Welcome! So, how does this work?

Good question. This blog features links to various Delta and Rockwell related tools on the web, including eBay and non-eBay listings. I suggest that you right click on a link and open it in a new window or tab. If there are items to see they will be displayed, but if no items are displayed that simply means there are no results at that moment. Simply close the window and move on to a new category. Any of the links can be added to your RSS reader, so you can subscribe to a search and get updates on your RSS reader! Check back often as the web is constantly changing.

One last thought... If you have a blog or are a member of a Woodworking newsgroup please post a link to this blog to help boost our Google ranking. Thanks, Scott

Rockwell Answers the Shopsmith With A Multi-Tool Of Their Own: The Delta-Shop

In 1953 Rockwell (AKA Delta Milwaukee) finally decided to respond to the popularity of the Shopsmith 10er, which was the first of the Shopsmith line of multi-tools introduced in 1947. While I'm sure that the Shopsmith tools funneled some of the tools sales away from Sears and Delta for a time, but in the end they all owe Shopsmith Thank-You note for getting thousands of DIY'ers into woodworking. The Delta-Shop was quite a bit different than the Shopsmith. Where the Shopsmith was a lathe-based tool, the DeltaShop was built around a tablesaw. A single motor with a dual shaft drove the saw and the jointer which were mounted on a common stand, the drill press and disc sander were a different story. For use them you first removed the saw blade and swapped it with a drive pulley. To use the drill press you flipped it into position from the right end of the saw, where it is hinged, and from there you feed the belt over a pair of pulleys and through the table's throat plate and around the pulley beneath the table. Lowering the bland (now a pulley) adds the proper tension to the belt. Most of these tools that exist today have long since had their drill presses removed and permanently mounted on a bench or tossed into the trash, as they have a very small capacity.


Are you looking for great tools at a great price? Think "Tool Hunter"

We were looking over some of the nerd-level analytical data that we get for our blogs and have noticed an interesting trend: When folks find tools on our blogs, and bid, they run a good chance of winning the item! Take a look at the info at right (Click on it to Biggie-size).
This is from the dashboard that eBay gives us to track the traffic from our Tool-Hunter blogs, and what it shows is the number of bids placed by our readers and the success rate of their bids. Now, not everyone is successful, but what this shows is a trend that has been improving over the past two years that we've been blogging. Granted, our blogs aren't traditional "blogs", in that we don't feel the need to post when we have nothing fresh to say. No, our goal is connecting lovers of fine tools with , well, more fine tools! We hope this describes you and if so we encourage you to check-out all of our "Tool-Hunter" blogs. You'll find them listed on our launch page at this link: http://tool-hunter.blogspot.com

Thanks for joining us, and please drop us a line if anything comes to mind that you'd like to see on these blogs; or if you have a tool to promote.

Scott

Here's a great FREE site that will keep you informed if anything new gets posted!

You can be the first to know if something new is added to this blog (Or any other site of interest for that matter). Visit http://www.watchthatpage.com/ and sign up for a free account. You can then add any url to your personal list and you'll be emailed should anything change. I've used this site for several years to keep track of changes on one of my favorite sites: http://www.woodshopdemos.com/ which is a site that rarely changes. Test it out with our blog and you'll be the first to know if anything changes!

Porter-Cable 513 Mortise Lock Mortiser (AKA: Speedmatic ULM)

I’m not sure that this fits this blog or not, but seeing that Porter-Cable is owned by the same company as Delta, I’m going to let it slide in either way.
If you are not familiar with a mortise lock, it helps to study the lockset on the door closest to you at this moment. On most doors on modern homes in the USA the lockset is what is called a bored lock. This means that the door most often has a 2 1/8” in diameter through hole that the mechanism that the knobs are mounted to is inserted. From the edge of the door another hole is bored that intersects with the large through hole. This is for the bolt, which is the little plunger that latches the door.

In most of Europe and in high-end applications in the USA, the lock of choice is called a mortised lock. Unlike the bored lock the majority of the machining takes place on the edge of the door; where a slot (or mortise) is cut. The mortise is usually around ¾” (19mm) wide, 5-6 inches long and 3 ½” deep. These dimensions vary quite a bit, and I’ve seen these lock that required a mortise that was 1 ¼” wide. The mortise permits a very complex and versatile lock box to be installed into the door, yet from the face of the door only a small hole is required for the levers or knobs and the cylinder that the key enters.

