I'm a Half-fast constructor.
Mike
If you're going to put in a Half-fast effort any cheap and nasty saw will do!
I have a Harborfreight contractors type tablesaw which has done good service for 20+ years, but max witdh it'll cut is 12".
I am busy building new speakers and got me a Kreg circular saw guide last week, and made some sawdust with it over the weekend. It works well, and is a good alternative to a small tablesaw.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Kreg-KMA...TfHlj-_IYrX5AWRbJ6nd-U4Kk67a-KN0aAkb2EALw_wcB
Lukas
I am busy building new speakers and got me a Kreg circular saw guide last week, and made some sawdust with it over the weekend. It works well, and is a good alternative to a small tablesaw.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Kreg-KMA...TfHlj-_IYrX5AWRbJ6nd-U4Kk67a-KN0aAkb2EALw_wcB
Lukas
Mine seems to make good 45 cuts when I run the adjustment up against it's limit and hold it there while I tighten the lever with my other hand. I do need to use a square when returning to vertical since the other limit is about -2 degrees. I have never miter cut anything thicker than 3/4 inch oak, so it could be off a tiny bit and not be noticed, but boxes come together square with nothing but home made band clamps to hold them for glue up.
No, some of those $99 "table saws" are just plain dangerous. The motor is under powered so that the saw will slow down and the saw itself is so light that it the blade binds, the work doesn't kick back, the saw launches itself, and that's with a pair of clamps holding it to a heavy picnic table. If you are going to use one of them bolt it to a thick piece of wood that can be securely clamped to something immobile. If the flying saw lands upside down it will run across the ground until it unplugs itself or cuts something or someone up....bad. Fortunately for me it was the extension cord.
Never set a circular saw down until the blade stops spinning. If the guard doesn't return, it will also take off running. A coworker got his leg trashed pretty bad when a circular saw ran up his pair of jeans.
That was a play with words. Humour. Smilies used to signify such.
I use and recommended a Jet tablesaw that is certainly not a $99 piece of rubbish, but shows that Michael doesn't need to spend $5k on a saw to make a few nice pairs of speakers.
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A few years back, I went through a wood working kick. Bought a now under utilized dewalt table saw, the smallest one. Looks like the equivalent goes for around $400 now.
I'm sure it could make speaker boxes, although I've never made one. Large speakers might be a little hard.
At the time I bought it, I remember adjusting it with a pair of calibers to make sure the blade was true and square, convinced myself it was within a couple thousands or so of true. I also upgraded to blade, think its a diablo. Made a crosscut sled. I also bought a grr-ripper to push pieces through the saw, it makes it a little less scary to use lol.
I tried to make do without a table saw for a while, but there are some things you really need one for, good luck
Randy
I'm sure it could make speaker boxes, although I've never made one. Large speakers might be a little hard.
At the time I bought it, I remember adjusting it with a pair of calibers to make sure the blade was true and square, convinced myself it was within a couple thousands or so of true. I also upgraded to blade, think its a diablo. Made a crosscut sled. I also bought a grr-ripper to push pieces through the saw, it makes it a little less scary to use lol.
I tried to make do without a table saw for a while, but there are some things you really need one for, good luck
Randy
No, all of the Jet stuff that I have seen was decent, and certainly not light weight.
The piece of junk I was referring to was house brand for a home improvement chain that has vanished, then returned only to vanish again, Builders Square, and Builders Square II. It was something like $79 when the chain had their first going out of business sale, sometime in the early 80's. I have seen the same saw sold at various places, including a Craftsman version at Sears. I still have the matching Craftsman router table and router although I no longer use it. I haven't seen either for sale in years though.
I used it for 20 years and it smelled like the motor was going to fry every time I used it, but it never died. It had a thin stamped steel frame with a thicker steel deck and the whole thing weighed less than 20 pounds.
Vibration caused cracks to form in the base and eventually one of the stamped feet where I clamped it down tore loose causing the saw to launch itself to the ground, tangled in its cord which eventually got cut by the blade tripping the GFI.
The router table is just as flimsy, and very loud from the same vibration, but is still intact. I got a Ryobi that works much better.
That saw went into the trash, and several years later I got the Rigid from Home Depot. It works good enough for what I do which is better than Half fA$$t, but not show quality.
Things like the guitar amp cases in the last three pictures can be less than perfect since the mistakes get filled with putty, the box then meets the belt sander, and gets covered with Tolex, or painted with truck bedliner. The first 3 pictures are a set of FH3 cabinets made about 7 years ago that are still just raw unfinished plywood, but (mis)match the rest of my basement man cave, music studio, and electronics lab just fine. The sound is what really matters.
