Hey all,

My new (and first) 3 HP Unisaw should be here by Thursday. I got the 50"
commercial Bies. fence. I don't expect any issues or problems assembling or
setting up, but it'd be great to know of tips or tricks any of you have
encountered before I dig in.

TIA

-m

I just received mine about 3 weeks ago (first one also) and is the exact
same as yours. I didn't encounter any problems assembling since every part
was sent and nothing was damaged. I was extremely impressed with the fit of
everything and how the saw itself was dead on as far as parallel to the
miter slots and the angle stops. I spent about 3 hours or so with the help
of my ever so lovely wife who lets me buy these expensive items, and the
only tip that I have is to be careful when lifting and moving the various
parts because they are all heavy. Just curious as to where you bought it
from, I got mine from Woodworkers Supply in Alb., NM during one of their
specials ($1499.00) and had it delivered to Arizona for only $13.

Enjoy your new saw, I'm sure enjoying mine.

--
John Voss
Prescott Valley, AZ

Remove "NO SPAM" to reply.


"Mike Pio" wrote in message
news:HPJYc.62697$yh.56738@fed1read05...
Hey all,

My new (and first) 3 HP Unisaw should be here by Thursday. I got the 50"
commercial Bies. fence. I don't expect any issues or problems assembling
or
setting up, but it'd be great to know of tips or tricks any of you have
encountered before I dig in.

TIA

-m

The only suggestion I have is to check the trunnions before unloading off
the truck. The Unisaws tend to have more than their fare share of broken
trunnions upon delivery. Checking on the truck will save you having to
unload a damaged saw, and save you having to deal with getting it repaired
because you are going to refuse shipment.



"Mike Pio" wrote in message
news:HPJYc.62697$yh.56738@fed1read05...
Hey all,

My new (and first) 3 HP Unisaw should be here by Thursday. I got the 50"
commercial Bies. fence. I don't expect any issues or problems assembling
or setting up, but it'd be great to know of tips or tricks any of you have
encountered before I dig in.

TIA

-m

On Mon, 30 Aug 2004 10:52:39 -0700, "Mike Pio"
wrote:

|Hey all,
|
|My new (and first) 3 HP Unisaw should be here by Thursday. I got the 50"
|commercial Bies. fence. I don't expect any issues or problems assembling or
|setting up, but it'd be great to know of tips or tricks any of you have
|encountered before I dig in.

I actually wrote the following a few months ago but never posted it.
Perhaps it will be useful he

I used to own a 15-year old Craftsman contractor's saw. With a little
adjustment, the blade was parallel with the miter gauge slots, the two
open rib cast iron extension wings were perfectly flush with the table
top and the arbor run-out, measured at the base of the blade gullets
was 0.003". The fence sucked but I learned to compensate and live
with it. With only one hp, rip cuts on hardwood were---excuse the
pun---hard, but doable. Being completely open, dust was a big
annoyance. Nevertheless, using the saw I built a 1200 sq ft addition
to my house, a few cabinets and all the other little things a home
handyman does.

Recently I've become more interested in doing some simple furniture
building and some kitchen and bath remodeling so I figured I could
factor the cost of new tooling into the *alleged* cost saving of DIY.

Thus I succumbed to the siren call of the CABINET SAW and decided to
buy one. But which one? Using comments in this forum, product
reviews, etc. etc, I decided for various reasons to buy American and
get me one of them Unisars.

In other threads I railed against what I perceived as lousy quality
control and the fact (in my mind) that manufactures didn't sell saws,
they sold saw kits; a bunch of parts that needed to be finished by the
sucker-err---buyer, to complete the construction. I gotta a lot of
flack over that one so without further ado or editorial comment
follows the ongoing story of the Delta Unisaw...

1. Decided to buy locally (glad I did) from Woodcraft during
their March 10% off sale. Went with a 30" Biesemeyer fence and Delta
mobile base. Paid all of $15 extra for home delivery.

2. Week later, saw arrives. Two Woodcraft guys deliver in PU
truck with no lift gate. Call next-door neighbor over and four of us
skid it down a couple of 4x4s without incident. Tilt indicator was
bright red before unloading and big hole in box but no apparent
damage. Sell Craftsman saw to neighbor for hundred bucks.

3. Manage to single-handedly get saw off pallet onto mobile base.
Work stops here during three-week trip.

4. Back home, back to assembly. Options a open all boxes and
do inventory and then lose parts before they are needed; or, wait
until parts are needed to open boxes. Choose second option.

5. Assemble left-hand cast iron extension wing. Doesn't line up.
Make it flush with the table front and rear and it sags 8 thou midway
along the joint line although one inch back from the front, the
extension is proud 4 thou. Left front outside edge of extension
droops 20 thou.

6. Call Wendy at Woodcraft. She says Delta will drop ship
replacement to me. Work stops for a week.

7. UPS man brings new extension wing. This one is worse than the
original! The finish is horrible. On both wings, it appears than
when the grinding wheel was introduced to the iron there was a lot of
chatter. The first couple of inches bear witness to this by being
very rough and showing the wheel marks. If I eat enough Wheaties, I
can turn this thing upside down and use it as a wood rasp. Say to
hell with it and reinstall original extension wing. Determine that
part of the misalignment is an artifact of the main table having a
high spot at the left front edge. Aligning the wing to this spot
creates misalignment along the rest of the interface. Use flat
grinding stone to hone this high spot down and fiddle fart around
until I figure it's good enough.

