Lew said:

Are you sure you want to risk that Unisaw motor for a few ripped
2x4's?"

well, motor's 'no good to me' if I can't run it to saw wood. I'm more
concerned with ruining the arco, to be honest...understand I can
(possibly) convert the saw to take a 'standard' 56 frame motor rather
than the 'unisaw-specific' one, with the 184Z frame (if I burn out the
saw motor) but 'that ain't gonna happen today'

Charles U said:

My WAG is blade sharpness won't matter much. The converter will either
start it or not and I'm guessing it probably will.

well, I've used table saws quite a bit, and a dull OLD blade (usually
'gummed up good' with resin and sawdust, to boot) can put quite a load
on a motor...and "cut REALLY lousy" too (so I figure a NEW blade, 24
tooth, puts -way- less load on the motor).

I'd actually buy a 16 or 18 tooth or so for ripping, if I could get one
local, but doubt I can; I've looked.

ok, guys, thanks, I'll try 'booting' the saw with NO blade first (but
the 3 belts on, driving the arbor), mostly to see which way it turns
(correctly or not :-)

then put the blade on, cut some dry 3/4 thick pine, then the 2x4's.

if I 'let the smoke out' of course it'll be a bad day :-(

my LAST table saw was a 2hp 3 phase, and, I could, when ripping thick
8/4 oak, 'manage' to (just barely) still hold the board when it would
sometimes 'close up and bind' behind the blade, smoking and squealing,
in the kerf. but, this ol' new 5hp unisaw thing, well, I'm older now,
not as strong as I was then, and it's more than double the power, so,
uhh, well, here' we go, guys :-)

better to let the SMOKE out than the BLOOD out, though, I guess :-/

'foot kill switch' idea brewing...

thanks again :-) *all* you guys

toolie :-)