So far I am doing O.K with only a circular and saber saw that I owned even before my woodworking interests, and it is not that bad. But of course i am thinking of upgrading. I resist the temtation to get a table saw, seems to me too big and specialized. But rather than thinking of miter saw which seem to me quite limited i am considering band saw. Does it make sense to have it as the main workhorse in you shop? thanks for any thought/comments
pawel
The TS is generally considered the "main workhorse" in a ww shop. I wouldn't be w/o it; nor would I give up my band saw, or my miter saw. I debated a bit about getting a BS but now that I have it I can't imagine how I'd have progressed as a woodworker w/o it. Your needs may be more limited than mine, or others. buy what you need; not what others claim is important.
Dave
Depending on the type of stuff you want to build. If you have a good bandsaw and a jointer(hand or power) you can do a lot without a table saw. However, if you start to take this hobby serious, a table saw in definitely in your future.
Dave
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My bandsaws ( one cuts 6 high by 14 deep, and the other 16 high by 15 deep) and chop saw only have one advantage over my table saw, they can cut thicker stock. Well, I guess I can't do radius cuts on the TS. I can do all of the straight and miter cuts on the TS. If I did trim carpentry, then the compound miter cuts would require the chop saw. robo hippy
I take it you don't do any resawing? Also, I find it a wee bit difficult to cut out shapes on my TS...
dave
in you shop?
Sure, it can make sense for a while. As others have said, though, if you really want to get seriously into woodworking, you'll eventually probably want a TS. I have only a bandsaw, handheld circular saw, and jigsaw due to space limitations right now, and of course they serve my needs, because that's what I have. The most important consideration is what kind of projects you'll be doing - cabinetwork would require a TS before some other things, for instance. My opinion is that a decent bandsaw is cheaper and safer than a decent tablesaw and takes up less space, so it's worth it especially when you're just starting out. Andy
Dave, I do some resawing, but the big bandsaw is used mostly for cutting out bowl blanks. It does a much neate job than the chainsaw does, and without the gas or risk. I have done resawing on the TS, mostly on boards 6 inches or less. robo hippy
What mammoth TS have you got that can resaw a 6" board?
dave
hello,
Although it is true that you can get by with only a band saw (snip on all the goods of the Band Saw), I find a table saw Much easier, precise and simpler to setup and use than the band saw which require in my opinion much more skills than the BS.
so, unless you are already a proficient wood worker, I would strongly suggest that you start with the Table Saw (which you can find much cheaper than a BS), I used to have a $99 Rioby one that I finally upgraded after 4 years for a Rigid Cabinet maker (gosh, what a difference!), but you can find good table saw in the $300 range. the cheapest BS is the Harbor Freight one at $250 on sale + 60 for the raiser kit (you do WANT the raiser kit, trust me, regardless of the BS) and an other $70 for blades...
regards, cyrille
He flips the stock over keeping the same face against the fence.
seems like the wrong tool for the job. :)
Dave
A cabinet shop in this day and age basically _needs_ a table saw, a furniture shop will often find a bandsaw a much more useful/versatile tool, particularly so if you are good with hand tools (planes), or plan on being that way.
That said, I worked with a cabinetmaker in England for a while in the 60's who had no table saw and whose family had been operating without one for a couple of hundred years.
So, despite all the "you must have a table saw" replies, the answer really depends upon what you want to do as a woodworker.
Eventually you will _want_ both, but make your initial choice on what your current woodworking goals are.
If you own a bandsaw it is probably the wrong tool but if you only own a tablesaw it is a great tool.
if you don't mind losing a ton of wood to the kerf... :) Resawing, as far as I know the term, means you are cutting many slices from one board, for example to make veneer, or as in my case to turn a 4/4 or 5/4 board into two thinner pieces for small projects. I wouldn't want to give up 1/8" or 3/32" to the blade. but that's just me.
Dave
Unisaw, it cuts 3 inches high, so 3 inches on one side, flip it over and cut 3 inches on the other, though I usually cut it about 1 1/2 inches at a time. I have done larger and then hand saw (the origional cordless power saw) the middle out. robo hippy
The owner of a local fine woodworking school has a 14" band saw as the only power tool in his personal home shop. He builds traditional furniture of solid stock, with no sheet goods. The main use for his band saw is resawing, everything else is done with hand tools.
It all depends...
Barry
Practice, Grasshopper... you'll achieve perfection.. Mac
If funds are limited, I'd suggest getting an inexpensive 14" band saw to start with... my Rigid was less that $350 and gets a lot of use...
Your circular saw can fill in on the stuff the table saw is better for, and IMO, you'll be happier with an entry level BS then you will be with the same range of table saw..
Later, when you really need and can justify the cost of a good TS, you'll still get a lot of use out of the BS.. YMWV Mac
================ The simple answer is that many people do exactly that....
Personally that approach just would not cut it (no pun intended) in my shop where the Tablesaw gets used 10- to 20 times as much as my bandsaw... To me tha Bandsaw is the more "specialized" of the two...
Bob G.
Depends I use the tablesaw to resaw up to 6 or so inch wide boards more then I do the bandsaw...its just faster ,,,
Bob G.
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