Small saw *other* than BT3000?

Silvan <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:

> [...]
> Now, the BT3000/3100 is a good, small saw with lots of blurfls, but I
> don't really want one because of the whole sliding table concept. I
> could change the way I work, and I will surely have to build a new
> series of jigs anyway, but I'm very comfortable with my sled and all
> its bolt-on accessory jigs. I think I would strongly prefer a table
> with good old fashioned miter slots to the sliding table thingie.
> Plus the sliding table sticks out, and I think I'd always be running
> into it.

You can take the sliding miter table off. You can sell it on eBay if
you really hate it. A miter slot accessory table with standard 3/4"
wide, 3/8" deep slots is available.

> So, let's rule out the Ryobi saws and look at what's out there in the
> small but not crappy arena. My priorities are:
>
> * $500 absolute maximum upper price limit, cheaper is more realistic,
> sucking it up and going the extra $150 for some blurfl ain't gonna
> happen

At $299 plus $37 for the miter slot table, the BT3100 is there...

> * small form factor, like a benchtop on a stand, but preferably
> without direct drive and a screamin' demon universal motor

The BT3100 is belt driven, and its universal motor isn't real loud...

> * must have a blade angle crank wheel, and be able to return with
> certainty to 90.0 degrees

If that's truly a must have, you can now rule out the BT3100.
The crank does double duty for blade angle and elevation, with a
lever to switch functions. You have to compromise somewhere, and
I've decided to live with this.

> * MUST COME WITH A DECENT FENCE

That rules out a lot of saws, even some over $500. I'm assuming you
find the BT3100 fence acceptable. I think it locks down more solidly
than several of the low-end contractor saws I've looked at.

> Those are the gottahaveits. Other things would be a bonus, like
> standard miter slots, ample room in front of the blade, ability to
> take easily made zero-clearance inserts, ability to take a full dado
> stack, easy to adjust, etc.

For the BT3100:
* Standard miter slots are an option.
* Not much room in front of the blade, but note that this is where
the sliding miter table comes in handy--it can crosscut 16" out
of the box and can easily be extended to over 23".
* Making and using ZCTPs is simple.
* A full width dado stack is supported. Ryobi recommends a 6"
dado set. There have been reports of clearance issues with 8"
dado sets--others report using them with no problem.
* I can't comment on ease of adjustment, since I haven't spent any
time adjusting other saws, and very little adjusting my BT3100.

>
> [...]
>
> Suggestions for stuff I should be looking at? I suppose with my size
> constraints, I'm pretty much steering clear of contractor sized saws,
> and staying in the realm of benchtops. What did the people who didn't
> want a BT3000 buy?


You have small form factor as a gottahaveit, and ample room in front of
the blade as a bonus. I don't think there's a saw on the market that has
both.

You could go for a used or real cheap new (Harbor Freight #46813)
contractor saw--that gives you space in front of the blade, two separate
hand wheels, and an induction motor, but finding one with a good fence
for under $500 might be a challenge, and you have space issues.

The Bosch 4000 and DeWalt DW744S are both near the top of your price
range. I'm pretty sure neither has a blade angle crank.

Good luck with your tax refund!

shop for an 8 or 9 inch older rockwell cast iron saw. they have a
small footprint, good bearings, are easy to set up with about any
motor you want. I'd be looking to pay not over say $150.

figure on building a cart or bench for it. that's the fun part.

figure on replacing the fence. I bought my biesemeyer online from
their scratch-n-dent page and saved some money.
http://www.biesemeyer.com/specials/index.htm
the rails are made from stock sizes of steel tube and angle. pretty
easy to fab up. look for a homeshop fence. keep checking back, one
will show up.

Bridger




On Wed, 03 Dec 2003 19:03:53 -0500, Silvan
<[email protected]> wrote:

>I'm thinking about what to do with my chunk of the tax refund, if I can
>afford to spend any of it on anything non-essential this time around.
>
>My table saw is much better than nothing, but I've raised the bar as high as
>it will go, and it's starting to really piss me off. I think it's time to
>put it to rest.
>
>Now, the BT3000/3100 is a good, small saw with lots of blurfls, but I don't
>really want one because of the whole sliding table concept. I could change
>the way I work, and I will surely have to build a new series of jigs
>anyway, but I'm very comfortable with my sled and all its bolt-on accessory
>jigs. I think I would strongly prefer a table with good old fashioned
>miter slots to the sliding table thingie. Plus the sliding table sticks
>out, and I think I'd always be running into it.
>
>So, let's rule out the Ryobi saws and look at what's out there in the small
>but not crappy arena. My priorities are:
>
>* $500 absolute maximum upper price limit, cheaper is more realistic,
>sucking it up and going the extra $150 for some blurfl ain't gonna happen
>
>* small form factor, like a benchtop on a stand, but preferably without
>direct drive and a screamin' demon universal motor
>
>* must have a blade angle crank wheel, and be able to return with certainty
>to 90.0 degrees
>
>* MUST COME WITH A DECENT FENCE
>
>Those are the gottahaveits. Other things would be a bonus, like standard
>miter slots, ample room in front of the blade, ability to take easily made
>zero-clearance inserts, ability to take a full dado stack, easy to adjust,
>etc.
>
>I don't really care about extension wings and the like. No room for them
>anyway. Even after I build a bigger shop, it's not likely going to be that
>much bigger, given the amount of land I have to work with. I'm settled in
>pretty comfortably as a box/small project maker, and I'm not looking for a
>big saw for big stock. I can live with doing all the big jobs with
>portable tools.
>
>Suggestions for stuff I should be looking at? I suppose with my size
>constraints, I'm pretty much steering clear of contractor sized saws, and
>staying in the realm of benchtops. What did the people who didn't want a
>BT3000 buy?
>
>Yeah, I should probably STFW.

On Wed, 03 Dec 2003 19:03:53 -0500, Silvan
<[email protected]> wrote:

>So, let's rule out the Ryobi saws and look at what's out there in the small
>but not crappy arena. My priorities are:
>
>* $500 absolute maximum upper price limit, cheaper is more realistic,
>sucking it up and going the extra $150 for some blurfl ain't gonna happen
>
>* small form factor, like a benchtop on a stand, but preferably without
>direct drive and a screamin' demon universal motor
>
>* must have a blade angle crank wheel, and be able to return with certainty
>to 90.0 degrees
>
>* MUST COME WITH A DECENT FENCE
>
>Those are the gottahaveits. Other things would be a bonus, like standard
>miter slots, ample room in front of the blade, ability to take easily made
>zero-clearance inserts, ability to take a full dado stack, easy to adjust,
>etc.


Maybe you can find a used contractor saw without the usual extension
table within that price limit--or one *with* a table that you'll
simply take off and throw in the attic. My guess is that'll be the
only way to get all your gottahaves.


--
Chuck Taylor
http://home.hiwaay.net/~taylorc/contact/