8. Install front and rear angle supports. Instructions say that
front support that holds rip fence rail must be installed to exact
dimension of 2 27/32" below table top. No way in hell will this
happen without enlarging mounting holes in table top. Start
elongating holes with rat-tail file. Slow going. Decide that since
angle surface is too low, another option would be to add shims between
angle and fence rail. Bolt on fence rail using ¼" flat washers as
shims. Works dandy.

9. Time to mount the laminate extension table. Manual says, and
photos show, mounting of "Z-bracket". No Z-bracket to be found in
boxes. Call Woodcraft. They say they will call Delta and call back.
Next day after not hearing from Woodcraft, I call Delta. Guy says,
"Oh, the Z-bracket isn't used with Beisemeyer fence, the manual is
wrong." While I have him on the phone I mention misalignment of fence
rail. He says, 'Be glad that it's too low, that way you can use shims
for alignment, some of them are too high then you have a real
problem." Lucky me! I also mention extension wing problem. He says
he will send another.

10. Ten days later, UPS man comes with extension wing. The box is
completely shredded and it is obvious that somewhere along the line,
the extension has exited the box and landed on a corner against a hard
object. Besides the bent corner, the finish is as rough as the
others. Unless Delta sends somebody out to retrieve this one, I now
have a heavy-duty surface plate of questionable accuracy.

Otherwise, after four months of steady use, I'm happy.

Enjoy. It's still a great saw, and once adjusted, the fence is right
on. It's a joy to set it to the desired dimension and have the cut
right on that dimension without fuss.

Wes

On Mon, 30 Aug 2004 13:39:27 -0700, Wes Stewart
wrote:

7. UPS man brings new extension wing. This one is worse than the
original!

General is kind enough to install the wings on the 350/650 at the
factory. What you give up in fun trying to install the wings is
gained ordering your help "DON'T PICK IT UP BY THE WINGS!!", while
moving it in through a door only slightly larger than the saw, in 20
degree weather. G

Delta messed up the parts inventory on my DJ-20 and X5 bandsaw. They
did finally make it right, but the process took several calls and 3-4
weeks in each case. I was royally ****ed off both times. Both
machines were missing show stopping parts. I suggested to the last
rep I spoke to that if they concentrated on leaving out bolts or
belts, rather than proprietary parts, most of us would simply buy the
parts locally, just to get the tool in service. This would save Delta
money. She just didn't see the humor in that.
Barry

John,

I got mine from Amazon for $1475 (which included one $50 coupon plus the $25
off special being run right now). Shipping was free (also being sent to
Arizona) using their "Free Super Saver Shipping" option.

Thanks for the reply!

-m

"John A. Voss" johnvoss at spesystemsinc.com wrote in message
...
I just received mine about 3 weeks ago (first one also) and is the exact
same as yours. I didn't encounter any problems assembling since every
part
was sent and nothing was damaged. I was extremely impressed with the fit
of
everything and how the saw itself was dead on as far as parallel to the
miter slots and the angle stops. I spent about 3 hours or so with the
help
of my ever so lovely wife who lets me buy these expensive items, and the
only tip that I have is to be careful when lifting and moving the various
parts because they are all heavy. Just curious as to where you bought it
from, I got mine from Woodworkers Supply in Alb., NM during one of their
specials ($1499.00) and had it delivered to Arizona for only $13.

Enjoy your new saw, I'm sure enjoying mine.

--
John Voss
Prescott Valley, AZ

Remove "NO SPAM" to reply.


"Mike Pio" wrote in message
news:HPJYc.62697$yh.56738@fed1read05...
Hey all,

My new (and first) 3 HP Unisaw should be here by Thursday. I got the 50"
commercial Bies. fence. I don't expect any issues or problems assembling
or
setting up, but it'd be great to know of tips or tricks any of you have
encountered before I dig in.

TIA

-m

"Mike Pio" wrote in message news:HPJYc.62697$yh.56738@fed1read05...
Hey all,

My new (and first) 3 HP Unisaw should be here by Thursday. I got the 50"
commercial Bies. fence. I don't expect any issues or problems assembling or
setting up, but it'd be great to know of tips or tricks any of you have
encountered before I dig in.

TIA

-m

Take your time assembling and it. Have a friend come over and help
assemble it. Have 2 more friends to help get it off the truck. Its
pretty easy to put together if you take your time. I check the
alignments once a year and the parts drift only the smallest amount.

I would recomend an alignment gague set. I used TS-Aligner Jr.

Set the fence a tinsy bit proud at the outfeed end to avoid kickback.
Get the splitter kit.

The blade that comes with it is actually pretty good. I've used it
alternating with a more expensive blade and found them close.

Good Cutting!!

"Mike Pio" wrote in message
news:NTMYc.62719$yh.40396@fed1read05...
John,

I got mine from Amazon for $1475 (which included one $50 coupon plus the
$25 off special being run right now).


