Table saws

what is it going to be able to do that a miter saw and a circular saw with a guide, couldn't?

>>1036501

Go much quicker. I am finishing a project that required a lot of long cuts and it was quite a pain to get accurate straight cuts using a circular saw. Would have been a hell of a lot easier to just slap the wood up against an adjustable fence.

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I just bought a Bosch 4100 with a gravity rise stand, and it has proven to hold up to all the positive reviews. I'm pretty new to woodworking and have been using it almost daily for just under a month now.

I was extremely frugal waiting for a sale, and I managed to get home depot to price beat a local store. Reg sale price here in Canada land is 699-799 +13% tax, I paid 545 all in. Great buy IMO.

>>1036501
Depends how much use you have for it. It's the main/most used tool for any woodworker, myself included.

>>1036507
so you weren't using a guide? 'cause that makes a difference...tracks are not very difficult to make

>>1036509
well yes

every day -> get one
"DIY-tier stuff" -> likely not going to be worth it

>>1036515

I was using long pieces of metal that I knew to be true, clamped into place.

The problems I have with the circular saw are:

1. I have to constantly account for the width of the circular saw shoe (different left/right distances from the blade) when making measurements, a complication that would be eliminated with a table saw

2. With a circular saw I have to have a long enough surface to do the entire cut, or do part of it and reposition everything to finish it, as opposed to moving the wood itself as I would on a table saw. Sure, "get a longer table" would be a way to deal with this but then I'd just need increasingly long guides, whereas even a modest size table saw can make a pretty long cut without resorting to any great effort--just prop up the exiting wood onto a thing that's roughly the same table height.

3. Dado cuts with a circular saw are a pain. I did a shitload of them with this project, and literally would have spent 1/10th the time, if not even less, using a table saw with a dado stack or even just making a few cuts and chiseling out the remainder.

I could buy a miter saw, a router, a better circular saw guide, and make or buy a bigger work table...and at that point, I'd probably have spent close to, if not more than, what I would on a table saw. Feel free to correct me on anything I'm saying, I am just getting into this area and obviously am no expert.

>>1036518
no, you have good points...a table saw makes things a heck of lot easier

there are bigger/better tools I'd rather have instead of making do, but the situation doesn't allow for that at the moment...

if you have the cash to spend and know you'll get your money's worth, go for it

(if you don't have a router yet, that might be a good buy to look for first/2nd)

If you buy a Craftsman saw, make sure it has a 3/4" mitre slot. I bought one with a 5/8" slot and it was super annoying.

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>>1036488
Got this one because it's super compact and I used to be an SUV guy and space was an issue. Comes with lots of accessories all of which stow into the body for easy portability/storage. Even the fence fits in there. 18" rip, decent power. I like the dial operated fence on the DeWalt better but it has less rip capacity.

Any experience with the Delta TS200LS? I can get one (used) for $100. Online reviews are hit and miss.

Get a used table saw
Get one with a cast iron top
Get one that was made in America, Canada or Western Europe
Get one that uses a pulley and a belt system
Get one that uses 8 or 10 inch blades
Get one that has a tilting arbor

Do not get a saw with an aluminum top
Do not get a saw made in Asia
Do not get a saw with a direct drive motor or some other funny shit like flexdrive
Do not get a saw with a plastic base
Do not get a saw with plastic adjustment handles/wheels
Do not get a saw with a tilting table


Motors: Old motors were rated in real HP. Thats why you see old table saws with motors rated at 3/4th HP or 1 HP when all these modern table saws claim them have 3, 5, 7 HP yet only pull 5 amps. Marketing. Theres blenders these days claiming to output 3 HP. That requires about 40 amps at 110 volts. An old Craftsman 100 generally came with a 1 HP motor and that was plenty for it. Don't be fooled. And don't get an old saw that has a tiny, shit new motor in it.

Fences: Original fences suck. If you can make or buy a Biedermeier style fence. That can make almost any saw 200% better.

