Photo Index - Delta Specialty/Delta Mfg. Co./Delta-Rockwell/Rockwell Intl. - 14" Delta Milwaukee band saw

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:	Band Saw
Machine Size:	14"
Submitted By:	Frans Grove

Machine Specifications
Description/Model:	14" Delta Milwaukee band saw
Date of Manufacturer:	1948-1952
Serial Number:	n/a
Last Updated	7/16/2006 12:00:00 AM

Comments:

I acquired this band saw in very sad shape for $20. The son of the owner had it listed in NJ Craigslist for sale when his mom wanted to sell the house and move to Florida after his dad passed away. He did not know much about the saw except that his dad had it as long as he can remember.

It was badly neglected and initially I thought the condition was too bad to consider restoring the saw and that it would end up as parts on ebay. However, after the saw was partly disassembled, I realized that actually only a few parts like knobs and blade guards are missing and close inspection after a little cleaning showed even though some parts were very badly rusted on the outside, that all the positions where parts connected were in relative good condition. So I decided to move ahead with the restoration. I had been searching for a low cost Delta 14" band saw for many months and this could be a good one to restore and keep.

The saw was completely disassembled down to every little part. All the castings were cleaned in an electrolysis tank and it was taken down to bare metal to remove all the layers of paint before it was primed and repainted with Rustoleum Smoke Grey. All the hardware and parts that could not be cleaned with electrolysis, was either bead blasted or cleaned with a wire wheel. Most of the hardware items were replaced.

The saw came with a very flimsy home made stand and a tiny little 1/4 hp motor. So both needed to be replaced. The motor was replaced with a 3/4 hp single phase motor which was also found on Craigslist. I used a motor pulley size that sped up the blade speed from the original 2200 fpm to 2800 fpm. For the stand I used a Delta light duty shaper stand which I had available. It is wider than the original band saw stand, so I cut a slot in the top of the stand to accommodate the v-belt when the saw was mounted in the center of the stand. One of the few things I still need to do is to fabricate a belt cover. The motor was mounted on a fabricated mounting made from folded U-channel to allow for easy tensioning of the belt. The shaper stand is a little bit higher than the original band saw stand, but I am tall enough to feel comfortable at the new high. I can always disassemble the stand and cut the legs a little bit shorter on the top side so make the stand lower when I feel it is necessary later on, but for now I like the custom height.

The few missing parts were either acquired from a person parting out a similar vintage saw for parts on ebay or bought new from a few different places.

The saw came with a riser block installed and I decided to leave it off at first as I do not have immediate needs for such resaw capacity. I will first get to know the saw well without the riser and if I see the need later for the increased capacity, then I will add the riser again.

All the bearings were replaced and new urethane tires were installed. A push button switch was mounted on the upper arm casting. The original Delta Milwaukee label were brush painted at some stage during the many layers of paint the saw had seen and could therefore not be used. A new digital image of the sign was created by scaling it from a photograph of a real label. A little work light was added also. The wheels were also balanced as good as possible.

The assembly was surprisingly easy and when it was time to mount to the blade, then the saw was adjusted step by step according to Bob Vaughan's wonderful FWW band saw tune-up article. To my big surprise and happiness, the wheels were perfectly aligned and did not need any shimming. The blade was tacking very well and was perfectly aligned with the guide post. The first test cuts immediately proofed all the effort of the restoration was well worth it as it was cutting perfectly straight and curved cuts.

One point that cannot be seen on the photos is the table surface is not very good anymore. It was pitted from all the rust. It is working fine for now, but with time I will look into either getting it repaired by grinding the top or replacing it. I will also probably add a mobile base.

This is great little saw. It is now good again for another 50 years and this time it will looked after very well.

Photo 1:

Comments: Condition as I brought it home
Source: My camera

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Photo 2:

Comments: Completely restored front shot
Source: My camera

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Photo 3:

Comments: Completely restored rear shot
Source: My camera

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