New starter - most useful workshop machine

[Orion801]

Hi all,

I've just begun kitting out my garage as a workshop, having recently taken up woodwork. One thing that I seem to have trouble with sometimes is getting perfectly square cuts (or perfect 45 degree mitres).

I'm thinking of treating myself to some sort of machine after Christmas and am trying to decide which is going to be of most use as I only have limited space and funds.

The options I'm considering are either a mitre saw, a table saw or a disc/belt sander. My budget is anything below £400, preferably closer to the £300 mark.

I was wondering what people would recommend? I want to get something as versatile as possible as I don't know when I'll be able to afford any of the others (or if I'd fit much more in!).

 

[Hudson Carpentry]

Mitre saw which has adjustments for setting it all square would be my bet looking from you saying 45deg. You can get the Bosch blue GCM8 or 800 for your budget and space. As its all adjustable you get set it up yourself to be perfect. You could always get a guillotine for perfect mitres like this: http://www.axminster.co.uk/axcaliber-mt ... rod858421/ .

Or even make your own shooting board.

 

[Webby]

Evolution mitre saw

 

[RogerBoyle]

Shooting boards and a good manual mitre saw if money is tight

As to what machine all depends on what you mainly want to do, How much room do you have and is noise a consideration...

A mitre saw is limited in that it will only usually be used for cutting timbers to length and putting an angle on the ends. unless you go for a good second hand sliding model with the trenching facility. you then need to build/buy some kind of support bench for cutting longer timbers

A table saw needs more room and will do all that a mitre saw will do as well as dimension timbers and board materials

Dont forget the track saw option it will give you similiar capabilities to the table and Mitre saw

Band saw and it is usually quieter more user friendly but the cuts will need more work to clean up than a table saw

Decide exactly what you want to achieve for the end result then look at the options above and decide which of them ticks most of the boxes that suit you..
When you get it narrowed down to a few then that is the time to ask again for any pro's or con's that they will have

Roger

 

[templecarpentry]

I would say plunge saw / track saw. You could get a nice Festool ts55 around that budget with a rail if you search hard, and then you have portability, clean cuts, accuracy and flexibility too.

Before i had my table saw, my only way of sizing up sheets and cutting angles were the ts55 if they did not fit on my chop saw and i swear by it.

sheppach/woodstar do a similar plunge saw, if you are not a pro/trade user, it may help you with budget to leave some money for another tool too.


Phil

 

[Orion801]

Thanks for all the tips! I have to admit I hadn't really thought about a plunge saw as an option. So far I have bought most of the sheet materials I need already cut to size and have been working with lengths of timber for most cuts. Would a plunge saw be a good tool for accurate cross-cuts over fairly thin (100mm or so) widths of timber?

I think I'm leaning most towards a table saw for its versatility. I think a mitre saw would be very good for a lot of what I want to do but I like the idea of being able to rip lengths of timber and cut sheets down to size when I need to.

I've been looking at the Axminster BTS10ST table saw which has a mitre guide and sliding table which I imagine would be good for the cross-cuts that I'll be doing most of the time. Has anybody any experience of this model or would you recommend any alternatives?

 

[Dangermouse]

I'd go for a table saw every time, but get one with a good fence and crosscut guide, thats what makes all the difference. Personaly I'd go for secondhand, like a Wadkin AGS10.

 

[Steve Maskery]

It all depends on what kind of work you plan to do, really. You'll end up wanting all the above!
For versatility, I'd say a bandsaw has to come high up, because the other saws will cut only straight lines. With the right blade and good setup, you can get a superb finish, too. Maybe not quite as good as with a circular blade, but good enough to require only a pass or two with a hand plane. It's limited for cross-cuts, though.
If you are using mainly timber and cutting only straight cuts, then a tablesaw scores highly.
If most of you work will be MDF cabinets then a tracksaw is indispensable.
It's all horses for courses.
S

 

[DUNK_WALES]

You can pick up second had kitys for £300 with the sliding table and ther single phase too

 

[Orion801]

Had a search for Kitys and couldn't find anything going but I went to Axminster this afternoon to look at the TS-200 and was very impressed so decided to go for it. Just got it back and am about to start setting it up. Looking forward to trying it out! Thanks to everyone for their advice.

 

[Steve Maskery]

Congrats! Enjoy and play safe.
S

 

[Steve Maskery]

PS Don't forget to put a good blade on it, suitable for the work you are trying to do. Doug Perry (on here as Cutting Solutions) will sort you out.
Cheers
Steve

 

[Eric The Viking]

Steve M. is as usual too modest to say, but his DVDs on saw use are really worthwhile. If you got all the accessories for the TS200, there's stuff on setting up the sliding table too.

I have the Kity equivalent, and a bandsaw, and there's one thing I must say: table saws can be really dangerous!

They're quite safe when you know what you're about, but they're unforgiving. It's well worth having a look at the right way to do things, for example using a SHORT fence, proper push sticks, getting the guard right, and setting the whole thing up properly. Almost everyone who regularly contributes here has a table saw, and if you use search you'll find a lot of good detail on how to do it, but Steve's videos are a worthwhile shortcut. He's aslo posted quite a bit on VImeo and YouTube, but I'm not sure exactly on which topics. I vaguely remember push sticks, but there may be other stuff too. Also have a look at Marc Spagnolo's (spelling?) YouTube channel, "The Wood Whisperer" who also deals with tablesaw setup too.

E.

PS: the TS-200 has several major design advantages over the Kity, one of which is a cast iron top, so that you can use magnetic guards with it. The Kity is alloy, and the only advantage is that it can't rust .

 

[Steve Maskery]

Aw, Shucks, Eric, thanks.
Actually Marc S (saves spelling it right) is one of the few Americans to talk some sense about tablesaws, not quite as Gung-Ho as most of the American stuff that's produced, even by the "well respected" authorities. Yeah, right. The FWW stuff is awful, see another thread for details!
I rate Kelly Mehler the best. If it were not for the accent, you'd think he was European!
I just hope that my own contributions save a finger or two now and again.
S