Saw Advice

[Wood Cutter]

This is my first post here so I hope it makes sense. I enjoy making furniture but I am not very skilled. That is not an issue for me as I have fun anyway but wanted to just benchmark where I am. One issue though is that I only ever get a little time in my workshop so tools that help make up for my lack of time and skill are best.

I currently have a radial arm saw. This is really fantastic for making smaller stuff like, for example, boxes and for cutting long stock to length. When in alignment (no small task I should add) then it is unbelievably quick and convenient to cut stuff to size or to length. While not the best saw for ripping; you can still rip longer thinner stuff quite well. It is no use for larger sheets though. In the near future I will be cutting down quite a few doors and want to make another fitted shelving unit which will have some pieces either too large or at least uncomfortably large for the DeWalt.

I have no room for a proper bench saw - at least not without swapping out the radial arm saw. Hence here is my question... Should I augment the radial arm saw with a plunge saw? As I see it; I can then still cut all of the small stuff and the long thin stock on the dewalt but cut large and sheet pieces using the plunge saw plus I can cut my doors to size. Also; it seems the plunge saws give good results and need less finishing than other saw types which suits my not having as much time as I would like.

What are your thoughts please?

 

[Zeddedhed]

Definitely. Plunge saws are becoming extremely popular in all areas of woodworking - I know site chippies who use them and fine furniture makers. They save time, are very accurate and are a viable alternative to a table saw. Just make sure you get a good one (Festool IMHO)

 

[custard]

Welcome to the forum.

What about a bandsaw? Small footprint, and it's one of those rare machines where decent quality doesn't cost a fortune, (just avoid the ultra cheap rubbish and get a good quality replacement blade). I've nothing against plunge saws but if you work in solid timber then a bandsaw's that bit more versatile.

Another thing to bear in mind, unless you've got a reasonably high throughput in your workshop, then machinery and tools often consume more time than they liberate. If you're trying to make the very most from just a few hours a week workshop time then there's an argument for the simplest possible toolkit and a very focused approach to the range of things you make.

Good luck!

 

[Wood Cutter]

Thanks Zeddedhed that is reassuring. I note your point about the Festool.

Thanks too custard. Some extra things to think about there. I had not considered a bandsaw.