Photo Index - Charles E. Wright Co. - 26" Vintage Band Saw

Machinery Photo Index

Manufactured/Badged by:
Charles E. Wright Co.
New Orange, NJ; Kenilworth, NJ

Machine Specifications
Machine Class:	Wood Working Machinery
Machine Type:	Band Saw
Machine Size:	26"
Submitted By:	David Cheetham

Machine Specifications
Description/Model:	26" Vintage Band Saw
Date of Manufacturer:	1905?
Serial Number:	unknown
Last Updated	1/2/2013 11:35:39 PM

Comments:

I found this 26" band saw in South Jersey (Sicklerville) off of Craigslist for $175 in 6/07. It was literally sitting in a corn field covered by a tarp. It belonged to the father of the person who was selling it. He had recently past away and the son was selling the house. He told me his father was a machinist for 40 yrs and found the band saw in storage at his place of work in North Jersey. At retirement, they gave him the band saw and ultimately it didn't fit in his garage, so it sat at the back end of his yard for 30 yrs and was over taken by the neighboring farm.

A friend of mine and I when down to the property after work one day and labored like Egyptians leveraging this behemoth into his pick up truck. By the time we were finished it was dark, however I realized that the upper and lower guides were missing. So we started looking in the dark with flash lights and I was amazed that we found both of the guides covered over with leaves and old corn husks.

When I got back home and really had a chance to examine the band saw closely, I literally didn't find any rust except a little surface rust on the table. The castings were all covered with a waxy substance and lots of saw dust mixed together (I presume that it was Cosmoline). I found lots of mahogany in the base area many pounds of it. This was a line machine that came with a 4" wheel hub and a 4" fire hose type belt. I found a vintage 1 hp Century motor to run this mother bear.

The date of manufacturing comes from the "New Orange, NJ" casted into the "C" arm of the saw. New Orange, NJ in the early 1900's was basically an industrial area of Union County, NJ. In 1907, New Orange, NJ became incorporated as Kenilworth, NJ, so the band saw had to be made before the name change. Later C.E. Wright band saws have kenilworth casted into the "C" arm after 1907. By the way, New Orange, NJ has no relationship to the cities of Essex County that are the Orange's of NJ, such as Orange, East Orange, West Orange and South Orange, NJ.

I have not started any restoration yet, but plan on doing that in late winter 2013. This will be a resaw band saw for my shop. For me there is nothing more beautiful then a big vintage band saw in a woodshop.

Photo 1:

Comments: Originally as purchased 6/07
Source: my digital sony

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Photo 2:

Comments: basic cleaning & put in garage
Source: my digital sony

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Photo 3:

Comments: view of large guides
Source: my digital sony

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Photo 4:

Comments: more of a front view
Source: my digital sony

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Photo 5:

Comments: right side view/axle
Source: my digital sony

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