Photo Index - Northfield Foundry & Machine Co. - No. 4

Machinery Photo Index

Manufactured/Badged by:
Northfield Foundry & Machine Co.
Northfield, MN

Machine Specifications
Machine Class:	Wood Working Machinery
Machine Type:	Table Saw
Machine Size:	14-18"
Submitted By:	Cliff Sommers

Machine Specifications
Description/Model:	No. 4
Date of Manufacturer:	1941
Serial Number:	4134 S4-I
Last Updated	12/22/2017 12:44:06 PM

Comments:

Northfield's Jeff Machacek reports that this saw was originally shipped to the U.S. Navy in the Chicago area in December, 1941 - just in time to contribute to the massive mobilization of American industry in support of the WWII defense effort. So she's a bona fide vet. Not bad for an old girl who just celebrated her sixty fifth birthday, eh? They hadn't heard of her since, not until I recently registered her serial number.

These early edition #4's don't have a serial number plate; rather, there is a Shop No. scribed into the table top at the front right corner. Plus a nice little Naval anchor emblem too. Jeff had to tell me where to look for it.

The motor is a Louis Allis 5 hp, 3 phase beast - an open fan cooled affair in a special cast housing featuring a flat top (needed to clear the table in up position) and integral side mounting flanges for Northfield's motor carriage. That tank of a motor alone would suffice as a pretty good anchor for most small ships. Like all #4's, this is a direct drive machine - the motor shaft is one in the same as the blade arbor.

Having previously restored a more recent vintage #4 I was interested to note the many small changes Northfiled has made over the years to reduce manufacturing costs. A couple of the obvious ones are substituting stamped sheet metal pieces for castings, for example the blade chip deflectors and access door. This saw weighs over 200 pounds more than the other #4 I previously owned. Many other small changes reduce machining of individual parts. I was surprised to learn that Northfield's early saws have a narrower miter gage groove than are currently used. I had to resize both gage bars to suit in mating a pair of gages bought separate from the saw.

I bought this saw from Covella' Fine Woodworking, a Charleston, SC waterfront firm that took it and several other machines in to satisfy a bad debt from a defunct boat builder that used to occupy the adjacent building. What use it may have been put to in between the Navy and the boat builder I have no clue.

For slideshow including many of pixs this site doesn't allow room for, click the following link (or cut 'n paste into the address line of your browser):

http://s75.photobucket.com/albums/i302/fustyducker/Northfield%20No%204/?action=view¤t=1171760857.pbw

Original insert date: 2/17/2007 9:34:29 PM (MA)

Photo 1:

Comments: front
Source: my fuji finepix

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Photo 2:

Comments: right side
Source: my fuji finepix

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Photo 3:

Comments: top
Source: my fuji finepix

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