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It's The Holiday season and I want table saw.

post #1 of 31
11/23/12 at 6:23am
Thread Starter 
I think I am done with using saw guides. I need more accuracy and less time. What are some good less than 4 digit table saws that can cut 4x8 sheets effectively?
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post #2 of 31
11/23/12 at 6:29am
Quote:
Originally Posted by beastaudio View Post

I think I am done with using saw guides. I need more accuracy and less time. What are some good less than 4 digit table saws that can cut 4x8 sheets effectively?


I am using a cheapo Craftsman table saw that I got from Sears for like $185.00 a couple of months ago. The thing with table saws, to me, is the width of the top plate, and, having the ability to adjust the fence out far enough to be able to cut a large sheet of plywood. The fense on my Craftsman went fairly wide, but I ended up fabing up an extension to the top plate, and used my router to create new tracts for the fence to go in that are much much wider than the stock table saw. I like my Craftsman, another good brand is Dewalt. Table saws can be had a pawn shops for a lot less than any place like Lowes, Home Depot, or Sears. Hope that helps!
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post #3 of 31
11/23/12 at 6:36am
Quote:
Originally Posted by beastaudio View Post

I think I am done with using saw guides. I need more accuracy and less time. What are some good less than 4 digit table saws that can cut 4x8 sheets effectively?
What do you mean by cut 4x8' sheets effectively? Are you wanting to be able to rip a 4x8 sheet at 90" wide with the 90" wide part between the fence and the blade or have about 8' of table surface past the blade to support a 8' long sheet?
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post #4 of 31
11/23/12 at 7:08am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Stereodude View Post

What do you mean by cut 4x8' sheets effectively? Are you wanting to be able to rip a 4x8 sheet at 90" wide with the 90" wide part between the fence and the blade or have about 8' of table surface past the blade to support a 8' long sheet?

Not exactly as I know that would be well out of my price range and up into the "real" shop-type table saws. I would more than likely do something like what MC stated above to accomodate being able to rip along the 4 foot side properly.
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post #5 of 31
11/23/12 at 7:18am
Not really what your asking for but for this kind of work I gladly use my Festool track saw. For repeated cuts you can use parallel guides which makes it really fast and simple to rip sheets.
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post #6 of 31
11/23/12 at 7:28am
Do you have the room to have a big saw permanently set up?

Something like this for $899 would do a great job.


There are many available in this class, I just did a quick search for contractor saws.

Key is having enough wight and heft so you're not tipping the saw when you leverage a sheet of plywood onto it. Most saws you see at HD and Lowes are purposely made light weight to make them easy so schlep out to job sites.

Second key is a fence system that's stable and will let you rip up to 48". That takes a big stationary machine.

You can build a simple outfeed table to catch the wood after the cut. The wood has to be supported so it does not raise up off the table at the end of the cut.
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post #7 of 31
11/23/12 at 7:31am
Here is what I'm asking Santa to bring me for Christmas:

http://www.amazon.com/Rockwell-RK7241S-Table-Saw-Laser/dp/B004ULR8EQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1353684480&sr=8-2&keywords=Rockwell+table+saw

I'm kind of a tool freak and generally research the crap out of my purchases. If money and space were not object I'd get a Sawstop, but this guy seems to have a lot of features normally only found in the more expensive models. I always love to talk tools so feel free to PM me if you find other good ideas. smile.gif

Andrew
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post #8 of 31
11/23/12 at 7:34am
Thread Starter 
Those are pretty slick for sure. Ive seen good praises all around for it. I do currently have a saw guide that I have used for a few years, and it works pretty well but I still get some variants in my cuts as it is just simply a clamp-on system. I guess I am open to other saw guide type options, but mine is just a cheap little $30.00 deal that has actually worked pretty well, just looking for more accuracy.
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post #9 of 31
11/23/12 at 7:40am
Thread Starter 
That Rikon is real solid! haha, I really dont have anywhere unfortunately to keep anything set up permanently, as I use my garage to park in as well, and would even need to breakdown each night after I finish cutting to make space for both cars. That rockwell looks a little more up my alley, but how far out does the fence go?

EDIT: Found it, 30", which seems pretty good for a 48" sheet that SHOULD suffice for almost all cuts smile.gif
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post #10 of 31
11/23/12 at 7:45am
My $.02. I was constrained for space so I ultimately sold my Rigid cast iron table. I have a Festool Track/plunge saw with big guides and a knock down clamp table. Honestly there are only a few jobs which I would prefer to have a real table (repeat cuts).
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post #11 of 31
11/23/12 at 7:53am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by AudioJosh View Post

My $.02. I was constrained for space so I ultimately sold my Rigid cast iron table. I have a Festool Track/plunge saw with big guides and a knock down clamp table. Honestly there are only a few jobs which I would prefer to have a real table (repeat cuts).

