Page History: The Delta Vintage Project - Part One: Serial Numbers
Compare Page Revisions
Page Revision: 2008/03/31 15:14
by Keith Bohne-mail: UnisawA100@wi.rr.com
If you are of the type who easily follows shamans or gets fooled into get rich schemes you are the one I'm looking for. It's hoped, by me, that by the end of
this introductory article you to will be hunting down the true meaning of Delta and becoming obsessed with *Born On Dates* and *vintaging* Delta on the fly. If
you are the strong type, not easily duped, please move along.
This write up will act as the jumping off point for anyone wanting to vintage an old Delta machine or for someone wanting to submit content on a machine of a
certain vintage. It contains the most rudimentary data required to start one's career dating Delta. Please read it carefully as there are subtle nuances and
while trying to vintage an old machine isn't rocket science it does require a certain bit of savvy. At the very least you will be able to establish date
ranges based on what you read here.
The easiest way to vintage a Delta machine is of course with the serial number. There are guidelines though. Delta only began keeping records of serial numbers
after 1941. This makes it difficult if you have a machine dating prior to that. The serial number tags basically came in two flavors.
The earlier tags measured approximately 1/2' X 3' with rivet holes approximately 2 3/4' on center. To the best of my knowledge these were only used during the
late 30's to the early 40's.
 Older Delta Serial Number Tag |
Later tags, after 1941 during the Rockwell era, measure 1' X 4' with rivet holes approximately 3 3/4' on center.
 Newer Delta Serial Number Tag |
I mention the rivet holes because some machines, for whatever reason, may have had their serial number tags stripped from them making a positive vintage
harder. You can however locate these holes and a ghost image of the tag and narrow down the machine's vintage. Where tags were located on individual
machines would take a paper unto itself. I should also note, tag locations on the same machines weren't always located in the same spot. For instance, I've
seen tags on the back of a Unisaw cabinet as well as the front.
It's not been substantiated fully but all evidence points to a fact that Delta did not tag machines from 1941 to 1943. Whatever the reason I'm not sure. If you
have a machine from this era and it has a confirmed serial number I would like to hear from you. Please read the rest of this article though before positively
determining your machine's vintage. It's also come to light, from various discussions on the OWWM discussion forum, that Delta used some serial numbers
during the same period that don't quite jive with what's known by me. For instance, some five digit serial numbers on 1' by 4' tags don't compute with my
list or Delta's. If ever this mystery is solved this write up will be amended.
About This Serial Number List:I received this list from a fellow OWWM member. Someone had given it to him at his local Delta service center with no explanation or additional information.
For the most part I have found it to be valid but have run into a couple of instances where it has not been 100% correct. Therefore, take it for what it is,
do not expect it to be the 'last word' and always call Delta to confirm any dates that might be suspect. Delta can also give you the month the machine was
manufactured. This is something you won't get from the list below. I should note here, Delta isn't always right either, especially if they are looking at the
same source material as you have here before you.
The serial number list is broken down into three parts. Machines built in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Bellefountaine, Ohio had an all-number code. According
to the list machines were built in Bellefountaine all the way up to 1976. Machines built in Tupelo, Mississippi had an alphanumeric code.
The serial number list starts with 1941. These machines would have been built in Milwaukee, Wisconsin up to 1952.
