Delta first power tool...
Well, human powered that is...
The Delta Specialty Company was founded by Herbert Tautz in 1919.
The American Boy Scroll Saw was the first breakthrough Delta product invented by Tautz in 1923.
The next big breakthrough for Delta came in 1937, and it changed the woodworking industry... The Unisaw, the first 10 in tilting arbor cabinet saw.
To this day, Delta is still in business and still produces Unisaws, such as mine (circa 1989)
I got this little guy from Sandy Moss, shipping cast iron is never cheap but it was still worth it.
Light surface rust on the arms and table, nothing serious. The sliding post have some sort of a light grease film on them and the mechanism operate smoothly
It did not came with a blade, but the listing did says that it used common sizes readily available blades...
It used pins blades, such as on a coping saw, except that my coping saws are 6 inch blades users.
Went out looking for blades with Rudy.
First stop, Home Hardware Greenwood, hit the jackpot!
Not only did they had the 5 inch pinned blades, but they carry Pegas no less, Great!
Not cheap blades, but as anything you get what you pay for, I love these blades in my fret and coping saws, so lets try it.
So what is it with the two arms??
The one with the slotted head at both ends is the saw arm were the blade is mounted, the other, fixed to the frame of the saw, is simply a guide to hold down the wood being cut. If you were to crank backward, the blade would push the wood piece up. Sometimes when the piece move and get stuck, it want to move up also even when cranking in the right direction.
So how does it cut?
Tried with two pieces of different material;
1/4 in thick solid center plywood (left over from my plane till's dividers)
Without cranking like a mad man, this thing is pretty quick, only thing is, you need three hands!
One to hold the saw from tipping, second to drive the wheel, leaving you no hands to hold and move the piece of wood!!
You know were I'm going with this, don't you? :-)
That's right, the saw need to be secured on your dining room table..err I mean work surface!
Once secured I could zip thru that 1/2 inch piece of pine like butter
But it is after all a scroll saw and depending on the blade installed you can expect nice cuts in whatever you throw at it. I am surprised at how much power that simple mechanism provides. And once you figured out a good rhythm and pace, it goes pretty smooth.
Bob, cleaning up his...err Rudy.. mess in the dining room
The Delta Specialty Company was founded by Herbert Tautz in 1919.
The American Boy Scroll Saw was the first breakthrough Delta product invented by Tautz in 1923.
The American Boy Scroll Saw
Delta first product
The next big breakthrough for Delta came in 1937, and it changed the woodworking industry... The Unisaw, the first 10 in tilting arbor cabinet saw.
To this day, Delta is still in business and still produces Unisaws, such as mine (circa 1989)
My first Unisaw
I got this little guy from Sandy Moss, shipping cast iron is never cheap but it was still worth it.
This is how it was shipped, both arms were removed, along with the crank.
It fits inside a surprisingly small package.
What is that blue/green thing in the background? Oh, that's Rudy :-)
Light surface rust on the arms and table, nothing serious. The sliding post have some sort of a light grease film on them and the mechanism operate smoothly
Chariot down
Chariot up
The crank that makes it happened,
turned by the wheel, sliding inside a trapped slot.
The wheel is secured to a flat spot on the shaft with small square screw.
Must find driver for it... All the fixed screws are like it, the removable ones are thumb screws
The wheel has a groove around its circumference and could be belt driven by a small electric motor (hum, that make me think..Singer :-)
It did not came with a blade, but the listing did says that it used common sizes readily available blades...
It used pins blades, such as on a coping saw, except that my coping saws are 6 inch blades users.
Went out looking for blades with Rudy.
First stop, Home Hardware Greenwood, hit the jackpot!
Not only did they had the 5 inch pinned blades, but they carry Pegas no less, Great!
Not cheap blades, but as anything you get what you pay for, I love these blades in my fret and coping saws, so lets try it.
Pegas blades assortments, 6 of each three sizes:
10, 15 and 23 TPIs skip tooths
My favorite combinations.
I'm trying the middle of the pack, 15 TPI
The ends are discolored by the pins installation
or was the blade heat treated??
5 inch versus regular 6 inch pinned blades
So what is it with the two arms??
The one with the slotted head at both ends is the saw arm were the blade is mounted, the other, fixed to the frame of the saw, is simply a guide to hold down the wood being cut. If you were to crank backward, the blade would push the wood piece up. Sometimes when the piece move and get stuck, it want to move up also even when cranking in the right direction.
Upper arm and hold down guide
Lower arm, attached to the chariot
The blade has a good tension on it, the arm being opened wider
that the blade length
So how does it cut?
Tried with two pieces of different material;
1/4 in thick solid center plywood (left over from my plane till's dividers)
1/4 in solid core plywood
1/2 pine, work amazingly fast...
Without cranking like a mad man, this thing is pretty quick, only thing is, you need three hands!
One to hold the saw from tipping, second to drive the wheel, leaving you no hands to hold and move the piece of wood!!
You know were I'm going with this, don't you? :-)
That's right, the saw need to be secured on your dining room table..err I mean work surface!
Somehow a certain monkey and doggy
keep cropping up in my pics... :-)
Once secured I could zip thru that 1/2 inch piece of pine like butter
Rough cut but it would be a lot easier and better
if I had some sort of guide
But it is after all a scroll saw and depending on the blade installed you can expect nice cuts in whatever you throw at it. I am surprised at how much power that simple mechanism provides. And once you figured out a good rhythm and pace, it goes pretty smooth.
MADE IN USA
PAT AUG 21 - 23
DELTA SPECIALTY CO
MILWAUKE WISS
AMERICAN SCROLL SAW
All in all, a very fun little saw. A toy? Perhaps it was intended to be, but it is a real tool capable of serious work. Its limitations are the small size of the work table and the need for fastening it down in order to be able to use it.
Now if I could find myself some Barnes machinery...:-)
Bob, cleaning up his...err Rudy.. mess in the dining room
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