36" vs 52" rails?

[Mike Davisson]

New to table saw use, but not wood cutting in general.

I am trying to decide on the rail size I need for the SS PCS e saw I wish to get. First off I am sold on the SS saw. My SWAMBO (She Who Must Always Be Obeyed) is sold on the fact that I just might keep all my digits, end of brand discussion.

My use for this saw is general hobbyist and some home cabinets. I already have; Skil saw, radial arm saw, band saw, router table, planner, joiner, etc..

the cost difference is negligible between the 36" and 52" models (~$100)so space is the only real issue. I could fit it but would prefer not to. What would I need a 52" for? I am trying to understand what cutting would require that much more room on the fence side? Seems to me (maybe errantly) that needing to move the fence that far out (52”) would negate the safety of the fence length (long axis of wood perpendicular to saw blade). I am sure I am missing something here, could someone enlighten me?

[Dell Moore]

Is SWAMBO going to ask you to make things like boxes or shelves or other items that may require cutting large pieces Ply or MDF? If so, the go 52"

I've got a 52". That extra space is nice.

The water's cold, and it's deep too..... :D

[Joe Shinall]

I am sure you can get by with the 36" as many many people do. I have the 52" on my Unisaw and wouldn't ever go down to 36. Just a luxury that when you need it, it's there. I have made very simple pieces longer than 36 and as long as you setup and pay attention, you do not compromise the integrity/safety of the cut.

[Cary Falk]

I had a 32" fence. I then had a 42" fence. I now have a "54 fence and wouldn't go back. I have used 48" quite frequently making hope chests and such. I agree with Joe that if you pay attention you can make the cuts safely.

[johnny means]

I have a slider with about a five foot rip capacity, It never gets past the 24" mark. I also have a cabinet saw with a 36" rip capacity, it also never gets past the 24" mark. Some of my staple sizes for my panels are 60" x 38", 60" x 44", 54" x 76". I never saw the sense in cross cutting or dadoing against a fence when a sled can be made for a few dollars. If I was starting over with just a cabinet saw, I would save the space and the pennies for one of those cool sliding attachments some where down the road.

Also, you are going to need to square any long panels before cutting them to length and a rip fence will not square anything up. So you will most likely need to use some other system to make your initial crosscut on longer panels. So why not do both ends with that system.

Don't even get me on the how tricky it can be crosscutting against the fence.

[Rick Moyer]

I'm not sure anyone as yet has answered your question so I'll try, too.
The longer rails makes it easier to break down sheetgoods. Picture needing a certain size from a 4X8 sheet, and having or nor having the extra length of rails and table to lay the piece on. You could cut off a piece to about 46" X 48" wide, and then rip to size needed. If you will cut all you sheetgoods down to size with a circular saw, the benefits of the longer rails may not be worth it. I find I make a huge mess when I cut sheets with the circular saw as dust goes everywhere. It is nice to have that extra flat space to set stuff too when you are cutting, like cut-offs, safety stuff, plans, etc. Most would say if you have the room, go with the longer rails, but it will really be up to you to decide what you want.

[Mike Davisson]

So from what I am gathering here (thanks all!) longer rails are for cross-cut of full sheets or long pieces. I have somewhat limited table saw experiance since most of my wood work was mobile and in the boat business where the band saw did most of the ripping. I always wondered why the miter slide of a talbe saw was so small as to no give much real support. I found that Jessem tools makes a sliding table and miter that mounts on the left side and it looks really cool but also comes with a very steep price.

[Peter Aeschliman]

It comes down to space, but if you can fit the saw in your shop with some room around it and put your router table in the extension, I'd do it.

I use the longer rails all the time on my saw.

By the way, I'm replacing mine with a Sawstop PCS this weekend so I'm right there with you... I'm super stoked!!!

It amazed me how easy it was to convince my wife!!

[Jeff Sudmeier]

I have 52" rails and exactly once I have cut more than the 36 would have allowed.

I have a small shop in one bay of a garage but I haven't cut them down yet.

[Tom Hintz]

I also have 52" fence rails on my table saw but rarely (actually I can't remember ever using it) use the capacity beyond 24" or so. It is way easier for me to break down large sheet goods outside with a circle saw on saw horses and then bring the pieces in to fine tune the cuts on my table saw. If I had a huge shop the 52" fence wold make more sense and be less of a space concern than it is now in my 2-car garage shop.

