Mighty Mite 4" saw from HF: 1st look & sled

[boorite]

SWMBO got this miniature "table saw" from HF for making models and small parts. Cost $30 on sale, comes with a blade for wood and a blade for tile or stone. Here it is with some items for scale:

Or here.

That pretend miter gage thing is completely useless. So I made a little sled out of tempered hardboard, some pre-dimensioned oak hobby board, some scrap for the fences, and a piece of Lexan:

Or here.

Now it actually works. It'll actually cut 1/2" hardwood, but you have to watch your feed rate. Very tiny motor, maybe 1 amp. It's great for cutting a 1/4" piece off of 1/4" ply. No tearout!

Just goes to show that even el sucko tools can work if you think of them as a platform for shopmade jigs. If the motor spins and the all the machine threads hold, you can do something with it. In the case of this saw, you absolutely have to make your own fixtures, or you will probably decide the tool is useless.

This little sled amused me so much I just had to post about it.

[Dave Bugg]

That is pretty nifty. Good job.

[Morris Dovey]

| SWMBO got this miniature "table saw" from HF for making models and | small parts. Cost $30 on sale, comes with a blade for wood and a | blade for tile or stone. Here it is with some items for scale:

|

| That pretend miter gage thing is completely useless. So I made a | little sled out of tempered hardboard, some pre-dimensioned oak | hobby board, some scrap for the fences, and a piece of Lexan:

|

sled! What are your plans for dust collection? Please share pix of new attachments as you make 'em.

FWIW, an adjustable miter sled and a taper sled might go over well.

Sometimes it's not the size of the tool... :-)

-- Morris Dovey DeSoto Solar DeSoto, Iowa USA

[Lee Michaels]

That saw is small enough to do a tablesaw comedy routine!!

That is the first time I saw a sled that is bigger than the saw.

I am sure that this little tyke would be perfect for that odd small job.

How much power does it develop on those two AA batteries?

Good fix and improvisation there!

[cselby]

I just know I have the have one.

Enjoy Pete

[CW]

I saw one of those several years ago when a HF had just opened up around here. Would have bought if it didn't have an, I believe $80.00 price tag on it. At thirty bucks though, it would be worth having. Set it next to your big one just to show your range of versatility. :)

[Leuf]

I got their 4" sander a little while ago, and damned if it isn't the exact same thing with a different table. Same pretend miter gage. You gotta love the "almost red" color though.

It's a little bit of a step down from the Byrnes saw, but at 1/15th the cost, hey.

[J T]

Sat, Sep 2, 2006, 11:34am (EDT-3) [e-mail] (boorite) doth proudly proclaimeth: That pretend miter gage thing is completely useless. So I made a little sled

If I was big into model making I'd want one too. But I notice on your little sled you can see where the blade comes right out the back - if it was me, I'd glue on some sort of a little stop or something, to prevent my thumb from accidently sliding over to that slot, and risk pushing the sled too far forward. In fact, I'd glue a little block on the fence, so my fingers wouldn't get over too near the blade either. Of course that wouldn't keep the sled quite as pretty, but up to you.

JOAT Justice was invented by the innocent. Mercy and lawyers were invented by the guilty.

[boorite]

A two-stage system: brush and dustpan.

Will do. Gonna make a rip fence today... and then get right to work on the adjustable mighter and taper jig.

--Scott

[boorite]

Aw, them's just for scale. This bad boy has to plug into the wall 'cause it draws almost a whole amp and develops 1/8 HP! Haven't wired it for 220 yet so it don't dim the lights when I turn it on.

--Scott

[boorite]

Yeah, I'm definitely gluing a little block to the back of the fence.

The real struggle is finding good aftermarket blades for this thing. They're 4" diameter with a 1/2" arbor. There are lots of diamond-tipped gem and tile blades out there, but Micro-mark is the only source I've found for wood blades. They sell 3 different ones, each of which costs almost as much as we paid for the saw. But at $30 I expected that.

--Scott

[boorite]

Yeah, I'm definitely gluing a little block to the back of the fence.

The real struggle is finding good aftermarket blades for this thing. They're 4" diameter with a 1/2" arbor. There are lots of diamond-tipped gem and tile blades out there, but Micro-mark is the only source I've found for wood blades. They sell 3 different ones, each of which costs almost as much as we paid for the saw. But at $30 I expected that.

--Scott

[mac davis]

Check with a local saw shop.... some contractors use small blades at high rpm, and someone has to sell and sharpen them..

Mac