doorframe":22tfhv5w said:
The best tools are the ones you make yourself. So go for it and keep the pics rolling in. Don't be put off by the "You must buy a Festool" brigade.
Re dimensions, my homemade table saw is built into my workbench, so I have just over 8ft infeed and just over 8ft outfeed, and just over 2 ft between the blade and the wall (+ the fence). Therefore I can cut an 8x4 to any width (lengthwise). The blade drops out of sight to free up the entire workbench when the saw is not in use. Basically, make it as big as you can get away with.
great minds and all that - its been almost 6 months in the design stages - so many amazing homemades, trying to filter out the best of each takes time! - but that's pretty much exactly what I was going to do as I need a proper workbench too, except I'll add a removable sacrificial layer - OSB or summat over the top of the "working surface" of the table saw - and I'm adding a drop down router section in the end - other goodies but I'll keep those for the photees...
Thanks for the other replies, I'd not even considered the comfortable push stick distance - so elementary now you mention it.
lets hope it's best laid plans of men rather than mice...
Reggie - short version:
Pitfalls bought, most obvious ones - there might be others
- cost vs build quality (and sometimes not even then)
non standard mitre slots in the surface
non standard parts - which may get discontinued
All replacements must come from manufacturer (see point above)
Pitfalls made:
- making sure you keep the riving knife present in line with the blade, plus keeping raise / lower / tilt function (biggest pita)
depth of cut loss (sometimes)
Start / stop + safety kicker not included
Blade safety guard not included
Cut depth / tilt adjustments harder to make easily - requires some clever modification
Mitreslot & fence vs blade alignment also not included - requires some clever modification
Gasbag version:
far as I'm concerned it's several factors - cost is the most obvious, but a less obvious is; as you say; unless you go for a panel type saw table (serious cash and space needed) most of the smaller tables; usually labelled contractors or site saws, just don't quite cut it (if you'll forgive the pun!) a large portion of the time they need to be augmented in some form or another by adding larger support areas to accommodate bigger / longer stock than the standard bed size they come with can support, so people build dedicated stations to provide the extra.
Taking that into account then really the only parts of the contractors TS that matter after that are the fence, the blade itself, trueness of the surface and the adjustment mechs. Well, many people hate the fences that get supplied with sub £500 TS's and replace them with 3rd party ones, often costing over £100, and just as often a blade change is required too; another £30+ pounds.
So what does that leave? the motor and tilt mechanism - most cheaper TS's are direct drive (where the motor is directly attached to the spindle arbour) same as a common handheld Circular saw (and just as loud) and the tilt mechanism is the same too - yes the TS version has an easier time of adjusting both but otherwise most sub £500 TS's are a circular saw type motor and mounting system in a box with a slab of metal on top that's regularly not much more than cast or pressed steel, sometimes not even flat.
so... if you have to pay £500 for a metal box (with a top that may or may not be flat and have non standard mitre slots cut in it, and give you a PoS mitre gauge; just to piss you off) but throw away the fence, and the blade, have to fiddle with the blade arbour to take the wobble out, and make a station to add the acreage of working surface required.... *breath*...
then why not buy a GOOD handheld CS for 1/3 the cost, that you can use on its own as well (handy), still build the station for working surface but add a lil bit to make to up the slack of the missing TS, still buy (if you have the funds) the 3rd party fence, maybe the blade too, and fiddle with the arbour...
put up with the relatively minor inconvenience of having to duck under the bed to make adjustments (or have a lift up mechanism there too); take out the wad of cash you saved from your pocket and enjoy looking at it or buy some brownie points with SHMBO.
You'll still knock out good quality items, you'll know how to fix anything on it, and if the CS goes kaput - all it'll cost you is a new CS.
About the only reason I can see to buy a TS is (apart from simplicity if you have the spare cash) is the cutting depth which you'll get a tiny bit more of compared to the homemade - if you positively MUST have 75mm or more then a bought one is your only real option (almost); but if you're smart you'll figure how to mount the CS in your homemade surface using a polycarb slab or metal so you barely lose any cutting depth at all - a few mm's
Doing it this way the triton 235mm CS will have a max cutting depth of 75mm (82mm minus 7mm for mounting plate).
Some bought versions don't even have that depth....
There's hundreds of examples out there, some more frankenstein than others.
Having said all that if you felt REALLY adventurous you could make a belted induction drive saw (quieter) with raise lower and tilt mech to pretty much any specs you wanted similar to this guys - a stunning bit of workmanship from scratch:
http://woodgears.ca/reader/pekka/tablesaw.html