The piece of junk I was referring to was house brand for a home improvement chain that has vanished, then returned only to vanish again, Builders Square, and Builders Square II. It was something like $79 when the chain had their first going out of business sale, sometime in the early 80's. I have seen the same saw sold at various places, including a Craftsman version at Sears. I still have the matching Craftsman router table and router although I no longer use it. I haven't seen either for sale in years though.
I used it for 20 years and it smelled like the motor was going to fry every time I used it, but it never died. It had a thin stamped steel frame with a thicker steel deck and the whole thing weighed less than 20 pounds.
Vibration caused cracks to form in the base and eventually one of the stamped feet where I clamped it down tore loose causing the saw to launch itself to the ground, tangled in its cord which eventually got cut by the blade tripping the GFI.
The router table is just as flimsy, and very loud from the same vibration, but is still intact. I got a Ryobi that works much better.
That saw went into the trash, and several years later I got the Rigid from Home Depot. It works good enough for what I do which is better than Half fA$$t, but not show quality.
Things like the guitar amp cases in the last three pictures can be less than perfect since the mistakes get filled with putty, the box then meets the belt sander, and gets covered with Tolex, or painted with truck bedliner. The first 3 pictures are a set of FH3 cabinets made about 7 years ago that are still just raw unfinished plywood, but (mis)match the rest of my basement man cave, music studio, and electronics lab just fine. The sound is what really matters.
You can have the best saw in the world and still do a crap job !
I have 40 years of speaker building behind me and still sometimes get it wrong.
Measure 3 times and cut once.
I still get away with working on a small floor space with no real bench.
I use another built cabinet to rest my wood on.
I get away with hand held circular saw, jig saw and a couple of electric drills.
A carpet covered screwed together cabinet hides a lot of sins.
A glued cabinet isn't so forgiving and needs very accurate cutting.
I sometimes get lazy and let the local DIY store cut the basic pieces of plywood for me.
I have 40 years of speaker building behind me and still sometimes get it wrong.
Measure 3 times and cut once.
I still get away with working on a small floor space with no real bench.
I use another built cabinet to rest my wood on.
I get away with hand held circular saw, jig saw and a couple of electric drills.
A carpet covered screwed together cabinet hides a lot of sins.
A glued cabinet isn't so forgiving and needs very accurate cutting.
I sometimes get lazy and let the local DIY store cut the basic pieces of plywood for me.
Yikes.
I spent last weekend (and the weekend before that, and way too much time in between...I work kinda slow) building a nice BIG set of media shelves. For the large masonite rear panels, I used a circular saw + guide strip atop a sheet of 2" styrofoam insulation, lying on the concrete shop floor.
My saw is brand new, and takes longer to wind down than the worn-out Craftsman I got for Christmas as a teenager(!). There were several temptations to set it down on the guard while still spinning down. I didn't do it, but only because I didn't want to risk destroying the nice upgrade blade I bought with it. The scenario you described never even occurred to me.
Anyway, thanks for the reminder. "Err on the side of caution" is the most important rule of thumb when working with this stuff (no pun intended).
P.S. Finally got the shelves assembled this morning. I'd post pics, but even after all those hours, they're still pretty embarrassing...
Im not an experienced table saw user, compared to many here, but I am a member of a maker space where someone removed several several fingers on a joiner not long before the shop table saw was replaced. This made a lot of discussion around the replacement for the old table saw about safety feature.
I think one thing to keep in mind about new saws vs old is that there have been a lot of safety features that have become standard on almost all saws quite recently. Things like finger guards, riving knives, and anti kickback pawls. There also the saw stop but those are pricey and i think a little controversial among some woodworker circles.
The one must have for me is a big stop button i can hit with my knee. If things start going off the rails, i want to be able to stop that saw fast without letting go of what I'm holding.
For me, personally, I would only buy a new saw with the most up to date safety features that are within my budget. Saw stop is too pricey for me.
As a good example of why I wouldn't buy one used; The saw in our space is about three or four years old, cost several thousand dollars, and has all the current safety features. The last time I went to use it, I was doing a mickey mouse straight cut on a small sheet of plywood and it jammed. I finally got it through without having to do anything stupid, and the next piece did the same thing. Then the anti kick pack pawl popped off mid cut. I wont touch this saw anymore. It scares the **** out of me.
Lord help the poor sod who buys a saw like this thinking they are getting good deal. An anti kick back pawl in the face probably isn't much fun.
I think one thing to keep in mind about new saws vs old is that there have been a lot of safety features that have become standard on almost all saws quite recently. Things like finger guards, riving knives, and anti kickback pawls. There also the saw stop but those are pricey and i think a little controversial among some woodworker circles.
The one must have for me is a big stop button i can hit with my knee. If things start going off the rails, i want to be able to stop that saw fast without letting go of what I'm holding.
For me, personally, I would only buy a new saw with the most up to date safety features that are within my budget. Saw stop is too pricey for me.
