Table saw top material

[karfeef]

Hey all. I've recently bought a budget table saw, the sip 10 inch model. Mainly due to budget, but also as its just really for hobby type stuff.

The top is made from 3 sections of extruded aluminium, which aren't the flattest things in the world. The fence is pretty rubbish too. I bought it with the intention of making some mods to get things working satisfactorily.

Firstly, I need to basically replace the top. I started looking about for something like 3/4 inch ply or a good mdf, but everything I can find in local stores is pretty awful quality. The mdf tends to have a core that resembles candyfloss and the ply...well...

Can anyone suggest a material suitable for this type of use? I'm only looking to make it approx 500x500mm, possibly with extensions later on.

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[marcros]

Corian maybe- look for an offcut because the full price will scare you.

I would look at the fence first, and how you are going to support it. if you need to fix the support to the top, 3/4" material might not be much good. If you are going to have to spend a couple of hundred quid of tarting it up, I would at least consider whether you are going to end up with a saw that is better than £200 would buy. It may be, may be not. your call.

I am doing similar to my kity- I am about £350-400 in now (will be when it is finished), but it will have a fence as good as anything out there, so I think it is worth doing. The top on mine was ok though.

 

[karfeef]

Hi macros, thanks for the reply. I've seen a video for the fence I'll make. Full length, 2 sides with spacers, so there are kind of internal pockets. It'll use the bracket from my existing table to lock in place. I've sussed that I can bond/screw some square steel stock under the front edge of the top for the bracket to lock on to. I'll probably use a decent steel rule recessed into the top for measuring as well. It's just the top material I'm struggling with. I'll check corian out.

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[deema]

Hi Karfeef
I agree with Marcos, there are regularly on eBay table saws with cast iron and really good fences for c£200 ~£300 possible less depending on how much renovating your prepared to do. Good saws for this price tend to be either Startrite 175 or 275 or the Multico's that I have seen, there are others They would serve you far better I think than tarting up a machine. Messing around with fences with a dodgy table top that could end up not fixed properly / aligned correctly tends to end in tears if your lucky with a kick back.

 

[karfeef]

I ended up returning the piece of crap sip as there were more issues with it, it didn't even have the holes milled to attach the left side of the fence rail. Only bought it 6 days ago and toolstation tried to tell me I could have a replacement but no refund because it was from Sip. Really?

Well, after informing their manager of the trading standards regulations in such cases and the fact that sip don't have the power to shape the law as they see fit, I left the shop with my £159.95

Off I went to axminster in Warrington and left with the ts200 saw. It's only the basic saw and not the kit with the extensions and stuff, but it's enough for now.

I was stunned at the difference in quality. Cast iron top which is actually at 90 degrees to the blade. An albeit short but excellently performing fence. Plus, the rulers on the fence rail are actually in the right place!

On to off that, the shop was awesome and the chap I spoke to knew his stuff, something sadly lacking just about anywhere.

Here is a happy chap :lol:

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[marcros]

i think that you made the right choice there- both returning what you had, and of the alternatives.

You could always make the extension yourself, and include a router table in it. You would need the longer extrusion from axi, and a piece of angle iron, plus the top.

 

[karfeef]

Router table....genius. was going to make one separately, but makes perfect sense to include it as part of the saw setup.

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[marcros]

I would ask axi for a price on the long extrusion as a spare part.

There are a few WIP projects on here that have made similar things, so have a search.

 

[karfeef]

Would something like the 20x60 frame builder ali extrusion be ok for a fence upgrade? Lots of it on eBay. Seems like I should be able to use the existing clamp on it

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[rspsteve]

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e36/s ... g~original

I have mounted my router table to the right of my kity 1619.

 

[karfeef]

That is awesome!

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