[Bill Leonard]

I have both, 36 on a Delta set up for dadoes, and 52 on a PM 66. Seldom have I needed the extra saw capability on my PM, but the extra table space is used extensively. I am in a 18x45 shop with a full compliment of tools, read limited space. However I would not sacrifice the extra table work space.

[Rod Sheridan]

I just sold a cabinet saw with 32" rip capacity for a slider with 30" rip capacity.

I never use the fence for cross cutting because all a fence does is give you a parallel cut.

When you are cross cutting you need a certain angle, normally a right angle. This is where you need a sliding table or a cross cut sled.

If you cross cut with a fence, you're stuck copying the existing edges of the plywood, which often aren't square.

Save your shop space and get the smaller saw, in addition as others have mentioned, break down your sheet goods at the lumber supplier, or with a circular saw.

It's easier on your back...............Regards, Rod.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

As a lot have already said, the choice is up to you. I have a 52" and I do like using the extra space. I did break down plywood just because I could. The extra length does come in handy. For me, I'm not a pro, and don't use the saw every day. The saw doubles as my workbench. I cover it with a sheet of ply. I do use it as a workbench every day. Lots of space. Very expensive workbench.
Oh yeah, I also dropped in a router plate in the right extension wing, so it also is my router table. If you have the room, I'd get it.
You'll love the saw.

[Sean Nagle]

It depends on what your rip and crosscut operation needs are. I've had a Unisaw with a 52" fence rail for years. I could rip to capacity and I used a sled on the right side of the blade to crosscut just about any length I needed.

Recently I rearranged my basement shop to use the available space more efficiently. I can now only rip to 36" and crosscut to 36" on the right side of the blade. The new arrangement forced me to setup a separate crosscut station using a RAS for lengths greater than 36". The reason I didn't just use a sled to the left of the blade for longer crosscuts is that a roller stand is required for sled support and I didn't want to set one up every time I needed to crosscut anything over 36". Even with the new addition, my shop space is still used more efficiently than before. My tablesaw and RAS are essentially optimized for their respective uses.

If you have the shop space, I would definitely go for the 52" size. However, as has been mentioned, ripping beyond 36" is a rare requirement.

[Eric Gustafson]

I went with the Grizzly 690 and the shorter rip rails that come with it. My shop is a two car garage and I decided early that I would conserve space wherever possible. Plus, I have never been comfortable feeding big sheets of ply into a spinning blade. So, when I need something cut bigger than my fence can handle, I bring the saw to the work and use the Festool saw and guide rail. It has worked very well and preserves my precious space.

[Louie Ballis]

I recently bought my first cabinet saw a grizzly 1023 slw and was faced with the same issue as to what size rails.

After much thought I realized that

1) Space is a real issue in my shop (13x20)

2) I really could not remeber a time when the 24 inch capacity of the rolling (Bosch) contractor type table saw wasnt adequate.

I buy my sheet goods at lowes or home depot and they will generally break them down for me. Plus I really dont like lifting nor do I feel safe trying to rip a full sheet of 3/4 plywood by myself.


If you have the luxury of unlimited space then I would certainly go with the longer rails. But if space is a concern I would stay wiht the shorter rails.

for whats it worth

Louie

[Kent A Bathurst]

Get the biggest you can squeeze into the shop. Even if you rarely use the fence @ 50", you still have it if you need it, and you have a big flat surface for assembly, etc. I have my 52" Uni on mobile base, and 1 - 2 times a year I need to maneuver it a bit for some reason, but this is a minor inconvenience compared to the benefits.

[Anthony Anderson]

I had a 52" fence on my SawStop 5hp industrial saw. But there was only ~ 18-24" between the SS and my miter stand, as I have a small shop. I RARELY (emphasis not yelling) used the 52" fence. I might have used it 1 or 2 times in the 3-4 years that I have owned it. So I went to the local steel supplier, and bought replacement steel for the front tube and angle support, and angle steel for the rear support, and reduced the size of the fence to 36". Purchased some acrylic urethane gloss black, etch primed and sprayed the steel, and now you can't tell the difference. I bought a 36" table board from SS, and it looks original.

I didn't want to cut the original fence down in case I build a larger shop someday.

Now, after that long story, if you have a small shop, like I do, I would go with the 36" fence. You don't want to feel crowded in your shop, and also can accidents.

