Mark Rios
Member
- Messages
- 797
- Location
- Central CA
A couple of months ago I bought a 4 year old Unisaw from a firefighter who hadn't used it in a couple of years. (Thanks to all who helped me make the purchase). He had a number of WWing tools of which all but one were Delta. This saw turned out to be a "Limited Edition Unisaw with 50" Biesemeyer Fence System", according the the name on the manual. I previously had used a Ridgid contractor saw (which is currently for sale in the Classified forum).
I finally got it put together, run the 220V circuit, made the ext.cord and have been using it for a couple of weeks now. WHAT A BIG DIFFERENCE! I'm sure that you folks are saying "Well DUH!!!" but this is my first time using a cabinet saw. Whereas I didn't really have any trouble with the 1 1/2 HP motor on the Ridgid as far as bogging down, I can really tell that this 3HP motor is doing it's job. It's also sooooooooooooooo nice not having to bump the trunions with a precision block of wood to adjust the alignment like on the contractor saw. Another very nice thing is that I no longer have a big pile of sawdust to clean out from the upper cabinet area, from in and around the legs and from off of the floor. At the end of the day I just stick the hose from my shop vac into the DC hole and suck out the sawdust. It's like magic. (For those that don't know, my saw lives in my big work trailer with some other tools and my shop is in the backyard of the three unit rental property that I manage (and remodeled and sold). Thus, no DC.)
I do have a couple of questions though, if you would be so kind:
1) Why is/was this a "Limited Edition"? The model is 36-843. It isn't an X5 or anything like that (that I know of anyway) and I can't really tell any difference from the pics of any other Uni's. Anyone got any ideas? Again, it's vintage is from about four years ago.
2) When I got the saw, the belts had not been adjusted really. There was quite a bit of slack in them. They had also, I'm assuming, taken a set from not being used for a couple of years. I didn't want to go through the trouble of tracking down new belts for this right now so, while setting it up, I left the middle belt where it was, moved the right belt a quarter turn forward and the left belt (arbitrary right and left, I know) a quarter turn backward. I did this to try to eliminate the set (what do I know?). I have tensioned them appropriately.
Now, on start up the saw starts up with a bang. If I've been using it, shut it off and then turn it on again in about a minute or two, the bang is greatly reduced or even gone sometimes. However, if it sits for awhile or overnight and then use it, it bangs again.
Is this because of the belts even though I turned/staggered them as above? Is this a really bad thing for the saw?
3) I had used ZCI's on my Ridgid and I'm using a couple that I got from Hoa on my Uni. However, there is a tremendously reduced amount of sawdust that is thrown up onto the top of this saw compared to the Ridgid. A suprisingly small amount. Anyone have any ideas why this might be? (This, of course, is a very positive thing. I'm just wondering why the difference.)
Thanks very much for your insight and advice.
I finally got it put together, run the 220V circuit, made the ext.cord and have been using it for a couple of weeks now. WHAT A BIG DIFFERENCE! I'm sure that you folks are saying "Well DUH!!!" but this is my first time using a cabinet saw. Whereas I didn't really have any trouble with the 1 1/2 HP motor on the Ridgid as far as bogging down, I can really tell that this 3HP motor is doing it's job. It's also sooooooooooooooo nice not having to bump the trunions with a precision block of wood to adjust the alignment like on the contractor saw. Another very nice thing is that I no longer have a big pile of sawdust to clean out from the upper cabinet area, from in and around the legs and from off of the floor. At the end of the day I just stick the hose from my shop vac into the DC hole and suck out the sawdust. It's like magic. (For those that don't know, my saw lives in my big work trailer with some other tools and my shop is in the backyard of the three unit rental property that I manage (and remodeled and sold). Thus, no DC.)
I do have a couple of questions though, if you would be so kind:
1) Why is/was this a "Limited Edition"? The model is 36-843. It isn't an X5 or anything like that (that I know of anyway) and I can't really tell any difference from the pics of any other Uni's. Anyone got any ideas? Again, it's vintage is from about four years ago.
2) When I got the saw, the belts had not been adjusted really. There was quite a bit of slack in them. They had also, I'm assuming, taken a set from not being used for a couple of years. I didn't want to go through the trouble of tracking down new belts for this right now so, while setting it up, I left the middle belt where it was, moved the right belt a quarter turn forward and the left belt (arbitrary right and left, I know) a quarter turn backward. I did this to try to eliminate the set (what do I know?). I have tensioned them appropriately.
Now, on start up the saw starts up with a bang. If I've been using it, shut it off and then turn it on again in about a minute or two, the bang is greatly reduced or even gone sometimes. However, if it sits for awhile or overnight and then use it, it bangs again.
Is this because of the belts even though I turned/staggered them as above? Is this a really bad thing for the saw?
3) I had used ZCI's on my Ridgid and I'm using a couple that I got from Hoa on my Uni. However, there is a tremendously reduced amount of sawdust that is thrown up onto the top of this saw compared to the Ridgid. A suprisingly small amount. Anyone have any ideas why this might be? (This, of course, is a very positive thing. I'm just wondering why the difference.)
Thanks very much for your insight and advice.
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