Bearings. They die. They can be a pain to replace. they are CHEAP. Don't pass a good saw for bad bearings

Buyer beware. Some people haven't a fucking clue what they are selling. I saw a guy claiming he had a 6 inch table saw. It was a huge old Delta Unisaw with a 12 inch blade. He thought you measured from the middle out. I've seen people try and sell old 8 inch saws as 10s or 12s. I've seen tons of listings that take the name off the motor as the manufacturer. Hobart, A. O. Smith, AC Delco and Marathon never made tools. They made tons of motors though. Any thing you go to see take a measuring tape and your phone. Google model numbers. VintageMachinery.org is your friend.

Lurk Crai's List. I paid $30 for a Delta 11 inch drill press AND a Powr-Kraft table saw the other day. Even if its a mediocre saw for $15 I can afford to invest in improvements.

>>1036654
>Powr-Kraft table saw

i got one of those at auction for $2
$18 for a belt and wire brushing the rust off the top and it was ready to go

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>>1036620
I was initially going to buy this one instead of my 4100, but decided on the 4100 because it has a bigger rip capacity, a bigger arbor if I remember correctly, came with the gravity rise stand.

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I have pic related, Bosch GTS 10 XC in the UK. It's pretty good. I'd like a bigger table but for the type of table saw it is, it has one of the biggest tables and extensions available with a big rip capacity to the right of the blade.

Mine is 240v so no idea how the 110v option performs. I'd imagine the same just with a higher current draw and more chance of getting hot and burning brushes out but still unlikely.

I wouldn't buy anything old unless it was a worth while cabinet saw. I wouldn't but an old portable/job-site type table say. Used yes, old, no.

If I were to buy another saw around the same price and design, I'd look at the new Bosch Reaxx saw or this one again.

I wouldn't buy a sawstop.

>>1036805

You know what. I wrote this. I take it all back. Don't fucking buy a table saw. I said this what, a few hours ago. I'm sat in Accident and Emergency because I've cut my fucking finger on the fucking thing.

Buy a saw stop.

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>>1036876
Pic related for illustration purposes.

>>1036876
the only way you could have cut your finger is if you weren't using it properly

ie. making a new push stick is cheaper and easier than a new finger

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>>1036876

I notice you neglected to tell us exactly what led to you receiving this alleged "injury"...

>>1036879

I was plunge cutting a piece of walnut using a secondary fence and zero clearance insert. Some how the workpiece snagged and it caught my finger. I've no idea how exactly my finger ended up I'm the blade as the blade was hidden inside the work piece. It was by a stroke of luck it didn't do serious damage to the extent of losing a finger but it's the one time I got complacent and this happened.

>>1036877
For a table saw injury that's really nothing. If they don't amputate digits they leave you with permanent nerve damage like they did to my friend's dad, who sawed halfway through his palm and left him without the ability to make a fist.

The terrible damage that table saws can inflict really is some ISIS-tier horror. Sawstop and Reaxx-type technology should be on all new table saws imho.

>>1036508
Nice one

>>1036654
This. A thousand times, this.

You want a table saw that is moderately heavy, and if you follow this anon's advice, you'll have just that. Heavy saw vibrates less.

And when you get a blade, get a good one. I went ahead and splurged on a Freud that cost me about $60. Worth every penny. Made a little hope chest out of teak for my niece and it never slowed down or gave me tear-out or anything. Now I just have to find a place to sharpen it.

Thanks anon, for the website. It gets old looking on Craigslist all the time.

Anybody ever make their own table saw from scratch with a 7.25" circular saw? I've been considering getting into woodworking and a knowledgeable friend said he would help me build it if I came up with some plans.

>>1037134
I know. I've been extremely lucky not to have done more damage. However it has scared the shit out of me so I'm putting it up for sale and buying either a track saw or waiting until a Reaxx is available.

>>1037154
Black and Decker Workmates used to advertise the fact that you could do exactly this with them.They used to have basic instruction in their manuals on how to mount a circular saw in them. Router tables seem to more popular though. A circular saw does not make a good table saw though. Generally it doesn't have the power.

>>1036654
bump this godly post

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>>1037154
there's a company called Triton in Australia. They made shit tier table saws that were just a sophisticated version of what you're contemplating. The best part of them was the safety switch. A feature I urge you to start your design with.

I had one for a while. It was better for ripping things than my circular saw + fence, but it was hard to do anything else with.

>>1037154
Mattiaus Wandel has a good YouTube video on how to do this. I was about to make one, but ended up finding the table saw I wanted on sale so bought that instead.