Some of you may recall that I acquired an old Delta tablesaw at an estate
sale last year. I'm hoping someone in the group can help me increase my
knowledge about its history.

It's a model 1160. The blade is fixed and the table does all the moving.
The plate with the serial number is missing on my saw so I can't use that
to date it.

The 1160 was first manufactured in 1936 and apparently continued until a
few years after WWII, although I can't confirm an actual last year date.

Delta became Rockwell-Delta in 1946. Did the nameplates change then or
shortly thereafter? My nameplate makes no mention of Rockwell.

The saw has a Westinghouse "Life Line" motor with an early 40's date but
since the saw was sold sans motor, I have no idea if it was the original
motor or a later replacement. I've been unable to find much info on the
motor. A Google search turned up a few references to Life Line motore,
but they were all huge things of 50-300 horsepower. Mine has a 1 hp, 13.6
amp motor, capacitor start, and is wired for 110. Does anyone have info
on this motor?

The Delta website mentions that their production during WWII went almost
entirely to defense industries. So the odds are that my saw was not
produced during the war, although there is a possibility that it came into
private hands after the war as war surplus. Again, any info on Delta
during the war would be appreciated.

So far, the restoration is proceeding, albeit slowly. I'm beginning to
think that the only parts I'll need will be a new blade, new brushes for
the motor, and maybe some new bearings for the arbor and/or the motor.
All the rest is cleanup and repainting.

Larry Blanchard writes:

It's a model 1160. The blade is fixed and the table does all the moving.

Wow. Don't get to near when the table starts spinning around.....



:-)

On Sun, 19 Oct 2008 20:04:41 -0700, Larry Blanchard wrote:

Some of you may recall that I acquired an old Delta tablesaw at an
estate sale last year. I'm hoping someone in the group can help me
increase my knowledge about its history.

It's a model 1160. The blade is fixed and the table does all the
moving. The plate with the serial number is missing on my saw so I can't
use that to date it.

The 1160 was first manufactured in 1936 and apparently continued until a
few years after WWII, although I can't confirm an actual last year date.

Delta became Rockwell-Delta in 1946. Did the nameplates change then or
shortly thereafter? My nameplate makes no mention of Rockwell.

The saw has a Westinghouse "Life Line" motor with an early 40's date but
since the saw was sold sans motor, I have no idea if it was the original
motor or a later replacement. I've been unable to find much info on the
motor. A Google search turned up a few references to Life Line motore,
but they were all huge things of 50-300 horsepower. Mine has a 1 hp,
13.6 amp motor, capacitor start, and is wired for 110. Does anyone have
info on this motor?

The Delta website mentions that their production during WWII went almost
entirely to defense industries. So the odds are that my saw was not
produced during the war, although there is a possibility that it came
into private hands after the war as war surplus. Again, any info on
Delta during the war would be appreciated.

So far, the restoration is proceeding, albeit slowly. I'm beginning to
think that the only parts I'll need will be a new blade, new brushes for
the motor, and maybe some new bearings for the arbor and/or the motor.
All the rest is cleanup and repainting.

Have you been to Old Woodworking Machines web site (http://www.owwm.com)
and looked up your table saw? That site also has a forum that old
woodworking machine enthusiast hang out at.

This one ?

http://www.owwm.com/photoindex/detail.aspx?id=4839

http://www.owwm.com/pubs/1141/530.pdf

Not a real collectors item but still a older
Delta tool that folks have found and restored.

Is this one yours

http://www.owwm.com/photoindex/detail.aspx?id=7694



Larry Blanchard wrote:
Some of you may recall that I acquired an old Delta tablesaw at an estate
sale last year. I'm hoping someone in the group can help me increase my
knowledge about its history.

It's a model 1160. The blade is fixed and the table does all the moving.
The plate with the serial number is missing on my saw so I can't use that
to date it.

The 1160 was first manufactured in 1936 and apparently continued until a
few years after WWII, although I can't confirm an actual last year date.

Delta became Rockwell-Delta in 1946. Did the nameplates change then or
shortly thereafter? My nameplate makes no mention of Rockwell.

The saw has a Westinghouse "Life Line" motor with an early 40's date but
since the saw was sold sans motor, I have no idea if it was the original
motor or a later replacement. I've been unable to find much info on the
motor. A Google search turned up a few references to Life Line motore,
but they were all huge things of 50-300 horsepower. Mine has a 1 hp, 13.6
amp motor, capacitor start, and is wired for 110. Does anyone have info
on this motor?

The Delta website mentions that their production during WWII went almost
entirely to defense industries. So the odds are that my saw was not
produced during the war, although there is a possibility that it came into
private hands after the war as war surplus. Again, any info on Delta
during the war would be appreciated.

So far, the restoration is proceeding, albeit slowly. I'm beginning to
think that the only parts I'll need will be a new blade, new brushes for
the motor, and maybe some new bearings for the arbor and/or the motor.
All the rest is cleanup and repainting.

On Mon, 20 Oct 2008 17:36:41 +0000, Pat Barber wrote:

Not a real collectors item but still a older
Delta tool that folks have found and restored.

Is this one yours

http://www.owwm.com/photoindex/detail.aspx?id=7694

That's the one - or very close to it. But mine has the belt guard and the
blade guard (which swings up out of the way when not wanted) which the one
in the picture is missing. But a nice restoration.

BTW, I cleaned off some of the decades of grunge today and found I did
have a serial number plate. It says Rockwell, so the saw is postwar, not
prewar as I had thought. There's a raised section on one of the castings
with "8/48" cast into it. Good possibility that that's the date of
manufacture, at least for that casting.

I'd looked at OWMM before, but has missed that picture. Thanks.

The casting will get you fairly close.

The belt guards and blade guards always
seem to be the first to disappear.

The dust door on Unisaws is almost always
gone on the older saws and yet nobody ever
has one for sale. There is a POT load of
dust doors some where.

You are extremely lucky to have a
complete saw.


Larry Blanchard wrote:

That's the one - or very close to it. But mine has the belt guard and the
blade guard (which swings up out of the way when not wanted) which the one
in the picture is missing. But a nice restoration.