Some observations and questions regarding my UNI.......

Mark Rios

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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. :D 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. :D (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? :eek:

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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Mark,

A couple of Google searches seem to indicate that the "limited edition" came with the Biesemeyer fence, instead of the Unifence, and the mobile base as standard equipment...

Just what I found.

Greg
 
Thanks Greg. I should have been more clear. On the cover of the manual, there are two versions of this "Limited Edition" saw. Mine, model 36-843, has the Biese fence and also a model 36-841, with a 52" Unifence.

However, your idea of the saw coming standard with all these goodies in one package makes sense. I know very little (read - none) about the Unisaw so I don't know what is what and what isn't. :D The Unifence kit even comes with a lower shelf that fits between the dust cover and the leg set.

Thanks very much.
 
... 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.)...
Usually the "rooster tail" of sawdust being thrown up comes from the work or scrap rubbing against the trailing edge of the blade. Also known as an alignment opportunity. If you had the Ridgid 3612 or 3650, there is an eccentric connector that makes the adjustment easy... well relatively easy.
 
mark, first off welcome to cabinet saws! as for the "special edition" greg`s right it was a marketing gimmic with various accys., on belt set, you`ll be fine with the factory belts untill they shred.....try working the saw hard....nonstop ripping for a few hours and see how they feel once they`re broken in......i`m bettin` that your saw has probably never even been warm, a couple cuts here and there then off again for hours or days......just figgurin`........on zero clearance stuff....i`ve never used them and have no intention of doing so, sorry no help there.....tod
 
Unisaw

Hey Mark,
Welcome to Unisaw land. The bang at startup time is probably the belts. You might try fiddling with the tension a little more. My unisaw, about the same age as yours, never had a bang. But my bandsaw did bigtime. It took me (total lack of mechanical aptitude, but very stubborn) 3 or 4 tries to get it just right and it has hummed ever since.

Have you made a crosscut sled for it yet? That's always an early project for me once I get a new saw. But be sure to do any tuning, alignment, etc. before you make the sled.... DAMHIKT ;)
 
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