Traditionally mortise locks have been installed by chopping the waste away with a set of chisels or with a traditional mortising machine; but both methods were slow and prone to tear-out, but all that changed when Porter-Cable introduced the Speedmatic ULM. “Speedmatic” was Porter-Cable’s catch-all name for their router line, but the ULM was something totally new. The tool clamped onto the edge of the door with two integral clamps, which also automatically centered the mortise on the door’s edge. Once everything was clamped into position the stop is set for the mortise’s depth; usually about 1/8 - 1/4" deeper than the actual measurement of the lock box. The router is turned-on and then the fun begins. As you turn a crank the unit slowly climbs and then descends the length of the jig, moving slightly deeper for each successive pass. Your reward for all this is a beautifully machined mortise that is dead-center on the door’s edge.

Porter-Cable made some improvements to the tool over the years, primarily as their routers improved. The current tool is known as the Porter-Cable 513 and it comes equipped with the venerable Porter Cable 690 router motor. ¾” and 1” carbide-tipped cutters are available which allow the tool to produce the proper width mortise. Unlike standard router bits, these cutters have female threads and mount like a flycutter on the threaded end of a mandrel which is chucked into the router motor. This long and strong steel mandrel is further supported by a massive ball-bearing. These cutters are readily available online from Amazon.com for around $25 each.

The list price, which I firmly believe is only paid by fools and Government officials (but I repeat myself) is $2092.10. If you have the grey matter to read this far into a long and boring post , then you are the kind of person who will find this tool online for around $1000. Used 513's run between $400-800, depending on the age and condition of the tool. In my opinion you want to own the newer Porter-Cable 513 version; not only because of the improvements that have been made in the tool, but because of the readily available support parts which can be found on P-C’s own support site and even on Amazon.

Here’s a link to a pdf of the current owners manual: Porter-Cable 513 Lock Mortiser Owners Manual


For whatever reason, there's suddenly a lot of action on eBay with used P-C 513 mortisers! Here's a link to any current Porter-Cable 513 Lock Mortiser for Sale on eBay

Here's a link to the Porter-Cable 513 Lock Mortiser on Amazon

Delta & Rockwell Unisaw Tablesaws For Sale

The Unisaw is a classic! Finally available in left-tilt, the right-tilt version has been a hit since the 1930's. The photo also shows the spectacular newer version of the Uniguard and the great Unifence. Watch out for 3-phase saws, which will require an expensive phase converter in order to operate on household current.


Click here for Delta/Rockwell Unisaw Tablesaws For Sale

Click here for Delta/Rockwell UniFence Uni-Fence For Sale

Click here for Delta/Rockwell Uniguard Uni-Guards For Sale (Very light activity)

Click here for Mobile Base For Sale

Delta to release a new UNISAW table saw in 2009

In August 2008 at the IFW (International Woodworking Fair) trade show in Atlanta, GA, Delta had the show buzzing with it's new take on the classic Unisaw. The saw is a dramatic departure from the classic Unisaw primarily due to two things; It's blade is left-tilting (which the current model also offers) and more importantly the tilt wheel is mounted on the front of the cabinet. This is one sexy saw! The blade-tilt dial is reminiscent of the speedometer on a sports car and is accurate to 1/2º.


Oh, and did we mention that this new Unisaw is Made in the USA! Finally.

The saw has been re-engineered to feature a unique one-piece cast-iron trunnion that should make vibration a thing of the past. Blade tilt can be fine-tuned from the front of the cabinet with a hex-wrench so there's no need to work through a tight saw table insert.
There's also a convenient access on the front of the cabinet, though I'm note sure why such a large door exposes such a small opening.

For the first time in the USA the Unisaw will feature a true riving knife which and be used with or without a blade guard. The table in front of the blade has been increased to help you support your stock prior to entering the blade. This saw even has a tool-less arbor lock (like a plunge router) and a one-piece combination washer and nut for mounting the saw blade.

This saw has already been named by
Wood Magazine as on of the Top New Tools for 2009!




