Can anyone recommend a good sliding table attachment to go with a Delta Unisaw? Delta sells one (model 34-555) for about $350, but I'm not nuts about having to cut the front and back rails of the Biesemeyer fence. Maybe that's the only way to attach any sliding table to this saw, but it seems like a lousy solution at first glance.
I like the idea of a sliding table over a crosscut sled or panel cutting jig, but I'll use one of those if there's no optimal sliding table option.
with some fiddling you can move the rails over rather than cutting them.
David Eisan fitted an (I think) Dewalt slider to his unisaw and was happy with it. you might ping him or search the archives for his posts about it....
i have the excalibur slider on my general... it's.. ok. i'm not thrilled, but also not entirely disappointed. once it's aligned, it works well. but it's sensitive. if i had to do it over again, i'd probably buy a few fence extrusions, flipstops and tapes, and make a few killer sleds.
i hope i didn't just make your decision more difficult.
I too have the Excalibur. I have the largest version that can handle full 4x8 sheet goods. Unlike the previous poster, I've been very happy with mine. Setting it up wasn't too bad and it hasn't been "sensitive". I check my fence for square everytime I put it back on and if an adjustment is necessary it takes all of 3 or 4 seconds. I'd replace mine if given the need. I did a lot of research prior to getting the Excalibur too. It still seems like the best "add on" sliding table to me.
Wouldn't that throw off the factory-installed tape scale also? I guess that would have to be replaced as well?
Instead, is it possible to beef up the side of the saw cabinet so that the sliding table could be mounted further to the left? I wonder how difficult that would be with simple metal fabrication tools?
Do you have this one on the Unisaw? If so, did you need to modify the fence system (or anything else on the saw) to install it? I went to the manufacturer's web site. This table seems quite large. When not needed, is it easy to remove and store? How long would you say it takes to re-install and breakdown when not in use? Does it store flat?
I have this on a General. They are very similar saws. You could mill the end of your left wing to accept it without removing it but the point to removing it is to have the slider closer to the blade and hence, more accurate and more useful for miters. Can you not just loosen and slide your existing rails down the table (to the right)? That's what I did with my Excalibur rails. Works fine. The table is very large. They offer 2 smaller versions if it's too big for you. I am lucky to have a big shop space. These items, with very few exceptions, are not taken apart for quick storage. They are heavy and designed to stay put. You could take it apart but it wouldn't be quick and easy. You'd end up either leaving it on or off. You'd definitely leave it on if you have the space. The miter fence on these units pops on and off lickity-split so when you're not using the slider it becomes a big side table. After all, it's dead-on flush with the top of your saw. That's a great feature when you're ripping sheets or other large surfaces. If you have the space for one, you won't regret it. Just plan to leave it on. Get the biggest slider your space will afford.
I've got the 40" Excalibur sliding table on a Unisaw with a Unifence. My first 'production' cut with the sliding table was to saw about 7" off the left end of the Unifence front rail extrusion (using a non-ferrous blade). I thought about redrilling the mounting holes and sliding the front rail 7" to the right, but then it would have stuck out from the end of the side table, and who needs 57" rip capacity anyway?
The Excalibur table could come off easily, but unless you drilled and put dowel pins in the joints it would require realignment when it got put back on. Exactor makes a copy of the Excalibur table with a special quick attach bracket that maintains alignment, and they advertise you can put a matching bracket on your shaper to move the table to it when you want.
If you did take it off, the legs unbolt and I think the table/rails could probably store in a 6" wide space, but I've never tried this.
As another poster mentioned, however, when you're not using the sliding function, just lock the table in place (it has a lock lever) and you have a large flat table extension to the left of the blade. I've never felt the need to remove the slider.
I work alone in my shop and I love the sliding table. You still have to wrestle a sheet of plywood onto the saw, but you make perfect cuts with fingertip pressure once you're there. I also find I don't use the miter gauge very much anymore -- the sliding table is so convenient for all but the littlest parts. I wouldn't give it up.
I don't know the specifics of that slider, but the hardware might have to be pretty stout, and it will move the mechanism further from the blade which will magnify any slop in the bearings and affect how jigs and close clearance stuff fits. might work fine, I don't know.
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