Bandsaw vs. Tablesaw and Key Limiting Factors?

[Scot Ferraro]

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

[Bill Huber]

Take a look at this thread.
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?167495-Tablesawless-shop&highlight=table+sawless

[John Tallyn]

I have been going thru the same thought process as you for about the same time frame. My ONLY reason for keeping the cabinet saw is that I still do a lot of kitchen cabinets, cutting quite a few identical pieces of sheets goods, then processing identical rabbits/dadoes on the same pieces makes it worthwhile for me. IF, I can get out of doing so many doggone kitchen cabinets for customers, and get more into custom furniture, I would get rid of the cabinet saw in a heartbeat. I'm retired from the military, and would love to have the additional room in my shop that the cabinet saw takes up, like you, I would prefer to have two bandsaws w/o the cabinet saw. I think that the majority of the opinions you will get will be for the traditional set up, ie: cabinet saw and B/S, but my opinion is that the cabinet saw is over rated except for doing runs of kitchen cabinet work.
John

[Harvey Pascoe]

I don't think any one can tell you what to do since everyone works differently. I, too, have acute space limitations, working in a 2 car garage but I solved that problem by clustering my machines into a work island with the 5' TS extension table use for numerous other purposes. I have a bandsaw as well and both machines are indespensible to me. I think you just need to be more inventive and figure out a way to make your layout work better. Working w/o a table saw could be tough, tougher than complaining about a lack of space.

I've seen layouts where guys do what I do in a one car garage, so where there's a will, there's a way.

[Rod Sheridan]

I have a small shop in a townhouse and had the following machines

- cabinet saw
- 17" band saw
- drill press
- cyclone
- jointer
- planer
- shaper

It was crowded, so I sold my 8" jointer and stationary planer and bought a Hammer A3-31 jointer planer, great improvement in space, more capacity.

Next step was to replace the cabinet saw and shaper with a Hammer B3 Winner sliding saw/shaper, once again space gains as well as gaining capacity and capabilities.

Note that I don't own a router or router table, or a miter saw, with a sliding saw/shaper they're not needed, so I don't have space consumed by those items.

The combo machines from Europe solved the problem of space for small European shops, they have a minimum 12" jointer and planer with a sliding saw/shaper and a slot mortiser if desired. They take up a minimum of space and provide capacities and capabilities that aren't possible with standard North American style machines in a small shop. I would expect that a small combo would be the same size as your cabinet saw or smaller, and would eliminate all your machines except for a band saw and drill press.

In a small shop the jointer/planer as one machine, and the saw/shaper as the other may be the best.

I also make mostly solid wood furniture and I wouldn't go back to the NA style machines, nor would I be without the table saw function, especially a sliding one.

Regards, Rod.

[Chris Fournier]

So you'll sell your tablesaw and then buy a second bandsaw to save space! I think that the advice to reorganize your layout is sage.

Perhaps we do very different work but I couldn't live without my tablesaw. Even for making jigs and fixtures and getting quick square components the tablesaw is my go to machine.

If you think that changing blades on a B-saw is tedious enough to merit a second B-saw I can't imagine how you'll cope without a T-saw. Getting a four square component in your proposed shop would be a trial every time. It's a doddle on the T-saw.

At the very least the T-saw can be used as a work surface when its not running.

[Harvey Pascoe]

At the very least the T-saw can be used as a work surface when its not running.

Ain't that the truth! And the squaring up issue is spot-on. I'd rather be cramped than to joint every piece by hand and encounter the horrendous issue of improper sizing that usually goes with it.

BTW Chris, I solved my problem with cutting thin strips by making a left side miter slot stop gauge out of aluminum.

[Jim Foster]

I think it also depends on what type of projects you do and what types of materials you use. If you use mostly sheet stock, a lack of a TS may be tough.

[Scot Ferraro]

Thanks for the thoughts, guys...keep 'em coming. I already have a Hammer J/P to eliminate the two separates. My thinking of the two bandsaws was to leave one set up with a wide blade full time for ripping operations and the other with a smaller blade for curves, etc... Both machines would fit in the same or smaller footprint as just the T/S. In terms of cross-cutting and squaring, I have the Festool system and MFT/3 which makes perfectly square cuts and breaks down for storage. I agree, though, speed and convenience of a TS is tough to beat.

Rod, how wide and how long is you saw/shaper? I know you have the shorter-stroke slider.

Scot

[Prashun Patel]

Some other stuff you've probably considered:

Put yr router table in one of the tsaw extension wings.

Make folding extension wings for your table saw. They'll have to be leveled properly when in use, but when not, they'll be out of the way.

Truth be told, I use my tablesaw as much as an additional flat work surface as an actual saw, so I kind of like its occupation in the center of my shop.

If you still want to get rid of the t-saw you can use a miter/chop saw to do a lot of repetitive cross cutting. The bandsaw CAN do all this, but the edges are just cleaner and easier to work with off a circular blade.

[John TenEyck]

I'm going to gang on with the tablesaw crowd. The BS is a very versatile saw, but it's not really a high precision device, especially when trying to cut something 4-square. A table saw is more versatile and can safely do pretty much anything except resaw wide stock, and do it fast and precisely. That's the reason why they are the heart of most shops, large and small. The comments about reorganizing your shop to cluster equipment and thinking about combi machines are likely to solve your space problems more effectively than ditching your TS. Good luck.

[Andrew McConaghy]

If you just want more room in your shop, I'll trade you tablesaws :rolleyes:. I have a little plastic-frames "Craftsman" benchtop style saw with a cast aluminum table. Uses a 5/8" miter slot, but it is nice and small!