Anyone Using a 14 or 18" Tablesaw?

[Mike Shields]

As I've been browsing through classifieds, I've noticed some very large table saws for sale. The stated blade size says (up to) 18".

Now I know this is the max blade size, but this restricts using smaller blade sizes such as the more common 10" due to the arbor. I'm guessing at this level of machine, there is no swappable arbor.

Does any use a large capacity (14" or larger) saw for hobby work? Is so, why?

Mike (using a wimpy 10" TS)

[Bob Aquino]

I'm using a Delta 12/14, but I'm only spinning a 12" blade in it. It will take a 14", but that blade will always stick up out of the top and I don't care for that. For home hobbyiest work, I don't see much need to go beyond 10" blades, let alone 12. This particular saw does use interchangeable arbors, It originally had a 1 1/8th arbor in it, I swapped it for a 1" arbor from Griz. Their old 12" saw was modeled after this one down to the interchangeable arbors.

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_nh7rpc89jO0/TLNYJghMMtI/AAAAAAAAJrQ/g47ywIY79Aw/s800/IMG_1478.JPG

And how the parts compare to a similar vintage unisaw:

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_nh7rpc89jO0/STnVLTFiVCI/AAAAAAAAEt0/PcpKuBNUJbo/s800/P1030480.JPG

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_nh7rpc89jO0/STnVKmM-w-I/AAAAAAAAEtk/Hg8oiOsvDi8/s800/P1030482.JPG

[Dennis Ford]

I have a very old saw made by Crescent Machine that will take a 16" blade, most of the time a 14" blade works for me. A modern 10" cabinet saw would do everything that I need but this is what I have and it works.

[Jeff Duncan]

There is no real restriction from using smaller blades as they can be drilled out by your sharpener for larger arbors. You lose the advantages of the bigger saw though so kinda silly to go that route. Not to mention depending on the particular saw you'll actually have less capacity as the 10" blade will not likely raise as high as on a smaller saw.
Other disadvantages for hobby use....you'll have less options for accessories like tenon jigs, miter gauges etc with a bigger saw. Some also find the distance from the front of the saw to the blade to be difficult to adjust to on the bigger saws.
I have a 10" and a 12" that'll squeeze a 14" on and I like having the additional capacity of the bigger saws.....but I make my living with them so a bit different than hobby use.
good luck,
JeffD

[Frank Drew]

At least from the pictures I've seen, some of the very old, original table saws seem to have had really monster blades, like 20"+. I've never worked with a table saw blade that large, but some cutoff saws I've used had 16" blades.

The two table saws I've owned could both swing 12" blades, but I only mounted them when I wanted to rip 16/4 material in one go, which was fairly infrequently. I certainly never needed a blade that big, but I can see their use in a big production setting.

[Dave Cav]

A lot of the older industrial saws used direct drive motors where the motor shaft was also the saw arbor. Because the motor took up more room than a pulley, bigger blades were needed to get the same depth of cut as with a smaller belt drive machine. These saws are usually three phase, and generally very heavy as well.

I also have a Delta 12/14 saw, and Bob summed it up very nicely. I love mine and plan to keep it for a long time. I use it mostly for ripping or an occasional wide crosscut, and I use my Powermatic 65 for smaller rips and crosscuts, miters and tenon work. Mine is set up a lot like Bob's with a big Biesmeyer fence, but instead of a router table, I put a shaper in the area between the fence rails.

[Neil Brooks]

I ... um ... hesitate to admit, but I've kind of been watching this ad (http://denver.craigslist.org/tls/2045116347.html) to see if it ever makes a substantial price drop.

You never know.

I'd love to have a big ol' HEAP of Northfield iron in my shop.

But ... since mine's a basement shop, with no exterior access. I'd probably have to tunnel in, to get it there ;)

[Sean lennon]

I also have a Delta 12-14

take a close look at the difference in the table guide bar size on the miter gauges in Bobs photos.

quite a nice piece of machinery but the t slot size can be a real bummer if you do not have the ability to make new guide for almost any type of jig or miter gauge commonly available.


the interchangeable arbors on the delta were a brilliant idea, expensive, but brilliant.


Sean

[Bob Aquino]

I also have a Delta 12-14

take a close look at the difference in the table guide bar size on the miter gauges in Bobs photos.

quite a nice piece of machinery but the t slot size can be a real bummer if you do not have the ability to make new guide for almost any type of jig or miter gauge commonly available.


the interchangeable arbors on the delta were a brilliant idea, expensive, but brilliant.


