Woodchuck1957

I'm generally a fan of Delta tools, especially the older American made stuff, but I've got to say that the prices of their parts are outrageous. I have a Unifence that I'd like to replace a small clear plastic cursor window that was broke off when I bought the saw used. $20 plus shipping ! I could see it maybe being worth $5 max. I have looked up other Delta parts also and couldn't believe the prices. I may just end up makeing one from sheet metal.

mdlbldrmatt135

Do you have a pic of the Cursor Piece? I might have one that would work. I bought a replacement for my Biesemeyer that didn't fit (turns out I have like one of the original models that you cannot get parts for)

The prices were a little high.. but not too bad IMHO

Woodchuck1957

I found a pic and I have the part number (400-06-375-0001 ) it fits the old style UNIFENCE. The mounting screws go into the fence horizontally, NOT vertically. I just noticed something about this cursor, it apears to me that it is for a left tilt saw, but the tape reads to the right.

Bob Vaughan

Actually the price for that part hasn't gone up much in the last 20 years. I even made a drawing of it back in the early 90's thinking I'd try to make one. After looking at the drawing, I decided the $20.00 was cheaper. Delta prices parts for their obsolete machines at a level that tries to compel a buyer to consider getting a new one, I guess. Parts prices for current or recent machines are usually reasonable. Their shipping and handling flat rate gets painful if you're ordering a $2.00 item.

Woodchuck1957

They want $15 for the current model. How you can say thats even reasonable is beyond me. It's probably an imported part that costs them maybe .05 cents each. Do you work for Delta ? or Haliburton ? Heck I'll make you one from sheet stainless steel that will never break for $60.

Bob Vaughan

I've been in the woodworking machinery repair business for about 20 years. Haliburton doesn't make machinery, but I'd work for them if I could. I have been running field warranty repair calls for Delta as well as other makers for a good while. I guess its a matter of admitting defeat and paying the price for the parts. Delta has no copyright of silly high prices for some dinky little component by a long shot, and woodworking machinery makers aren't alone on that either. Maybe I should have said 'predictable' rather than 'reasonable'.

Woodchuck1957

Bob, the Haliburton comment was a joke, I figured if you worked for them $20 was a drop in the bucket to you. I wish I had a job like yours, working on machinery is something I really enjoy, infact I invented a newly designed dust collection port for Contractor tablesaws that is out in the market now. Currently I'm working on putting together a little Rockwell 9" Contractors tablesaw ( 34-608 ) with a Unifence that has seen very little use to use and will be used in the basement hobby shop, plus I'm installing a cyclone dust collector in the main shop. I'm allways working on bringing back to life some old piece of equipment, usually old Delta stuff. I've fixed up and sold 3 old Delta/Rockwell 4" jointers ( 37-290 ), and last year sold an old Oliver 159MW lathe also that was in great shape. But anyway the cursor isn't that big of a deal, it just gets me in the ballpark of where I want to be. I generally do a final measure from the fence to the blade with the tape measure that I'm useing on the prodject I'm working on anyway. It's just nice to have a piece of equipment thats complete is all, to me the cursor is more of a cosmetic thing than anything.

Bob Vaughan

Photos only tell so much, but there are some impressive details that indicate the level of workmanship involved. The very clean fastener heads on the stand. That indicated to me that the whole thing was taken apart, parts worked on, and re-assembled. Painted over fasteners generally mean that someone painted and then that was it. Of course, there's the possibility that what I'm seeing is the way it came from the previous owner, and if that's the case, then that saw must be in mint condition. The older Unifence is a good choice if not a little more elegant that one normally sees on a 9" saw.

First Delta came out with the 8" homecraft saw, then took that rather heavy design and expanded it to the 9" like you have. Later, they expanded even further and made the 10" contractor saw so popular today (though highly 'value engineered'). Delta even offered a 12" saw with that design under the table and likely interchangeable trunnions with your and the 8" saws of years past.

The cursor with a fine line can be quite accurate with that fence as long as things are set to the existing blade. I remember trying to figure some way I could make a bracket that I could attach a 1/8" thick piece of plexiglass instead of dealing with the factory moulded cursor. Some of those cursors from Delta in the later years were rather muddy. A fine scratch line on a piece of clear plexiglass makes a more accuratly descernable line.

Woodchuck1957

Bob, the stand was from an early model 9" ( 34-600 ) I took it apart and repainted, the fastener threads got the wire wheel treatment on the drill press, and the heads and nuts went to the buffing wheel. The saw originally came on a Rockwell solid sided sheet metal stand made for a saw and jointer combo. The motor is a Rockwell 1hp, 115V, 14.8 amp, dual shaft. The saw cabinet is original, untouched. The cast top still had what I think is a thin coat of tinning on it, no rust, thats what tends to make me believe it's got very low miles on it. It came with the cast aluminum finger pinching wings but I switched them for the cast wings. The Unifence came with the saw when I bought it, and I may paint it to match the saw color better, I need to add a small table board yet to the right, and decide if I want to go with a paddle switch or keep the original. I've allready added the dust port and a Fenner Drives PowerTwist link belt. This is the big brother Delta 10" saw that I bought new in 1995 and have out in the main shop. I wasn't aware that they made a 12" Contractors saw or do you mean the 1214 ? I was also trying to figure out a different window for a cursor, the existing cursors I think alot of people accidentally break off, theres got to be a better way to make them. Maybe with a cast metal mount and slide in cursor ? Or made from Lexan ? Which ever way, it would still need to be adjustable. But for the time being, I have a new one comeing, should be here in about a week.

Bob Vaughan

During the late 70's or early 80's Delta produced a 12" contractor's saw for one or two years. The steel rods that separate the trunnions were'nt straight but sort of bent in a 'U' shape slightly. I've only seen one in person, but have seen photos of a few. It wasn't a big commercial success probably because the users expected it to work like a 12/14.

The aluminum web extensions were a double edge sword. I liked them better than the sheet metal extensions that came with my first contractors saw in 1974, but there was the finger shearing risk. I did like the fact that I could easily clamp featherboards close to the blade. No question about the cast iron extensions being the best, though.

Woodchuck1957

Thanks for the bit of trivia Bob, I never knew they made such a beast, it must of had atleast a 2hp, 240V motor I'm guessing.

Bob Vaughan

Did a little looking through what paper I've got and couldn't find the catalog specs, but Delta lists the 12" contractor saw as a 34-388 and shows the parts breakdown on their parts illustration on their document CS-5. The rear trunnion bracket, 422-19-014-0010, seems to be popular in the lineage. It fits the 8" 34-500 saw through a bunch of 10" contractor saw renditions, and also the 12" 34-388 saw. I didn't cross check other matching parts, but I imagine there a few.

I'm thinking that my friend's saw had only a 1-1/2 HP motor on it.

Domer

You have to put yourself in Delta's position.

It is very costly to maintain inventories for items that don't move very fast and low run productions are also very expensive.

Most appliance makers only supply parts for a maximum of ten years. So you can't get parts for them.

So I know this is not what you want to hear, be grateful that Delta is still in business you can get the part.

Domer

Woodchuck1957

Gee, I wonder why they don't sell more ? I don't think thats it's because they are in low demand. I think alot of people accidentally break them off due to the design. I should be grateful ?

Woodchuck1957

Well I recieved the new cursor today, and amazingly it is made in the USA.