Wow, amazing, how did you do that? Maybe you're not talking about a Delta?
I bought mine about 5 months ago and its been $1,799 since then. See
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...&s=hi&n=228013

I bought mine from a local dealer for $1,749 and got the mobile base as a
freebie. I shopped and shopped extensively and concluded that Delta was
price fixing at $1,799. It surely does surprise me that it could have been
had for hundreds less.

BTW, in the instructions it refers to a 'Z' bracket and an 'L' bracket which
supports the center of the extension table where it connects to the right
wing. They were not included in mine and the lady at Biesmeyer said they
only send them to customers who ask for them.

Gary

Congratulations! I got the same thing a year ago. The setup was a breeze. I
needed to only tweak the fence a smidgen. The 0 and 45 degree stops were dead
on. I had it set up id half a day. The bugger is heavy though. I got my son
to invite three friends over to lift it out of the truck and onto the mobile
base. Cost me a couple of pizzas!

Grant



Mike Pio wrote:

Hey all,

My new (and first) 3 HP Unisaw should be here by Thursday. I got the 50"
commercial Bies. fence. I don't expect any issues or problems assembling or
setting up, but it'd be great to know of tips or tricks any of you have
encountered before I dig in.

TIA

-m

Not so amazing, really...this is the saw I got:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...?v=glance&s=hi

I made sure to check both with Delta and Amazon (on the phone) before I
bought this saw that it was the latest. The reason it's cheaper than the
one you have is because it's NOT an X5. The X5 comes with some extra
goodies, which are reflected in the pricing. I wasn't interested in any of
the extras, so I just go the basic saw and fence. I couldn't find a better
deal than you quoted on the X5 either, by the way. I agree that Delta is
probably price fixing.

Thanks very much for the tip on the fence bracket. Did you have to pay
extra for those brackets, or did they send it for free?

-m


"Gary" wrote in message
...

"Mike Pio" wrote in message
news:NTMYc.62719$yh.40396@fed1read05...
John,

I got mine from Amazon for $1475 (which included one $50 coupon plus the
$25 off special being run right now).


Wow, amazing, how did you do that? Maybe you're not talking about a
Delta? I bought mine about 5 months ago and its been $1,799 since then.
See
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...&s=hi&n=228013

I bought mine from a local dealer for $1,749 and got the mobile base as a
freebie. I shopped and shopped extensively and concluded that Delta was
price fixing at $1,799. It surely does surprise me that it could have
been had for hundreds less.

BTW, in the instructions it refers to a 'Z' bracket and an 'L' bracket
which supports the center of the extension table where it connects to the
right wing. They were not included in mine and the lady at Biesmeyer said
they only send them to customers who ask for them.

Gary

Grant,

How tough do you think it would be to lift the saw onto a mobile base after
it's assembled? I've never needed to move my current saw around the shop at
all, but I may consider a mobile base for this saw just in case. Do you
think it could be moved out of alignment while being lifted onto a base?

BTW, did those guys get pepperoni on those pizzas? ;-)

"Grant P. Beagles" wrote in
message RCIAL...
Congratulations! I got the same thing a year ago. The setup was a
breeze. I
needed to only tweak the fence a smidgen. The 0 and 45 degree stops were
dead
on. I had it set up id half a day. The bugger is heavy though. I got my
son
to invite three friends over to lift it out of the truck and onto the
mobile
base. Cost me a couple of pizzas!

Grant



Mike Pio wrote:

Hey all,

My new (and first) 3 HP Unisaw should be here by Thursday. I got the 50"
commercial Bies. fence. I don't expect any issues or problems assembling
or
setting up, but it'd be great to know of tips or tricks any of you have
encountered before I dig in.

TIA

-m

"Mike Pio" wrote in message
news:Nf%Yc.63132$yh.34317@fed1read05...
Grant,

How tough do you think it would be to lift the saw onto a mobile base
after it's assembled?

Excuse me for butting in, but I lifted mine into the base by myself. I just
tilted it up from the extension table end lifting on the fence rails,
(pretty easy leveraged that far back), and slid a 2X4 under. Then lifted
the other end using the first 2X4 as a fulcrum and slid in another. After
getting it up 2 24's high I just scooted it over onto the base. It wasn't
too difficult, but you need a good, strong back.

Gary

"Mike Pio" wrote in message
news:Qa%Yc.63131$yh.9163@fed1read05...
Not so amazing, really...this is the saw I got:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...?v=glance&s=hi

I made sure to check both with Delta and Amazon (on the phone) before I
bought this saw that it was the latest. The reason it's cheaper than the
one you have is because it's NOT an X5. The X5 comes with some extra
goodies, which are reflected in the pricing. I wasn't interested in any
of the extras, so I just go the basic saw and fence. I couldn't find a
better deal than you quoted on the X5 either, by the way. I agree that
Delta is probably price fixing.

Thanks very much for the tip on the fence bracket. Did you have to pay
extra for those brackets, or did they send it for free?

The brackets were free but it took a few times calling them to get them.
Also one of the flathead screws that holds the fence rails was so burred up
I couldn't get a nut on it. And I asked for the brackets and the screw at
the same time. They kept promising to send it but no show. After about 3
weeks and the third call I think, the lady I spoke with agreed to FedEx it
overnight to me. I got the bracket and the FULL bag of hardware the next
day. Thanks Biesmeyer.

