Guys,
My Wifee says I can have a table saw for Xmas.
I don’t want a mini like a Proxxon, nor do I want a huge model.
I would like to make my own model buildings this winter, so I need one that will:
Cut Plexiglas without burning or melting…I know special blade and variable speed.
Make scale lumber (Sorta----1/8 x 1/2, 3/8 x 3/8, and so on…)
Cut small sheets of plywood…(1/4 x 2’ x 4’)
And other small modeling cuts.
Suggestions, please?
Thanks,
jb
I’ve had a Sears Craftman 10" table saw for about 30 years. Only repair I had to make was to replace the motor. Swapped the 1HP one for a 2HP …can’t remember what I paid for it, but it sure wasn’t a top-of-the-line model.
jb
Buy the best table saw that you can afford, the heavier, the better. Heavy means accurate cuts. Accurate means that you can cut small stuff, as well as big stuff. You will need a good fence, as well.
Go to either Woodcrafters on Sullivan or to Spokane Power Tool. You might pay a few buck extra over Sears, but it will be worth it. Stay away from Harbor Freight for a tool such as this.
Check with Chuck Inlow to see if he might have a lead on a saw from a pro who is upgrading.
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Wolf,
I stay away from Harbor Freight for just about everything. Even a tool cart I bought there recently is wobbly and tippy!
I’ve bought quite a bit of small stuff from WoodCraft, but they are the high end pricing.
I’ll check Sears and SPT. (Tim Taylor grunts.) 
jb
John,
Have you considered a band saw for what you want to do? You can also check those out at Sears and other places. Blades give you great accuracy on small lumber.
Just a thought.
I’ve got a 9" band saw but I’m still learninig on it. I have a dickens of a time getting a straight cut…especially if I’m using a fence or guide.
Warren Mumpower said:Sears has a book on how to set up and work with a band saw. I found it very useful. I was having a lot of the same problems before I got it. Sharpness, tension on the blade and how to set the blade guides makes a big impact.
I've got a 9" band saw but I'm still learninig on it. I have a dickens of a time getting a straight cut...especially if I'm using a fence or guide.
Warren,
My experience: the widest blade possible for the job i.e. 3/8’ will wander less than 1/4’; the blade guides properly set and as close as possible to the job, blade running tight and in correct position on the pulleys. Take it really easy when starting the cut.
The thinnest strips I’ve cut from wood (pine) .040" (1mm)!
It has been my experience that a band saw blade not properly sharp, or missing some teeth will wander also.
All saws have there good and bad points.
jb
What price range are you looking at? I picked up a nice Rigid model from Home Depot last summer for a little over $500 and I’m quite happy with it overall. It’s not the protable model but rather the Cast iron one. It’s comes on a roller stand which is a bugger to set up properly but once it is it’s stable. The blade that came with it is a nice quiet runner and a good cutter so far. Enough horse power for my needs. I looked at all the lower priced models and found that the fence was generally way too sloppy and the guides or slots were sloppy or proprietary and sloppy.
Look for a good fence as accuracy and repeatability of cut are important. Good easy to find shut off switch. As much horsepower as you can afford. A good sturdy base. Some way to collect the dust besides a mess on the floor. I’m sure I’m missing things but you get the idea I hope?
Good luck and keep the fingers out of it!
Chas
Get all the saw accessories you need when you get the table and do your homework. I bought a new Delta tablesaw 3 years ago and like it very much. The problem I ran into is that I got it on sale and 6 months later when I went to get accessories like an outfall table (the piece that extends the saw table past the blade) I found out it was last yeats model and some accessories weren’t available any longer. I did find some of what I wanted on ebay. I Am thinking of replacing it for a bigger model and will do my homework and make sure I get everything I need when I get the new saw.
Roger Crooks said:Great advice. I ran into the same thing with my current table saw. Didnt buy all the doo and dads and had to improvise a few years later when I finally wanted the stuff.
