Photo Index - Walker-Turner Co., Inc. - geared self-indexing miter gauge

Machinery Photo Index

Manufactured/Badged by:
Walker-Turner Co., Inc.
Jersey City, NJ; Plainfield, NJ

Machine Specifications
Machine Class:	Wood Working Machinery
Machine Type:	Table Saw
Machine Size:	Fits saws with standard 3/4 miter slot
Submitted By:	Manny Ringel

Machine Specifications
Description/Model:	geared self-indexing miter gauge
Date of Manufacturer:	1940s ?
Serial Number:
Last Updated	11/13/2020 8:30:17 PM

Comments:

I got this almost 20 years ago at a yard sale, PO wanted $5 for his “protractor”. This same model appears in most of the W-T catalogs posted on this site, from the mid-1930s through the 1950s, so it’s a bit hard to date. In the 30s and 40s the model number is given as MG90, but in the 50s Kearny-Trekker era catalogs it has become 391A90. Some parts of my miter show casting numbers starting with MG, so I’m putting it no later than 1940s. And I’d lean towards early 40’s or even later 30’s, because it is prominently labeled “Driver Line” which I don’t think Walker-Turner was selling in their later years.

The geared self-indexing feature means that once you have the miter aligned to a true 90 degrees at the center detent, then the other 6 detents (75-60-45 on each side) are automatically correct as well. To use the miter, the upper knob is unscrewed a bit to unlock the miter. Then turning the lower knob turns the pinion gear against the sector gear to move the miter with fine control, and a spring-loaded plate snaps into each detent stop as it is reached. Screwing down the upper knob locks in the setting.

This is pretty much as I got it, just cleaned, lubed, and put some white paint in the scale markings. The two thumbscrews on top of the face are to hold stop rods, which were MIA when I got it. I suppose I could make replacement rods, but I generally use this with a wood fence screwed to the face, and clamp stops to that as needed. I use this with my 1950s 10” Craftsman table saw, it’s certainly a much better miter gauge than the one that Sears supplied.

Photo 1:

Comments: overall view
Source: me

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Photo 2:

Comments: closeup of labeling, the hard-to-read last line is patent 2,010,882 from 1935
Source: me

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Photo 3:

Comments: innards showing pinion, sector gear, and detents
Source: me

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Photo 4:

Comments: side view showing upper and lower knobs, and the hole on the side for missing stop rod
Source: me

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