Gary

"Mike Pio" wrote in message
news:Qa%Yc.63131$yh.9163@fed1read05...
Not so amazing, really...this is the saw I got:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...?v=glance&s=hi

I made sure to check both with Delta and Amazon (on the phone) before I
bought this saw that it was the latest. The reason it's cheaper than the
one you have is because it's NOT an X5. The X5 comes with some extra
goodies, which are reflected in the pricing. I wasn't interested in any
of the extras, so I just go the basic saw and fence. I couldn't find a
better deal than you quoted on the X5 either, by the way. I agree that
Delta is probably price fixing.

I was aware that Delta had two price's for their DJ20 jointer, but not the
Unisaw. Seems that for the extra $250, Delta gives you a 5 year warranty
and a free gift, (router, drill, mobile base, etc.) Also it appears that
your model saw only has one cast iron wing, correct? Mine has two plus the
extension table. Still it appears yours was a better deal.

Gary

Mike Pio asks:

How tough do you think it would be to lift the saw onto a mobile base after
it's assembled? I've never needed to move my current saw around the shop at
all, but I may consider a mobile base for this saw just in case. Do you
think it could be moved out of alignment while being lifted onto a base?

Not likely. Do NOT lift by the fence rails, even with the Biese.

Best way is to check clearance underneath, set up the mobile base to one side
of the saw, almost touching. Get two 2x4s and 3 friends in good health. Slip
the 2x4s under the table extenion junctions with the table, lift and place as
gently as possible.

I've walked Unisaws (and Jet and other 10" cabinet saws) as much as 10' just by
tilting the saw up a bit and twisting. It is hard work, bumps the saw more than
is sensible, really (but when you work alone, there's often not much choice),
but never once did I have an alignment problem afterwards. Do it more gently
and unless you haven't bolted something on securely, lifting the unit the 4" or
5" onto a mobile stand should cause no problems.

Best way, really, is what I do now for most heavy materials: get hold of a shop
crane. Use nylon lift straps. Zip. Over and done with. Return the crane and
straps and you're in Fat City.

Charlie Self
"A judge is a law student who marks his own examination papers." H. L. Mencken

$ high school kids was overkill! Two strong back / weak minded types :^) could
easily lift it while someone (me in my case!) rolls the base under it.

Grant

Mike Pio wrote:

Grant,

How tough do you think it would be to lift the saw onto a mobile base after
it's assembled? I've never needed to move my current saw around the shop at
all, but I may consider a mobile base for this saw just in case. Do you
think it could be moved out of alignment while being lifted onto a base?

BTW, did those guys get pepperoni on those pizzas? ;-)

"Grant P. Beagles" wrote in
message RCIAL...
Congratulations! I got the same thing a year ago. The setup was a
breeze. I
needed to only tweak the fence a smidgen. The 0 and 45 degree stops were
dead
on. I had it set up id half a day. The bugger is heavy though. I got my
son
to invite three friends over to lift it out of the truck and onto the
mobile
base. Cost me a couple of pizzas!

Grant



Mike Pio wrote:

Hey all,

My new (and first) 3 HP Unisaw should be here by Thursday. I got the 50"
commercial Bies. fence. I don't expect any issues or problems assembling
or
setting up, but it'd be great to know of tips or tricks any of you have
encountered before I dig in.

TIA

-m

"Mike Pio" wrote in
news:Nf%Yc.63132$yh.34317@fed1read05:

Grant,

How tough do you think it would be to lift the saw onto a mobile base
after it's assembled? I've never needed to move my current saw around
the shop at all, but I may consider a mobile base for this saw just in
case. Do you think it could be moved out of alignment while being
lifted onto a base?

The saw is a lot easier (lighter) to get up onto the mobile base before the
cast iron wings are installed.

Charlie mentions a using a shop crane. I don't know if that's the same
thing we used for mine, but the kids down the block who 'tune' Acuras have
a mobile hoist to swap engine assemblies. They brought it down, and we did
the heavy lifting with that. Of course, WE don't have any basements
here...

If you use the table with the wings and extension table to lift/move the
saw, be prepared to check alignment frequently (not a bad idea anyway).
Leverage and/or mechanical advantage isn't always your friend. My saw
moves back and forth across the front of a standard, California two car
garage, making room for access to other tools and storage. I end up
adjusting things maybe three times a year...

Patriarch

Also it appears that your model saw only has one cast iron wing, correct?
Mine has two plus the extension table.

You're right. Mine only comes with one wing, but since I already have one
with my contractor saw, I actually have two. Hopefully I read everything
right and my saw does come with the extension table as well. I'm not 100%
sure of this, but it also wasn't a big selling point for me.

Best of luck with your saw!

-m

"Gary" wrote in message
...

