Its not my fault!!!

[Larry]

It's a terrible addiction that causes people to go in search of old relic machines...and a very slippery slope. ;D

Peacefully checking out the tool adds on Craigslist this morning when I noticed a add bout an old Delta bandsaw...gotta be a mistake as that old arn don't sell cheap if it is any good.

So I call the gentleman bout 5am and arranged the meet...the saw followed me home.






Delta/Rockwell model 28-350 20" bandsaw. 13" of resaw capacity.  Two speed motor...guess for either wood or metal sawing?  The motor is 3 phase...notice the top switch is original, the second box is an added contactor (mag switch), and the third is a static converter.  This saw is the cleanest I have ever seen...very little use.  Think the tires were original but they were deteriorated from dry rot.  Got more scratches riding in the back of my truck than in its entire life.  I haven't called Delta yet to get the birth date but I'm thinking late 50's to early 60's.

Let's see...how am I going to explain to the boss why I need four bandsaws...maybe she won't notice the new one. :

[BigTrev]

Clearly it's so you can have a different blade on each  : or remind her that you cant use the same saw two days in a row it wears stuff out  ;) spreading the load over several machines makes the life of each machine much longer and therefore SAVES you money  :D

[pasbuild]

You've been through this before haven't ya Trev ;D

[BigTrev]

 Who me ?  smiley_angel02_wings

[leweee]

Larry.....5am....man you do have it bad when you have to wakem up that early. :
             I guess the early bird gets the saw obviously. ;D
             Tell us how she performs. 8)

[Larry]

I didn't think it was early...lot of times I get up at 4AM. :D :D :D  Of course when the guy sent me an email with his phone number little before 5 I figured it was safe to call. ;D

I turned it on last night...strange no vibration and very little noise.  Guess 750 pounds helps to smooth things out.  Gotta get the new tires on before I really cut something.

[Larry]

I was off on how old she is...the nice lady at Delta said she was born in April of 1968.  Most Delta machines have parts drawings and owners manuals online now at ServiceNet.  Found the parts diagram but no owners manual.  Again the Delta lady helped me out...she knew where the cabinet was that had the original owners manual, so she is running me a copy and will drop it in the mail at no charge.

[beenthere]

Larry
I was gonna say late 60's, as it looks identical to one I purchased at work, in the late 60's. Your 1968 would be very close to that. Right down to the foot brake pedal. 

Great saw. Good luck getting the tires/wheels.

[Dave Shepard]

I don't know how old it is, but we have got a bandsaw down back that has 42" wheels on it, and it's OLD! Dont know what you would use it for.


Dave

[tdelorme]

Larry, go here and I bet you can find out how old she is.  You will need the SN.
Old Woodworking Machines

[Larry]

St Joseph, Missouri was a jumping off point for wagon trains heading west about the time of the California gold rush.  The real gold was located in St Joseph where a industry developed to build the wagons to get out there.  The bandsaw was a most important tool...wagon wheels are round.  This one is a 30" Crescent with babbit bearings...it was not the working saw in the St Joe carriage shop...just a backup for the 36" Crescent if it went down.




I sold it some years ago but I do have a 36" Crescent...someplace.  I've seen bigger saws but they are about as scarce as hen teeth anymore.

[Larry]

Got my owners manual from Delta today on my saw.  When I picked up the mail I knew there had been some mistake as the envelope was quite thin.  Tore it open and found complete operation instructions on 2 - 1/2 pages.  Than there was another 3 - 1/2 pages with the parts diagrams and info.  I feel cheated....DanG I bought a can opener the other day and it had 20 pages of safety instructions, 11 pages of how to operate, and another 5 pages of where to send it when it breaks after opening 3 cans. :D :D

Just an update...the saw is wearing brand new tires at $66 each.  Musta been made someplace other than China. ;D

[leweee]

Those tires must have been NOS.....Delta knows how to charge for that stuff :

Hope you have better luck with the new saw than the can opener. :D

Love that old cast iron bandsaw. 8)