Van Huskey
05-15-2012, 12:33 AM
As some of you may know I kinda like bandsaws. Something interesting happened last week (I started writing this over a month ago so it has been longer than a week!), I was working in my garage when my mailman pulled up to drop off a package. It turns out he is a retired woodworker and he spent 20 minutes or so looking at my saws and talking about them. Italian saws were new to him and as I described what made them “special” he ended up with the comment “Sounds like the perfect bandsaw”. My immediate thought was they aren’t really close to perfect but didn’t say anything since even through there was no rain or sleet involved I figured bandsaws shouldn’t keep him from his appointed rounds either! This has had me thinking what would be the perfect bandsaw and I came up with roughly my set of criteria. No company makes or has made this perfect, for me, saw AFAIK. Finishing the post was spurred on by a recent post that ask me about my favorite or best bandsaws. So here are my thoughts, understand even though it has been sitting in my computer for a while now and I have given it a good deal of thought I didn’t spend very much time actually writing it so hopefully it will be intelligible! It also hit me in writing the thread that it will be helpful in some spots to give specifications for this “perfect” saw so I had to consider the overall size/capacity, so I decided on a saw with 24” wheels and 24” of resaw so any specs I give will be considering this size and can be mentally scaled proportionally if one so chooses.
FRAME
The first attribute would be the frame/spine. Many bandsaw fans would say this is simple, gotta be cast iron! Not me. CI has great vibration absorption and back in the day when high manufacturing tolerances were expensive or unobtainable I would agree, this however is the modern world. I am more than happy with a welded steel bandsaw when built to the heavy spine standards of the Italians especially Centauro. When all the reciprocating parts are balanced really well and vibration considered in every aspect of design there should be little if any significant vibration to dampen. Once you get up to the well built weight of quality mid-sized saws you aren’t going to push them over or slide them around so the extra mass of CI is a non-issue as well. The production and shipping cost of the extra mass becomes huge and there isn’t any true benefit IMHO.
So, build my saw well and give me a steel frame, unless you want to built it from CI AND sell it and ship it to me for steel prices…
This would make “my” saw about 1,600 or so pounds equipped in the manner I will detail.
MOTOR
Next up is the motor and drive. I am not remotely a metal worker so I have no desire for a high reduction complicated drive system but oddly enough I do want a level of speed control. Having used different saws with blade rates from 3,000 to 7,000 sfpm + I have learned that sometimes it is favorable to adjust speed even when “only” sawing wood. My saw would have variable speed from about 3,500 to about 6,500 sfpm accomplished via VFD (variable frequency drive) since the saw would need less HP at lower speeds I wouldn’t employ a belt systems but just use the VFD. I would equip this saw with a 7.5hp or 10hp 3 phase direct drive motor. Direct drive would reduce the vibration as well as parasitic losses. The motor would not be cheap, given my speed requirements it would be a 1200rpm motor. (OK I didn’t bother with the math so it may be a little off my 6,500 sfpm spec but a 900 rpm motor will be too slow). The VFD will allow a measure of braking (but not fast enough for me so there will be a mechanical brake as well) along with soft start which is important due to my wheel choice. My rule of thumb is 1hp per 4 inches of resaw for a saw that allows a good resaw blade to be the limiting factor, the motor is sized larger so it still meets this goal even when the speed is reduced, it won’t make it when running 3,500 sfpm but will be more than enough for the required reduced feed rate.
In short, big direct drive motor with VFD control.
WHEELS/TIRES
I have some interesting thoughts here which would send a production engineer into seizures and may be the one area which might not be feasible. First, is the very feasible. I want cast wheels, big, thick heavy cast wheels, on the order of 100 pounds each. This is well over the norm for even well built saws and I want them on even larger say 36” wheeled saws where steel is more the norm due to weight. I plan to get away with this by using the soft start via VFD. Hammering a saw with the start up inertia of huge cast wheels is bad for most everything in the saw from the motor to the operators delicate senses. By ramping up the speed via VFD this problem goes away and with the massive motor and huge inertia a constant speed and thus smooth cut are ensured.
Here is where things get tricky, I like flat tires for resawing. Full width support of wide resaw blades is important for reducing fatigue. BUT with narrow blades it is extremely nice to have a crown so they are easy to track. My wheel is very wide and has a front section that is flat and a rear section which is crowned, now I said the crown is in the wheel not the tire. It would allow tracking of blades up to 2” wide on the front section and at least ½” on the rear crowned portion. The front tire for the flat section would be thick rubber with a T profile for easy alignment and changing plus durability for dealing with the high tension of the resaw blades, the rear tire would be thinner urethane to mold to the crown. Given the high potential speed of the wheels both would probably have to be glued on, I hate it but probably true at least for the rear tires. The wheel bearings would also be oversized to handle the high loads with aplomb.
