I need a few parts made from aluminum and brass.

Sourwould

New User
Taylor
I have a delta 10" tilt top table saw from the 40s (I think). The trunnions are made of pot metal and pretty famous for breaking and are more or less unobtainium. I have a pair of good ones, but I want to nip this problem in the bud and have some made of aluminum or brass or bronze. I believe there's some svg files available for these particular parts.

I've attached pictures of the front trunnion. The teeth ride on a steel worm, so that's why I was thinking brass.

This part is basically one flat piece with a few protrusions. I was thinking that the protrusions could be made as separate flat pieces and bolt together. The back trunnion is simpler, I'll get some pictures.

If you're interested in doing this and have the technology, pm me and let me know a ball park price. Don't be shy.

IMG_20201122_092449.jpg

IMG_20201122_092529.jpg
 

Oka

Casey
Corporate Member
This would be easier on a mill but you would need an indexer. Additionally, I see this as the main part and the bolt hole ears attached with a tig then cleaned up. Time consuming
 

Sourwould

New User
Taylor
This would be easier on a mill but you would need an indexer. Additionally, I see this as the main part and the bolt hole ears attached with a tig then cleaned up. Time consuming

I see this as main parts with four ears (2 for the 90 and 45 stops and the bolt holes for the tops). The main part has the dado that rides the main body, the slot for the lock lever and the teeth. The teeth are the real roadblock.

Although really, this seems like far from a precision part, being die cast pot metal. I don't think there was any actual machining on the original part and the teeth were "wear to fit," for lack of a better term. I could probably lay out the teeth with dividers and hand file them, but I'd much rather have a machine do it.
 

Jeff

New User
Jeff
I have a delta 10" tilt top table saw from the 40s (I think). The trunnions are made of pot metal and pretty famous for breaking and are more or less unobtainium. I have a pair of good ones,


Taylor, maybe it's time to get a new saw. I doubt that even a well equipped machine shop would make the parts for a reasonable price.
 

Oka

Casey
Corporate Member
You can't say .......... this is a saw part not a truck part ......... :p

I can think of other ways to do this, but all still would take 3-6 hours of real time work depending on the sophistication of the shop setups.

No... Im actually a Lead Engineer at Volvo/ Mack trucks with 40 years of CAD/CAM machine/fabrication shop/ component design experience. But what do I know?
 

Bernhard

Bernhard
User
..what everyone said: This is quite a bit of work. I have a small hobby machine shop (16" lathe, 2 milling machines, surface grinder, etc, etc). But making this part would take me at least 2 days, just setting up for cutting the gear would be a major job (but then again, I am just a hobbyist). And not working from plans but releying on measurements of a used part is a bit of trouble. Also, I don't think that neither brass or aluminum would work well for the teeth....I see a new saw in your future!
 

Sourwould

New User
Taylor
..what everyone said: This is quite a bit of work. I have a small hobby machine shop (16" lathe, 2 milling machines, surface grinder, etc, etc). But making this part would take me at least 2 days, just setting up for cutting the gear would be a major job (but then again, I am just a hobbyist). And not working from plans but releying on measurements of a used part is a bit of trouble. Also, I don't think that neither brass or aluminum would work well for the teeth....I see a new saw in your future!

This is the new saw!

Why would brass or aluminum be a bad choice? The original part is like Zinc and lead. Definitely some lead in here. This thing is way heavier than the same part would be in cast aluminum.
 

tvrgeek

Scott
Corporate Member
Good thinking to replace function, not form. But to do a decent jog, you could probably buy a new PCS. So use it till it brakes and move on. Or if you are a psychopath, sell it in tact and make it some one else's problem. :)

Probably a bad choice for "new": as it lacks a riving knife, the most important safety feature.
 

Sourwould

New User
Taylor
Good thinking to replace function, not form. But to do a decent jog, you could probably buy a new PCS. So use it till it brakes and move on. Or if you are a psychopath, sell it in tact and make it some one else's problem. :)

Probably a bad choice for "new": as it lacks a riving knife, the most important safety feature.

What is pcs?

I don't run riving knives. Can't plunge cut.
 

Rick Mainhart

Rick
Corporate Member
You might consider contacting Clark Easterling at Windy Hill Foundry and see if this is something he might consider casting in either aluminum or cast iron. While casting from an existing casting adds some error (2-3% shrinkage if I recall), you might be able to use your existing trunnion(s) as molding patterns.

A lot of folks are now making casting patterns on their 3D printers ... you'd best discuss the draft angles and other details with Clark though.

You will need additional machining on the cast part, but much less than hogging the part(s) from billet ... and a lot less material lost.

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Rick
 

LastChanceWoodshop

New User
Jason
What is pcs?

I don't run riving knives. Can't plunge cut.

Taylor, just a thought. . .if you have a good set why not acquire a second "good set"? I see tilties on Facebook marketplace pretty frequently.

At this point that saw is 3 times older than either you or I. So, if it lasted a whole lifetime already, maybe you could pass the second set of trunions on to your grandchildren along with your saw?
 

Sourwould

New User
Taylor
Taylor, just a thought. . .if you have a good set why not acquire a second "good set"? I see tilties on Facebook marketplace pretty frequently.

At this point that saw is 3 times older than either you or I. So, if it lasted a whole lifetime already, maybe you could pass the second set of trunions on to your grandchildren along with your saw?

This is what I'm doing right now. I have one good trunnion. Found a nice big crack in the rear one. At least that's the easier one to get. There is not much supply of undamaged trunnions. The fact that these are as good as they are I think is just luck. I'm certain I will damage them in the future. I think to use the stock part, some reinforcement is required.
 

Bernhard

Bernhard
User
This is the new saw!

Why would brass or aluminum be a bad choice? The original part is like Zinc and lead. Definitely some lead in here. This thing is way heavier than the same part would be in cast aluminum.
I would think that aluminum and brass would be to soft. It is not high precision, and taking material cost into account, I'd use mild free machining steel or cast iron.
 

Sourwould

New User
Taylor
I would think that aluminum and brass would be to soft. It is not high precision, and taking material cost into account, I'd use mild free machining steel or cast iron.

I thought that was the idea. One soft part, one hard. The worm is steel. All worm and wheels I've seen have had one brass part and one steel part. Maybe that's because they've all been in oil baths.
 

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