Table Saw Advice

[Steve Wardley]

A bit of a story here folks, please hang in with me.

Quite a number of years ago I had the idea of setting up a modest woodworking shop at my home to do small hobby jobs, box making, wood turning etc. This plan just got shelved and I don't really know why other than a lack of time or my bad management of it perhaps. I have a brand new Record Power bandsaw that has never been used and a woodturning lathe never used along with various hand tools crying out for some use. I was almost on the point of putting everything on e-bay and getting rid but having a re-think I am going to try and revive this project.

At the time I purchased a Nu Tool table saw but the trouble with it was the fact that it was more of a site saw, it was noisy, it was direct drive through a gearbox, it had loads of backlash that caused it to vibrate a lot when it was cutting and I was very disappointed with it as it had no finesse and was just a brute of a thing, I eventually gave it away to a friend of mine who was a joiner for cutting general site lumber.
I watch video's on YouTube of people doing some really nice fine precise cutting on table saw's but I never felt that I could achieve this unless I was to buy an massively expensive cast iron Wadkin or Startrite or the like and certainly not on the Nu Tool. I have been looking on e-bay at some of the table saw's around and the prices' of them makes me feel that my goal of a precision saw cut is a pipe dream.
Does anyone have any opinions about a model or brand of table saw that I can consider saving up for to achieve this goal ? It would be for small projects, box making in particular.

Thanks in advance, Steve

 

[JWD]

Hi steve! good to hear you've not given up, where are you based?
Also give us a price range! axminster hobby saws are ace, as are kity. I'd wager your best bet is a 2nd hand saw, where some older models may well outshine new saws in terms of build quality. Personally i have a Axminster ts200-1, the ts200-2 they sell now is apparently even better quality but comes with a hefty price tag!

If you're thinking of mulling over this decision for a few weeks this axminster of mine **could** come up for sale, probably for less than that site saw you purchased. Reason being i have another saw that i'm attempting to re-assemble and improve at the moment and if i can get that running sweet i will indeed be selling the axi.

Either way keep your eye out on gumtree, ebay, this site and also G&M tools for some bargains - Good luck! Pm me if you have any questions

 

[Phil1975]

Steve,

If you have the time to wait then you can get some great bargains on Facebook Marketplace, Ebay, Gumtree etc.
I have a 50's/60's tilting table Startrite that I won on Ebay a year or so ago that cost me 56 quid. It's a great little saw which does everything I've ever asked of it. Some people would probably laugh at it - it depends on what you want it to do.
One thing I have noticed is that prices vary massively, often for the same model of saw. Have a look at what things tend to sell for & you'll soon suss out if something is a good buy or is over-priced.
Also be prepared to walk away from something that has been abused or is missing any significant parts because something better will always come up for sale.

 

[HappyHacker]

Steve, good to hear the you have restarted your project. I cannot help with a table saw, but the advice given above is good. I would however question if you need a TS to get started? While I have found my TS to be invaluable it is mostly used for ripping timber for fencing or construction projects. A friend with a TS and later bought a track saw wished he had a track saw instead of a table saw many years ago.

A band saw, a couple of good hand saws and a plane can achieve most things despite the learning curve.

One of my learning experiences is that a power tool especially a table saw allows you to make your mistakes much quicker and they are good at converting good timber to firewood quicker than a hand saw.

Good luck.

Kevin

 

[Steve Wardley]

Thanks for the kind and encouraging replies guy's. I live in Bridlington on the East Yorkshire coast and have Snainton Woodworking Supplies nearby so will be paying them a visit soon for some timber and have just been watching some good advice on You Tube about setting up the bandsaw so I will be good to go soon.

Thanks again guy's
Regards, Steve

 

[Steve Maskery]

Hi Steve
I think that many of us here can relate to where you are, we've been there.
Can I gently and kindly nudge you into changing your mindset a little?

The primary issue is not whether or not you have a top-of-the-range tablesaw. The question is this: Is your saw set up to be the best it can be?

Few machines, at whatever price point, work perfectly straight out of the crate, they all need fettling. Of course, an entry-level machine is going to need a bit more fettling than a professional jobbie, but forking out for a "better" machine is not necessarily going to transform your woodwork overnight. Yes it might make the job easier, but I suggest that you learn how to set up your existing saw to be its best and THEN look for a machine that overcomes its limitations. You will have a much better idea of what is important in a saw.
FWIW, and whilst I do love my TS and use it regularly, if I had to choose between a TS and a Bandsaw/Tracksaw combo, I would choose the latter every time.
Sort out your existing set-up, then decide where to spend your money, that's what I would do if I had known then what I know now.

 

[Steve Wardley]

Hi Steve.
Thanks for that info, I don't have a table saw of any kind now, the Nu Tool one I had was more a site saw than anything else, I passed it on to a friend for him to use. It was a brutish thing that really didn't need much in the way of setting up and was very unforgiving. I don't know if the Axminsters are direct drive or not but the Nu Tool seemed to have quite a bit of backlash through the gearing to the motor and as it cut this backlash caused a hell of a vibration through the blade. You wouldn't have wanted to cut small or thin strip material with it, it would probably have destroyed it, or part of your anatomy.