Photo Index - R. D. Eaglesfield - "Beltless Power" tilt arbor variety saw

Machinery Photo Index

Manufactured/Badged by:
R. D. Eaglesfield
Indianapolis, IN; Brazil, IN

Machine Specifications
Machine Class:	Wood Working Machinery
Machine Type:	Table Saw
Machine Size:	14" - 16" (blade)
Submitted By:	stephen thomas

Machine Specifications
Description/Model:	"Beltless Power" tilt arbor variety saw
Date of Manufacturer:	19-teens
Serial Number:
Last Updated	1/13/2004 12:00:00 AM

Comments:

This has been my primary shop tablesaw (of 3) for about the past 8 years. It is 14"-16" capacity; a 16" carbide blade is shown mounted after a recent crosscutting setup. The direct drive motor is only 3 HP, so for ripping I usually use a 16" spring set steel blade as it draws about 1/2 the HP (or will cut nearly twice as fast) as the carbide blade. The top is 40" square and shows the original marks from the planing operation used to machine it flat.

Interesting notes include:

massive trunnions, 16" wide for extremely accurate angle positioning. But a pain to tilt as it takes some 200 turns of the crank handle (I always lose count) between vertical and 45º right tilt. The degree scale on the front trunnion is very accurate, easy to read, and easy to adjust to very fine discrimination.

The saw blade raises 1/16" per revolution of the front crank. At full depth with a 16" blade, it will make a vertical cut only about 3-3/4" deep. The old direct drive motor takes up a lot of height!

The original T-square fence is only useful to the right side of the blade. But it tilts from vertical to 45º to accomodate angle cuts that might be done to the left of the blade on a "modern" saw; as well as making some other cuts more convenient. (and some not!) The original saw rails are about as wide as the table top, and limited the rip capacity to about 16". I made the rails shown to allow a 50" rip capacity. They can quickly be removed from the original mounting points, and original hardware re-installed

The original T-slot miter gage is another "massive" piece, and allows a stable 24" (up to 30"+ full capacity) crosscut. Also incorporates an accurate, and easy to read and use degree scale.

The only parts I am aware to be missing from this saw is the sheet metal cover for the casting that houses the blade, and original parts (the cranks) of the handwheels, whatever they may have looked like.

R.D.Eaglesfield are variously attributed as producing the first direct motor drive ("DMD") machinery; but there are other claims depending how one parses "direct electric motor drive". For instance, Crescent is known to have designed an electric motor driven bandsaw in 1901, and Oliver and Wallace made some electric motor driven machines well before the 19-teens. Baxter D
Whitney made a DMD planer ca. 1911, and a DMD shaper some few years later. It is understood that some of the latter mentioned machines used a coupler between the motor spindle and the driven tool spindle, while Eaglesfield definitely designed the spindle as an integral extension of the motor shaft; and made the motor shaft and bearings substantially to acccomodate the tool forces. But it is by no means clear that others did not also. As an aside, the actual saw arbor on my saw is a beautifully made (ground and fit) hardened steel spindle that screws onto the end of the threaded motor spindle with nearly nil (less than .001") runout. But it is a separate piece.

I have been unable to verify a date of manufacture. Some literature I can no longer find, seemd to suggest to me that R.D. Eaglesfield built these before his association with Tony Vonnegut and the ensuing eponymous world changing moulders they developed from 1914 and introduced to the trade ca.1918. It seems possible the saw could date from as early as 1914. But Eaglesfield seems to have operated a manufactory in Indianapolis at least into the 20's, so it is really not certain. As can be seen in the photo of the data plate, the model and serial number were left blank on this saw. I was told by the previous owner to me that it had been one of a pair the owner just prior to him had acquired at an auction in the Buffalo area, (as I understood it) during the 1980's. It had apparently been in continuous use in that shop since it was brand new in the early parts of the 20th century.

Photo 1:

Comments: tilting fence, provision for use on right side of blade only
Source: my shop

Direct Link
IMG Code

Photo 2:

Comments: miter gage set out for aprox. 28" crosscut
Source:

Direct Link
IMG Code

Photo 3:

Comments: 19-teens 3ph, 3hp motor, & tilt-raise mechanism
Source:

Direct Link
IMG Code