As a good example of why I wouldn't buy one used; The saw in our space is about three or four years old, cost several thousand dollars, and has all the current safety features. The last time I went to use it, I was doing a mickey mouse straight cut on a small sheet of plywood and it jammed. I finally got it through without having to do anything stupid, and the next piece did the same thing. Then the anti kick pack pawl popped off mid cut. I wont touch this saw anymore. It scares the **** out of me.
Lord help the poor sod who buys a saw like this thinking they are getting good deal. An anti kick back pawl in the face probably isn't much fun.
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I would ask who is responsible for the routine maintenance. The saw top needs to be level. Blades need to be clean, sharp and properly seated. The fence needs to be properly aligned not only pinch free but with a very small extra clearance offset angle. The saw blade insert needs to fit and be flush. The blade height should change without any side shift. That is only a small bit of what is needed.
I spend two weeks every year cleaning, lubricating and adjusting the power tools in my shop. Even more time including keeping sharp tools sharp and screwdrivers fit.
I spend two weeks every year cleaning, lubricating and adjusting the power tools in my shop. Even more time including keeping sharp tools sharp and screwdrivers fit.
I use these on my furnace:
110/220V Paddle Switch
Others:
Rockler Safety Power Tool Switch
Stop Sign Paddle Power Tool Switch- Peachtree Woodworking Supply
120V Magnetic Paddle Switch
Weatherproof Emergency STOP Push button
110-Volt Magnetic Switch
Many of these do not come with boxes. They do fit a standard US junction box, but the included screws are metric, often short, not a good fit. The cheapest source of just two US screws is a cheap switch, possibly a failed switch in your scrap. Use a *big* box, these things are large. Many use FastOn-type connectors, not screw terminals.
*** The Magnetic switches have a special function. If power goes off, they turn OFF until manually re-set. If power goes off and on with work in the saw, the unexpected turn-on will THROW the work and possibly do harm. This applies on work-sites where extension cords can be kicked loose and plugged-in by unseen helpers, or shops where the saw is in use a large percent of the time. For a DIY speaker project, this is not essential. Note that a Magnetic switch *must* match your nominal voltage. (I am thinking of using these on water heater and well-pump, to reduce re-start load after a power failure.)
Doubtful you'll find anything useful under $400. When I moved I had to sell my Delta cabinet saw because I had no room. I replaced it with a Rigid saw that folded up and stowed against the wall. It's not a Delta 3HP cabinet saw, but it's not bad at all. DeWalt, Makita, and Bosch make similar saws.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-...Portable-Table-Saw-with-Stand-R4513/100090444
https://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-...Portable-Table-Saw-with-Stand-R4513/100090444
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I replaced my classic Delta Unisaw when it kicked a small (10" x 6" x 3/4") piece of white oak out, through a 14 foot off the ground 1/8" thick plastic dust window and 120 feet to the back of my shop. Apparently a good thing my practice is to stand to the side of the saw when cutting small pieces of wood.
Another useful bit is my idea of a push stick. I do not like the long stick with a corner notch. My feel is you lack control. I use an 8" long block 3" high that has 6" cut away from the bottom to a depth of 1/4". The allows a good grip with a solid downward pressure and with a width of 2" good side control. Mow most important the back edge is rounded and smooth, so if it does kick back it will push your hand up and away. Now as I only let the blade only just clear the work piece, I often will let the blade also cut through the push block on small pieces.
Still have all my fingers mostly and only three learning scars. ( I am on my fifth table saw!)
Another useful bit is my idea of a push stick. I do not like the long stick with a corner notch. My feel is you lack control. I use an 8" long block 3" high that has 6" cut away from the bottom to a depth of 1/4". The allows a good grip with a solid downward pressure and with a width of 2" good side control. Mow most important the back edge is rounded and smooth, so if it does kick back it will push your hand up and away. Now as I only let the blade only just clear the work piece, I often will let the blade also cut through the push block on small pieces.
Still have all my fingers mostly and only three learning scars. ( I am on my fifth table saw!)
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Its amazing how much power gets transferred into a piece of wood when things go wrong. I had some VERY BAD ideas about cuts I was going to attempt until I learned about how table saw accidents actually happen.
Its a great thing that we can easily find so many video demonstrations of the power and damage a table saw is capable of. I like the one of the guy with decades of word work experience who TRIES to get his saw to kickback as a demonstration and when the video is slowed down, realizes he was millimeters from losing his hand. Sobering.
When my kids are old enough to use a table saw, they are watching the gross table saw accident videos so they know what they are getting into.
Its a great thing that we can easily find so many video demonstrations of the power and damage a table saw is capable of. I like the one of the guy with decades of word work experience who TRIES to get his saw to kickback as a demonstration and when the video is slowed down, realizes he was millimeters from losing his hand. Sobering.
When my kids are old enough to use a table saw, they are watching the gross table saw accident videos so they know what they are getting into.
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