I picked this up for next to nothing.  I think it has a lot of potential, but I could also use a bit of advice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I know I am missing the tilt scale.  I contacted a few people from OWWM about it and I might just buy a whole saw so that I can copy whichever parts I need depending on shipping, otherwise, I think I could manufacture something close using the front trunnion as a guide.

 

I am missing the table inserts as well, but again, I think these could be made using the table as a reference.

 

I am mostly concerned about the motion of the lower chuck.  When I spin the pulley by hand, the chuck does raise and lower, but it alse twists a bit from side to side as it does this.  I haven't pulled it apart to see what is what inside, but I figured I could post this as a stage 1 type of documentation.  I have seen some absolutely breathtaking restorations of this model, and with the stand and a new board for the motor, I think this could be a very classy machine.

 

Andy

 

Andy,

There is an article about the 700 that I did last fall in the Old Woodworking Machinery Forum. The sideplay in the lower chuck may be caused by the cross-slide having worked loose. The inserts for the table can be made from fender washers.

The stand that you have is a bonus.

I look forward to seeing your progress with this project.

 

Larry

Old Woodworking Machinery Forum Host

That is way cool man. I love the simplicity of this saw, it almost appears as if you could make one out of pipe stock! A ridgid saw to saw the least. Andy, does it run in its current state? Great find.

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John Morris
The Patriot Woodworker
Proud Supporter of Wounded Warrior Project and Homes For Our Troops

John,

You can use pipe stock to make these a bigger saw, back in the thirtys sign shops etc. would do so by using longer pipes and tie rods with a double rear leg setup like I did with mine. The Delta catalogs from that era show this setup with a 48" throat, double what the saw shipped as. From Andy's photos he has a very early model of the saw when it shipped with a single groove pulley, and the upper blade guide was not notched on the side for blade clearance. So it's probably a 1931-32 model.

Larry

Old Woodworking Machinery Forum Host

John Morris said:

That is way cool man. I love the simplicity of this saw, it almost appears as if you could make one out of pipe stock! A ridgid saw to saw the least. Andy, does it run in its current state? Great find.

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John Morris
The Patriot Woodworker
Proud Supporter of Wounded Warrior Project and Homes For Our Troops

Larry,

I tried to find your write up on OWWM about the saw and I didn't see it.  Do you have a link?

Do you think I could make a new tilt scale on my own or would it be worth tracking down the original part.

 

I don't think it would run in its current state, but it is very close to complete and despite its age, parts seem available, so I don't see why it could not be restored.  Even with the 24" capacity, it is a much smaller and lighter machine than the later Delta 24" models and a more practical size for my overly crowded shop. 

 

I liked the quirky elegance of the design, the look of the restored ones, and the age of this saw.  It is more of a question of interest and appreciation than this was based on any specific need for a scroll saw. 

 

In my area, people seem to be almost throwing away old craftsman table saws, scroll saws of any make, and radial arm saws of any make.  It is very odd.  Other tools like band saws and jointers seem to be worth more for some reason at least in terms of asking price.

 

I will be taking a few more pictures of this saw tonight and filming a few things and then I will start to pull it apart.  On Wednesday and Thursday I plan on putting the larger parts in the electrolysis bath.  Friday, if work is not too chaotic, I would like to take the tubes to a machinist friend with a metal lathe and try to polish them up a bit.

 

Andy

 

 

Andy,

The write up is here on The Patriot Woodworker.

http://www.thepatriotwoodworker.com/forum/topics/delta-700-scroll-saw-restoration-and-upgrade

 

Larry

Great find Andy. Keep us posted as you start the restoration. We love to follow along. Take lots of pictures and post them.

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John Moody
Site Administrator


John Moody Woodworks
http://www.johnmoodywoodworks.com