Photo Index - P. B. Yates Machine Co. - W-16 Bandsaw

Machinery Photo Index

Manufactured/Badged by:
P. B. Yates Machine Co.
Beloit, WI; Hamilton, ON

True Manufacturer:
P. B. Yates Machine Co., Beloit, WI; Hamilton, ON

Machine Specifications
Machine Class:	Wood Working Machinery
Machine Type:	Band Saw
Machine Size:	16"
Submitted By:	T. Wagler

Machine Specifications
Description/Model:	W-16 Bandsaw
Date of Manufacturer:	1940
Serial Number:
Last Updated	7/19/2016 12:46:38 PM

Comments:

I purchased this WW2 vintage bandsaw from the GCSurplus website (Government of Canada Surplus disposal). it is a P.B. Yates W-16, manufactured sometime in the 1937 - 1942 time frame, 16" wheels, 1/2 hp Repulsion-Induction motor, weighing in at a hefty 400 lbs. What attracted me to this particular saw was its styling - it's a prime example of the Art Deco style which was common in the 1930's and 40's. (think of the Chrysler Building in N.Y.)

The saw came from NRC (National Research Council of Canada) Flight Research Laboratory - Uplands Campus - near the Ottawa International Airport. This is now the site of a large wind tunnel and aerospace research centre, but at the time of the bandsaw's initial purchase in about 1940, it was a hanger and small cluster of buildings as can be seen in the attached old photo from that era, dedicated to research aiding the WW2 war effort. I'm not sure what use a wood-working bandsaw served in flight research, but from the debris found inside the saw, it has previously cut aluminum and asbestos/ceramic insulation in addition to wood. The NRC employee indicated that the bandsaw had likely been in storage unused since the 1970's, but only disposed of now because of building renovations at the storage site.

The bandsaw is in pretty decent shape considering its 75+ years of age. The listing for the bandsaw stated "Condition: Does not power on. Appears to be quite old. Need unknown repairs". It turned out that the problem was just a defective on/off switch, as it ran fine after I temporarily rewired it to bypass the switch. The machine runs smoothly and the blade tracks and adjusts nicely. It is amazing the amount of rotating mass that these vintage machines have compared to modern versions. My modern 14" Jet bandsaw will rotate for 7 seconds after turning it off; I timed this one and it took 50 seconds to coast to a stop.

The unit it is branded with the Canadian subsidiary P.B. Yates. name, rather than the more common Yates-American name. However right in the same area as the P.B. Yates decal is the remnants of two little pins typically used for holding on metal machine tags. This makes me think that perhaps it was manufactured and badged at the Beloit Wisconsin factory, imported into Canada, and rebadged. Perhaps without motor, since the motor is of Canadian manufacture, from Robbins & Myers in Brantford Ontario. Interestingly, the core of the P.B.Yates logo is identical to the Berlin Machinery Company logo which was one of the predecessor companies.

Photo 1:

Comments: Front View
Source: Original listing photo

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Photo 2:

Comments: Motor Side View
Source: T. Wagler photo

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Photo 3:

Comments: Art Deco "Flowing Drapes"
Source: T. Wagler Photo

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Photo 4:

Comments: P.B. Yates Logo (very similar to predecessor company Berlin logo)
Source: T. Wagler photo

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Photo 5:

Comments: Motor Badge
Source: T. Wagler Photo

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Photo 6:

Comments: 1940's photo of bandsaws home when new -NRC Flight Research Laboratory, Uplands Campus, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Source: NRC Photo Archives

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