Good Luck, Bill

[Steve Rowe]

When I had a Unisaw with a 52" fence, the 2 feet to the right of the fence was used to collect "stuff". I can't recall if I ever used the 52" rip capacity. I know this is supposed to be used to cut to the center of an 8' sheet of ply but this is really an impractical cut IMO.

[Mike Davisson]

Great info here! Thanks all. Space seems to the pivotal issue here. My shop is a detached 25'x25' garage finally finished after 7 years of being a boxed in shell. I just added a heater, sheetrock, paint, etc.. . It also is home to my 2 motorcycles and WWII Jeep (42 Ford). It is important to me to keep the center of the shop clear for vehicle storage and work. This makes the wall space my tool storage and bench area for both mechanical and wood work. I have a pair of 5’x3’ work tables (former electronics assembly tables steel box legs and 3/4" MDF tops....you could train elephants on those puppies) so I have work space. I have dedicated one table for greasy stuff and one for wood.

The longest item in the shop is a radial arm saw table with built-in drawers and cabinets that my grandfather made from a set of plans that Delta published back in the late 50s or early 60s ( I still have the original plans). This takes up a lot of space but it is useful with the drawers and cabinets and the family history of it is pretty cool. The Rockwell radial arm saw on it still works great with no play in the tower or arm.

So with all this I think the right direction for me is a 36” PCS with a slide table miter on the left to allow repeatable cross-cut to 36” (http://www.jessem.com/MAST-R-SLIDE.html (http://www.jessem.com/MAST-R-SLIDE.html)).
I used one of these at the local Woodcraft store and it is sweet, expensive but sweet. Any cross-cut bigger than 36” I can chalk line and then rough out with the Skil-saw or purchase a track saw (more tools whoopee!!). As far as ripping full sheets that will be dependent on weight, availability of my adult sons, friends who work for beer, etc… I am not as excited to hump ¾” sheets as I once was. Is it you get weaker or just smarter with age? The track saw is starting to look better when I think about it….

[Barry wines]

Because I didnt have the room to dedicate the the space for the longer fence I designed an expandable fence system for those situations that called for it yet didnt take up that space when not needed. I constructed the v ways out of pallet runners . The fold up fence is used from where the 32" fence leaves off out to the edge of the table then folds out of the way for beyond that point. Beyond the edge of the table the fence that is attached to the v ways will expand out to 52". I mounted a tape measure on the ledge on the outside of the fence. It feeds through a slot in the fence and is inlaid in the table so that I can read the measurement off the front edge of the tables. It works really well and allows me to use the extra space that the longer fence would take up to access my planer when I need to use it. Barry

[Barry wines]

Sorry I still can't get the pictures to show up on my post! Barry

[Barry wines]

I think that I cant get the pictures to show up because I used them in another post previously. To see them type tablesaw fence extension in search. Barry

[Milind Patil]

I was torn between G0690 and G0691 for last few days, but finally opted for G0690. I really want 36" so G0690 is 6" short. But at 50" G0691 is too long. Space is the luxary I don't have either. Many folks on this forum have conformed that it is relatively easy to shoft the fence rail to right to add a few more inches to the rip capacity. Hopefully my (yet to arrive) G0690 will allow to add at least 6 additional inches !

[Barry wines]

Eric if you can get a look at my set up I think it is a workable solution.

[Alan Bienlein]

I think you have to be real honest with what you intend on building Mike. For me my TS3650 came with a 36" rip capacity but with the projects I was getting into I kept finding that I needed 38" all the way to 50" capacity so it started getting old trying to do different setups to work around it. If you only intend on building small projects then 36" might be for you. 52" has the advantage of mounting a router in the extention thus saving space and allowing you to still use the saw with the router setup. Thats what I've done to mine. Loml bought me a second fence for my saw and its been a blessing.

[Sean Nagle]

Alan, I'd be interested to know what you were building that you needed to rip wider than 36". Since I reduced my capacity to 36" I have needed to rip a 39" top for my outfeed table... so far that's been it.

[Alan Bienlein]

Here are a couple of pictures.
144938
144939

[Alan Bienlein]

Here are a few more.
144940

144941

I guess I'm just use to it. The cabinet shops I've worked in had 60" crosscut capacity on the sliders and we used that alot. All of the stuff in these pictures was built in my home shop.

[Sean Nagle]

Fabulous work. I really like the black contrast against the figure.

