I am happy to report my father has found a new home for his DeWalt 14″ radial arm saw.

Last October, I posted on LinkedIn that my dad was offering the saw – a $700 value on Ebay – free to the first person who would pick it up.

The response was muted to say the least.

Dad paid $75 for the saw in the late 1970s when it was already thirty years old. He carted it from house to house for the past four decades.

I grew up with the sound of this saw ripping through plywood on Saturday mornings. Dad was handy. His woodworking skill helped my brother place second in the Pinewood Derby.

Finally, someone stepped forward. David Tyree offered to rent a U-Haul and drive down to the Jersey Shore to rescue the DeWalt.

It turns out that “free,” however, didn’t mean easy.

The saw came attached to a bench that was 7 feet 5 inches long, 29 inches deep and 54 inches high. The enormous size of the bench made it impossible to get the saw into the house. It was always in the garage.

It was the height that almost scuttled the effort.

David and I raised the bench by slowly inserting wooden crates underneath. When it came time to hoist it into the van, however, we realized it was too big..

I started to laugh, but David looked at me with grim determination. “We’ve come too far,” he said.

We managed to find a neighbor who, it turned out, was no stranger to this particular rodeo: He had moved his own dad’s DeWalt radial arm saw numerous times.

The three of us managed to wrestle the saw on its side and slide it into the van.

My dad made sure to give David the instruction manual which explained the difference between a bevel rip and double miter, among other techniques.

He also handed him the one-year warranty, though it expired in the mid 1950s.

David was anxious to get on the road. He had people waiting to help him unload.

I asked him what he intended to do with the saw.

He said there was plenty of wood to cut. Also, there was always the Pinewood Derby.

David got the saw home and managed to nestle it into the garage. It just fit.

The DeWalt looked happy.