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Manufactured/Badged by:
Sears | Craftsman
Chicago, IL

True Manufacturer:
,

Machine Specifications
Machine Class:	Wood Working Machinery
Machine Type:	Table Saw
Machine Size:	12 inch
Submitted By:	William Thomas

Machine Specifications
Description/Model:
Date of Manufacturer:	1940s?
Serial Number:
Last Updated	5/9/2003 8:25:25 PM

Comments:

This has been my main table saw for nearly twenty-five years. It was in my old shop when I bought it. Over the years I have done various things to upgrade its condition. I gave it a new motor when the old one was going to burn out (the shop's previous owner had it wired incorrectly), I added more side wings, and eventually added a Beisemeyer fence. These saws were made by Toolkraft and mainly marketed under the name Darra James. The story goes that Sears was thinking of competing with the unisaw, and put their name on just a handful of them (I heard just three, but can't verify that). Apparently they thought it wasn't going to work out, so this saw is somewhat of a rarity. I have always maintained that this saw is everything the Unisaw should be but isn't. It is 12" instead of 10, the blade tips to the left, instead of the right (an important safety consideration), and the rip fence is a better design. The fence lifts off anywhere, instead of having to be slid to the end of the rails. I wonder if Toolkraft is responsible for that inovation, since every Sears saw since has been so equipped. The arbor mechanism is bolted to the underside of the table and permanently located with two steel pins, so the blade can never get out of alignment with the table. The cabinet is made from heavy guage sheet steel welded to a cast iron base.

The saw has two main design defects, which don't effect normal use, but are worth noting. First, the arbor is short, so that in order to use a 3/4 inch dado set, it is necessary to leave off the arbor washer, which isn't the greatest idea. Apparently the manufacturer dealt with this problem, because when I aquired a second one of these saws, it had a longer arbor. The other more serious problem is that the miter slot to the right of the blade is too close to the cutting line. If you set up a 3/4 inch dado and use the miter fence, you will saw into the corner of the miter fence. This is hard on the saw teeth!

Photo 1:

Comments: general view of saw in its present configuration
Source: Bill Thomas

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Photo 2:

Comments: view of saw base showing Crafstman name plate
Source: Bill Thomas

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