The following is based on
this original document.Straight Numerical Series used by Milwaukee-Crescent
| Year | From | - | To |
|---|
| 1941 | 13-0000 | - | 15-0000 |
| 1942 | 16-0000 | - | 21-6500 |
| 1943 | 21-6501 | - | 26-6900 |
| 1944 | 26-6901 | - | 33-6900 |
| 1945 | 33-6901 | - | 40-6600 |
| 1946 | 40-6601 | - | 49-5000 |
| 1947 | 49-5001 | - | 60-6000 |
| 1948 | 60-6001 | - | 74-6000 |
| 1949 | 74-6001 | - | 82-5500 |
| 1950 | 82-5501 | - | 91-5950 |
| 1951 | 91-5951 | - | 100-7044 |
| 1952 | 100-7045 | - | 105-4004 |
The Bellefountaine Years:
| Year | From | - | To |
|---|
| 1953 | 105-4005 | - | 110-9975 |
| 1954 | 110-9976 | - | 113-9613 |
| 1955 | 113-9614 | - | 116-5949 |
| 1956 | 116-5950 | - | 119-2146 |
| 1957 | 119-2147 | - | 122-5236 |
| 1958 | 122-5237 | - | 123-5059 |
| 1959 | 123-5060 | - | 125-9707 |
| 1960 | 125-9708 | - | 127-9999 |
| 1961 | 128-0000 | - | 130-2719 |
| 1962 | 130-2720 | - | 132-5000 |
| 1963 | 132-5001 | - | 133-9999 |
| 1964 | 134-0000 | - | 137-0050 |
| 1965 | 137-0064 | - | 139-4000 |
| 1966 | 139-4001 | - | 142-1689 |
| 1967 | 142-1690 | - | 145-4999 |
| 1968 | 145-5000 | - | 147-2525 |
| 1969 | 147-2595 | - | 149-8401 |
| 1970 | 149-8402 | - | 151-8000 |
| 1971 | 151-8001 | - | 153-2122 |
| 1972 | 153-2123 | - | 155-4449 |
| 1973 | 155-4450 | - | 158-4000 |
| 1974 | 158-4001 | - | 162-9999 |
| 1975 | 163-0000 | - | 165-9753 |
| 1976 | 165-9754 | - | 170-3633 |
| 1977 | 170-3634 | - | 173-5804 |
| 1978 | 173-5805 | - | 176-4910 |
| 1979 | 176-4911 | - | 178-8779 |
| 1980 | 178-8780 | - | 180-7331 |
| 1981 | 180-7331 | - | 181-7764 |
| 1982 | 181-7765 | - | 182-1042 |
Alpha-Numeric Series Used By Tupelo Division:
| Year | From | - | To |
|---|
| 1951 | AA-100 | - | AB-7478 |
| 1952 | AA-7480 | - | AJ-2774 |
| 1953 | AJ-2775 | - | AX-9470 |
| 1954 | AX-9471 | - | BE-4906 |
| 1955 | BE-4907 | - | BL-9999 |
| 1956 | BM-100 | - | BO-9822 |
| 1957 | BO-9823 | - | BU-8750 |
| 1958 | BU-8751 | - | CC-6620 |
| 1959 | CC-6621 | - | CK-4072 |
| 1960 | CK-4073 | - | CO-9632 |
| 1961 | CO-9066 | - | CU-4299 |
| 1962 | CU-4300 | - | CK-9999 |
| 1963 | CY-0001 | - | DB-5000 |
| 1964 | DB-5001 | - | DG-1009 |
| 1965 | DG-1010 | - | DK-5917 |
| 1966 | DK-5918 | - | DO-4783 |
| 1967 | DO-4784 | - | DS-9452 |
| 1968 | DS-9453 | - | EF-9399 |
| 1969 | EG-100 | - | EI-208 |
| 1970 | EI-209 | - | EP-5295 |
| 1971 | EP-5400 | - | EW-236 |
| 1972 | EW-237 | - | FI-311 |
| 1973 | FI-312 | - | GA-782 |
| 1974 | GA-783 | - | GZ-2477 |
| 1975 | GZ-2478 | - | HR-6058 |
| 1976 | HR-3059 | - | IQ-9999 |
| 1977 | IR-0001 | - | JW-9999 |
| 1978 | JX-100 | - | KP-9725 |
| 1978 | LW-103 | - | LW-9999 |
| 1979 | KP-9726 | - | LD-5594 |
| 1979 | LV-100 | - | LV-9999 |
| 1979 | LX-100 | - | LX-9999 |
| 1979 | LY-100 | - | MB-5699 |
| 1980 | LD-5595 | - | LH-9326 |
| 1981 | LH-9327 | - | LN-9999 |
| 1982 | LO-100 | - | LO-9999 |
| 1982 | MB-5700 | - | MC-7110 |
Letter prefixes: LP, LQ, LR, LS, LT, and LU were not used.
Letter prefixes: MJ, MK, ML, MM, MN, MO, MP, NA, and NB range in years 1979 through 1982, but we do not have information to tie these to a year of manufacture. Delta may still have this information.