Exactly why I am looking more at a table. I design a lot of my cabs around symmetry (the most repeat cuts possible), so the benefit here would be simply to in worst cases, use the guide for the long rips, then the table for all additional cuts. just thinking out loud a bit smile.gif
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post #12 of 31
11/23/12 at 8:52am
Quote:
Originally Posted by beastaudio View Post

That Rikon is real solid! haha, I really dont have anywhere unfortunately to keep anything set up permanently, as I use my garage to park in as well, and would even need to breakdown each night after I finish cutting to make space for both cars. That rockwell looks a little more up my alley, but how far out does the fence go?
EDIT: Found it, 30", which seems pretty good for a 48" sheet that SHOULD suffice for almost all cuts smile.gif

Hey, if I had the space I would for sure go with a dedicated saw like the Rikon - that would be awesome. The next best thing is something like that Rockwell which has 30" rip capacity, a mobile base to collapse and move it around, and also has a slew of options available like additional left side supports, etc. When ripping 48" width stock, I'd imagine 30" or so of rip capacity should suffice - at least in my builds. tongue.gif
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post #13 of 31
11/23/12 at 8:54am
Quote:
Originally Posted by AudioJosh View Post

My $.02. I was constrained for space so I ultimately sold my Rigid cast iron table. I have a Festool Track/plunge saw with big guides and a knock down clamp table. Honestly there are only a few jobs which I would prefer to have a real table (repeat cuts).

In the ideal world I'd own both a table and a plunge cut saw. I'd use the plunge saw to make the initial rips since I'm usually solo when making the first few passes. Once the 4x8 sheets are ripped down, they becoming a lot easier to handle with one person and the rest of the cuts can be done with the table saw.
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post #14 of 31
11/23/12 at 8:59am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gorilla83 View Post

In the ideal world I'd own both a table and a plunge cut saw. I'd use the plunge saw to make the initial rips since I'm usually solo when making the first few passes. Once the 4x8 sheets are ripped down, they becoming a lot easier to handle with one person and the rest of the cuts can be done with the table saw.

That's where my saw guide would seem to work initially, with all additional rips to be taken care of with the table saw. I think that rockwell might be the ticket for sure smile.gif
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post #15 of 31
11/23/12 at 9:17am
Have you got the room for proper infeed and outfeed support? Without that, no table saw can cut 4X8's safely or accurately.

Once you're up over $500, look at used commercial or cabinet saws. Contractor saws are OK, but a cabinet saw is vastly superior. It was possible to get a Grizzly for under $800 the last time I looked.
Sounds like you're space-constrained though, which means that you've got to move things around. That makes it harder. When the workpiece is bigger than the saw, things get scary IMO.

I started with a Craftsman contractor saw that I picked up for $50. I currently have a Delta Unisaw that I got for ~$900, though I have added a better fence. I use my Eurekazone saw guide system 99% of the time.
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post #16 of 31
11/23/12 at 9:24am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by lilmike View Post

Have you got the room for proper infeed and outfeed support? Without that, no table saw can cut 4X8's safely or accurately.
Once you're up over $500, look at used commercial or cabinet saws. Contractor saws are OK, but a cabinet saw is vastly superior. It was possible to get a Grizzly for under $800 the last time I looked.
Sounds like you're space-constrained though, which means that you've got to move things around. That makes it harder. When the workpiece is bigger than the saw, things get scary IMO.
I started with a Craftsman contractor saw that I picked up for $50. I currently have a Delta Unisaw that I got for ~$900, though I have added a better fence. I use my Eurekazone saw guide system 99% of the time.

The $350.00 108" saw guide system I have looked at as well, but just for the guide it is almost as much as the entire rockwell table saw!!! Goodness...
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post #17 of 31
11/23/12 at 9:34am
Give things a few weeks, things will go on sale once Eurekazone relocates to their new location.
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post #18 of 31
11/23/12 at 9:36am
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Originally Posted by beastaudio View Post

The $350.00 108" saw guide system I have looked at as well, but just for the guide it is almost as much as the entire rockwell table saw!!! Goodness...

It will cut straighter though.....the guide is 108" and dead straight vs a saw fence that is only ~30" long.

I prefer the saw guide, I've fought with table saw blades, they always win.
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post #19 of 31
11/23/12 at 3:04pm
I don't have a lot of experience with table saws, but I've been really happy with my Eurekazone track saw setup. I've ripped ~23 4x8 sheets since I got it and it works great. It does feel like you are paying a lot for some aluminum extrusions, but it works so well that I have never regretted the purchase. I built a Smart Table with their kit, too, and it is super useful for ripping sheets. I suppose I would look at other track saw options (Festool) if I were in the market again, but I might still pick the Eurekazone setup. I have some pics and discussion in my first build thread on here: http://www.avsforum.com/t/1327401/ready-to-diy-starting-with-a-tht-low-profile-sub

-Max
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post #20 of 31
11/23/12 at 4:35pm
I don't know if anyone mentioned it; but I personally would not recommend ripping a 4x8 sheet on a table saw period. Kick backs greatly increase unless you have a perfectly aligned saw and you are very very careful.