"Mike Pio" wrote in message
news:Qa%Yc.63131$yh.9163@fed1read05...
Not so amazing, really...this is the saw I got:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...?v=glance&s=hi

I made sure to check both with Delta and Amazon (on the phone) before I
bought this saw that it was the latest. The reason it's cheaper than the
one you have is because it's NOT an X5. The X5 comes with some extra
goodies, which are reflected in the pricing. I wasn't interested in any
of the extras, so I just go the basic saw and fence. I couldn't find a
better deal than you quoted on the X5 either, by the way. I agree that
Delta is probably price fixing.

I was aware that Delta had two price's for their DJ20 jointer, but not the
Unisaw. Seems that for the extra $250, Delta gives you a 5 year warranty
and a free gift, (router, drill, mobile base, etc.) Also it appears that
your model saw only has one cast iron wing, correct? Mine has two plus
the extension table. Still it appears yours was a better deal.

Gary

And you can RENT a engine hoist from the local rental center and use
that. It's what I did when I had my metal lathe delivered to put the
1000pound lathe onto the base.

John

On Tue, 31 Aug 2004 17:02:47 GMT, patriarch
wrote:

"Mike Pio" wrote in
news:Nf%Yc.63132$yh.34317@fed1read05:

Grant,

How tough do you think it would be to lift the saw onto a mobile base
after it's assembled? I've never needed to move my current saw around
the shop at all, but I may consider a mobile base for this saw just in
case. Do you think it could be moved out of alignment while being
lifted onto a base?

The saw is a lot easier (lighter) to get up onto the mobile base before the
cast iron wings are installed.

Charlie mentions a using a shop crane. I don't know if that's the same
thing we used for mine, but the kids down the block who 'tune' Acuras have
a mobile hoist to swap engine assemblies. They brought it down, and we did
the heavy lifting with that. Of course, WE don't have any basements
here...

If you use the table with the wings and extension table to lift/move the
saw, be prepared to check alignment frequently (not a bad idea anyway).
Leverage and/or mechanical advantage isn't always your friend. My saw
moves back and forth across the front of a standard, California two car
garage, making room for access to other tools and storage. I end up
adjusting things maybe three times a year...

Patriarch

On Tue, 31 Aug 2004 06:37:52 -0700, "Mike Pio"
wrote:

I agree that Delta is
probably price fixing.


It's not price fixing, it's called "minimum advertised price".

Dealers can sell it for whatever they want, they just can't advertise
below a set price. I have two local guys who routinely discount
Delta, Jet, Powermatic, etc... You just have to walk in to see the
price. Some dealers are also negotiable.

It's also why some tool and electronics dealers ask you to call or
email for the price. Sometimes it's not just a come on, it's part of
the dealer agreement.

Wanna see something neat?
Go here - http://www.tvnav.com/ and click on any "email for price
link". Read what you get in your email window.

Barry

I moved my saw (same as yours but is an X5) onto the mobile base
myself. I weigh in at only 155 pounds so there was a lot of
leveraging going on.

Jim

"Mike Pio" wrote in message news:Nf%Yc.63132$yh.34317@fed1read05...
Grant,

How tough do you think it would be to lift the saw onto a mobile base after
it's assembled? I've never needed to move my current saw around the shop at
all, but I may consider a mobile base for this saw just in case. Do you
think it could be moved out of alignment while being lifted onto a base?

BTW, did those guys get pepperoni on those pizzas? ;-)

"Grant P. Beagles" wrote in
message RCIAL...
Congratulations! I got the same thing a year ago. The setup was a
breeze. I
needed to only tweak the fence a smidgen. The 0 and 45 degree stops were
dead
on. I had it set up id half a day. The bugger is heavy though. I got my
son
to invite three friends over to lift it out of the truck and onto the
mobile
base. Cost me a couple of pizzas!

Grant



Mike Pio wrote:

Hey all,

My new (and first) 3 HP Unisaw should be here by Thursday. I got the 50"
commercial Bies. fence. I don't expect any issues or problems assembling
or
setting up, but it'd be great to know of tips or tricks any of you have
encountered before I dig in.

TIA

-m

I bought the X5 with 50" Unifence from Amazon. I would not buy a
large item like that from them again. Next time it will be
Woodworkers Supply (out of Wyoming, I'm in Colorado).

The saw arrived in good visible condition. The box was in good shape.

The extension table (not a wing) was warped. As I recall I could
slide a quarter under a 4 foot straight edge. The replacement was
just as bad.

The fence was bent. Enough that I considered it unacceptable.

I still have a problem with the mobile base. The pivot wheel contacts
the bracket that holds it. I'm not sure what is wrong. Engineering
or user. Could be either but after fiddling with it for an hour I'm
leaning towards engineering.

The outfeed table was interesting to put together but works well.

For each problem I contacted Delta and they shipped out replacements
right away without any problems. Very friendly. Since this was my
first table saw I was struggling with some alignment challenges. I
talked to the Delta technical support guy for about 30 minutes and he
helped me out quite a bit.

Overall I'm pleased with the saw. I really like the unifence. The
only difficulty with it has been how to put on the hold-down rollers.
I could buy an aftermarket fence that handles them or I could do
something with the current fence. I have an idea how to do it so I'm
going to give it a try when I get some spare time.