These wheels would be balanced to very high tolerances and have very good concentricity. Low vibration = good steel saw!
DOORS/CONTROL SURFACES
The door issue is fairly simple the doors would be one piece and have louvers near the top (explanation in dust control). They would open FULLY even with the supplied mobility kit AND have a detent when fully open to prevent unintended closure ala a car door. They would be supplied with a micro-switch in order to prevent the saw being turned on with the doors not fully locked down. They would be sealed all the way around again for dust control. They would have large knurled metal wheels that locked the doors tight as they rotated on a pin (similar to many bandsaws now). The doors would be heavy gauge steel, maybe even with a crease down the middle in order to prevent vibration and noise. The center section between the top and bottom would be beefed up so when opened they felt like one solid door, not two parts connected by spaghetti. While we are at it the whole saw would be prepped well for power coat and have a smooth finish in colors and graphics that make you smile and want to use the saw, not colors that make one feel like they landed in a 1950’s asylum.
The warning stickers would be tastefully done and group together as much as possible. They would be produced using a glue that allows them to be as permanent as OSHA requires but as easy as possible to remove cleanly for the hobbyist that hates a cluttered view.
All the control surfaces would be heavy and chromed. Finely knurled where need be and polished smooth where not. The VFD and switches would be integrated into the spine so they would be flush except for the switches and speed pot. Both the VFD and magnetic switch would be branded with the saws manufacturer and not look like a collection of surplus parts.
TENSIONING/TRACKING
Tensioning would be accomplished via a large chromed (but textured for good bite on the hand) wheel attached to a large acme screw. The would be no quick release. The tension meter would be attached to a load cell with a digital display which reads in absolute pressure as well as a small key pad to enter blade width and gauge so a second line would show strain on the blade in PSI, making correct tension easy peasy, and repeatable. The spring would be massive and capable of tensioning a 2” x .042” blade to 35,000 PSI without bottoming out. The load cell would be connected to the motor control and not allow the saw to be turned on if tension was below a certain level, preventing tension off starts and stopping the saw automatically if the blade breaks.
Tracking would also have a large easy to turn wheel with a tracking window and an LED light inside the frame to illuminate the blade/tires. The motor control would have a “tracking” speed button which would spin the wheels under power but at a reduced speed of about 100 rpm to make tracking painless. The tires would be a light color to ensure it was clear exactly where the blade is tracking.
TABLE/TRUNNIONS
The table would be large, on the order of 32x40 and tilt from 48 to -10 degrees. It would be massively heavy and deeply ribbed, solid enough NOT to need a pin BUT a pin would be included. All the areas where feeder and feeder fences would be drilled and attached would be beefed up and careful design of the ribs would be undertaken to make sure there would be no issues with attachment nor loss of integrity.
The blade slot would be out to the right and though not ideal but probably needed for the particular fence. The throat opening would be large and easy to move a 2” blade in without damage. The throat plate would be large and made from brass and have sacrificial inserts for a ZCI both flat and for tilted cuts. It would have leveling screws.
The trunnions would be oversized and cast iron, it would have a large scale with positive stops at standard angles, there would be a built in digital inclinometer as well. The table would be adjustable as referenced to the blade, allowing drift to be cancelled by the table and making the DUAL miter slots useful. The table edges would be drilled and tapped for easy additions of Aigner extensions, if the table size was inadequate for a job. The table would have a large rack and pinion adjustment arm (ala Grizzly oh my) with a positive lock to increase table stability even though it should not be needed.
The blade guard would be a quick release swing out design to allow quick and easy access for blade changing and be equipped with a positive catch and safety micro-switch.
GUIDE POST
The guidepost should be square heavy and very rigid. It should have a smooth adjustment with a large hand wheel and be adjustable for parallel/perpendicular in two planes as well as friction. It should have a cover over the top of the frame so it is covered when fully up. As an option a electric guidepost control could be added.
GUIDES
First and foremost the guides should be easy to adjust. Both above and below the table large hands should be able to easily access the controls. All adjustments should be accomplished without tools and the knobs should be shaped for easy tightening and the screws on the knobs should be precision threaded and specified to allow for good torque without damage. The guides under the table should be height adjustable so that the lower guide can be just below the table at all angles. It should be on a precision track so it is easy to adjust and to make allowances for being parallel to the blade.
The main guides themselves would be ceramic, similar to those found on Laguna but with micro-adjustments and larger ceramic surfaces with the thrust surface also being split in to two with a wide separation like the side guides on the Laguna guides. They should attach to the guide post with a square mount which is screwed into the post. It should have a provision for quick change to a grooved thrust bearing ala the Carter Stabilizer and provisions for a quick change to a Cool Block type guide as well. All of the guide mounting options should have an indexing key to facilitate quick alignment. There should be adequate adjustment to ensure all blade widths can be easy and correctly adjusted for.
