Scot Ferraro
06-30-2011, 10:02 PM
Hi everyone,
I am at a cross-roads and could use some advice. I need more space in my shop and my TS just takes up too much space. I have looked at shortening the rails and making its footprint smaller, but I am not sure if it will free up enough space to make it worthwhile, especially since I would need a new mobile base and my overhead guard might not fit. With that said, John Coloccia's recent post on having a "tablesawless" shop really got me thinking that maybe I would be happy going that route too -- more space to work without tripping over everything would be one of those intangibles that would really improve the quality of my shop time.
So, I got to thinking more about what types of cuts and joinery a tablesaw can do that no other machine could do easily and I really cannot think of anything other than processing material that is too big for the bandsaw's throat capacity. I have a pretty well equipped shop now and if I were to go this route, then I would probably invest in a 24 inch or larger bandsaw to increase the throat depth, keep my current 18 inch bandsaw to allow for more flexibility and fewer blade changes and dump my cabinet saw. I have tried to outline the typical cuts for any given project and determined if the bandsaw or some other tool could accomplish them in lieu of a cabinet saw. I realize that speed may be sacrificed for some operations and that there might be some additional steps to clean up edges, etc..., but I am not trying to beat the clock in my hobby shop.
Ripping and Crosscutting -- Bandsaw can handle the majority of these cuts
Dadoes, rabbets, grooves, slots -- router can handle these
Mortises - bandsaw can easily handle
Sheet goods -- track saw
Miter cuts -- track saw or miter saw
Resaw -- bandsaw
Long, repetitive cross-cuts (longer than throat depth) -- bandsaw could handle with a miter gauge as long as it can be to the right of the blade.
Molding cuts -- router/router table
Dovetail joints - bandsaw
Box Joints - dovetail jig for speed, bandsaw could handle with patience
Bevel rip cuts - bandsaw can handle, but with some clean-up; router with appropriate chamfer bit for angle
Compound miters - miter saw
What operations am I missing from this list and are there any operations that are best done only on the tablesaw? I do not want to sell my beloved cabinet saw, only to regret it later as it is an excellent saw and I really enjoy using it. But, I work 99% of the time in solid wood building furniture and having more space to work is important too.
Thoughts? Comments? Am I crazy for considering this approach?
I appreciate hearing what others have to say and also feedback from users who have taken the plunge and gone a similar route.
Scot
I am at a cross-roads and could use some advice. I need more space in my shop and my TS just takes up too much space. I have looked at shortening the rails and making its footprint smaller, but I am not sure if it will free up enough space to make it worthwhile, especially since I would need a new mobile base and my overhead guard might not fit. With that said, John Coloccia's recent post on having a "tablesawless" shop really got me thinking that maybe I would be happy going that route too -- more space to work without tripping over everything would be one of those intangibles that would really improve the quality of my shop time.
So, I got to thinking more about what types of cuts and joinery a tablesaw can do that no other machine could do easily and I really cannot think of anything other than processing material that is too big for the bandsaw's throat capacity. I have a pretty well equipped shop now and if I were to go this route, then I would probably invest in a 24 inch or larger bandsaw to increase the throat depth, keep my current 18 inch bandsaw to allow for more flexibility and fewer blade changes and dump my cabinet saw. I have tried to outline the typical cuts for any given project and determined if the bandsaw or some other tool could accomplish them in lieu of a cabinet saw. I realize that speed may be sacrificed for some operations and that there might be some additional steps to clean up edges, etc..., but I am not trying to beat the clock in my hobby shop.
Ripping and Crosscutting -- Bandsaw can handle the majority of these cuts
Dadoes, rabbets, grooves, slots -- router can handle these
Mortises - bandsaw can easily handle
Sheet goods -- track saw
Miter cuts -- track saw or miter saw
Resaw -- bandsaw
Long, repetitive cross-cuts (longer than throat depth) -- bandsaw could handle with a miter gauge as long as it can be to the right of the blade.
Molding cuts -- router/router table
Dovetail joints - bandsaw
Box Joints - dovetail jig for speed, bandsaw could handle with patience
Bevel rip cuts - bandsaw can handle, but with some clean-up; router with appropriate chamfer bit for angle
Compound miters - miter saw
What operations am I missing from this list and are there any operations that are best done only on the tablesaw? I do not want to sell my beloved cabinet saw, only to regret it later as it is an excellent saw and I really enjoy using it. But, I work 99% of the time in solid wood building furniture and having more space to work is important too.
Thoughts? Comments? Am I crazy for considering this approach?
I appreciate hearing what others have to say and also feedback from users who have taken the plunge and gone a similar route.
Scot