# My first table saw (Delta Unisaw) - Question



## fcmcommw (Oct 17, 2011)

I finally purchased my first table saw. It is a delta unisaw that I found on craigs. 

I had to run a 220 line as the motor was wired up for this already. I was told by the electrican that it would run either 110 or 220. After all the reading on the net I went ahead and ran the 220 line in my garage.

My saw has a 1.5hp motor and spins at 3450 rpms which is stated on the motor. I do not have an owners manual and do not know much about this saw. I took a chance because it was a great deal and the saw was in really great shape except for a little surface rust on the table which was easily removed with some steel wool.


My question is should I be concerned at all with the 1.5hp? I could replace the motor but is it really worth it? I used the saw for the first time last night and it cut like a dream. I had a brand new freud 60T blade on it and was ripping a few pieces of oak and various scraps of pine that I had laying around.

I also tried this nickle test that I read about which I can only assume is that you place a nickel on the table to see if it falls over when you start/stop the motor. Starting the motor seems a little rough but nothing major. Once the saw is running it's virtually vibration free and the nickel does not tip over when I stop the motor. Should my starting of the motor be slightly rough?

Thanks for all the help. I will post pics later tonight when I get home. 

Mark


----------



## knotscott (Nov 8, 2007)

Question asked:


fcmcommw said:


> ... should I be concerned at all with the 1.5hp?



Question answered!


fcmcommw said:


> I used the saw for the first time last night and it cut like a dream.


:thumbsup: :laughing:


----------



## TheOldMan (Nov 4, 2011)

*Congrats on the Unisaw!*

You have just purchased one of the greatest tablesaws available.
They have been making these things, with just a few changes, since the ealry 30's. I now own 2. One I have been using for about 20 years, and a 1981 i baught because the price was right, and am in the middle of refurbishing it.

The "nickel test" probably will fail at startup if you don't have the low voltage control as on the older saws. If your saw has been setting for quite some time, probably the belts have taken a set, and will settle down after a time, not all the way, but better. Might be a good idea to replace them, but buy a matched set.
The 1.5 hp motor will work just fine for almost anything that you want to do.


----------



## Pirate (Jul 23, 2009)

Congrats on the new Uni. Great saws.
As for the vibration. I would first check to be sure the pulleys are tight on the shafts.
As for the 1 1/2hp, I would use it and see for your self. I have an old Unisaur, with a 1 hp motor, and it's all I need. Granted the old 1hp motors had bigger horses in them!
Good luck with it.
Oh, it it has an orig jet lock fence (thinks that what they were called) a Biesemeyer style fence would do wonders for the saw. I put a Jet Exacta (Biesemeyer clone) on mine, and made a world of a difference.


----------



## fcmcommw (Oct 17, 2011)

Thanks for the info. I actually did get the saw to pass the nickel test on startup and shutdown after the saw was turned off and on several times and then I let it run for a little while. It has been sitting idle in my garage for a while due to me having to run the electrical. Another reason it might be a little rough on startup is that I do have it sitting on a mobile station with casters so its not directly sitting on the floor.

I will probably end up buy a new match set of belts for this saw. I guess it couldnt hurt right?

Another question is there any other preventative maintenance that I should do? I used steel wool on the top to knock of the little surface rust it had and followed up with some johnsons paste wax I read about in another post.

What about the gears or belts underneath? Is there any regular maintenance that I should do such as lubricating specific parts? I love this saw and want to make sure it lasts.

The saw came with a bessy fence. I just need to get a good mitre gauge/fence now.

Mark


----------



## eagle49 (Mar 22, 2011)

*saw*

I have 1-1/2 horse on mine. I can bury the blade in a walnut, slows down but doen't stall, how much more power do ya need!


----------



## fcmcommw (Oct 17, 2011)

johnray,

thats what I thought too about the HP. I see so many people on here upgrading to 3hp or even 5hp which is a huge difference IMO. I thought I was missing something since being a newbie and all.

Any suggestion on the upkeep of the saw...


----------



## dodgeboy77 (Mar 18, 2009)

Mark,

Congrats on the saw! You went from nothing to a Cadillac all at once. I went through three table saws before i finally bought and restored a Unisaw.

When they say to get 'matched' belts, they mean from the exact same batch from Delta, not just three belts that are the same number. Since you have the 3450 RPM motor, you'll want the Delta 49-124. They are available from Delta service centers for about $35-$40. I made the mistake of using premium Gates cog belts and the saw vibrated as they weren't _precisely _the same length.

As far as a manual is concerned, first you need to figure out what year your saw is (not that Unisaws changed all that much from 1938 until the recent X5). You can find your year here: http://wiki.vintagemachinery.org/DeltaSerialNumbers.ashx From there, you can dig around OWWM.org and maybe come up with a manual. Here's a link to a 1969 manual: http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/detail.aspx?id=537

Enjoy your new tool!

Bill


----------



## weedsnager (Sep 21, 2011)

i put 3 link belts on my uni and i made a world of difference....you'll hear from alot of people that a link belt is not necessary, but it took the start up thump away on mine.


----------



## dodgeboy77 (Mar 18, 2009)

Weedsnager,

I have read this and maybe you can tell me if it is true: I read that the link belts ride a little high over the pulleys. Because of this, when the blade is raised high on a Unisaw, the belt can come in contact with the underside of the table. Have you experienced this?

Also, I have heard that the start-up thump (or bang) can be lessened by experimenting with belt tension. Belts being too tight can cause the noise. So can too much clearance between the elevation gears. Mine does the start-up noise but oddly, not every time.

Bill


----------



## fcmcommw (Oct 17, 2011)

Guys,

First I wanted to say thanks to each and every person on here. I'm new to this forum but it's fellow woodworkers such as yourselves that make buying the right tools possible. It was reading these forums that lead me to scouring the net to find a quality cabinet saw at a great price. I could have spent twice what I spent on a new saw that might have turned out to be half as good.

I uploaded some pics of the saw I purchased so any feedback would be greatly appreciated. I also inlcuded a pic of the motor so any info on the motor would be great. 

I just got done cleaning and waxing the top (@11:53pm). Is it me or did all of you just randomly start cutting wood all hours of the night on your table saws when you first got them :yes:. I just want to see this thing run.

I will probably order new belts but not sure if I need to at this point. Aside from the initial thump when it starts my nickel is rock solid and never falls over no matter where its at on the table except in front of the blade where the air knocks it over. Shutting the saw off is really impressive as it comes to a very smooth stop.

The fence is nice but I'm comtemplating an Incra fence with a nice mitre slide.

And finally, I guess I should tell you all how much I paid. I paid $400 which inculded the fence you see in the pics and the cart that its on. I think I got a good deal.

much appreciation,
Mark


----------



## knotscott (Nov 8, 2007)

That's a really nice setup for $400. The day the Biesemeyer fence is the reason your joints don't mate up close enough is the day you should order the Incra! :thumbsup:


----------