ELECTRICAL
As I have mentioned in earlier sections there is a lot of electrical and electronic things going on with this saw. It will have multiple readouts as well as a VFD for motor control. The magnetic switch will have a large off paddle and require reset. There are several micro-switches as mentioned to prevent unsafe operation. The internal wiring will be high quality and the ampacity of the internal wiring will exceed the minimal, I hate seeing a machine with uber-skinny wires, I know they are short runs but still.
On the back side situated beside the motor (for form factor) would be a positive lockable disconnect which would have a breaker for current control. It would come with a high quality 15 foot cord with the proper NEMA locking plug AND the matching locking receptacle so as long as the wiring in the wall was correct you would have a proper high quality setup without going to the store.
BRAKE
Along with the electrical brake there would be a footbrake with micro-switch connected to a serious (think small car drum brake) mechanical brake. The foot pedal would have significant mechanical advantage built in for a quick stress free stop. The pedal would have a quality non-slip surface.
This highly effective brake would require another bit of complexity. There would be a limit mechanism hooked to the brake pedal what would allow the micro-switch to trip BUT not allow the mechanical brake to engage, this limit would be engaged when narrow blades were used since engaging this brake with a narrow blade would rip it right off the wheels. This limit switches position would be run through a logic switch connected to the tension meter that would not allow the saw to be turned on if the full brake were engaged and tension was below a certain amount (based on the assumption the low tension meant a narrow blade was installed) and conversely would not allow the saw to be turned on with the brake limit rod ON preventing the full brake from being used if the tension was above a certain level (assuming a wide blade that would allow mechanical brake usage). The electric brake would be set to allow quicker coast down but not a rapid stop so it would function with any blade.
BASE
The base will have integrated casters what can be raised and lowered via a hydraulic foot pedal. It will raise enough to roll effectively over the average (read not perfectly flat) concrete floor and have large diameter wheels to roll well over small imperfections.
One of my pet peeves about trying to have one saw do everything is the table height. For resawing particularly tall cuts one needs a low base, maybe in the 34-35” range to control the material properly. When contour cutting it is much easier to work the material if the table is higher, say 43-44” above the floor. So my saw has a built in scissor lift which leaves the table at 35” when down and can raise it to 44” when fully raised. It will be designed to accommodate several hundred pounds of ballast in the protion of the base that does not move, allowing the owner to reduce the raised center of gravity at their discretion. The base of the saw would be extended in the rear (not past the table) to make sure their was a very wide stable base with or without ballast.
DUST CONTROL
As mentioned the top and bottom cabinets would be sealed as well as possible. There would be the standard chamber right below the table with a sacrificial ZCI and a 6” DC port the chamber would be sealed as well as possible except for a properly sized vent at the top opposite of the hose fitting. And work in conjunction with the perforations in the brass throat plate. There would also be a 6” DC port at the bottom of the lower cabinet with angled dust trays to direct the dust to this port. There would be louvers near the top center of the lower door to properly direct the airflow. There would of course be a tire brush for the lower tire.
FENCE
The fence would be a modified version of the Laguna Driftmaster. First its size would be increased to allow it to move fully from against the spine to the blade. It would have the same quick adjustment along with the fine adjustment BUT also have a system for locking securely on the back side as well. It would have the same excellent drift adjustment (although this saw has a table adjustment the fence could be used for tiny and or quick adjustments when miter slot parallelism was a non-issue). It would have a short high-low fence with the tall portion being about 6 inches. It would have a separate 12” tall resaw fence with front and rear stabilizer arms that attached to the back of the fence to create a very rigid fence. The fence would be equipped with a digital readout with multiple functions for use with repeated cuts and resawing activities. The fence would be designed to take a version of the Laguna/Co-Matic “belt sander” feeder.
OTHER
A couple of small items. There would be a good work area lighting system probably best accomplished via multiple LEDs. I would like to see a multiple position laser for guiding work. It would cast a long thin line back toward the user for off hand resawing and a bright point very close to the blade teeth for following contour cut lines. I would also like to see an adjustable blower to clear dust from the cut lines.
Finally, I would like a sensor that could “see” me arrive and leave. When I arrive the saws main power would be turned on (unless the lockout was engaged) and it would say hello in a nice sultry voice, then turn off the main power when I left the shop telling me goodbye and have a nice day and reminding me to return soon.
Wow, this turned out to be a treatise! Originally, I didn’t think it would be but a couple of paragraphs. Even now I am sure I missed a lot of areas that would need to be addressed were this even a glimmer in a product managers eye! In the intro I said no one had made this saw as far as I know, now after going nuts I KNOW it has not been built, nor is anything near it likely to be built for numerous reasons. Even at the economy of scale of the average 24x24 saw this over electronic controlled monster would probably cost… you know I don’t even have a guess but it would be expensive if it was reliable.
