Second table saw as part of outfeed table

[Keith Albertson]

My new Sawstop PCS will arrive this weekend, and I'm not sure what to do with my current Delta Contractor saw. It's about 15 years old, so I don't think I'll get much money for it on CL. Our local high school is not interested, and no other charity I can think of wants it.

Besides, I have 15 years of jigs and fixtures made for the thing, that I use often enough, and supposedly they wont work on my PCS.

So I've been thinking of trying to incorporate my old contractor saw into the outfeed table of my new saw? Anybody done this? Any suggestions or things to watch out for? My shop is about 30 by 11 feet. so it's a bit narrow, but I'm getting the 50 inch sawstop fence. I'll have some space to stick the contractor saw in the corner of the outfeed table if that's a reasonable idea.

Any advice or comments would be greatly welcomed. Thanks.

[Salem Ganzhorn]

I had a second saw setup on the right hand side of my TS. I left a crosscut sled on it most of the time. I liked it ok but found it a little annoying at times. Depending on your fence design you really need the surfaces level or the table of the delta will interfere with the fence of your new saw.

You probably could get a decent amount of money for the saw but if you have the room and don't need the cash why not try it for a while? A 15 year old saw isn't going to lose value very quickly.

Salem

[Scott Hildenbrand]

Someone posted this today on LJ.. Not the 4511, but the craftsman nested in the rails. I thought it was a really good placement of a secondary saw.

http://lumberjocks.com/projects/26806

Just like Salem said above.. The table tops need to be level to each other, else it works great.

[Salem Ganzhorn]

Someone posted this today on LJ.. Not the 4511, but the craftsman nested in the rails. I thought it was a really good placement of a secondary saw.

http://lumberjocks.com/projects/26806

Just like Salem said above.. The table tops need to be level to each other, else it works great.

Hmmm, I like that a little less. It is nice that they can share the same fence but alignment must be dead on to avoid pinching stock between the fence. It seems hard enough for people to align a fence to one blade :).

I had mine behind the right wing/extension of my main saw. The saw faced such that the area that is typically used as an out feed for a "main" table saw is also the out feed for the second table saw.

Salem

[Mike Cruz]

Two thoughts. First of all, if you bought a SS, it is because of safety. So, the Delta is obsolete (to you). Whatever it is worth, $100, $200, $300... is money that could be spent on jigs, miter gauges, etc for the new SS.

That said, if you REALLY want to keep it (which I don't understand if you spent to the money on a SS), then a second TS is VERY useful as a dado/rabbet saw. That way, you aren't changing the blade of your SS that often.

But I have to reiterate, if you bought into SS (not saying that there is anything wrong with it, you just pay for the safety, and if you pay for it, I would assume there is reason) it would almost be hypocricical to keep the Delta...IMO.

[Van Huskey]

Two thoughts. First of all, if you bought a SS, it is because of safety. So, the Delta is obsolete (to you). Whatever it is worth, $100, $200, $300... is money that could be spent on jigs, miter gauges, etc for the new SS.

That said, if you REALLY want to keep it (which I don't understand if you spent to the money on a SS), then a second TS is VERY useful as a dado/rabbet saw. That way, you aren't changing the blade of your SS that often.

But I have to reiterate, if you bought into SS (not saying that there is anything wrong with it, you just pay for the safety, and if you pay for it, I would assume there is reason) it would almost be hypocricical to keep the Delta...IMO.


You pretty much covered what I was thinking. Having a second saw for the dado stack can be useful but how wll you feel when "the accident" happens on the second saw. I wouldn't say hypocritical exactly but it does beg logic.

[mreza Salav]

Two thoughts. First of all, if you bought a SS, it is because of safety. So, the Delta is obsolete (to you). Whatever it is worth, $100, $200, $300... is money that could be spent on jigs, miter gauges, etc for the new SS.

That said, if you REALLY want to keep it (which I don't understand if you spent to the money on a SS), then a second TS is VERY useful as a dado/rabbet saw. That way, you aren't changing the blade of your SS that often.

But I have to reiterate, if you bought into SS (not saying that there is anything wrong with it, you just pay for the safety, and if you pay for it, I would assume there is reason) it would almost be hypocricical to keep the Delta...IMO.

can't let it go..huh? he committed the crime of buying the SS.
So he must not keep the other saw; it would make him hypocritical....

To the OP, if you have the space, I'd say keep it and have a cross-cut sled on it. I do all my cross cuts on such a thing (which clamps the pieces down). The only time my hand comes close to a blade is when ripping. Use your SS primarily for rip and dados.

[Don Jarvie]

Put some casters on the other saw and use it for dados only. Thats my plan.

[Noah Bledstein]

I recently got the Jet cabinet I've always wanted, but didn't want to part with my trusty Jet contractor saw. Both are mounted on mobile bases and are exactly the same hight. I have backed them against each other so that the contractor motor nests under the extension table on the cabinet saw. I keep a dado blade on the contractor saw which really speeds up some operations.

[Jim O'Dell]

I'm in the process of getting my new Griz cab saw's mobile base built so it will be at the same height as my Ridgid contractor saw. I'll be using mine for dados at times, but at this point, it's a free outfeed table. I will do an L shape where the left side of the Ridgid butts up to the back of the extension table on the far right of the Griz, like Salem was saying his was set. My mobile outfeed table will be behind the blade on the Griz, with a gap between it and the Ridgid. I'll have plenty of acreage for sheet goods to run back on! Eventually I'll get some long rails for the Biese and put it on the Griz saw. If I can shim the old rails so that the fence is right on for both saws, I may do that, or put the Griz fence on the Ridgid. But that will be a little ways down the road. Jim.

[Keith Albertson]

Thanks for all the replies.

I like the "L shaped" idea but my narrow shop may not allow comfortable use of this set up. I would not plan to rip with the contractor saw, so won't need a fence, nor to align it to the fence.

Did you guys have any trouble getting the saw heights even?

To Mike and Van, I have been thinking about your safety points and they are definitely valid. Part of the reason I might consider keeping the contractor's saw is I've invested a lot of time in safety concious cross cut sleds with plexiglass blade shields and toggle clamps to hold the smaller pieces I use in box making and puzzle making. I think it will take me a long time to replace all these (probably 10 or 15 speciallized jigs), and I"m not sure I want to stop making these things while I replace them all (my understanding is that the miter slot to blade distance is different on the two saws).

Finally, anybody have any ideas on potential charities that could use the saw, aside from local schools, churches and rec centers (I tried them all, no takers.)

[Mike Cruz]

Keith, define charity... :D ;)

I'm sure there is a "Creeker in Need". :rolleyes:

BTW, not me, but I'm sure there is one.

[Van Huskey]

I think it will take me a long time to replace all these (probably 10 or 15 speciallized jigs), and I"m not sure I want to stop making these things while I replace them all (my understanding is that the miter slot to blade distance is different on the two saws).

Finally, anybody have any ideas on potential charities that could use the saw, aside from local schools, churches and rec centers (I tried them all, no takers.)


I hate it when I replace a tool and "loose" my jigs.

How about Habitat for Humanity?

[J.R. Rutter]

I used to have a smaller lightweight table saw that I kept a sanding disk on. I had it next to my bigger replacement saw so that they shared a fence, but alignment was tricky. The outfeed might be a better spot, and you could use the original fence that way. I did get a lot of use out of it - the disk from Woodworker's Supply that has a tapered face worked really well. The dedicated edge sander made it obsolete so I gave it away eventually. Good karma points!

[Chen-Tin Tsai]

Well, if it's somewhat portable and more accurate than my hand-me-down Ryobi portable, then I'm tempted to take it off your hands :D