when did it go from saw bench to table saw

The name hasn't changed.

You cited a govt book/document. Most govt agencies are ignorant and have their own (different) names or descriptions, for most stuff. Sometimes, th ey have multiple names & descriptions for the same thing, like taxes. I d on't think they possess a standard dictionary.

Sonny

e their own (different) names or descriptions, for most stuff. Sometimes, they have multiple names & descriptions for the same thing, like taxes. I don't think they possess a standard dictionary.

It's interesting that you say that. Here is another "govt book" related to the census in 1880 which also uses the term saw-bench for what appear to be table saws.

The term saw-bench is used in the index. On page 188, the saws are referred to as "saw-tables" and "saw-benches", although saw-bench is used most often on subsequent pages.

The following site seems to reference "table saws" as far back as the late 1800's, the same time period as the census book cited above.

It seems that the term "circular saw" may have been the original name any saw with a circular blade and that eventually "table saw" replaced "circul ar saw" for saws with tables and "circular saw" remained the name for those things we carry around to job sites.

There are a lot of "source" links at that woodworkinghistory site, but I am unable to reach them on the computer I am currently using.

"Charles Holtzapffel, John Jacob Holtzapffel, Turning and Mechanical Manipu lation, by C. Holtzapffel, 1850 - Page 1473:

Circular Saws in the 1850 to 1900

New Table Saw ... LATEST tool in the Sypher-Arcon line is a table saw. -*. their Model 75. This new saw is a sturdy bench tool that follows large saw design ..."

Sonny wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@googlegroups.com:

Worse than that, it was a Dept of Defense document. The DoD does everything different - heck, they even have electricity flowing in the wrong direction.

John