Nice speakers for such a crappy table saw!!

[The Paulinator]

I notice that quite often when I see pictures of people in the process of making a good looking set of speakers that they more often than not are using a pretty basic table saw. i used to have a cheap Craftsman saw, but trying to get both ends of the rail equal distance from the blade was almost impossible and was more trouble than the cuts it made were worth.

I am now in the market for a new saw, and it looks like even the ones in the $200 range have that new decent design of guide rail that aligns itself when you press the lever down. Does anyone have experience with these cheaper table saws who can make me a recommendation? i can't spend more than about $250, so I want to get one that has proven itself. There sure are alot in that price range.

[Paul Dimaline]

Flimsy fences are the bain of cheap woodworking machines and in many cases it is worth the time and effort to make a new fence or modify the origional one. At the very least make some arrangement to securly clamp the fence at both ends.

The second big problem is blade vibration and/or a poorly aligned blade. Its often not possible to try cheap saws first but dont be affraid to return the machine if the saw blade does not run tru or the motor has excesive vibration. Look for a saw with an induction motor rather than a brush type...inductions are now appearing on cheaper machines. Adding mass to the machine can also help obtain a better quality of cut.

Decent results can be had from these cheapies, you have to sacrifice speed of use to get decent results, not usualy a problem for DIY use.


Paul.

[polkymon]

I use this Craftsman and am quite happy with it. Plus it folds up and opens in about 5 seconds.

http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/produ...seBVCookie=Yes

My last project required many cuts mostly angled and/or with blade tilted and the saw was spot on. The fence is very accurate and solid also.

[stokessd]

I have a woodcraft table saw that I got for about $500 about 6 years ago. Very solid taple which a pretty good fence. I have a friend who built his own bessmier knockoff that works really really well. It wasn't very expensive and is exactly what he wanted, he has built in dust collection for a router table built in to the right side of his table.

DIY tools are the same as DIY audio, you can get more tool for your money and get exactly what you want. And the DIY tool is then used to build more DIY tools or DIY speakers or DIY bookshelves etc. It's a bootstrapping process.

With a table saw you want a stable table, a good sturdy fence, and a sturdy stable repeatable blade positioning system. If you are going to re-do or buy a used fence, then you need to check out the blade trunions and all the mechanicals surrounding how the blade works. That's what is important in a table saw.

BTW, Harbor freight has a table saw that the saw itself is quite beefy, good looking underneath. Hopefully the castings are high precision enough not to bind etc. The fence looks OK, but not amazing, but the saw itself looks like a solid base to build from. I'm not a fan of chinese tools, but any $200 saw you buy will be chinese.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=46813


Have you considered finding a used (antique) saw? My bandsaw is from 1938 and is fantastic, I'm still using the original delta motor and v-belt. I paid $200 for it.

Also keep in mind that a stable table saw gets it's stability from mass. My table saw weights 300 lbs, and it's a cheap POS. A cabinet makers saw is more like 500 lbs. I can't imagine trying to feed big sheets of MDF through a 40 lb contractors saw on spindly legs.

Sheldon

[Tenson]

I got something from B&Q about a year back called a Pro something.

It works nicely now but I did have to adjust both the fence and the blade to get it to cut straight. Just a few bits of carefully chosen metal in the right places to angle it differently. Once I got it right though, I have not had to change it. The one at the wood-yard still cuts better mind!

[jaudio]

My table saw fence disappear a long time ago. I made a fence with MDF and some L and flat shape aluminum.

If you still have the angle cutter attachment, you can use that and a couple of screws. I use clamp and the marking (groove) that are already on the table

[The Paulinator]

One other thing I noticed on even the most basic models was either a dust bag underneath or a nozzle to attatch a vacuum for sucking up the dust. Considering how healthy it is to breathe those glue and chemical tainted dust particles, this is a nice addition to the cheap saw.

[Dryseals]

Rather than spend the money on another head ache, buy a good used one or just get another fence. I have a vintage Craftsmen saw that I can make excellent cuts with. The fence sux but I alway check the alignment with a square.

The next step is to buy some good blades. A cheap blade will flex on you and allow for bad cuts. A good blade makes a smother cut and allows for less flex. I use Freud blades at about $50 a wack for the 10" and $75 for the 12's. If you don't spend the money for a good blade, then a new saw is not going to help

[Cal Weldon]

In the 10" saw, I use a narrow kerf 7 1/4" blade. Saves the motor, quicker cut.

[pinkmouse]

Seven and a quarter inches is a narrow kerf? What do you call a wide blade?