Here's a couple videos of the New Delta Unisaw from IWF

See more pictures of the new Uni-Saw at Popular Woodworking

Delta & Rockwell Jointers For Sale

Here's another tool that Rockwell and Delta just keeps getting right. Pass on the bench top version, but otherwise you can't go wrong. I like the DJ-15 (6") and the DJ-20 (8").

Delta & Rockwell Thickness Planers For Sale

The planer offering from Rockwell and Delta was and is ever changing. With very few exceptions these are all great tools. The stationary tools are heavy cast iron and only recently have been made in China. Some of the best were made by Invicta in Brazil, so don't let that scare you off.


The portable planers came along after it became obvious that they weren't going away! Ryobi had the first and it really ate Delta's lunch for a couple years while they figured out what to do. Ever since then they have been ahead of all but DeWalt. Buy the newest version you can find. This is a smooth planning tool and is an excellent choice for thicknessing S4S lumber.


Delta & Rockwell Wood Lathes For Sale

There's a Delta lathe of every size to match your project. Most lathes are used by furniture makers for making table legs, by bowl turners for faceplate turnings, or in the mini (or midi) version for pen turning. The Delta Midi Lathe is awesome! They waited until everyone else had one on the market, then they reviewed them and took inspiration from the best of them. Watch the Chinese units, whose castings tend to be a bit rough.


Delta & Rockwell Radial Arm Saws For Sale

Delta Radial Arm Saws & Rockwell Radial Arm Saws are among the best ever made. Look for options like the rotating turret, as shown in the photo, which allow the saw to rotate for miters while staying centered over the table.

Click here for Delta & Rockwell Patent Art Prints

Delta 32-100 & Porter-Cable Plate Joiner / Biscuit Joiner For Sale

I suppose it was due to poor sales, but it's sad that Delta discontinued this awesome 32-100 bench top Biscuit Joiner. Note that this is called a "Joiner" not a "Jointer" because it joins rather than joints wood. There were two versions of this tool; with the main difference being the hold-down. Towards the end of the production the hold-down was improved slightly, but not enough that I would hold-out for a newer unit if on old one becomes available.

Click here for Delta Plate Joiner / Biscuit Joiners For Sale
Very light listings, but this tool is sweet and worth the wait.

Also in the picture is my favorite portable biscuit joiner; the current Porter-Cable model. Note that there was a prior version that had a rather poor fence. You can spot the difference in that the old unit has an upright motor rather then the in-line motor shown in the lower photo.
Click here for Porter-Cable Biscuit Joiners For Sale

Delta & Rockwell Scroll Saws and Jig Saws For Sale

It seems that Delta and Rockwell redesigned their jig saws and scroll saws about every two years since the 1930's. One important thing to know when looking for a scroll saw is that a Jig Saw and a Scroll Saw is NOT the same thing. Back in the day (Early 1900's) cutting jig saw puzzles and making highly detailed and mostly useless fretwork was all the rage. Jig saws are powered only on the pull-stroke (Downward stroke) and a spring that is mounted in a frame over the table is supposed to pull the blade back up. RIGHT! What usually happened was the operator would make a turn that was a little too tight, and before the spring could return the blade the cam below the table would reverse and jamb the blade into the bottom of the work piece. If this sounds like what you want to than perhaps a jig saw is all you need.

If not, what you should keep en eye out fr is an actual scroll saw, not just a jig saw that is being called a scroll saw. To that end Rockwell and Delta made several decent scrollsaws from about the mid-1980's on. Most of them have round cast iron tables and have a distinctive "C" look to the frame. Even later Delta came up with a fantastic design for an 16" saw. This was the first time that Delta made a true parallel arm saw, which most other manufacturers discovered were superior to the C-arm years before. The 16" saw was made in Taiwan and had a two speed rocker switch and a round, left-tilting table. Later Delta added a variable speed motor, which was great, and a 20" version of the saw which wasn't so great. Delta has since moved the production of this saw to China where the quality has suffered. If the listings don;t mention the country of origin, send the seller a note. Pass on the Chinese unit, buy the Tiaweenie one.

Delta & Rockwell Drill Presses For Sale

Early Rockwell drill presses tend to have simple belt guards, leaving all but the front pulley exposed. They also didn't have the best depth stops. Available in floor model and bench top units, look for the length of quill stroke (Bigger is better) number of steps in the pulleys, which equates to number of speeds, and throw from the spindle to the column. This is usually stated as the size of the drill press: a 16" unit will drill to the center of a 16" circle, so that means the distance from the center of the bit to the column would be 8".

