Hi,
I am looking to purchase my first table saw. I used my Sears circular saw
for my very first project. Needless to say, it was difficult especially
cutting straight edges.
I have a small garage that just fits my car and really no other place to
work except my kitchen. When I do woodworking, I move my car out of the
garage.
I wanted to purchase a portable table saw with fold-up legs that can handle
4x8 sheets of plywood.
Any suggestions? I saw a Bosch on Amazon for 500 bucks that looked decent
but since it's a big investment, I wanted to ask the experts.
Thanks in advance for your help.
Regards,
Jay
"Jay Bergmaninni" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Hi,
>
> I am looking to purchase my first table saw. I used my Sears circular saw
> for my very first project. Needless to say, it was difficult especially
> cutting straight edges.
>
> I have a small garage that just fits my car and really no other place to
> work except my kitchen. When I do woodworking, I move my car out of the
> garage.
>
> I wanted to purchase a portable table saw with fold-up legs that can handle
> 4x8 sheets of plywood.
>
> Any suggestions? I saw a Bosch on Amazon for 500 bucks that looked decent
> but since it's a big investment, I wanted to ask the experts.
>
> Thanks in advance for your help.
>
> Regards,
>
> Jay
Hi Jay,
I can share my experience with you. I have been in business for
myself since 94. My first portable table saw was a Delta sidekick. I
was doing quite a few cabinet jobs at the time and the saw died in
about a year. The next saw was a 10" Makita which i have had since
96.(Model 2703 i think) I think you can get them for about $329.00 or
so now. It has performed very well and has withstood the abuse of many
trips from jobsite to jobsite. I'm not testifying to it being the best
on the market but has done well for me. Now the best money i spent was
for a Rousseau (not sure of that spelling) table that the saw drops
into, you might be familiar with these already. If you get one spend
the money for the table extension and outfeed table. The entire setup
will cost as much as the saw, but it will turn a small saw into a big
producer. I really love mine, it folds up and stores great. I rented a
shope space about 2 years ago for building cabinets and it was a great
set up for the shop. I work alone and with a home made dead man i
handle full sheets of plywood with no problem. I could go on, but for
the money i think that's a bit much for the Bosch...I'd put the money
in the Roussaeu table.
Tony Holland - [email protected]
Thanks to all for the extremely helpful advice.
I've decided to use a Swiss Army Knife. It's simpler. :)
"Jay Bergmaninni" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hi,
>
> I am looking to purchase my first table saw. I used my Sears circular saw
> for my very first project. Needless to say, it was difficult especially
> cutting straight edges.
>
> I have a small garage that just fits my car and really no other place to
> work except my kitchen. When I do woodworking, I move my car out of the
> garage.
>
> I wanted to purchase a portable table saw with fold-up legs that can
handle
> 4x8 sheets of plywood.
>
> Any suggestions? I saw a Bosch on Amazon for 500 bucks that looked decent
> but since it's a big investment, I wanted to ask the experts.
>
> Thanks in advance for your help.
>
> Regards,
>
> Jay
>
>
"Tony Holland" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "Jay Bergmaninni" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> > Hi,
> >
> > I am looking to purchase my first table saw. I used my Sears circular
saw
> > for my very first project. Needless to say, it was difficult especially
> > cutting straight edges.
> >
> > I have a small garage that just fits my car and really no other place to
> > work except my kitchen. When I do woodworking, I move my car out of the
> > garage.
> >
> > I wanted to purchase a portable table saw with fold-up legs that can
handle
> > 4x8 sheets of plywood.
> >
> > Any suggestions? I saw a Bosch on Amazon for 500 bucks that looked
decent
> > but since it's a big investment, I wanted to ask the experts.
> >
> > Thanks in advance for your help.
> >
> > Regards,
> >
> > Jay
>
> Hi Jay,
> I can share my experience with you. I have been in business for
> myself since 94. My first portable table saw was a Delta sidekick. I
> was doing quite a few cabinet jobs at the time and the saw died in
> about a year. The next saw was a 10" Makita which i have had since
> 96.(Model 2703 i think) I think you can get them for about $329.00 or
> so now. It has performed very well and has withstood the abuse of many
> trips from jobsite to jobsite. I'm not testifying to it being the best
> on the market but has done well for me. Now the best money i spent was
> for a Rousseau (not sure of that spelling) table that the saw drops
> into, you might be familiar with these already. If you get one spend
> the money for the table extension and outfeed table. The entire setup
> will cost as much as the saw, but it will turn a small saw into a big
> producer. I really love mine, it folds up and stores great. I rented a
> shope space about 2 years ago for building cabinets and it was a great
> set up for the shop. I work alone and with a home made dead man i
> handle full sheets of plywood with no problem. I could go on, but for
> the money i think that's a bit much for the Bosch...I'd put the money
> in the Roussaeu table.
