Attaching a sliding table onto SawStop

[Curtis Myers]

I'm contemplating attaching a sliding table onto my existing SawStop cabinet saw (3hp model).
Before I learn the hard way (as I typically do) about sliding tables, I would like to learn from woodworkers who have an after market sliding table attached to their table saws.

1. What sliding table do you have?
2. What table saw is it attached to?
3. How much play is in the sliding table unit?
4. Can you get repeatable highly accurate cuts?
5. Do you have to tweak it often to achieve highly accurate cuts?
6. How does it compare to a quality after market sled (like an Incra Miter Sled)?
7. Is the sliding table ever in the way of other table saw tasks?
8. Would you recommend your setup? Why or why not

I think my goals are:
a. Simple to use and maintain
b. Repeatable highly accurate cuts as good or better than a quality after market sled (e.g. Incra Miter Sled)
c. Have deeper crosscut capabilities then miter sleds typically provide
d. Looking for a slim version as I do not have space for a large bulky unit. Perhaps the Busybee, Grizzly or Laguna (these three look almost identical)
e. Put sled(s) in storage and sell the Kapex


Are my above goals a pipe dream? I'm not looking to break down large sheets. I have a track saw for that. I'm really looking to replace some sleds I have taking up space, be highly accurate, repeatable, and with deeper crosscut capabilities.


Below are some links to sliding table attachments that I came accords lately.
http://benchmark.20m.com/articles/SurveyOfSlidingTables/surveyofslidingtables.html
http://www.busybeetools.com/products/SLIDING-TABLE-ATTACHMENT-FOR-CX200.html
http://grizzly.com/products/Sliding-Table-Attachment/T10223
http://www.lagunatools.com/accessories/tablesaw-accessories/universal-sliding-table-system
http://www.exaktortools.com/slidingtables.htm
http://www.finewoodworking.com/how-to/video/dewalt-sliding-tablesaw-accesory.aspx

Advise and comments welcome
Curt

[Erik Loza]

No firsthand experience with any of these sleds but I have heard positive comments from several of my customers on the Excalibur unit. Didn't see it on your list, there.

Erik Loza
Minimax USA

[Robert Chapman]

1. Jessem
2. SawStop Professional Cabinet
3. None
4. Yes
5. No
6. Don't know
7. No
8. Yes - compact but very user friendly. Unfortunately not made by Jessem any more. You may be able to find some out there.

[Kevin Groenke]

1- 1)Exactor, 1)Excalibur (both EX60)
2- SawStop ICS
3- very little
4- yes, absolutely
5- rarely, except when students wrestle it excessively
6- quality is great, more versatile than a sled and greater capacity
7- we've removed the left side extension wings from our cabinet saws which reduces the capacity of rip fence when installed to the left of the blade. The structure sticking out on the left of the saw sometimes gets in the way, but you do get used to it.
8- highly recommended - greatly increases the convenience, effectiveness and safety of using a tablesaw for cross-cuts

The Grizzly/BusyBee/Laguna looks like a nice unit. It does seem to stick out further from the front of the saw than the Exactor, I would be interested to hear whether it is obstructive in routine use. One would have to consider if they offer enough capacity for the work their likely to undertake.


Here's a posting from way back.
http://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=81604



Here's an email I sent somebody:


We have an older (15 years?) excalibur and a newer (5years) exaktor sliding table on our 2 sawstops Both are the larger version offered (EX60/STL60). The old excalibur and a new exaktor are virtually identical (so much so that most parts are interchangable). We generally cut sheet stock down when we get it to sell to students, so many 1000's of 4x8 sheets up to 1" mdf have been levered up onto the table: it is still square, still level and still slides pretty effortlessly (we have replaced the bearings once or twice). Our users are not real gentle, so heavy sheets are dropped onto the tables daily without ill effects. I just wish I could find a better way to train them to install/remove the x-cut fence - it's easy, but just complicated enough to thwart those who don't use it regularly. These fences are quite flexible and with so many variables (fence front or back, 2+ stops, adjustable angles, distance from blade.) it can overwhelm the occasional user (we've replaced many of the ratchet levers with torx botton heads so they don't get moved inadvertantly), but for the frequent user, it's the flexibility that makes it great.

Before the sawstop+exaktor we had a jet sliding table on a new (2000) unisaw - BOTH WERE JUNK! When we got rid of them in 2003, the steel on cast iron pivot point on the sliding table was ovalized by about an 1/8", it was very difficult to make the fence co-planer to the saw, and we nearly had to weld it to the cabinet to keep it there. I'll spare you the list of broken parts on the saw. I am very impressed sawstop's product, as you probably know, it's a much improved tablesaw even without the stop.

Assembly of the sliding tables is a bit complicated, couple hours at least, but I THINK, the attachment rail bolted right into the extension wing holes. If not, a little filing/grinding of the bracket was all that was required. I just removed the exactor in about 30 seconds for the photo-op.

If I remember right, the exaktor was a little cheaper and I do think the unpainted stainless rails are superior (you may notice the silver lines on the photo of the excalibur where the bearings have ground through the paint). I'm not sure if the modern excalibur has the quick release mount.

If you'll be cutting smaller stock and/or need a smaller footprint, I have also heard good things about the robland/laguna attachment, and I believe that felder/hammer may also make one that can be adapted to fit a cabinet saw. Both of these probably cost as much as the E's,

[Richard Coers]

Your biggest concern on your choice of sliding tables, is how accurately will the fence return to 0 position. You will have to remove the fence for many plywood ripping cuts, then have to reinstall it for crosscutting. How well can it reinstall at exactly square to the blade? It is a real pain if it doesn't have a really snug pivot and hard stop system so you can quickly reinstall it. I've worked on the fence system for my older Minimax machine, so feel pretty comfortable with it now. I'll still make a test cut if the cut needs to be really accurate. The companies have a challenge to make a good system since you may need to pivot it for an angle cut. If you can't slide the fence on the pivot, it will be quite far from the blade at 45 degrees. I think the fence is the weakest part of these add on sliding tables. I've never had an add on, but had a Griggio and now the Minimax with factory sliding tables. It's a love/hate relationship for me.

[Michael Lutz]

1. Jessem
2. SawStop Professional Cabinet
3. None
4. Yes
5. No
6. Don't know
7. No
8. Yes - compact but very user friendly. Unfortunately not made by Jessem any more. You may be able to find some out there.

+1

We have the exact same setup and observations.

[Dave Anthony]

1. Jessem
2. SawStop Professional Cabinet
3. None
4. Yes
5. No
6. Don't know
7. No
8. Yes - compact but very user friendly. Unfortunately not made by Jessem any more. You may be able to find some out there.

+2 - I have the same setup and would highly recommend it if you can find one.

[Larry Fox]

My experience, not with a SawStop though. I have since sold the Unisaw and upgraded to an older SCMI slider. I also have a Jessem slider that is currently attached to my shaper and like it - it is small though.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?196116

[Peter Aeschliman]

I have an excalibur sliding table on my sawstop PCS. To install it, I removed my left extension wing and cut the fence rails. I also had to drill new holes in the side of the cast iron table, although that was really easy.

Overall I'm very glad I did it. It has made my tablesaw a far more productive machine.

That said, it does seem a bit finicky. I think one of the most important things is to bolt the legs to the floor... I haven't done that. But I never feel completely confident that I'm going to get a perfectly square cut. I need to spend more time with it, but I'd say maybe 1 out of 5 projects, when I put a square up to my cut, I find that it isn't perfectly square as it once once. It's a bit frustrating.

From what I've read, nearly all sliding table attachments require a lot of tedious setup. The real question is how well it holds its settings.