Jim
"Mike Pio" wrote in message news:HPJYc.62697$yh.56738@fed1read05...
Hey all,

My new (and first) 3 HP Unisaw should be here by Thursday. I got the 50"
commercial Bies. fence. I don't expect any issues or problems assembling or
setting up, but it'd be great to know of tips or tricks any of you have
encountered before I dig in.

TIA

-m

"B a r r y" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 31 Aug 2004 06:37:52 -0700, "Mike Pio"
wrote:

I agree that Delta is
probably price fixing.


It's not price fixing, it's called "minimum advertised price".

You sound like a double-talking lawyer for Delta. "It's not price fixing,
it's called "minimum advertised price". " ha-ha 'Yessir your honor, we don't
require our dealers to sell Unisaws at a fixed price, we just tell them they
have to tell their customers that the price is $1,799 and not a penny less.'
Sounds like bull**** lawyer speak to me.

"Charlie Self" wrote in message
...
Mike Pio asks:

How tough do you think it would be to lift the saw onto a mobile base
after
it's assembled? I've never needed to move my current saw around the shop
at
all, but I may consider a mobile base for this saw just in case. Do you
think it could be moved out of alignment while being lifted onto a base?

Not likely. Do NOT lift by the fence rails, even with the Biese.


My gosh, if a person is so anal rententive that they fear tilting one corner
of a 500 pound saw with TWO heavy duty 3" angle iron rails might damage it
or knock out of adjustment but a couple of millionths of an inch, pehaps you
should hire a 6 man moving crew with a crane, just in case...

I've got a great idea, why not wait and tune the saw AFTER it is set in
base?

listen to what he said, Gary. Delta won't allow them to ADVERTISE for less
than that price, but they can SELL it for less than that. It's not that
unusual at all.

Mike Pio wrote:

How tough do you think it would be to lift the saw onto a mobile base after
it's assembled? I've never needed to move my current saw around the shop at
all, but I may consider a mobile base for this saw just in case. Do you
think it could be moved out of alignment while being lifted onto a base?

I bought a Shop Fox mobile base, assembled it, put it behind the
saw, picked up the saw, inched foreward until I could line up the
closest two corners, and set the saw down as gently as I could
manage.

I weigh about 145 and nothing moved out of alignment. The fit was
tight enough that it went in a lot easier than it'll come out. It
/was/ enough of a job that I needed a shower afterward. Probably
wisest to have friends help.

I would guess that rolling the saw/mobile base over rough
concrete might be more inclined to spoil adjustments than a
gentle pick-up/set-down.

--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto, Iowa USA

On Wed, 1 Sep 2004 13:18:01 -0400, "Gary"
wrote:


You sound like a double-talking lawyer for Delta. "It's not price fixing,
it's called "minimum advertised price". " ha-ha 'Yessir your honor, we don't
require our dealers to sell Unisaws at a fixed price, we just tell them they
have to tell their customers that the price
is $1,799 and not a penny less.'
Sounds like bull**** lawyer speak to me.

I suggest you investigate the difference between advertised price and
sales price. They CAN be the same, but often aren't.

Delta dosen't tell anyone what they can SELL anything for. In fact, a
dealer is even free to sell a Unisaw for less than he paid for it.
He just can't ADVERTISE new saws for less than Delta's MAP (minimum
advertised price). In-store price tags are not considered
advertising, the dealer can put any price he wants on the item for
walk-in business.

This has been proven legal over and over in all kinds of retail
settings, such as tools, electronics, cameras, bicycles, etc..

Do you pay sticker price for cars? Outside of Wal-Mart and
Amazon.com, almost everyone is negotiable, especially when you come
bearing cash. Most listed prices are set on the belief that you'll
pay with plastic, as credit card merchant agreements prohibit
surcharges. Being a regular at a smaller business can help, too.
Buying everything online, then walking into your local guy and asking
for a discount will get you nowhere.

Barry

Gary blares:

"Charlie Self" wrote in message
...
Mike Pio asks:

How tough do you think it would be to lift the saw onto a mobile base
after
it's assembled? I've never needed to move my current saw around the shop
at
all, but I may consider a mobile base for this saw just in case. Do you
think it could be moved out of alignment while being lifted onto a base?

Not likely. Do NOT lift by the fence rails, even with the Biese.


My gosh, if a person is so anal rententive that they fear tilting one corner
of a 500 pound saw with TWO heavy duty 3" angle iron rails might damage it
or knock out of adjustment but a couple of millionths of an inch, pehaps you
should hire a 6 man moving crew with a crane, just in case...

Actually, these days I do as much of my heavy lifting as possible with a shop
(engine) crane. Strikes me that I already spent too many years proving I was
something I didn't particularly want to be for people whose opinion I didn't
particularly value. Now, I do it the easiest way possible and use the dumbbells
for exercise, rather than conversation.

Charlie Self
"A judge is a law student who marks his own examination papers." H. L. Mencken

"Charlie Self" wrote in message

Strikes me that I already spent too many years proving I was
something I didn't particularly want to be for people whose opinion I
didn't
particularly value.

Now, I do it the easiest way possible and use the dumbbells
for exercise, rather than conversation.

LOL Only experience and maturity could come up with the above, and fully
appreciate it.

