Boice-Crane began manufacturing woodworking machinery for non-professional woodworkers in December 1926 when WB and JE Boice associated their business with HG Crane. At the time of the merger, two plants were in operation. HG Crane owned the Adrian plant and JE Boice owned the Toledo plant.

The Boice-Crane Company made lightweight tools for the average consumer with only a few products developed to enter the industrial field. After the company went bankrupt in the 1980s, the Wilton Corporation purchased the drill press production line and Comet Engineering Incorporated purchased the radial arm saw production line. Gothenburg Manufacturing Company took over the parts business and supported the spindle sander, belt sander, and scroll saw until their company also went bankrupt.

The Boice-Crane 3500 table saw was made in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. It had a 1 1/2 horsepower motor that was 220V. The 10-inch blade is raised, lowered, and tilted with controls located on the front of the cast-iron-clad cabinet. This cabinet type table saw was driven with a triple belt system. The table size was 36 inches by 27.5 inches and could be expanded to 63 inches with the extension table. It comes equipped with a steel guide and blade guard.

After searching various sites that offer old manuals and parts lists, I was unable to find a specific manual for this particular table saw. However, the 3500 model had many of the same features as the previous 2500 series of Boice-Crane table saws. The saw blade is tilted with a rotary handle crank leaving the table stationary. A dial indicates the degree of the angle to offer an accurate way to measure your angled cut. Manual levers lock the saw and fences in place to provide security against slippage. Gearboxes are fully coated and greased for long life. The large tables were built for higher load capacity than most other table saws. Hood guard tilts with the blade for added safety. Other safety features include a large divider with two anti-kickback dogs to prevent both pieces of wood from being thrown forward. Separately housed motor in steel-clad cabinet reduces vibration that can interfere with good quality cuts.

Since the Boice-Crane 3500 table saw is considered a piece of vintage machinery, it may not meet modern standards for safety and quality. Anyone interested in restoring this vintage table saw may have a hard time finding the right replacement parts because the companies that bought the different lines have also gone under. However, with the World Wide Web at your fingertips, you could probably find someone with a similar interest in vintage woodworking machinery who can point you in the right direction.