Delta & Rockwell Disc Sanders & Belt Sanders For Sale

This is one line of tools that despite the best efforts of Craftsman, Jet and Grizzly, no one has ever come close to the Delta 6" belt sander. The bench top units may be a different story, but you can not miss with any version of the Delta 6" Belt Sanding System. Some have a 12" disc sander, and a Shopsmith-style variable speed can be found on some of the older Rockwell units.

Click here for Delta/Rockwell Sanders For Sale

Delta & Rockwell Shapers For Sale

Ok, let's get serious here. We don;t know what happened, but most of the shapers that Delta made from about 1977 on have been... well... el'stink-o-reno! There is one large version like the one shown at right that continues to be great, but you want to avoid the silly little bench top units and the light weight open-stand version with the horizontal wheel that is just under the table in the front of the unit. What a joke. Otherwise, bid away because the 3hp and larger shapers rule!


Delta & Rockwell Bandsaws For Sale

I'm not sure why it's taken me so long to add content to this post on the Delta 14" bandsaw. I've owned my current Delta 14" BS since the early 1990's when I purchased two for a woodworking school I was operating at the time. Mine looks a lot like the saw shown at right, but back then the base didn't have an easy access door and all of the Delta band saws were American made. If that still matters to you you'll want to make sure to check the name plate on the back of the saw. If you are purchasing this saw online make sure to have the seller snap a picture of this plate and email it to you. This saw is still made in the USA, but they were made for a time in Taiwan and are now also made in China.

If you are not familiar with this saw a quick check of the 14" bandsaws being offered by all the other power tool companies will quickly reveal that this was the model for most of the 14" saws on the market.

One feature that few have equaled is the lower blade guide. This is almost totally hidden from view, so it was one of the important details that the Clones were able to skimp on while no one was looking.

If you can afford the original US made Delta or Rockwell you will not regret the additional investment, and should you ever decide to resell it, you'll get ever dollar back and then some. This is something that the imports cannot claim.

We need your help before Jan 11th

Update:
Well, with everyone's help we made it to the second round, but we were not one of the top 15 finalists. Oh well, at least lost to some spectacular competitors. Thanks for you help.

Hello!
One of my favorite sites that I’ve been visiting for the past year or so is Instructables.com. Instructables is a site where lots of creative and crazy people like me share their projects in a step by step instructional thingie called an Instructable.

Some of you know that my son was inspired by a comment in the movie "Talladega Nights" and just HAD to have a Six Cheese Nacho Fountain at his October 2008 wedding.

Instructables is now having a contest and we have entered this project in it and we need your vote to help put us over the top! We used Shopsmith tools throughout, and there are lots of pictures and videos included.

There are actually three rounds of voting, so in this first round you can vote for any and as many of the Instructables that you like. The second round is judged by the editors at Instructables and some editors from Popular Science!

In order to vote you'll need to register, which is a fast 30 second ordeal. I been visiting this site for over a year and can confirm that that they don't send unwanted emails or sell your info.

The voting began on Jan 5th and runs through the 11th, so please feel free to forward this to all your friends.

Here’s how to vote in three easy steps:

Step 1) Click this LINK and Register. This is done by click on the "Sign up now" link on the top right of the page at the link below.

Step 2) Once you register search the term “Aristocob” or “Cheese Fountain”.

Step 3) Click on the VOTE NOW! Link. Some folks are apparently "ranking" the Instructable, with is fine, but that's not the same as voting. The VOTE NOW! link will not work if you don't register.

Thanks for your support and we'll let ya know how things go!
Make it a great day, Scott

Hey, you made it to the bottom!

Well, that's about it. We welcome your questions, comments and cheap shots. Send us a message at: Aristocob@gmail(dot)com (Replace the "dot" with a ".")

Porter-Cable 513 and Virutex Lock Mortiser Videos

Here's a video of the Virutex knock-off of the Porter-Cable 513 Lock Mortiser. It functions exactly the same as the P-C unit and is a very good video.


www.aristocob.com

Thank you.

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