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andrewm

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I have pretty much decided that I need a table saw and after investigations into what is available, space constraints and what is recommended reckon that I will go for the Scheppach TS2000. Because some of the work I will be doing will involve ripping and cross-cutting sheet material [1] I will be looking for a package with most of the extras in terms of sliding table, width and length extensions and base. The Jet is too big.

Any one know were I might get the best price? I don't mind ordering online. Also who are the reputable dealers and who should I avoid?

Thanks,

Andrew

[1] Please don't mention circular saws and straight edges. It's frustration with this that has got me here in the first place and there is so much more that I am looking forward to be able to do with a table saw anyway.
 
andrewm":35xkj6n7 said:
who should I avoid?
Rutlands, by all/most accounts.
andrewm":35xkj6n7 said:
Please don't mention circular saws and straight edges. It's frustration with this that has got me here in the first place
All right then, I won't; but it sounds like you might have been doing it the hard way. However you may not want to cast aside your straight edge just yet; man-handling 18mm MDF (f'rinstance) across a table saw is not a picnic.

Cheers, Alf
 
Good choice :D.

I bought mine from DM-toolsa month or so ago for £999 for saw, base, sliding carriage, foliding side extension and rear table. They give you "loyalty points" which gives you about £45 towards a future purchase. This really does make the saw usable for quite sizable work. But not 8x4 sheets as Alf says!

I have also used MTS toolsfor some big items and they were ok. They will usually price match your best price and give next day delivery.

The support is given by NMA (or seems to be) so as long as the item gets to you ok not so important who you get it from (within reason). If you have a local store then even better. But you may not get the best price. Scheppach have put up their prices recently so you may have to pay more for the above.

I've never ordered from Rutlands and only heard bad reports. But they do stock Scheppach. A few others too - worth doing a search. And I always give them a ring to see what their service is like when you're spending this sort of cash.

Good luck,

Cheers

Gidon
 
Hi Andrew

Sorry, but I just have to mention a circular saw and straight edge.

I have been converting my garage into a workshop and I put studding up and then cut 18mm damp-proof mdf for the panels.

I did this with a Makita 5704RK "circular saw" and a Trend straight edge. I bought the 50" so that I could get across each board in one go. The Trend clamp guide system was very simple to clamp.

Have a look at http://www.trendmachinery.co.uk/clampguides/cg.shtml

It's a lot cheaper than a table saw. :wink: :wink: :wink:

Cheers
Neil
 
The Trend straight edge clamps are good but a tad expensive. Got a couple of these http://www.axminster.co.uk/default.asp?part=BJ36D
sometime ago and they're quite adequate. Clamping mech is not quite as good as the Trend version but I've had any problems with them.
And at nearly half the price, JMHO..

Rgds

Noel
 
Hi Andrew

I've ordered a couple of machines from Rutlands in the past. The first time I ordered, the machine arrived with the casing damaged in transit. I phoned them up and they had a replacement to me in 2 days.

Have just received the fox morticer that I ordered online from them 3 days ago.

Haven't shopped around too much so don't know if they are expensive but I have no complaints about their delivery or customer service so far.

:)
 
Andrew.....
not gonna recommend a supplier.. nor lecture re the circular saw... merely offer a slightly different approach..

rather than buy outfeed tables, why not make a rolling shop cabinet to the same height as the saw you eventually buy. Pulls double duty; outfeed and shop storage... with the right design it can be a handy assembly bench too...
 
Mdotflorida

Was looking at the Rutlands Fox stuff in their last catalogue - can you give us a bit of info as you have the morticer - build quality, country of origin etc.
TIA

Rgds

Noel
 
Noely

We have just moved house so spare time is a bit limited at the moment. I will be playing with it at the weekend.

What I can tell you is that it is a heavy beast (bought the larger 1hp model). 2 delivery men dumped it outside my front door and left me to get it into the garage some 60 feet away. Not easy considering the box was around 85 Kgs. Good job I've got a large wife (and good job she doesn't read these forums !!).

So far all I've done is assemble it. Instructions were good and everything fitted fine.

I'll post some more details next week.
 
