Sorry for being long winded, runs in the family :)
I'm just getting into woodworking and want to get my first table saw.
My "shop" is my two car garage, which is used for two cars. With the
cars in it, there is barely enough room for anything on the sides
other than a few hanging lawn tools.
My first few purchases for power tools were (In order):
Dewalt DW959K-2 18V cordless drill
Craftsman 13 amp circular saw
1/4 sheet craftsman palm sander
Dewalt DW706 Dual Bevel 12" Compound Mitre Saw
Cheap Skil jigsaw
Dewalt DW618PK 2 1/4 HP Plunge/Fixed router combo
(The wife likes the Dewalt yellow. I really have no brand loyalty, but
if she's happy...)
With these tools, I constucted my 15 ft wide workshop area on the back
wall of my garage. Out of BC 3/4 plywood and yellow pine, time, glue,
and finishing nails, I've built 5 wall cabinets with doors and two
fixed base cabinets. The first base cabinet lines up with the left
wall cabinet and the other lines up with the center wall cabinet. I've
built a removable countertop between the two and the area under the
right two wall cabinets houses my lawn mower and such. Considering
what I had to work with, they came out quite spectacular for a first
project with no guidance. Nothing fancy in the construction, of
course; just lots or rabbets and dadoes.
I am in the process of building a rolling center base cabinet that
will have interchangable tops. I'm going to start by making a router
table top for it, and then a Mitre saw drop-in top.
The rolling cabinet will be about 33" X 19" and the interchangable top
that I drop the table saw I intend to buy can be no larger than 35 X
21.
I'm looking for suggestions for the table saw to buy. I know a table
saw is the heart of the shop, but I'd like to keep it cheap to start
until I use one for a while to know what I like and/or I have the
space to use it. I've looked at the $119 Delta saw at Lowes, the $150
Craftsman bench top saw, and the $499 Dewalt "Jobsite saw." because of
the wife. However, I don't know if it is worth it to me to spend $500
on the Dewalt until I get deeper into the whole woodworking thing
(especially because I think that if I get into it enough to buy a $500
saw, I will probably be willing to spend $1000 and move into a new
house to accomadate it)
Money is not as much of a factor as the form factor. It needs to be
small enough to fit in the space and light enough that I can change it
out with my other interchangable tops. Keep in mind that by light, I
mean not too much heavier than the Mitre saw. I can heft that around
without too much difficulty.
In any case, I'll post before and after pictures of my "Rolling Shop"
when I'm through.
I bought the Ryobi BT3000 partly because it could be wheeled against
the garage wall at night enabling 2 cars inside overnight. Still
using it after 10+ years.
On 2 Dec 2003 11:15:40 -0800, [email protected] (Jay) wrote:
>Money is not as much of a factor as the form factor. It needs to be
>small enough to fit in the space and light enough that I can change it
>out with my other interchangable tops. Keep in mind that by light, I
>mean not too much heavier than the Mitre saw. I can heft that around
>without too much difficulty.
"Jay" <[email protected]> wrote in message >
> I don't know if it is worth it to me to spend $500
> on the Dewalt until I get deeper into the whole woodworking thing
Can you afford to give away $200? If so, buy the cheap saw, get hooked on
woodworking, then you give the cheap saw to a friend and buy a good ($900 or
so) Jet or Delta contractors saw with the cast iron top wide enough to do
cross cuts and the power you need.
Some of us have been there, done that. Plan to build a carport or leave one
of the cars out. You won't fit everything in the space you have. You still
have to find room for the drill press, compressor, router table, etc. Yes,
you will be buying them also.
Ed
Jay wrote:
>
> I'm looking for suggestions for the table saw to buy.
>
> Money is not as much of a factor as the form factor. It needs to be
> small enough to fit in the space and light enough that I can change it
> out with my other interchangable tops.
Look for a used contrator saw.
Here is how one fellow fixed the space problem:
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/kidder/Audio/Tools/Table%20Saw/table_saw_mod.htm
Small cheap saws aren't worth crap, and you will not care much for
woodworking if you have to use one.
The good news is that while they won't crosscut at all, they will rip if you
don't mind spending 10 minutes setting up the fence. So, if you can get by
with your miter saw for crosscutting, then a cheap saw might work out for
you. For the few crosscuts larger than your miter saw, you can always use
the circular saw with a guide; it is a real pain, both to set up and to use,
but it works.
There are expensive small saws. I haven't looked at them because they are
simply too small for woodworking; but they might rip better than the small
cheap saws.
"Jay" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Sorry for being long winded, runs in the family :)
I'll see if I can be the picture of brevity, then. ;->
> I'm just getting into woodworking and want to get my first table saw.
In your shoes about 18 months ago.
> The rolling cabinet will be about 33" X 19" and the interchangable top
> that I drop the table saw I intend to buy can be no larger than 35 X
> 21.
Check out this month's Fine Woodworking Tools and Shop issue for contractor
saw reviews.
>
> saw is the heart of the shop, but I'd like to keep it cheap to start
> until I use one for a while to know what I like and/or I have the
> space to use it. I've looked at the $119 Delta saw at Lowes, the $150
Don't, you'll regret it. I did. Most others who've posted similar stories
were sorry they blew $150-$199 bux on a cheapie benchtop saw. It was $200
wasted, in my case, when I decided to pop for a contractor ("hybrid",
actually) saw.
Why did you pop the $$ for the nice sliding miter when Lowes has some for
$70? Why pop for the DeWalt router when there's Ryobi, Black and Decker,
and Harbor Freight?
> Money is not as much of a factor
In that case - go ahead.