I always cut my 4x8's in half first before tossing them on the table saw.

All consumer table saws will have their limitations. I grabbed the Rigid 4511 when it first came out, and have been fairly happy. That being said, most all TS's will benefit from a fence upgrade. I am always fighting keeping the fence aligned repeatably. A good blade is also mandatory, as the ones that come with them from the factory are junk.

IMO, I would rather go with a rip fence and circular saw than a cheap table saw.
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post #21 of 31
11/23/12 at 5:05pm
http://www.raygirling.com/kickback.htm
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post #22 of 31
11/23/12 at 9:08pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by LTD02 View Post

http://www.raygirling.com/kickback.htm

Yup, that's a great read. The riving knife is a great feature that not only prevents (or help to anyways) kickback, but does wonders with keeping material from drifting through longer cuts.

I had to skip over the part about cutting wood with the blade angle away from the stock. When cutting my fabric frames I had to do a no no and cut the other way. Seeing as I was just 45'ing off the tops of my frame I figured I could fudge a little.cool.gif
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post #23 of 31
11/24/12 at 5:09am
Beast - Eurekazone has the 54" tracksaw package on BF special right now for 99.00 plus shipping on amazon. I think at this price it's worth trying out and can be upgraded by adding additional track and connectors later on.

http://www.amazon.com/Tracksaw-System-SMARTBASE-SPECIAL-eurekazone/dp/B0099P4UD0/ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1353762419&sr=1-1
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post #24 of 31
11/24/12 at 6:36am
Can someone post some links to those table/fence extensions that you guys were refering too? What is a festool and can you link that as well?
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post #25 of 31
11/24/12 at 7:07am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gorilla83 View Post

Beast - Eurekazone has the 54" tracksaw package on BF special right now for 99.00 plus shipping on amazon. I think at this price it's worth trying out and can be upgraded by adding additional track and connectors later on.
http://www.amazon.com/Tracksaw-System-SMARTBASE-SPECIAL-eurekazone/dp/B0099P4UD0/ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1353762419&sr=1-1
Unless I missed something you'll spend a pile on longer tracks later (assuming you want them). The Eurekazone website shows the track at $21 a foot. I didn't see a la carte longer length tracks available any other way.
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post #26 of 31
11/24/12 at 7:12am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Stereodude View Post

Unless I missed something you'll spend a pile on longer tracks later (assuming you want them). The Eurekazone website shows the track at $21 a foot. I didn't see a la carte longer length tracks available any other way.

OK so worst case order 2 of these sets and you will have 2 x 54" tracks. You will just need the connectors and you will have more than enough to rip a full 4x8 sheet. biggrin.gif You would also have an extra saw base and set of clamps for 200 + 28 shipping, not too bad.
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post #27 of 31
11/24/12 at 7:26am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gorilla83 View Post

OK so worst case order 2 of these sets and you will have 2 x 54" tracks. You will just need the connectors and you will have more than enough to rip a full 4x8 sheet. biggrin.gif You would also have an extra saw base and set of clamps for 200 + 28 shipping, not too bad.
Good idea. I hadn't thought of that. biggrin.gif

If I hadn't ordered these clamp guides yesterday I'd be all over it, but now I'm sort of on the fence (no pun intended) since the amount of woodworking I do is limited and I can effectively do the same basic thing by using them as guides for my circular saw.
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post #28 of 31
11/24/12 at 8:00am
I bought a grizzly 0715 hybrid saw last year, put a forest woodworker 2 blade in it and have had an excellent experience with that setup. I considered buying used, but the riving knife was important to me.

My next purchase for the shop will be a dust collection setup, often overlooked but very important for safety.

Of course a festool plunge saw with track would be great too...

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2
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post #29 of 31
11/24/12 at 8:11am
^^^ I concur with dust collection. I picked up a really nice DC from Harbor Freight with a 20% off coupon. Works great.
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post #30 of 31
11/24/12 at 8:15am
I recently purchased a Ridgid R4510 at HD. I needed something that I could hide away in my garage so it had to be portable.

I'm going to build this saw table that also hides away when I don't need it: http://www.familyhandyman.com/DIY-Projects/Woodworking/Workbenches/diy-table-saw-table

There's been too many times I've wanted to rip or miter some wood for trim work and projects so I just bought it. I already have a compound miter saw and a circular saw track probably would meet my needs, so the TS was more of a guilty purchase. rolleyes.gif
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