Get all the saw accessories you need when you get the table and do your homework. I bought a new Delta tablesaw 3 years ago and like it very much. The problem I ran into is that I got it on sale and 6 months later when I went to get accessories like an outfall table (the piece that extends the saw table past the blade) I found out it was last yeats model and some accessories weren't available any longer. I did find some of what I wanted on ebay. I Am thinking of replacing it for a bigger model and will do my homework and make sure I get everything I need when I get the new saw.
My brother has a nice wood shop with a huge cabinet makers table saw costing bucco bucks.
He said he will trim the sheets down for me.
So therefore, I would like a smaller precision table saw.
Besides Proxxon & Micro-Mark (Too expensive for what you get), does anyone know of such an animal?
jb
John & Warren
Lets start with the table saw. You do not want anything smaller than a 10" blade with a 5/8" arbor. You want a cast iron table top with a good uni-fence and an adjustable miter. Easy to reach on/off switch. Blade adjustable to 45 degrees or more in at least one direction, and nothing less then 1HP, better if you go to 2HP.
These are the basics. You can cut any size piece of wood you would like on this type of table saw. Its all in how you set it up and different jigs or fixtures you use. This basic machine will cost between 500.00 and 700.00 dollars, but you will have it for ever. The blades and accessories can be purchased anywhere depending on what your needs are.
To cut small pieces of material you need a good carbide tooth blade with at least 80 teeth or more. Lets say you want to cut a board 1/4" wide. Start by setting the fence for the proper clearance or cut (1/4") and lower the blade below the surface of the table. Now take a sheet of thin plywood, place it next to the fence and clamp it to the top of the table. Turn the saw on and start raising the blade through the plywood until it is high enough to clear the piece of wood you want to cut, about the thickness of the carbide teeth. Set-up your feather boards and start running your wood through the saw.
The band saw is a very good machine, but like the table saw if you buy cheap then you’ll get cheap. The trick to re-sawing material to make smaller pieces is your set-up and a thick/wide blade so it does not flex or walk. It must also have adjustable tension rollers for guiding the blade and keeping it straight. The set-up will consist of a 90 degree angle plate either made of wood or cast iron as a fence. This allows your material to rest against the fence and run true through the blade. You may even need feather boards to help hold the material against the fence as you push it through.
Have fun, Chuck
John Bouck said:I believe Dremel also makes a 4" table saw (or did in the past). Don't know how good quality.
I would like a smaller precision table saw. Besides Proxxon & Micro-Mark (Too expensive for what you get), does anyone know of such an animal? jb
Dawg
Steve Seitel said:John Bouck said:I believe Dremel also makes a 4" table saw (or did in the past). Don't know how good quality.
I would like a smaller precision table saw. Besides Proxxon & Micro-Mark (Too expensive for what you get), does anyone know of such an animal? jbDawg
They used to, I inherited one. Not impressed with how it’s built, but that could be just my peculiar taste.
My new Grizzly Industrial 2008 catalong arrived today. They now list a “baby” benchtop table saw for hobby use:
Model H8145
Blade diam 8.5"
Max rip capacity 7.5"
Max depth of cut 2" at 90 degrees
Tilting arbor
Benchtop
Dust port
Weight 32 lbs.
Price $95
Might be worth a look. http://www.grizzly.com/products/h8145
Dawg
An 8" table saw sounds like the 8" bench saw that I have. Not what I would call a ‘baby’ saw, like the Dremel or MicroMark ones anyway.
Bob McCown said:Exactly. It's in between the hobby saws like MicroLux and the "full size" 10-inch contractor's saws.
An 8" table saw sounds like the 8" bench saw that I have. Not what I would call a 'baby' saw, like the Dremel or MicroMark ones anyway.
I have a Dremel table saw and like it quite a bit. I don’t think they make them anymore though. MicroMark sells a nice cabide blade that fits on it and cuts well. You won’t cut anything real thick with it, but that’s not what’s its for. I use my 10" Craftsman for that.
Jerry