Good Choice of Table Saw for very casual home use ??

[HeyBub]

Maybe. I recently needed a 2x5' piece of 3/4" plywood for a kitchen sink countertop.

I could have putzed around building supports for my admittedly tiny table saw, or I could have spent some moderately serious bucks for a used, substantial, table saw.

Instead I opted for the "Free two cuts" policy at Home Depot. I got my 2x5' counter top and some nice sized scraps for the cost of the plywood sheet alone.

So, one's choice of a table saw might depend on a) How often a project involving a 4x8 sheet comes up and b) Whether one has alternatives available.

And, speaking of Home Depot's board cutting policy, does anyone own one of those saws HD uses? The kind where the circular saw blade moves up and down on a stationary, vertical piece of wood? I'd think that machine would take up considerable less space than a table saw ('course you'd lose wall space...).

[Pete C.]

If your project needs smaller parts, this is where the big boxes are good in they all have panel saws so you can have them rough cut your material into sizes that are much more manageable for finish cuts on a small contractor type saw. Often a simple cut in half to 4x4 pieces is enough to do the job.

Yes, though you can do them on the table saw, while you can't do TS tasks on a miter saw, so if you are space / budge limits the TS should come first.

For the jobs where measurements are tight and I don't trust the big box to get close enough with their panel saw I will put the sheet of material on my 4x6 work table and do the rip guide thing myself, supporting the overhang as appropriate.

Building a panel saw is a good project :)

With an upright panel saw you can actually sandwich a vertical stock rack between the panel saw and the wall if you leave clearance to one side to get stuff in and out.

[Douglas Johnson]

Buy a speed square for cross cutting. To rip, clamp a straight edge to the 2x4.

If it's 45, the speed square will do it for you.

Clamp a straight edge to the plywood and use the skill saw. You don't need a metal edge. The factory edge on another sheet of plywood will do fine.

I think a table saw is over kill for what you describe. The good ones are expensive and take up a lot of space. The bad ones are more aggravation than they are worth. -- Doug

[Bob F]

There are dozens I see free or cheap on craigslist or freecycle every month. How about a used saw. Old Craftsmans are very common.

[benick]

BS , I've used my 10 inch Ryobi table saw that came with a stand for $99 to rip plywood , 1X pine , 2X4's , ect. and it works just fine as long as you don't force it...It might not be as fast as the big dollar ones but it gets the job done..We aren't talking about using it for everyday construction use or ripping 3/4 Birch plywood all day in a cabinett making shop..IT IS FOR OCCASIONAL HOMEOWNER USE which is what this thread is SUPPOSED to be about....I have a Ryobi 10 compound miter saw that I paid $75 for that worked just fine trimming out my new windows as well...When not in use I set the miter saw on top of the table saw and put them in the corner of my garage and they don't take up much space and you don't need 3 people to move them around either...They're perfect for what they were designed to do...

[dadiOH]

You have a good HD. The ones here have a saw that rotates and they shove the panel through horizontally for rips. Nothing holds the top piece up as it is going along, so accuracy isn't its forte.

I had a friend in Honolulu with a vertical one...set up the panel, position things, push button, full length cushioned clams on both sides of the cut line clamp down, saw travels down on steel tubes, returns to top after cut, clamps unclamp. A *wonderful* machine. No idea of the cost, several thousand I am sure.

[Ed Pawlowski]

If the saw worked for you great. That does not mean it is as good as the bigger, more expensive saws. I had a cheap Craftsman saw and built some nice projects with it. After a time I found the shortcomings and bought a Delta contractors with a Beisemeyer fence. saw. It is a vast improvement. It comes down to your needs and expectations. And the blade.

[SteveB]

Amen, brother.

[aemeijers]

I'm out of corners! The one nook in my garage where a non-folded-up table saw could be parked, is where I have to park the snow blower 5 months a year. (Unless I wanna traipse through drifts out to the garden shed every time I want to use it.)

Not to mention, damp garages are hell on table saws, even if you keep the table well-waxed.

-- aem sends...

[Jim Elbrecht]

-snip-

Don't own one, but I've thought of building one-

If I was in the OP's shoes I might consider building one for the big stuff- and getting that miter saw for the fine things.

Takes up room- but as someone mentioned above, it lends itself to being one side of a wood rack.

Jim

[JIMMIE]

James I use a speed square a a sawguide to cross-cut boards and a long saw guide for plywood. I have a table saw but most often use these. I think the circular saw with a saw guilde works better than the table saw.

Jimmie

[HeyBub]

Heh! Use the saw to build a shed into which you can put the snow-blower, the lawn-mower, the auxilary generator, and other assorted things. That will free up space for the tools.

Don't forget to include a cat-door so the critters can get out of the elements.

[Michael Dobony]

Trim pieces would best be cut with a miter saw. Cutting a 2x4 is best done with a miter saw, ripping with a table saw. Plywood with a table saw. However, from your description I would not consider a table saw as you do not seem to have the skills to safely use a table saw. Table saws are not good for cutting trim pieces to length. Table saws are for cutting widths, not lengths.