Andrew, could you look away for a minute please? :D

Neil and Noel,

Yikes! You're doing it the hard, and expensive, way too. :cry: Trust me, a simple ply or MDF straight edge with the required offset built in is a big improvement over the clamp type. http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/pages/w00035.asp Not that I don't use, and love, the clamp guides; just not in this case. And yes, I've bored everyone with this all before, but when I come across a Good Thing I like to share it. It's a failing I have. :lol:

Okay Andrew, you can come out now. :wink:

Cheers, Alf
 
Hi Alf

Thanks for the link. It looks very good.

All of the cuts I have been making are cross-cuts and so my current set up has worked extremely well. I love the Trend clamps (I can't bear to check out Noel's link for prices) which I use in a similar way to the article. All I do is measure up then place the offset against the clamp, as soon as it is in exactly the right position I then click the clamp and away I go. The good thing for me is that once I have clicked the clamp it stays in the correct position.

I have taken great care to use my "quick-clamps" to support both sides of the boards during the cut.

So far, so good.

When having to make a rip-cut on the boards I will need to use another approach.

Cheers
Neil
 
Alf,

Built one sometime ago but only really use it dimensioning the 8 foot cuts.
The clamp guides are so much easier to use on the 4 foot cut. May I suggest a wee tip...use an 8 x 4 sheet of polystyrene below the sheet and have your blade just a mil or two through the thickness of the sheet. So much easier than fathing about with batons. Oops, something makes me think you have one of those latice type cutting frame things that one can hang off the wall. Think I'm teaching granny how to suck eggs.....

Rgds

Noel
 
All,

Okay, Okay, my experience with circular saws and straight edges...

I have tried a cutting guide as described by Alf and I made one to roughly that design. I then changed the saw blade for a newer one with a smaller kerf which meant that it no longer exactly cut to the edge. A second one that I made up turned out not to be straight as the 'straight' edge was the waste from cutting the first. I have found some sheets of MDF to have not quite a straight edge in the first place. So, perhaps I need a better reference.

I have tried a guide from Axminster, not the Perform but the Axminster one. This is just fine for cutting across the board if a little fiddly to set up and the clamps provided interfere with my Bosch saw. But clamp the two guides together with the supplied linking piece to get an 8' guide and there is so much slack that the middle of the cut is a good 5mm off the line :x As a cutting table I am using the pallet that the boards were delivered on.

In any case the whole caboodle is useless for ripping narrow boards because there is not enough width to clamp and I keep coming up with the realisation that there are things that I need to do that I could easily be done with a table saw. Hence I've made to the decision to go down that route and since I am only just equipping my workshop want something that is going to last and not get replace in eighteen months time when I find out its limitations.

Decision then is for the TS2000. Now I just need to get hold of one so I can finish my current project.

Midnight

Hadn't thought about making an outfeed table. Probably don't have room for a full rolling cabinet but should be able to knock something decent up for a lot less than Scheppach are charging. Should be a cinch once a get a table saw :lol:

Thanks for all the advice.

Andrew
 
Noely":2f2sx7ke said:
Think I'm teaching granny how to suck eggs.....

Ooo, young maaaaaaann... Any chance of a bit o' bacon with them eggs? :lol: The polystyrene support is a good one, but I must say I've found the cutting table to be really helpful. I'm looking forward to next month's GWW though; a homemade panel saw would be a nice step up. The only downside being first catch your wall space... :(

Andrew,

Oh dear, sounds like you had similar troubles to mine early on, and confirms my worry about two-part straight edges too. What a bummer. Too bad you can't come to terms with the technique though, 'cos even for the table saw user it has its place. Not just initial dimensioning of sheet stock, but also good for removing one waney edge from through & through boards. And you're quite right to go for a decent saw right at the outset; some of these budget ones are just ghastly. Good luck with the hunt.

Cheers, Alf
 
Best deal so far seems to be from Powertek. Anyone dealt with them. will be shipped direct from NMA so hoping not much can go wrong. do need to check one thing though and that is to confirm that the price they have quoted me includes the TS2000 sliding table and not the cheaper TKU one that I think will fit. But thinking that unless I hear that they are a bunch of cowboys that seems my best bet.

Cheers,

Andrew
 
Hi Andrew

I've spoken to them in the past and IIRC they do not deliver on a specific day. To keep down costs it is done in the most efficient way for the carrier.

Cheers
Neil
 
I've spoken to them in the past and IIRC they do not deliver on a specific day.

No problem here then, this is being shipped direct from NMA so (I hope) will use their standard carrier. In the absence of any bad report and since they had the best price I ordered it this morning. Should be here by the end of the week.

Andrew
 
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