Jay Jeffery
01-12-2010, 5:27 PM
I currently have 4 cross-cutting saws in my garage and I need to figure out which ones to sell. I could use some advise.
First, there is the 1950's-era DeWalt radial arm saw. It uses an 8 1/2" blade and I've never got it tuned to cut perfect 90's. It is worthless for anything but 90's, but it cuts them so effortlessly I know I will miss it if I sell it. If I put some real time and money into getting it working right, I suspect it would cut dead on, but previous efforts to that effect have not worked out.
The other saw with any tenure in my shop is an Omga commercial chop saw. It's the direct-drive and is 3-phase power model. I put a button opperated start capacitor on it so I don't have to manually start the blade spinning anymore, but haven't been impressed enough with it to buy a VFD or proper phase converter. It is a 12 inch saw that won't cut a 4X4, compound miters, weighs too much to move anywhere and has a stiff return mechanism. I did get it adjusted to where it cut perfectly, but it has gotten out of alignment.
A recent find on Craigslist got me a 12" DeWalt dual bevel miter saw. It is the old style with a screw miter adjuster. It was new when I got it and I made about 10 unimpressive cuts with it. It is not as acurate as I'd hoped, but still acceptable for most applications.
Today at HD I found a Milwaukee 12" sliding miter saw. I could probably flip in on Craigslist for a small profit to help cover the cost of my new Ridgid table saw, but it would be a 1-saw solution that will cut anything thick, wide, or compound-mitery. I worry about accuracy and the tedium of having to move all that saw out, down, in and up on every cut.
My most pressing projects are mirror and picture frames. I hear a good cross cut sled can cut some good miters, but I've never before now had a table saw worth putting one on. I want to make some furniture, and whatever cross cutting saw makes the cut needs to handle the basic homeowner needs while the table saw is stowed in the corner (my wife wants to keep a car in the garage again).
I've got a garage full of saws and it's time to make some compromises.
Any ideas or insights from tool junkies out there?
First, there is the 1950's-era DeWalt radial arm saw. It uses an 8 1/2" blade and I've never got it tuned to cut perfect 90's. It is worthless for anything but 90's, but it cuts them so effortlessly I know I will miss it if I sell it. If I put some real time and money into getting it working right, I suspect it would cut dead on, but previous efforts to that effect have not worked out.
The other saw with any tenure in my shop is an Omga commercial chop saw. It's the direct-drive and is 3-phase power model. I put a button opperated start capacitor on it so I don't have to manually start the blade spinning anymore, but haven't been impressed enough with it to buy a VFD or proper phase converter. It is a 12 inch saw that won't cut a 4X4, compound miters, weighs too much to move anywhere and has a stiff return mechanism. I did get it adjusted to where it cut perfectly, but it has gotten out of alignment.
A recent find on Craigslist got me a 12" DeWalt dual bevel miter saw. It is the old style with a screw miter adjuster. It was new when I got it and I made about 10 unimpressive cuts with it. It is not as acurate as I'd hoped, but still acceptable for most applications.
Today at HD I found a Milwaukee 12" sliding miter saw. I could probably flip in on Craigslist for a small profit to help cover the cost of my new Ridgid table saw, but it would be a 1-saw solution that will cut anything thick, wide, or compound-mitery. I worry about accuracy and the tedium of having to move all that saw out, down, in and up on every cut.
My most pressing projects are mirror and picture frames. I hear a good cross cut sled can cut some good miters, but I've never before now had a table saw worth putting one on. I want to make some furniture, and whatever cross cutting saw makes the cut needs to handle the basic homeowner needs while the table saw is stowed in the corner (my wife wants to keep a car in the garage again).
I've got a garage full of saws and it's time to make some compromises.
Any ideas or insights from tool junkies out there?