> Tony Holland - [email protected]
Ditto on the Makita/Rousseau (Skil copy here) only for portability reasons.
I've had mine for about 5 years, it's got about 100,000 miles on it:)
note: even with a 3 hp cabinet saw and roller outfeed in the shop, I often
do my sheet breakdown with the circ saw.
A contractor's saw fits into your description. Portable and usable.
Save the Bosch brand for hand-held tools.
On Fri, 19 Dec 2003 15:38:13 GMT, "Jay Bergmaninni"
<[email protected]> wrote:
>Hi,
>
>I am looking to purchase my first table saw. I used my Sears circular saw
>for my very first project. Needless to say, it was difficult especially
>cutting straight edges.
>
>I have a small garage that just fits my car and really no other place to
>work except my kitchen. When I do woodworking, I move my car out of the
>garage.
>
>I wanted to purchase a portable table saw with fold-up legs that can handle
>4x8 sheets of plywood.
>
>Any suggestions? I saw a Bosch on Amazon for 500 bucks that looked decent
>but since it's a big investment, I wanted to ask the experts.
>
>Thanks in advance for your help.
>
>Regards,
>
>Jay
>
On Fri, 19 Dec 2003 15:38:13 GMT, Jay Bergmaninni
<[email protected]> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I am looking to purchase my first table saw. I used my Sears circular saw
> for my very first project. Needless to say, it was difficult especially
> cutting straight edges.
>
> I have a small garage that just fits my car and really no other place to
> work except my kitchen. When I do woodworking, I move my car out of the
> garage.
>
> I wanted to purchase a portable table saw with fold-up legs that can handle
> 4x8 sheets of plywood.
>
Contradictory requirements, I'm afraid. I don't even like doing 4x8 on
an $800 contractor saw.
You can get a BT3100 for $300, $400 if you go for the accessory package.
I'd be leery of doing 4x8's on it--I'd want good infeed and outfeed
tables and an assistant--but the saw itself is well-spoken of by its
owners.
What I've seen of the Rigid and DeWalt small saws looks generally
positive. I think the Rigid has a better fence, but I'd worry about its
durability. Lotta folks will say, "Sure . great saw, but you need . .
. " with a list of add-ons that bring the price to that of a Unisaw.
Now, if your GOAL is to cut plywood, all you really need is a decent
straight edge.
The factory edge on hardwood plywood is Good Enough. Here's how:
Slice off one long side of a piece of birch plywood that's a bit wider
than the distance from the blade to the motor on your circular saw.
Freehand is find for this, though following a pencil line is better.
Flip that piece over, clamp it to the remaining bit of the sheet. Using
the factory edge as your guide, cut a piece about half in inch wider
than the distance from the blade to the back of the bottom plate. Too
big is better than too small.
Now place the smaller piece atop the larger, with the freehand edge more
or less aligned with the back side of the larger piece. Attach with
wood screws.
FINALLY, with the whole thing securely clamped in place, put the saw on
that little shelf you just made and cut off the excess. Voila! A
custom straight edge.
I find it as accurate as the time I spend setting it all up.
"Jay Bergmaninni" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hi,
>
> I am looking to purchase my first table saw. I used my Sears circular saw
> for my very first project. Needless to say, it was difficult especially
> cutting straight edges.
>
> I have a small garage that just fits my car and really no other place to
> work except my kitchen. When I do woodworking, I move my car out of the
> garage.
>
> I wanted to purchase a portable table saw with fold-up legs that can
handle
> 4x8 sheets of plywood.
>
> Any suggestions? I saw a Bosch on Amazon for 500 bucks that looked decent
> but since it's a big investment, I wanted to ask the experts.
>
> Thanks in advance for your help.
>
> Regards,
>
> Jay
IMHO, it's hard to deal with 4x8 sheet stock with any table saw setup. If
you have a large outfeed table, it's a bit easier, but I think a lot of
people here would recommend cutting large sheet stock with a circular saw
anyway. If cutting 4x8 sheets is important to you, you might look at
building or buying a better guide. There are guides available that attach
to the sole of the circular saw that will keep the saw cutting a straight
line. To be clear, there are lots of very good reasons to have a table saw
around, I just don't think cutting sheet stock is one of the better ones.
todd