
ajohno
Well-known member
HSpencer,
Just read your entire thread great work and photos.
Just read your entire thread great work and photos.
Sunbimmer
Well-known member
Herb,
Definetely a "you ****" on the saw, good score
Definetely a "you ****" on the saw, good score
boilerdude
Active member
Hi Herb, just finished reading entire thing from front to back. Firstly, you have beautiful work places in smaller spaces, which proves you don't need a warehouse to build & work in. You have given me motivation to get my act in gear and get organized. I am in the process of setting up a 12X16 shed for my tinkering space, and another 12x16 for storage and for dirtier work....Also, nice scores on the vintage Craftsman tools!
Chris
Chris
Chris
I am impressed you took the time to read through the thread. Thank you very much for your compliments and kind words. I agree that one can do a lot in smaller spaces, and even do large projects in a small garage. My little wood shop has helped me very much and has freed the garage to do more for me. Good luck with your sheds.
Thanks for visiting
Best Regards
Herb
Sunbimmer
Well-known member
Well it's getting there, slowly very slowly, but it's getting there.
I'm working on my bench top these days since I can't get any work done in our back yard because of the worst summer ever.
When I'm finished with the bench top I'll update my thread.
Sunbimmer
Well-known member
Hm.....wish it was heat
, but it's the freaking rain that keeps coming down every day again....After next week I have my three weeks vacation. Weather forecast is promising so I hope I can finish the big projects in our backyard then.
Digging into the restro on the 8 inch Craftsman Saw. Case hardware off for sanding and painting the case, and refinish the hardware. Using a "if it ain't broke don't fix it" policy on this as there are no parts. Probably won't take it down any further, just clean it well. Polished the side cases out. Put a new electrical plug on the still pretty good cord. Will post the balance of it when I am done!!! Also searching for just the right color for the case. Not sure of this yet. Will put on a new "Craftsman 8 inch blade" when I am finished.
Best Regards
Herb Spencer
Best Regards
Herb Spencer
Attachments
1/2 Cup
Member Emeritus
Herb, thanks for the update. The saw is coming up beautifully.
Polished aluminium looks fantastic.
Well done.
Regards
Polished aluminium looks fantastic.
Well done.
Regards
taumac
Well-known member
WOW, I really wish I had time and patience to do the work you do. Your projects always come out amazing. Good work Herb
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don long
Well-known member
Wow Herb
That saw is definitely a work of art
Are you going to use it or display it
I saw one last nite on craigs list. I'll have to find it again now that I see how gorgeous they are all polished up
Enjoy
Don
That saw is definitely a work of art
Are you going to use it or display it
I saw one last nite on craigs list. I'll have to find it again now that I see how gorgeous they are all polished up
Enjoy
Don
Herb, thanks for the update. The saw is coming up beautifully.
Polished aluminium looks fantastic.
Well done.
Regards
1/2 Cup
Thanks. I am finding this quite a quality item. After all these years the gearing and moving parts are all tight and in great shape.
I selected hammered gray for the case finish.
Thanks for your comments
Best Regards
Herb