Table Saw Help

It's been several years since I've looked at any Rigid saw so I really can't say for today's products. Back around 10 years or maybe a little less ago, they were a really good buy. Well built, lots of great features, great warranty, etc. I'd really have to look at what they are offering today before I could comment though. Hopefully others here have more updated knowledge than I do. Just be careful of the guys who start to raise concerns based upon nothing that they really know. A ton of that can happen here...

Reply to
Mike Marlow
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On 06/18/2016 4:55 PM, Meanie wrote: ...

It's "RIDGID" like the pipe wrench folk -- who altho they licensed the name they have nothing to do with the product...

Reply to
dpb

The saws I've seen without the "motor sticking out the back" have had universal motors. You're much better off with an induction motor, even it sticks out the back. You'd probably never have a bearing problem again, and if you did, induction motors tend to be pretty standard and easily replaced.

Reply to
krw

Well that or go for a "new" portable bench top.

Reply to
Leon

My first of 3 TS's was a new 1983 Craftsman with cast iron top and steel solid extensions. When I sold it I replaced the extensions with formica covered extensions and a 36" Jet Exacta rip fence. It was a decent saw after all of that. The 1 hp motor did give me grief when ripping 3/4" plywood if myself and a helper did not guide steady enough or slow enough.

After using it for 16 years I traded up to a Jet cabinet saw. and about

14 years got the industrial SawStop.

All three saws were/are on mobile bases and I cannot stress how much a mobile base on a TS makes close quarters work areas less troublesome.

Reply to
Leon

Take it to a small motor repair shop. Odds are they will be able to replace the bearing quite reasonably.

Reply to
dadiOH

This is something that I have always wondered why it did not get more press.

I first came across mobile desk when I was working in the laboratory. We had many instruments and being mobile could be clustered as needed.

I currently have my table saw and work bench on wheels. The work bench was made to be the same height as the table saw so it can be positioned to be an out feed table when you are ripping on the table saw.

At other times the work bench is on the operator side of the table saw and is a staging area for the pieces to be cut. I make a lot of stretchers and picture frames. This means that if you are making a lot of frames or stretchers you are going to have a pile of pieces to be cut. It is nice to have every thing so you can reach it with a slight turn.

I have even used the work bench to change the ceiling lights, as it can be rolled under the light that needs to be change.

The work bench can be rolled over to the car or lawn tractor when you are working on them.

When you change project every thing not needed is rolled to it storage position.

Point being with everything on wheels you have a very flexible work area that can be quite usable in a limited amount of space.

Reply to
Keith Nuttle

Mike Marlow wrote in news:nk4i72$efm$ snipped-for-privacy@dont-email.me:

If you find an Ridgid 3650 or 3660 (same saw, different package) in good condition, it's well worth purchasing. It's been a fantastic saw, except I'm not too fond of the way the guard attaches.

Puckdropper

Reply to
Puckdropper

What do you not like about the way that the guard attaches? I have the

3650 and I think that it is very simple to remove or replace the guard. All you have to do is twist one thumb screw.

Now, if you had said that you did not like the original adjustment of the guard, then I would have agreed with you. I spent about an hour before I found the right technique and it involved the use of a hammer to get the splitter to be vertical.

However, now that I have the guard set correctly, it goes off and on easily and is positioned correctly without anything more than tightening the thumb screw.

Dan

Reply to
Dan Coby

I don't like where it attaches. It's so far back from the blade that any misalignment is magnified when you use it. I wasn't too fond of the thumbscrew design, as it didn't seem to lock the guard back in place at exactly the same place so I'd have to adjust and check and adjust and check and....

Hm... now that I think about it... I adjusted the fence long after I had removed the guard pretty much permanently. Some of the issues I had with alignment may have been caused or magnified by the fence being slightly angled. (It's well worth checking your fence and blade to make sure they're exactly parallel to the miter slot!)

Puckdropper

Reply to
Puckdropper

I got one of the last of the TS3660s. It's been excellent. Very well thought out design and well made. I don't know what they were thinking with the replacement. The 3650/3660 addressed the big issue with contractor-style saws, blade alignment, with an adjustment system that makes the process trivially easy.

With the 4511/4512 that's gone and to make matters worse a lot of the saws were sold with the adjustment holes incorrectly placed so that it was not possible to achieve blade alignment without going after the parts with a file or Dremel. Apparently this was addressed in mid-2013. There's also a safety recall--don't use a dado set on a 4511 until you've read the recall notice and checked serial numbers.

Reply to
J. Clarke

Puckdropper wrote in news:57664c6a$0$7249$b1db1813$ snipped-for-privacy@news.astraweb.com:

I assume it's actually the splitter you're concerned about? That's can be a valid issue - when I started woodworking I'd take the guard and splitter off maybe once per year. Now, even tho the guard is only on the saw maybe 20% of the time, I'm frequently putting it on and taking it off (I use sleds for crosscutting, dadoing, etc, which have their own guards built on, so the factory guard/splitter is only on the saw when I'm ripping).

John

Reply to
John McCoy

Leon wrote in news:UL6dnXbPn_RodPjKnZ2dnUU7- snipped-for-privacy@giganews.com:

Ah, I wouldn't agree with that point :-)

I'm not a big fan of benchtop saws. I think a full size saw gives you more power, more precision, more durability, is more stable, and overall safer. So I wouldn't recommend a benchtop unless someone was very constrained on space, or actually needed to tote the saw places other than a shop.

John

Reply to
John McCoy

Mike Marlow wrote in news:nk4a7o$h3t$1@dont- email.me:

Y'know, that's a good idea. Dunno that I'd use cherry, but I have half a sheet of MDF stuck in a corner somewhere crying for a project to use it on. And slightly wider wings would be useful.

John

Reply to
John McCoy

Keith Nuttle wrote in news:nk4udg$1l2b$ snipped-for-privacy@gioia.aioe.org:

The counter point to that is that, when you start a new project everything is in the wrong place and you have to move it all before you can start (which is exactly what I do) :-)

To Meanie's point about the motor sticking out the back of a contractor style saw - this is the one time you have to worry about it. With the saw on a mobile base it's easy to mis-judge how far back the motor is, and bang it into things while moving the saw.

John

Reply to
John McCoy

Yeah, maybe, but that's not really a big issue to overcome. That seems like a reach to justify worrying about the motor hanging off the back. I have found that I can certainly deal with that issue.

Reply to
Mike Marlow

Well, there is an alternative with a bit of luck - an *old* contractors saw from Delta. It's small enough to be called a benchtop, but it weighs a ton and the motor is external. I have the 1948 model and it's very compact and built like a tank. Even has an overhead blade guard. Like all saws it needs a better miter gauge and a sliding table.

There is one flaw - the blade is fixed and the table moves, but I seldom need to move it. Here's a link to a picture and no, I don't have the jointer.

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Reply to
Larry Blanchard

Mike Marlow wrote in news:nk6jp2$581$1@dont- email.me:

Yes, you get used to allowing for it quickly enough. And it's the only issue I've ever experienced with the contractor style motor mount.

John

Reply to
John McCoy

I checked the alignment of the blade when I first got the saw. The blade was parallel to the slot. I did have to do some adjustment for the fence.

Dan

Reply to
Dan Coby

I plan to pull the bearing and replace it. A friend has a bearing puller which I will get tomorrow.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

Reply to
Meanie

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