Unisaw the Beginning

Recently Ive become interested in purchasing a bit heavier saw for the shop, preferably a decent Unisaw or Powermatic, to replace my aluminum Ryobi BT3000 (which Ive used quite a bit since I originally bought it in 1993). I started watching Craigslist and one at a reasonable price came up - it was in Columbus GA and was listed as a 3HP Unisaw in working condition for $500 - this same saw was originally listed at $750 and I figured the guy was ready to make a deal. When I talked to him on the phone he indicated he would take $450 for it, so I took a trip down to Phenix City AL (right outside of Columbus, which is on the border of GA and AL). When I got there I was very dissappointed, as it wasnt the saw I thought I was getting - the 3HP units started becoming available in the 70s and are still made today - I thought that was what he had - instead I found an old 50s Unisaw with a 1HP motor.

I basically told him I didnt want it, but he asked me what I would offer him - I replied that I would pay $300 for the saw and he told me that it wasnt enough, etc. I started to drive off when he came back and offered to split the difference with me - I said no and he relented, so my trip wasnt wasted. I got a working saw for $300, and while its not exactly what I wanted, I decided to start researching the saw and see what I needed to do to get it in fine woodworking condition. Thats when I refound the Old Woodworking Machines forum. What I read there got me interested in fully restoring the saw. I had visited it previously to download a Dewalt catalog for my 790 Radial Arm Saw - which I found at an estate sale for $60. I started to restore the saw and have put if off for now, as the Unisaw is more interesting.

So here are images of the saw - only real issues: saw has been heavily painted, first red then gray, so it will require stripping to bare metal to make it right. The motor label is missing, one of the tables has a chunk busted out on the edge, and when I peeled off the top I found a welded front trunnion bracket. Here are the pics:








More images to follow as I start stripping down the saw for sand blasting.

-- John

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Simple beginning woodworking projects

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GWA Site Visit to Pierce and Pierce

One of the activities enjoyed by my woodworking club, the Gwinnett Woodworkers Association, is to visit various businesses around Atlanta that either have woodworking shops or are in the business of producing wooden products. This past Saturday we made a site visit to Pierce and Pierce Architectural Millwork and Moulding on Buford Hwy. Ive been to this business once before to price some custom millwork (this was back in the mid 80s and the operation has expanded since then) - of course at the time I didnt get back into the operation. Seems the company was founded by a couple of guys who were having a hard time acquiring the type and style of millwork they needed to build their custom homes for a reasonable price. Like any good entrepreneurs they decided to make what they needed themselves and thus Pierce and Pierce was born.

The showroom had what you would expect - many examples of mouldings both milled and CNC-cut - there was also an assortment of corbels, decorative blocks and other elements available on shelves so you can pick up something without waiting. This company specializes in hardwood millwork, so the softest wood you would normally see here is poplar, with lots of cherry, maple and other hardwoods available. You can either select a pattern that theyve already got made-up or have them create something custom. Part of the trade is composed of matching patterns that are no longer commercially available - so if youre trying to make some interior trim thats an exact match to a
historic home, you can come to them and have them create what you need.

We walked into their main millwork area and youre confronted by lots of production equipment, with stacks of lumber to one side. The first area shown to us during this tour was their metal-working shop - this is where blade-blanks are cut into the shapes for their cutting heads, via CNC-machine. It was explained that their technicians first render the shape using CAD equipment, then the file is handed off to their cutting machine for production. Profiles they want to save can be turned into a pattern shape in hard plastic that is then inserted into a machine that follows the profile, much like one of those key-cutting machines you see at hardware stores.

 There were many examples of cutting heads - they have a six-head machine - on tables and along a long wall. He explained that the entire upstairs of the small building (it was 2 stories, built into the warehouse)  was full of knives and patterns for the heads.

There were also a row of old Foley blade sharpeners - you know I like to see stuff like this!

We went back into the production area where we walked through huge stacks of wood - most of this was surfaced, dried and ready to go. I saw tons of poplar, maple, cherry, mahogany, walnut and a few odd species like spanish cedar and sapele.

Quite a bit of the operation relies on equipment to move the stacks around. Our tour guide described the machine that rips their stock based on width and need. Much like a lumber yard, the machine draws what it thinks are the best widths to maximize yield based on the size of the board - lines are drawn with lasers and the operator can improve the yield for cutting around defects.

We were also shown their finishing area - they pretty much exclusively use lacquer. Here are a few shots of some of the equipment, including a large planer and a Stenner resaw 36 inch bandsaw.

Next we went outside where the guide showed us their two large dust collectors (cyclones) - thought you guys would get a kick out of seeing them.

We then went into their special order shop - this is where they produce those fancy doors you see with the curved tops. Lots of equipment in here so I only took pictures of those classic machines that I like so well. First up is a Crescent 16 inch joiner:

This last images is Hans standing next to a Powermatic bandsaw.

Hope you enjoyed it!

-- John

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Unisaw Quick Mid April Update

Only had a few moments to work on the saw during the last week or two - I did begin some sub-assemblies (front trunnion bracket) and painted the second coat on a few parts (feet, cranks, blade dust shield). Ive been messing with a couple of magnetic starters to use on the saw - these are all three phase so Ill be converting for use as single phase 220. So far Ive collected an old Allen Bradley, a Cutler Hammer and I may be purchasing a Square D just to make things interesting. More photos to come.

As usual, all the other stuff I do has been interfering - Ive also been working on a bird house (my woodworking club is having a little contest this morning during our regular Saturday meeting) and the yard. My current project is to dig out the space beneath the rear deck (by hand I might add - shovel load at a time), then wheelbarrow the dirt out to various areas in the yard that need filling (weve lost so many trees that there are somewhat dangerous holes all over my wooded lot). I also moved 8 tons of dirt (by hand once again) out at the rental property (thanks to my friend Allen who took pity on me and helped move about half of it) to back-fill the rear drain after the water-proofers were done coating the wall.

-- John

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