Photo Index - L. D. Howard - tilt arbor, sliding table

Machinery Photo Index

Manufactured/Badged by:
L. D. Howard
St. Johnsbury, VT

Machine Specifications
Machine Class:	Wood Working Machinery
Machine Type:	Table Saw
Machine Size:	14"
Submitted By:	Robert Bernstein

Machine Specifications
Description/Model:	tilt arbor, sliding table
Date of Manufacturer:	circa 1890
Serial Number:
Last Updated	10/10/2006 9:47:20 PM

Comments:

These photographs are of an cast iron framed table saw attributed to L. D. Howard, of St. Johsnbury, Vermont, that is in the Ben Thresher mill in Barnet, Vermont. I photographed this several weeks ago. It is believed that this saw has been in this building since 1894. If the saw went directly from St. 'J' to Barnet (I believe there is some discussion that it was used in another local mill--perhaps in neighboring Peacham--first) then it has travelled about ten miles in all these years.

Roland Kuenn has been submitting his photographs of the Thresher mill machines (indeed, his photographs here were what got me to visit the site, which I had heard of for many years but never looked up), but since he has not yet sent down photographs of this intersting saw, I take the opportunity to do so.

This interesting saw has a very early sliding table. Even more interesting is its also very early titlting arbor mechanism.

Howard has at least two patents for table saws; the patent drawings show a machine looking very similar to this.

http://www.datamp.org/displayPatent.php?number=183397&type=UT&country=US
http://www.datamp.org/displayPatent.php?number=314843&type=UT&country=US

Note the wooden enclosure (sometimes called a 'doghouse') for the power transmission via flat belt from the sub-floor line shaft.

Photo 1:

Comments: overall shot,
Source: R. Bernstein

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Photo 2:

Comments: table top, from left front quarter
Source: R. Bernstein

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Photo 3:

Comments: arbor tilt mechanism, from front
Source: R. Bernstein

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