With everything back on tract, the rip cut was finally made. We filmed the disassembled motor to get a firsthand look at the motor guts for the video.
Over the next few days, with helpful information from the folks at Old Woodworking Machines () and from the site’s message board (/index.php), Steve worked on the motor and found an issue with a spring locked behind a cover near the commutator. It has sat in his shop for 10 years, and hes been trying to sell it for a few months I think. This shop then went out of business and the person I am swapping with purchased the unused motor. Apparently some amish man purchased a unisaw, but didnt want the electric motor, so the shop kept it. Looks as if the motor needed a rebuild the motor as well as the saw. Yep, the new motor is actually a delta branded motor. It became clear the issue was somewhere inside the motor due to tremendous amounts of black soot-like dust that spilled from the motor as we shot compressed air inside. Immediately the saw was turned off and we were left scratching our heads. We had heard the saw running earlier in the morning, but when the call went out to power up the repulsion-induction motor while filming, there was a wobble in its voice. All that was left was to turn on the Unisaw and make a couple quick rip cuts. Steve Shanesy, Popular Woodworking Magazine‘s publisher, walked through the additions made to the saw since the last segment including a shop-made zero-clearance insert, a new fence board and the new motor cover, it’s constructed from 1/4″ Baltic birch plywood and pine strips and looks great attached to the saw cabinet. That’s exactly what happened with the 1944 Delta Unisaw Rebuild.Īs we began to film episode five, the storyboard for the video was writing itself. That wonderful feeling comes just before the bottom drops out. We’ve all been in one of those grooves where everything is going along gangbusters and you have it all under control.