Photo Index - Delta Specialty/Delta Mfg. Co./Delta-Rockwell/Rockwell Intl. - 10" Unisaw

Machinery Photo Index

Manufactured/Badged by:
Delta Specialty/Delta Mfg. Co./Delta-Rockwell/Rockwell Intl.
Milwaukee, WI; Jackson, TN; Tupelo, MS

Machine Specifications
Machine Class:	Wood Working Machinery
Machine Type:	Table Saw
Machine Size:	10"
Submitted By:	Lance Dover

Machine Specifications
Description/Model:	10" Unisaw
Date of Manufacturer:	1954
Serial Number:
Last Updated	2/26/2003 12:00:00 AM

Comments:

Hi! I found oldwwmachines very helpful when restoring my "new" Unisaw, so I figured I would submit my experience as well. The only think I know about the history of this saw is that it came from a local high school. Apparently, they "upgraded" their shop and put all their old tools out to pasture. I bought this off a guy who rescued the whole lot. The restoration basically included cleaning up the base and the top. I didn't do anything with the internal mechanisms or motors except clean & lube everything I could. So far, it appears to work very will without an internal overhaul.

Since I'm new to all this, my restoration involved substantial trial and error. For the base, I first disassembled the cast iron part from the steel part by tilting the saw on its side. This allowed me to deal with each piece individually. I attempted to strip the base first with BIX stripper, but that didn't go too well (probably because I was impatient and also because of the irregular cast iron surface). One or two coats of paint came off, but the original factory coating was pretty stubborn. Luckily, there was very little rust, so I pretty much just took off as much as I could.

Next I started on the steel base (I had already taken the cast iron top off). I used the BIX stripper again on the base, with a little more success. Unfortunately, I spent the better part of 3 hours and millions of brain cells slathering, scraping and rubbing with the cheap plastic scraper that came with the BIX stripper. Only by the fourth side did I try to experiment with one of those paint scraper razor blades. Much better. This took most of the paint off down to bare metal. I then went back over the other three sides with more stripper, the razor, and alternating rubs of lacquer thinner. Lacquer thinner rules. I finished up some time later that day or the next day by lightly sanding it all down, blowing it off with a compressor, and then rubbing one final time with mineral spirits.

There were a few holes in the steel base that I don't think were "original". I chose to fill a couple of these with epoxy and auto glazing compound. I kept a couple others below the motor cover and later used them to mount a wood strain relief for the cord.

I painted the steel base first with a couple coats of Rustoleum auto primer, lightly sanding between, and then finished up with a couple coats of Rustoleum "Hard-hat" Light Machine Gray. I rational for using these material was simple- it's what Home Depot carried....

For all the hardware (handles, fence, switch box, etc.) I used only lacquer thinner. I would let them soak for 5 to 15 minutes, and then scrub them with a tooth brush. Getting the serial number plate, the angle gauge, and switch plate clean was tricky because I couldn't use too much lacquer thinner or scrub too hard or the original paint would come off. Luckily it's much more robust than all the after market paint that was on it.

For the cast iron top, I used numerous "techniques", most of which will probably make you cringe. Among these were a belt sander with 50 grit paper, hand sanding with a sanding block, navel jelly with steel wool, hand drill & steel wire brush, wet sand paper up to ~300 grit, and a pressurized sand blaster, not necessarily in that order. I bought the sand blaster after I had completely removed all the rust from the top (doh!), and used it for the miter grooves. It was very effective for this- too bad I didn't have it for the top! I finally finished the top with Minwax paste wax.

Feel free to send me an e-mail if you have any questions!

Photo 1:

Comments: Before
Source: L. Dover

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Photo 2:

Comments: After (base)
Source: L. Dover

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Photo 3:

Comments: After (top)
Source: L. Dover

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