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 7/10/04

"Charlie Self" wrote in message
...
Gary blares:

"Charlie Self" wrote in message
...
Mike Pio asks:

How tough do you think it would be to lift the saw onto a mobile base
after
it's assembled? I've never needed to move my current saw around the
shop
at
all, but I may consider a mobile base for this saw just in case. Do you
think it could be moved out of alignment while being lifted onto a base?

Not likely. Do NOT lift by the fence rails, even with the Biese.


My gosh, if a person is so anal rententive that they fear tilting one
corner
of a 500 pound saw with TWO heavy duty 3" angle iron rails might damage it
or knock out of adjustment but a couple of millionths of an inch, pehaps
you
should hire a 6 man moving crew with a crane, just in case...

Actually, these days I do as much of my heavy lifting as possible with a
shop
(engine) crane. Strikes me that I already spent too many years proving I
was
something I didn't particularly want to be for people whose opinion I
didn't
particularly value. Now, I do it the easiest way possible and use the
dumbbells
for exercise, rather than conversation.

Charlie Self
"A judge is a law student who marks his own examination papers." H. L.
Mencken

Sorry Charlie. I'm apparently feeling a little retentive myself today. I
had read your post as possibly damaging the rails or something. I agree,
caution should be used in lugging this heavy equipment. The savings from
not having to feed the neighborhood kids a few pizzas (as someone posted
earlier) is not worth a lifetime of suffering from a ruptured disk. Besides
you make more friends that way.

Gary

"B a r r y" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 1 Sep 2004 13:18:01 -0400, "Gary"
wrote:


You sound like a double-talking lawyer for Delta. "It's not price fixing,
it's called "minimum advertised price". " ha-ha 'Yessir your honor, we
don't
require our dealers to sell Unisaws at a fixed price, we just tell them
they
have to tell their customers that the price
is $1,799 and not a penny less.'
Sounds like bull**** lawyer speak to me.

I suggest you investigate the difference between advertised price and
sales price. They CAN be the same, but often aren't.

Duh, really.

Delta dosen't tell anyone what they can SELL anything for. In fact, a
dealer is even free to sell a Unisaw for less than he paid for it.
He just can't ADVERTISE new saws for less than Delta's MAP (minimum
advertised price). In-store price tags are not considered
advertising, the dealer can put any price he wants on the item for
walk-in business.

More BS lawyer speak.

This has been proven legal over and over in all kinds of retail
settings, such as tools, electronics, cameras, bicycles, etc..

Yep, more golden rule, "He who has the gold,..." Legal doesn't make it
right.

Do you pay sticker price for cars?

Every weekend I hear several shiester car dealers advertising "Below sticker
price" "$5,000 of MSRP" or some other BS.



Outside of Wal-Mart and
Amazon.com, almost everyone is negotiable, especially when you come
bearing cash. Most listed prices are set on the belief that you'll
pay with plastic, as credit card merchant agreements prohibit
surcharges. Being a regular at a smaller business can help, too.
Buying everything online, then walking into your local guy and asking
for a discount will get you nowhere.

Especially when he has to pay more for an item than what the online
merchants are selling for. I know, I offered my local dealer the same price
as amazon plus taxes and delivery for an 8" jointer, drill press and dust
collector. He said that the items cost him more than what amazon was
selling them for. Well the stuff is setting in my shop, several hundred
dollars less than my local dealer price, and delivered to my door. And no,
I would not get any more service out of the retailer than what I would get
out of the manufacture directly, Amazon delivers.



Barry

Gary

Gary responds:

I agree,
caution should be used in lugging this heavy equipment. The savings from
not having to feed the neighborhood kids a few pizzas (as someone posted
earlier) is not worth a lifetime of suffering from a ruptured disk. Besides
you make more friends that way.

Yeah. We have a new group of kids. I didn't recognize two of them from my
wife's church when they helped us move in a couple months back. Seems to happen
every so often, a changing of the guard, as one group goes off to school or
elsewhere, while another outgrows droopy drawers and starts wearing real
trousers.

Pizza around here is a 22 mile round trip, though.

Charlie Self
"A judge is a law student who marks his own examination papers." H. L. Mencken

Gary responds:

Do you pay sticker price for cars?

Every weekend I hear several shiester car dealers advertising "Below sticker
price" "$5,000 of MSRP" or some other BS.

Just the other night, someone was advertising end of year Cadillacs for $14,000
off. Jeez, man, that's several grand more than I want to pay for the whole
damned car!

But after our last dealer/vehicle experience with a new car, we're going back
to program cars. Let someone else eat the first year depreciation and all the
problems.

Charlie Self
"A judge is a law student who marks his own examination papers." H. L. Mencken

On Wed, 1 Sep 2004 18:39:51 -0400, "Gary"
wrote:


merchants are selling for. I know, I offered my local dealer the same price
as amazon plus taxes and delivery for an 8" jointer, drill press and dust
collector. He said that the items cost him more than what amazon was
selling them for.

That's odd. My local dealers are also web vendors, Coastal Tool and
Tools Plus. Both meet or beat Amazon's prices, both continually make
money. I don't think either sees anywhere near Tool Crib's volume,
Coastal only sells heavy iron in-store.

