Table saws

[GMM]

After all this time without one, a current job has driven me to crave a table saw as it's the only way I can think of doing it. I'm sure it would be useful for plenty of other things as well.

Although I fully accept the value of decent kit, I can't really justify (to senior management) splurging too much on this but I'd like to get something that does the job. I also don't have the space for anything too exotic (at least not without a major re-structure of the garage) and, realistically, it's not something I'll use every day.

A lot of the cheaper ones get pretty poor reviews, mostly due to poor alignment but I wonder if that's because people (including me) don't know how to adjust them. So:

1 Can anyone recommend something in the 'not too outrageous' price range? I was looking at this one: Which seems reasonable, but someone may be able to confirm that or know different.

2 Given the point about adjustment/set-up, is there any way of telling whether a given saw is readily 'setupable' before buying? (in other words, what should there be to adjust to get things square).

Cheers chaps

[stuart noble]

IME it's all about the fence and the way it locks to the saw bed. Constant source of frustration if the far end moves under pressure. It should be long enough that you can secure it front and back, albeit with a clamp. An induction motor is much quieter if your budget will run to it

[GMM]

That was a thought I had looking at a number of saws as a little flex could muck things up: Maybe it's a case for judicious bodgery, ie improvising a better fence or at least clamping something alongside the fence to support it?

[Tim Lamb]

Worth looking for better prices.

[The Medway Handyman]

Axminster do a fence upgrade lit which is simply superb.

[newshound]

Be aware that they take up a lot of space in a small workshop, and you usually need space all round it as well. My smaller Clarke comes out on the patio when I need it. That one looks like quite a lump to move.

[The Medway Handyman]

When we moved & I lost my workshop, I bought one of these

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and fitted an old circular saw to it. It's surprisingly accurate & sturdy.

[stuart noble]

Looks good but shouldn't really be necessary with a halfway decent saw

[GMM]

I have to say my first thought was whether I could build something like that, although the first issue that came to mind was depth of cut, which would have to be a bit less than the saw itself and since my first 'target' is 50mm, I thought it might not do the job too well. Maybe a steel one would have less of an issue, as I was thinking of using 18mm ply for the table.

[GMM]

Almost all my wood cutting ends up on the patio too, in part because it makes much less of a mess....and if it rains I have a good excuse for a day off.....

[meow2222]

Youtube has homemade table saws, many incorporating a handheld circ - a dec ent one of which can be had for tenners used. The saw clips into a recess i n the tabletop so you dont lose 18mm etc cut depth. Cheap to make and there are foldaway designs handy for smaller scale diyers - but of course it tak es time.

NT

[Roger Mills]

Very nice - but costs nearly as much as I paid for my entire table saw from Machine Mart a few years ago.

I solved the fence rigidity problem by extending the fence with a piece of aluminium angle, and clamping that to the back of the table with a quick action clamp. A bit more fiddly than the Axminster solution, but it works - and didn't cost me anything.

[John Rumm]

ISTR someone recommending these are not too bad:

The adjustment process for a full size cabinet saw is to first make sure the slots in the table are parallel to the blade, and then to make sure the fence is parallel to the slots. On some saws you can adjust the position of the table top to achieve the first step, in the portable contractors saws however you may be stuck with how it comes. The fences are usually adjustable to some extent. Upgrade fences can also help in some cases.

Check to see if the table bolts to the base, and if there are grub screws etc on the fence to allow adjustment of that.

It tends to be the fence that lets down the cheaper saws.

If working in restricted space, then the type without the fitted base are probably better - they can then be deployed on a workmate when required and cleared away when not. (the alternative is to go for a big one and make it a permanent feature in the middle of the workspace).

[The Medway Handyman]

I had a Charnwood table saw, fitted with the Axminster fence upgrade. It was excellent. Charnwood are also very good with parts & tech advice, very helpful company.

[Roger Mills]

And if the blade tilts, you need to adjust it to make sure that, in the upright position, the blade is exactly at 90 degrees to the table. Mine wasn't - as supplied - but was adjustable.

One thing which has been mentioned in earlier threads on table saws - but not in this one so far as I recall - is the fact that the fitted guard on most table saws gets in the way of using the saw for cutting part-way through timber - as in grooving, etc. In a lot of cases, the guard is attached to the riving knife - which sticks up above blade level - so that even if you remove the guard, the riving knife still gets in the way. I suppose that you could also remove the riving knife if not cutting right through, but I took the rather more drastic step of removing the guard permanently, and making my own riving knife - the same shape as the original, but without the bit for attaching the guard, so it's never above blade level.

Obviously, you have to watch your fingers when running without a guard, but if you count them before and after, and only worry if the two counts are different - in either direction(!) - you should be ok.

[dennis]

It costs three times as much as I paid for mine!

The fence is the weakest bit but its easy to clamp it at the other end once its been adjusted. One of those cheap one handed clamps is fine.

A couple of pieces of MDF works well, just screw them together at right angles.

[John Rumm]

Yup that should work for pretty much anything except plunge cuts. Also keep in mind that the riving knife is really at its most useful when making through cuts anyway. A non through cut does not release the tensions in the wood in quite the same way - making kickback (caused by natural wood movement) less likely in the first place.

The best design of guard is supported independently above the blade on its own support - that saves those problems.

[stuart noble]

My riving knife/guard went in a drawer 30 years ago, and hasn't been out since. That said, I mostly cut sheet materials and nice dry softwood.

[GMM]

That one looks quite attractive. Not too expensive and capable of being cracked down to save space. I wonder if I can sneak that past to committee (!) Thanks John

[GMM]

But if you count your fingers on...err....your fingers, it should always be the same shouldn't it? ;)