Two table saws??

[Rick Potter]

In my old shop, I had two table saws, set back to back, so each was the outfeed for the other. In my current shop I have an old Unisaw, right tilt, with a 30" Unifence, and a Jessem slider. Recently, I was fortunate to find a left tilt Unisaw with a 50" Beisemeyer fence at a great price. I want to use both saws.

I am trying to decide what configuration to use. Side by side? Back to back?? This seems unworkable because of the slider? I would like advice from anyone using two saws, preferably with some pics so I can see how they look and function. I know I have seen a pic somewhere of a pair set up with a common fence, but have no idea how that would work out. They do not have to be on mobile bases, although they presently are.

I have room for them in the shop, but don't want to waste any.

Any ideas?? Pics??

Rick Potter

[Chris Rosenberger]

Before I had room to separate my 2 Unisaws I had them back to back with an Excalbur slider on on of the saws.
The saw that did not have the slider, I put the long part of the fence on the left sjde of the blade. Both saw were right tilt.
Here is the only picture I could find. The saw in the back is the one the slider is attached to.

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o303/chrisrosenb/HPIM0031.jpg

[Mike Cutler]

Rick

My General TS is set at a right angle to my Jet. My shop is only 9'wide, but 28' long, so the General can be set for either a long rip, or a max 5 1/2' crosscut.
The Jet can only be set to cross cut, but it can cross cut to effectively 22'.
My JessEm Master slide can be setup on either machine.

I think the pic you are remembering may have possibly been either Barb Siddiqui's, or Carol Reed's (sp.) shop. I think they had 4 Delta Unisaws setup in an island configuration. I don't remember if the shop pic's are on the Wood Central board, or the old Badger Pond board. It was cool though.

Hey Chris. How did you like that Excaliber fence? I've had one laying around for a few years now, but my current shop isn't big enough to use it.

[Chris Rosenberger]

Hey Chris. How did you like that Excaliber fence? I've had one laying around for a few years now, but my current shop isn't big enough to use it.

Mike, I liked it so well that I am now using it on my new style Unisaw. I would not want to go back to building cabinets without it.

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o303/chrisrosenb/100_0891.jpg

[Jeff Duncan]

I use the two saws/one rail setup and it works well for me. I can't see how having them back to back would work efficiently though? Unless you only cut small parts the fence on one is going to be in the way of the other saw?

On my setup the Uni is used mostly for dado cuts as it doesn't have a very wide cut to the right of the blade.

http://i982.photobucket.com/albums/ae307/duncanww/IMG_2197.jpg

good luck,
JeffD

[Neil Brooks]

May I be permitted to chime in, here, and state the obvious ?

This is a good problem to have :)

[keith micinski]

I woud have thought side by side would be more limiting. I have a router table built into my side table and with the 25" incra fence i can't really do much with the saw once I setup the router. I see what your saying about the fences crossing each other or being in the way back to back. I had a second saw set up as an L shape so I could just rotate 90 degrees and they never really interfaced at all but it was really handy. I kind of always miss that setup when I am doing lots of dado work now.

[J.R. Rutter]

I had a side-by-side setup like Jeff's - one front bar and two fences, with a power feeder on the far right table.

[Dave Cav]

I have mine at right angles. The big saw is a Delta 12/14 with an outfeed table the same size as the main saw table. The small saw is a PM 65. It is on the right side of the Delta and it backs up to the right side of the outfeed table and fits perfectly. In the angle between the two saws is a Delta shaper, and a router table is between the fence rails on the right side of the PM. That way I can use the Delta fence on the shaper, and the PM fence on the router table. Took a bunch of shimming and adujsting but everything works for me. Makes it much easier to handle sheet stock. Unfortunately (or fortunately) I don't have the room or money for an Euro slider.

[John TenEyck]

I have two TS side by side, a right tilt Unisaw on the left and a Sears on the right, with a common 50" Vega Pro fence. I replaced the right table extension on the Sears with a router table, and the Vega fence is used for all three. I primarily rip on the Unisaw and use my cut-off sled on the Sears, since I have no slider, but the big, wide top makes it great for sheet goods. Off the back of both TS is a work bench to catch long parts as they exit the saw. The Unisaw was a rehab project, hence the change in color; more importantly, I made a new base for it to get up to the same height as the off feed table and the Sears saw, and bolted the two together.

Here's a pic before I put on the Vega fence:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-VjUZRYlapP0/S4QH4XEiRRI/AAAAAAAAAF8/ISzhDLqW2Vk/s400/IMG_5182.JPG

[Joseph Tarantino]

one vote for right angles:

218341

the foreground ridgid is for ripping and the background c-man is for crosscutting. with only 240sq' of space, this is the only arrangement that made sense in my situation. i'd go back to back if i had the room necessary to support non-mobilie power tools. thanks to jim (forgot his last name), a fellow creeker who uses his 3612 as an outfeed for hiis grizz 1023 or 691 for the idea. works great.

[J.R. Rutter]

http://i982.photobucket.com/albums/ae307/duncanww/IMG_2197.jpg


Your Martin is showing ;-)

[Van Huskey]

Chris, how well does the slider work that far from the blade in the new setup? Usually I see people remove the left wing but the new Uni may be a one piece top. I always hated the idea of losing the left wing but had never seen anyone mount it away from the blade like that.

[Todd Burch]

Man, we got some toolaholics on this board!!

@Chris - your shop is WAY too clean. I don't think you use it!!! Nobody's shop is that clean! Even the trash can is clean. GET OUT OF TOWN!!!

[Jeff Duncan]

Your Martin is showing ;-)


Oh yeah, your right! Luckily my router table is conveniently blocking my lesser import shaper. About half an hour later and it would have been fully exposed:o