Rewiring old Craftsman Woodworking Equipment

[hunterridgefarm]

I inherited my Grandfathers woodworking equipment years ago. This equipment is 45 years old and HEAVY cast iron and thick metal. I swear the table top drill press has to weigh close to 150 + lbs or it at least felt like it when I carried it from the back of the truck to the basement.

I had stored it at my dads for the last 15 years in his workshop, when he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's and before he passed, I was worried about him hurting himself so I cut the plugs off the equipment. There also was some dry-rot on the wire with exposed wiring.

I am now moving the equipment to my house and plan to rewire all of it as the insulation just crumbles when moving the wires.

I currently have the drill press and bandsaw at the house. The drill press has a switch on it that I feel sure my grandfather added as I cannot find one on line with a switch. The picture show the switch and motor.

Any suggestions on type of wiring to use and would you keep the switch on the press? Most of his equipment has no switches, you just plug them in.

I still have the tablesaw, joiner, shaper, sander, planer, radial arm saw, to move and rewire. Plus lots of clamps and tools to move. Only problem here is finding it all. When dad had Alzheimer's he had a tendency to hide things so finding it all will take some time.

We have finally made a decision on the workshop and hopefully in the next 2 months we will have it up. Just needs to dry out a little and I have 10 more pines to take down that will pose a risk of falling on the shop once it is built.

I can't make any post over the weekend but may be able to read reply's.

David

This thread will require the use of the tractor to unload the larger equipment, Just need to figure out how to load it in the back of the truck. My trailer is too long to make the turn into the driveway. Long one lane drive with several houses.

 

[newbury]

Sorry to read about your Dad, mine went that way also.

For GREAT info on your tools slide over to OWWM, old wood working machines. The board is pretty strict, no politics, but that and Vintage Machinery are the penultimate resource for our type of machines. They will have notes, manuals, rebuild methods etc.

I inherited my Grandfather's table saw, circa 1960.

 

[Daver1963]

I would definitely keep switches on them and if possible add them to the machinery that doesn't have them. Locate them in a VERY easily accessible area. There's no accounting for safety.

 

[caver]

The old rubber SO cord tends to dry rot like that. Get something Like SJO SEOW etc. there's charts showing what all the letters mean. I like putting foot switches on drill presses. When something goes south while drilling....and it will.... you step back and it shuts down.
Get switches rated at 20amps.
Last summer I bought a Craftsman radial arm saw from a local guy. He wanted 50 bucks and said it didn't work.
The cord had to be shortened due to physical damage where it went into the machine. The manufacturer puts a two pole switch
for 220v operation. It's set up for 120 right now. The neutral pole had failed so cost to repair was 0.00$. Eventually it will be moved to my property and wired for 220v. Then I will have to put a two pole switch on it but until then...

 

[hunterridgefarm]

I am going by Lowes tomorrow and see what they have. If I can't find what I need I will go to an electrical supply.

Funny about your radial arm saw, mine will not turn on, but have not had time to check the issue.

 

[BeezFun]

I wouldn't have a drill press that size without a foot switch. Your arms will be turned into papaya leaves before you have time to reach for a switch.

 

[dstig1]

The wire isn't that hard - any Home depot/Lowes/Menards/etc will have what you need. The letters are more self explanatory than you might think. from my recollection:

S= service cord (basically stranded wire for flexible cords)
J = Junior - lighter duty insulation, but fine for most shop applications, especially if the cords stay put, out of harms way 99% of the time
O = oil resistant. Good to have
W = water resistant, ditto

Anything else is bonus. So SOW or SJOW or anything that at least has those letters in them is fine. That is all you will find at the home centers, and probably all you will find at the electrical distributors (without buying your own 1000' spool...). There are more letters you will see that mean more specific things, but frankly it doesn't matter for most people. At least that is my $0.02. If you are curious what they all mean, google the wire codes.

I remember when the boys who started OWWM and VM and the like were on Rec.woodworking back in the Real Man (tm) days of the internet. Times have changed...

But there is nothing here that is real serious. You just need to replace old wire with equivalent or better type of the same or larger gage (remembering that smaller numbers are larger gage - you never know what people do/do not know in the internet, so my apologies if this is basic to you). Take several pictures before you disassemble in case something goes flooey. Nothing real hard here, unless you are really unsure of yourself with wiring. In that case, find an electrician.

 

[caver]

I am going by Lowes tomorrow and see what they have. If I can't find what I need I will go to an electrical supply.

Funny about your radial arm saw, mine will not turn on, but have not had time to check the issue.

In the power plant I worked at some types of SO cord (generic electrician term for flexible cord) would just get brittle after a few years in heat, like your pictures show. The rubber jacket stuff just wouldn't last. We started getting T rated thermoplastic stuff....most extension cords use this. it's a tad stiffer in cold weather but holds up well.

 

[/pine]

When I rewired/powered the Dunlap table saw (sold by Sears & Roebuck before Craftsman) that was my grandfather's...I added a duplex receptacle along side the switch...

...The saw is mounted on a wood cabinet that is on casters and doubles as a portable/mobile bench where the outlets come in handy...

 

[hr3]

In the power plant I worked at some types of SO cord (generic electrician term for flexible cord) would just get brittle after a few years in heat, like your pictures show. The rubber jacket stuff just wouldn't last. We started getting T rated thermoplastic stuff....most extension cords use this. it's a tad stiffer in cold weather but holds up well.

Nothing really generic about it....

S = Severe Service Cord
O = Oil Resistant Outer Jacket