[Anthony Anderson]

If I need to rip/cut wider than 36", I will use my Festool Tracksaw with the appropriate length of track. Results are as good as my Tablesaw, maybe better when you consider that I don't have to fight with the wood to keep it from moving as I am pushing it through. Dead Wood concept. Works Great!

Bill

[Jacob Reverb]

I have a contractor's saw with the shorter rails.

If I need to cut something that won't fit on the TS (rare), I use a circ saw.

[Larry Edgerton]

Get the long rails. They cost very little more and if the take up too much room in the end you can cut them down to a size that works for you. You can't make the short ones longer..........

[Doug Shepard]

...
the cost difference is negligible between the 36" and 52" models (~$100)so space is the only real issue. I could fit it but would prefer not to.....

Go with your gut. If you get something so large it's hard to manuever in your space, you'll regret it. I've never really missed the longer rails or table on my PM66 and would struggle fitting it into my space too.

[Austin Grote]

I had the 52 inch rails on my Unisaw. Took up too much space in my 2 car garage shop. Bought some shorter rails on ebay. Now I can keep the saw pushed up against one wall all the time.

To cut full sheets on the table saw not only requires the big fence, but also a big infeed table and outfeed table.

Save your back. Plan out what sizes you need your material cut down to.

Much easier to have sheet goods cut when you buy them. At least one cut to make it easier and safer to handle.

I also use a track guided saw to cut sheet goods, I cut the stuff as soon as it is out of the truck. Full sheets in the shop are a nuisance (unless you have lots of space).

[Rob Price]

I had the same dilemma, I went with the 52 and glad I did. It does take up some space, and even when I'm not cutting sheets at 48" I have a nice, flat area right next to my saw for keeping work pieces, jigs, etc that I'm using on the saw. The times I need it, it just speeds up the process.

I've used (and still use) the straight edge and circ saw when I have to, but it's so much faster, more accurate, and cleaner cut with one cut on the TS than two cuts with CS and then TS.

If you have room, I would go for the bigger table. one more flat horizontal surface in the shop is a good thing.

[Norman Pyles]

My shop is small, and I don't have room for the long rails. I break down my sheet goods with a circular saw, and a home made guide rail. I gotta tell you, a piece of 3/4 ply gets mighty heavy when you try to lift it up on a table saw.

[Ramsey Ramco]

I made due with a 30" the got a new saw with a 72" biesmeyer, Ill never go any shorter. The saw takes up more than 8' but it's well worth it

[Paul Ryan]

I went with the shorter rails 1 year ago and have never needed the longer length. It all depends what you build with. I hardly ever use sheet goods. Even when I made my bathroom cabinets I didn't need the longer rails. Breaking down sheet goods with a circular saw is almost necessary if you use MDF plywood and are by yourself. I went from a 30" saw that was frequently to short, but the extra 6" to the 36" fence has been a real help and large capacity has never been needed.

[John Coloccia]

re: breaking down sheet goods

A sheet of whatever is 4' wide. All I really need for breaking down sheet goods is 2' of capacity. If I want a piece that's 30" wide, for example, there's nothing stopping me from ripping 18" - kerf, and I end up with 30" to the left of the blade.

I have the 36" rails and have never come close to capacity. 52" rails would be HUGE for my shop....it would really take up a ton of space that I need.

edit: I would also consider getting no rails, and using the complete Jointech system. Their setup is very slick.

[Peter Quinn]

At my job in a cabinet shop I use the long rails all the time, and we'd be sunk without them. I'm certainly going well past 36" on a regular basis. So for my home shop I naturally bough a cabinet saw with long rails, and I've probably gone past 36" 5 times in six years? I have the space to spare, sort of, and don't regret the long rails, but they may not be essential in many cases. Keep in mind you can always get the long rails. live with them, and cut them down to suit your needs. ADDING to the short rails is much more difficult.

To make use of the real estate, I have a cut off bin under the outboard extension table, and a nice router table parked there too. At this point the long rails are worth it to me just for the router lift. The whole thing makes a good assembly table too in a pinch.

[Tony Bilello]

....My use for this saw is general hobbyist and some home cabinets....between the 36" and 52" models.... space is the issue....What would I need a 52" for? ....what cutting would require that much room on the fence side? ,,,

Both plywood and hardwood cutting for furniture parts would be more than 32". The fence would give you repetitive cuts. There are other ways to do it, but I feel the table saw is best.