I guess your local guy is selling enough tools that he didn't need
your business. Our local Woodcraft operates like that, but those in
the know can get power tools for 20% less 15 minutes away.

FWIW, I bought a DJ-20, on non-X5 closeout, for $1099 from Tools Plus,
and I doubt they lost money on it.

Barry

"Charlie Self" wrote in message

Just the other night, someone was advertising end of year Cadillacs for
$14,000
off. Jeez, man, that's several grand more than I want to pay for the whole
damned car!

Hell, I still think of that as the half the price of a house.

Came back from overseas in 70 and could not believe the big city Ford
dealers wanted $3900 for a new pickup truck. And any truck so high priced
that it took 3 years to pay off was the height of insanity. Looking back, it
was about that time that I begin to realize the culture and I were drifting
apart.

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 7/10/04

Swingman responds:

Came back from overseas in 70 and could not believe the big city Ford
dealers wanted $3900 for a new pickup truck. And any truck so high priced
that it took 3 years to pay off was the height of insanity. Looking back, it
was about that time that I begin to realize the culture and I were drifting
apart.

Worst thing that ever happened to pick-ups was getting yuppiefied. Carpets and
tripled prices, so now you have to pay through the nose to worry about muddy or
greasy feet. Or enough doors and space to make a circus clown car, with a
clown's price...some years ago, a guy I know paid about $35,000 for a 4 door
4WD 3/4 ton diesel that seldom carries a passenger or a load over 500 pounds.

Makes sense to him.


Charlie Self
"A judge is a law student who marks his own examination papers." H. L. Mencken

On 02 Sep 2004 09:06:39 GMT, otforme (Charlie Self)
wrote:


Or enough doors and space to make a circus clown car, with a
clown's price...some years ago, a guy I know paid about $35,000 for a 4 door
4WD 3/4 ton diesel that seldom carries a passenger or a load over 500 pounds.

Makes sense to him.

I have a neighbor with a leased Hemi 2500 Quad Cab. He rented the
Load-n-Go a few weeks back to avoid scratching the bed. G

To me, the real downside of all this is that it's gotten really hard
to find a good, used work truck. It seems that basic 8 foot bed
4x4's, like an F150 are very hard to find used in my area. Most 2,3
and 4 year olds for sale seem to be luxury quad cabs, complete with
the two garbage can size bed. The older models have usually been
plowed and are often 1 ton models, such as the F350.

I finally gave up on the truck and went to a Haulmark enclosed utility
trailer behind my Wrangler or Outback. This works well so far. I've
gotten spoiled by the low floor, and there's no rush to unload.

Barry

"B a r r y" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 1 Sep 2004 18:39:51 -0400, "Gary"
wrote:


merchants are selling for. I know, I offered my local dealer the same
price
as amazon plus taxes and delivery for an 8" jointer, drill press and dust
collector. He said that the items cost him more than what amazon was
selling them for.

That's odd. My local dealers are also web vendors, Coastal Tool and
Tools Plus. Both meet or beat Amazon's prices, both continually make
money. I don't think either sees anywhere near Tool Crib's volume,
Coastal only sells heavy iron in-store.

I guess your local guy is selling enough tools that he didn't need
your business. Our local Woodcraft operates like that, but those in
the know can get power tools for 20% less 15 minutes away.

FWIW, I bought a DJ-20, on non-X5 closeout, for $1099 from Tools Plus,
and I doubt they lost money on it.

Barry

I bought the Powermatic 60B from Tool Crib via Amazon for $1,016 delivered
to my door, actually inside my door. I was in my local dealer's store on
Friday. He just got them in, selling for $1,195 plus 5% sales tax, cash and
carry. I hate to see the "little man" go under (referring to Alan Jackson
tune) but I hate throwing money away even worse.

I have had the saw and a unifence for a few years now, and I also like
the unifence. As you note, difficulty in attaching accessories to the
fence initially bothered me, but I made up some wooden shims to fit
the curved side of the top of the fence so I would have a parallel
clamping surface for featherboards, etc. (I don't have any rollers).
They took awhile to get just right, but work like a charm. Good luck,
you'll grow to appreciate the fence more and more.


(jegan) wrote in message . com...
I bought the X5 with 50" Unifence from Amazon. I would not buy a
large item like that from them again. Next time it will be
Woodworkers Supply (out of Wyoming, I'm in Colorado).

SNIP

Overall I'm pleased with the saw. I really like the unifence. The
only difficulty with it has been how to put on the hold-down rollers.
I could buy an aftermarket fence that handles them or I could do
something with the current fence. I have an idea how to do it so I'm
going to give it a try when I get some spare time.

Jim

"Mutt" wrote in message
I have had the saw and a unifence for a few years now, and I also like
the unifence. As you note, difficulty in attaching accessories to the
fence initially bothered me, but I made up some wooden shims to fit
the curved side of the top of the fence so I would have a parallel
clamping surface for featherboards, etc. (I don't have any rollers).
They took awhile to get just right, but work like a charm. Good luck,
you'll grow to appreciate the fence more and more.

I like my unifence, but I like it with the Uni-T-fence even more.

http://www.ttrackusa.com/unifence.htm

No affiliation, just a satisfied owner/user.

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 7/10/04