Sean
There are ways around the 1" miter slots. One way is with using aluminum miter slot extrusions as a filler, the other is milling some UHMW plastic. Both work fairly well.

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_nh7rpc89jO0/SYXn8FPyrPI/AAAAAAAAGRU/gbTzNgQn2m8/s800/P1030746.JPG


http://lh5.ggpht.com/_nh7rpc89jO0/SYXlQjgREvI/AAAAAAAAGRE/zVEbnfnyHyE/s800/P1030744.JPG

The arbor from Griz was pretty reasonable, around the order of 40 bucks. I do know that Delta was expensive, I sold the original 1 1/8th arbor to a guy on OWWM for not much more than the replacement cost me, he was ecstatic since Delta wanted on the order of 400 dollars or more IIRC. That would be insane and I knew I would never have a use for it.

[Steve Rowe]

My saw takes up to a 16" blade. I have run blades as small as 10". I routinely run 14" blades. Like others have indicated, blades can be rebored. Why - it is a Martin.


As I've been browsing through classifieds, I've noticed some very large table saws for sale. The stated blade size says (up to) 18".

Now I know this is the max blade size, but this restricts using smaller blade sizes such as the more common 10" due to the arbor. I'm guessing at this level of machine, there is no swappable arbor.

Does any use a large capacity (14" or larger) saw for hobby work? Is so, why?

Mike (using a wimpy 10" TS)

[Stephen Cherry]

I have a felder saw that I use for chopping up big stuff. It can use a 375 mm blade; most of my blades are 350 mm, and I also have a 10" Forrest dado king. Basically, it chops up whatever you can put on the slide, and occasionally the extra capacity comes in handy.

I mainly bought it because I have a hard time with plywood, and I sometimes like to make tables. With this saw, table tops are a breeze. I straiten the first edge clamped to the slide, then rip the other. No need for a jointer for edge jointing. Sizing glued up table tops takes only a couple of minutes, most of which is spent drinking a coffee.

Tapered legs- no jig necessary- just a flip stop, and a block of wood clamped to the slide. And the blade isn't maxed out for height, so it is cutting in a downward direction. I think this is a better quality cut, and safer.

So most of what I do with this saw doesn't really require a big blade, but it is nice to have a industrial quality machine. It's a pleasure to use.

[Mike Shields]

I ... um ... hesitate to admit, but I've kind of been watching this ad (http://denver.craigslist.org/tls/2045116347.html) to see if it ever makes a substantial price drop.

You never know.

Sure is funny seeing you post this, as that is one of the two saws that prompted this post.

I emailed the lister asking a few questions, and never received a response.
I'm in Brighton, the same as the lister.

Just one of those things that may be a dream, but not from a financial aspect. It's more like, do I need a saw that big?

Sure would be nice to own at least one tool where I'm not always thinking that I want to upgrade from my current one.

[Damon Stathatos]

I run a Northfield 4 and it is simply the heart of my operation. With an 18" blade, it will go through 5" of cocobolo (my main milling wood), no problem. I generally prefer keeping a 16" on as it allows setting the stock feeder with the blade down (height adjustment) before the cut.

I rarely run the big blades without the stock feeder after a kickback that nearly killed me. The velocity of the business part (teeth) is infinitely greater running an 18" as opposed to a 10 or 12". Those things will pick up a massive block of cocobolo and kick it back at you as if it were balsa wood. Even though it may fly like balsa wood, it doesn't hit like balsa wood.

Before I began my milling business, I had a regular shop in my garage. I don't believe there was ever a situation that I would have needed the capabilities of the larger blades then, however I was mainly doing the regular types of things. Until you have the capabilities of a larger cut, you never consider them as an option.

Lastly, the $2k seems really high if it's a 3 phase machine, which I think they all were (not possitive but these things are made for an industrial application). Mine was $400 and probably landed me (delivered after rigger and trucking) around $600 to $700 (included the stock feeder). If you're really intent, keep your eye on the IRS auctions as my price was fairly typical.

The picture below shows the saw with a 16" blade. Best to you.

Added: The block of coco on the table top is the (zero clearance) insert.

[Mike Shields]

I run a Northfield 4 and it is simply the heart of my operation. With an 18" blade, it will go through 5" of cocobolo (my main milling wood), no problem. I generally prefer keeping a 16" on as it allows setting the stock feeder with the blade down (height adjustment) before the cut.



That thing is a monster. It won't just take a finger, it would take your arm.

I'd like to see sawstop make a brake for that.

Yeah, right!