Could someone tell me what the difference is between the G4 and the G100?
Thanks
Different gliders
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woodworker
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Sorry for the delay in responding, i have had an extremely busy spring.
The G4 and G100 are two different vintages of the same saw. The G100 being the newer machine. Hammond also made a G4b which came in between the two models.
The G4b has but one difference from the G4- steel ways that the ball bearings for the table ride on. This is a big difference as the saws that have these inserted ways show very little wear after all of these years, while the G4's with cast iron ways are often worn.
The G100 uses the insert ways. The body is a bit fuller than the G4 and the knob to adjust the micrometer scale is knurled metal instead of plastic like on the G4's.
The G4's and G4b's were painted a dark green and the G100's a slighter green.
There are some other subtle differences, but nothing that affects use much. In buying a saw, I would be very happy with either a G4b or a G100. Functionally they should be equal- I would make condition the deciding factor.
I would put the plain G4 a step below those other two models. It will still perform admirably, but is slightly less desirable.
pete
The G4 and G100 are two different vintages of the same saw. The G100 being the newer machine. Hammond also made a G4b which came in between the two models.
The G4b has but one difference from the G4- steel ways that the ball bearings for the table ride on. This is a big difference as the saws that have these inserted ways show very little wear after all of these years, while the G4's with cast iron ways are often worn.
The G100 uses the insert ways. The body is a bit fuller than the G4 and the knob to adjust the micrometer scale is knurled metal instead of plastic like on the G4's.
The G4's and G4b's were painted a dark green and the G100's a slighter green.
There are some other subtle differences, but nothing that affects use much. In buying a saw, I would be very happy with either a G4b or a G100. Functionally they should be equal- I would make condition the deciding factor.
I would put the plain G4 a step below those other two models. It will still perform admirably, but is slightly less desirable.
pete
-
woodworker
- Posts: 8
- Joined: Sun Nov 18, 2007 10:42 pm
- Location: Central Kansas
- Contact:
Gliders
Pete,
Thanks for the response--very informative. By the way would you have or know of a G4B or G100 for sale, one in super condition?
Thanks for the response--very informative. By the way would you have or know of a G4B or G100 for sale, one in super condition?
Pete,
I just acquired a Glider G4, serial number 3551. It needs some restoration work as it is pretty dirty.
After I bought it I read your comments about wear on the G4's ways. The table on my unit slides pretty smoothly from one end of its travel to the other. However, there does seem to be somewhat more resistance to movement in the middle as opposed to at the ends of the travel.
When I get it cleaned up I will see if it still exhibits that behaviour.
There is no obvious slop, droop, or other undesirable things with as far as I can tell just from eyeballing it. I need to get the dial gauge out I guess and take some more precise measurements.
Anyways, all this leads up to the following two questions:
1) How does wear in the ways manifest itself? Do they get sloppy, or is there some other problem?
2) If there is wear, is it possible to fix it and if so how?
Well, I guess that was sort of four questions rather than just two!
Thanks,
Dan
I just acquired a Glider G4, serial number 3551. It needs some restoration work as it is pretty dirty.
After I bought it I read your comments about wear on the G4's ways. The table on my unit slides pretty smoothly from one end of its travel to the other. However, there does seem to be somewhat more resistance to movement in the middle as opposed to at the ends of the travel.
When I get it cleaned up I will see if it still exhibits that behaviour.
There is no obvious slop, droop, or other undesirable things with as far as I can tell just from eyeballing it. I need to get the dial gauge out I guess and take some more precise measurements.
Anyways, all this leads up to the following two questions:
1) How does wear in the ways manifest itself? Do they get sloppy, or is there some other problem?
2) If there is wear, is it possible to fix it and if so how?
Well, I guess that was sort of four questions rather than just two!
Thanks,
Dan
Hey Dan,
Firstly I should state that the wear I have witnessed even at its worst is not a tremendous detriment to the saw. The worn saws I have seen are still quite functional and more accurate than many machines on the market.
Perhaps the best way to check for wear is to pull the table all the way back and see if it wiggles up and down. The tight saws have virtually no play in this position.
Hammonds are ingeniously designed to take up some wear in the ways with the set screws and capscrews on the left side of the table. It has been my experience that you can take up some of the wear with this system, but it is not possible to return them to factory new tolerances. I attribute this to the fact that the ways have worn on both sides, but you can only squeeze one side tighter.
The wear mainly occurs at the center of the ways as the saws spent much time close to the blade, and little time taking advantage of the nineteen inches of crosscutting capacity.
The worst glider I ever experienced was so worn that when I tightened the table, it actually started rubbing against the stationary table in the front right. I ended up milling the edge of the rolling table thinner by .020 to solve the issue.
One thing that happens as the tables wear is that they drop in height, tightening the ways helps recover the lost height.
Re-machining the ways is probably an option, but one I have never explored the concept. My immediate thought would be to straighten the right side and then tighten the left until you had achieved a positive result. I have to really think this through and see the saw in question before I prescribed it as the solution.
As long as your saw is delivering a good straight cut, I would tend not to worry too much about anything. The results are the most important thing.
Pete
Firstly I should state that the wear I have witnessed even at its worst is not a tremendous detriment to the saw. The worn saws I have seen are still quite functional and more accurate than many machines on the market.
Perhaps the best way to check for wear is to pull the table all the way back and see if it wiggles up and down. The tight saws have virtually no play in this position.
Hammonds are ingeniously designed to take up some wear in the ways with the set screws and capscrews on the left side of the table. It has been my experience that you can take up some of the wear with this system, but it is not possible to return them to factory new tolerances. I attribute this to the fact that the ways have worn on both sides, but you can only squeeze one side tighter.
The wear mainly occurs at the center of the ways as the saws spent much time close to the blade, and little time taking advantage of the nineteen inches of crosscutting capacity.
The worst glider I ever experienced was so worn that when I tightened the table, it actually started rubbing against the stationary table in the front right. I ended up milling the edge of the rolling table thinner by .020 to solve the issue.
One thing that happens as the tables wear is that they drop in height, tightening the ways helps recover the lost height.
Re-machining the ways is probably an option, but one I have never explored the concept. My immediate thought would be to straighten the right side and then tighten the left until you had achieved a positive result. I have to really think this through and see the saw in question before I prescribed it as the solution.
As long as your saw is delivering a good straight cut, I would tend not to worry too much about anything. The results are the most important thing.
Pete
