I have a dilemma. Currently I have my dad's 8" Craftsman table saw (1950 vintage) in a corner in my shop. He passed away in 1980 and it's been sitting there ever since. Last weekend my 1977 vintage Craftsman table saw motor died and I decided to upgrade. I picked up a Grizzly 1023SL this week . So I now have 2 saws that I probably won't be using. One in need of a motor replacement.
Here is my problem..... The Sentimental Factor..... The 8" Craftsman was my father's and also the first saw that I ever used. The 1977 Craftsman was a wedding gift from my wife... I built our home, all the cabinets, plus a lot of side jobs with this saw and it's been a BIG part of my life.... (It's been a real love/hate relationship though). On top of that, I remember my Grandfather's shop and he had 2 tablesaws. One set up for ripping and the other for crosscutting. But... things have changed since the '60s. They didn't have compound miter saws back then.
I am strapped for space and I don't want to just keep on storing these machines. Unless I can find some compelling reason to keep them, I'd like to find a good home for them.
So, this is basically a 2 part question.
1. Does anybody have a strong argument for keeping more than one table saw in a shop?
2. If not, what have people done to donate equipment like this? I read in a previous post that someone donated his saw to Habitat for Humanity. I would just like this equipment to find a good home. It still has a little life left in it and could do some great things in the right hands.
Thanks for any insight,
Greg