Yates V4 resaw ?

rospaw · September 23, 2014, 10:23:28 PM

Have a friend that has one and would like some info about it. It says YATES V4 on one side and the other side it has "48304". This is in my eyes a big resawer. Question we have are : Year it was made? Ruff guess of it's weight? Still a machine that is being used in other mills/ a sellable item? If in running condition a guess of it's value? Thanks for any and all help, Ros
p.s. have pic but not sure how to load. Will work on it.

woodworker9 · September 23, 2014, 11:36:54 PM

Yates American is still open for business. I own several of their machines. If you have the serial number, you can call them and they will tell you exactly when that machine was made, and it's purchase history.

I can't help you on value. Old, obsolete equipment is only valuable to those of us that still run them.

rospaw · September 23, 2014, 11:49:35 PM

Thanks woodworker. Any thought on where the sn is at? Could it be that 48304 that is casted in the main frame at eye level in about 1.5" tall numbers?

edit: We looked around the machine for other numbers with not much luck. This thing being around 12'-14' tall and 8' across we could have missed it ;D

woodworker9 · September 24, 2014, 09:08:19 AM

Typically, Y-A machines have an aluminum serial number tag with the SN clearly stamped on it. They are often missing when previous owners remove them to repaint the machine, and do not replace them.

It is certainly possible that your number is in fact the serial number. Only way to know is to call Yates American, and give them that number. It's either the serial number, or the casting number stamped into the cast iron from the foundry for identification purposes.

Good luck.

hackberry jake · September 24, 2014, 11:04:24 AM

https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=73734.0 does it look similar to this one?

rospaw · September 24, 2014, 12:32:29 PM

Hackberry it is much bigger. 6" wide blade, powered feed rollers are 8-10" dia and about 20-24" tall, the place where the yates v54 plater is mounted (i call throat) is 3x that size. We guessed the machine at about 7000lbs. Thanks for the link. Ros

rospaw · September 24, 2014, 12:56:04 PM

Just got off the phone with Yates American. Talked with the lady that deals with all the old machines. She can not find anything on a v4. Closes she found was a v6, v7 made in the 20's. She also said any machine that said just "yates" is pre 1930. All after 1930 are Yates american. Where should my next call / email be to?

loading pics say "this web browser not supported" I know how i and many others like pics but i can say i tried

hackberry jake · September 24, 2014, 01:19:23 PM

When you go to upload the file, there is a drop down box that says "multiple files" or something like that. You will want to select "simple, one at a time".

woodworker9 · September 24, 2014, 03:19:50 PM

If it's just a Yates, this means P.B. Yates, which purchased American Machine Co, and became Yates-American, back in 1925. Prior to 1915, it was known as Berlin Machine Works, also out of Wisconsin, and purchased by P.B. Yates in 1915.

I have owned several different machines through this progression. If the machine tag has been removed, there are no records in existence that will help you beyond knowing that the machine was made between 1915 and 1926.

You apparently have a machine from that 10 year era, and it will be very difficult for you to narrow it down further than that without stumbling onto some ownership documentation. Most P.B. Yates machines did not have serial number tags on them. American Woodworking machines had serial number tags, and that tradition carried over to Yates-American after the merger in 1925.

You can read all about this if you so desire at the vintagemachinery.org site. I am an avid fan of Yates-American machinery. There are photo's there of 2 other vertical resaws, both in pretty rough shape. One is after a fire.

rospaw · September 25, 2014, 02:07:48 AM

Great site woodworker ! The one where the building fell in around it is close to the one. Maybe a little smaller than Tommy's. We where talking about it today and he said he might take the carriage/power feed system off his circle mill and turn this yates into a bandsaw mill. ??? Knowing what he can and has done in his life all that has to happen now is that little switch in his head to click "i'm going to make a bandmill" and it will happen in a short time. ;D If he does decide to do it i will take pictures and show his start to finish for everyone.