Before buying something I would seriously consider taking a shop class at your local community college to learn what the different saws are for and how to safely use them.

[HeyBub]

What's to know?

1. Don't put soft things in the blade.
2. Stand to the side so kick-backs don't de-nut you.
3. If you're a wimp, wear eye protection.
4. If you're a pussy, wear ear protection.

Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, you need to know about safety can be found in the 52-page safety instructions that come with the saw.

[Ulysses]

LOL. On #3 you might add "If OSHA is looking.

On #2 someone should point out that Douglas Fir is probably the #1 kickback culprit and a suit of armor might be appropriate under certain circumstances.

[HeyBub]

At least a tin cup.

In my shop I wear an apron. It's lead-lined and came from an x-ray lab. I think it's bulletproof.

Just to be on the safer side, I'm going to line it with home-made ballistic armor, that is, scraps of engineered laminate flooring.

Still, I see people on TV get ready to use a power tool, something like a battery-operated screw-driver or an electric spoon, and they suit themselves up like they were off to train attack dogs.

What's the worst that could happen?

As Dilios said: "Hardly, my lord, it's just an eye. The gods saw fit to grace me with a spare."

[Rudy]

First, depending on where you are..see if there is a

website nearby and get the saw through "TOOLS" on the site for perhaps HALF of what you'll pay for a new one at Sears or HD. Go look at several tablesaws and see what the market has out there before you buy. Have the seller crosscut and rip a piece of 2 X 4 or 2 X 6 for you and see how they do.

Isn't there anyone knowledgeable and handy THERE that you can ask to go along with you when you go saw shopping ? If not, I've had good service from DELTA table saws starting from an old Rockwell Beaver 9" with a 1/2 hp motor (worked fine crosscutting) could barely rip (lengthwise) a "2 by" piece of lumber. I ve upgraded to one of the best saws on the market now, a 10" 3(real) HP Delta UNISAW with a Biesemeyer fence. The fence alone is worth $ 300-400 ..its a beauty but you don't need something like that. .

Second, BEWARE when comparing various saws motor HP that Sears commonly uses 'max" HP "DEVELOPED" which is the power draw/created JUST BEFORE the motor is driven to fail...Divide the HP number they use in half to get a realistic number. Ie. their "develops 1HP" motor is really a 1/2 hp motor.

Finally, a lot depends on the quality of the blade. Get a good name brand (not Harbor Freight Tools etc) carbide tip blade, up to 40 tooth for 'general' work and make sure you don't cut any staples, screws or nails in the lumber.

Good luck R

[Dioclese]

"SKIL" with one "L" is a brand name. Commonly seen at construction sites with other brands as well like Porter-Cable. Hand-held electric circular saw is probably what you mean, and, may even be made by SKIL. Unless you're doing something that requires good fit and appearance of cuts, such a saw is just fine. It all boils down to good measurements, following the measured lines made without cutting that line. Not forcing the cut too quickly. A very lightweight saw may try to move left and right indiscriminantly. A dull blade takes longer and may scorch the wood. Using the right blade also helps such as when to use a cross-cut blade, a combination blade, and a ripping blade.

As another poster stated, the most important part of a table saw is the table. Actually, I'm speaking of a compound miter saw. A table saw is very limited in lengthy cross-cuts, excellent for plywood and rips. It must accomodate size of lumber, and must be rock solid when using the saw. There are some reversals needed in some cuts, like a hip rafter, that some compound miter saws can't accomodate on both sides of the cut. The bevel only swings one way. Can be done, but not very intuitive. A 10" compound miter saw with laser sounds adequate for most of what you're speaking of. Get one with the laser that runs off the AC, not replaceable batteries. A genuine table saw is best for ripping plywood and other lumber.

[Dioclese]

My stroke, if I have the choice available, is to use table saw for rips. I like the better full length visibility of the lumber piece while ripping while usng a table saw. My opinion, the lumber piece tends to more likely "walk" vertically with a radial arm saw when ripping. Many table saws already provide vertical stops, anti-reversal fingers, for rips. More control of the material with a table saw for ripping purposes. The depth of blade exposed for table saw is minimal vs full exposure for a radial arm saw. Rather than a "stroke", seems like a more logical choice for rips.

[dpb]

Dioclese wrote: ...

Depends on the size of the material and the setup available.

I have the RAS in a 20-ft+ table that exceeds the size of the TS outfeed table so for large pieces (and specifically full-size ply sheets that was the starting point for this thread) it is much more stable and easier to control on the RAS than the TS.

As for the blade, the guard is rotated to meet the surface of the stock in front which completely covers it from the feed side and the movable guards drop in the rear which protect from the inadvertent side although there's no reason to ever be there during the cut anyway. I keep a permanent pusher where it's convenient to hand for the finish of the cut to pass it by the blade if the width is narrow enough to be a problem.

Again, it's more to do w/ the arrangement of the facilities than the tool itself...

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