Feel free to add, subtract, disagree, laugh, puke or just tell me what couldn’t or wouldn’t be done. I had planned to entitle this my dream saw but I think that suggests something more in the realm of reality, this is a fantasy saw, from the mind of a truly demented man!
FRAME
The first attribute would be the frame/spine. Many bandsaw fans would say this is simple, gotta be cast iron! Not me. CI has great vibration absorption and back in the day when high manufacturing tolerances were expensive or unobtainable I would agree, this however is the modern world. I am more than happy with a welded steel bandsaw when built to the heavy spine standards of the Italians especially Centauro. When all the reciprocating parts are balanced really well and vibration considered in every aspect of design there should be little if any significant vibration to dampen. Once you get up to the well built weight of quality mid-sized saws you aren’t going to push them over or slide them around so the extra mass of CI is a non-issue as well. The production and shipping cost of the extra mass becomes huge and there isn’t any true benefit IMHO.
So, build my saw well and give me a steel frame, unless you want to built it from CI AND sell it and ship it to me for steel prices…
This would make “my” saw about 1,600 or so pounds equipped in the manner I will detail.
MOTOR
Next up is the motor and drive. I am not remotely a metal worker so I have no desire for a high reduction complicated drive system but oddly enough I do want a level of speed control. Having used different saws with blade rates from 3,000 to 7,000 sfpm + I have learned that sometimes it is favorable to adjust speed even when “only” sawing wood. My saw would have variable speed from about 3,500 to about 6,500 sfpm accomplished via VFD (variable frequency drive) since the saw would need less HP at lower speeds I wouldn’t employ a belt systems but just use the VFD. I would equip this saw with a 7.5hp or 10hp 3 phase direct drive motor. Direct drive would reduce the vibration as well as parasitic losses. The motor would not be cheap, given my speed requirements it would be a 1200rpm motor. (OK I didn’t bother with the math so it may be a little off my 6,500 sfpm spec but a 900 rpm motor will be too slow). The VFD will allow a measure of braking (but not fast enough for me so there will be a mechanical brake as well) along with soft start which is important due to my wheel choice. My rule of thumb is 1hp per 4 inches of resaw for a saw that allows a good resaw blade to be the limiting factor, the motor is sized larger so it still meets this goal even when the speed is reduced, it won’t make it when running 3,500 sfpm but will be more than enough for the required reduced feed rate.
In short, big direct drive motor with VFD control.
WHEELS/TIRES
I have some interesting thoughts here which would send a production engineer into seizures and may be the one area which might not be feasible. First, is the very feasible. I want cast wheels, big, thick heavy cast wheels, on the order of 100 pounds each. This is well over the norm for even well built saws and I want them on even larger say 36” wheeled saws where steel is more the norm due to weight. I plan to get away with this by using the soft start via VFD. Hammering a saw with the start up inertia of huge cast wheels is bad for most everything in the saw from the motor to the operators delicate senses. By ramping up the speed via VFD this problem goes away and with the massive motor and huge inertia a constant speed and thus smooth cut are ensured.
Here is where things get tricky, I like flat tires for resawing. Full width support of wide resaw blades is important for reducing fatigue. BUT with narrow blades it is extremely nice to have a crown so they are easy to track. My wheel is very wide and has a front section that is flat and a rear section which is crowned, now I said the crown is in the wheel not the tire. It would allow tracking of blades up to 2” wide on the front section and at least ½” on the rear crowned portion. The front tire for the flat section would be thick rubber with a T profile for easy alignment and changing plus durability for dealing with the high tension of the resaw blades, the rear tire would be thinner urethane to mold to the crown. Given the high potential speed of the wheels both would probably have to be glued on, I hate it but probably true at least for the rear tires. The wheel bearings would also be oversized to handle the high loads with aplomb.
These wheels would be balanced to very high tolerances and have very good concentricity. Low vibration = good steel saw!
DOORS/CONTROL SURFACES
The door issue is fairly simple the doors would be one piece and have louvers near the top (explanation in dust control). They would open FULLY even with the supplied mobility kit AND have a detent when fully open to prevent unintended closure ala a car door. They would be supplied with a micro-switch in order to prevent the saw being turned on with the doors not fully locked down. They would be sealed all the way around again for dust control. They would have large knurled metal wheels that locked the doors tight as they rotated on a pin (similar to many bandsaws now). The doors would be heavy gauge steel, maybe even with a crease down the middle in order to prevent vibration and noise. The center section between the top and bottom would be beefed up so when opened they felt like one solid door, not two parts connected by spaghetti. While we are at it the whole saw would be prepped well for power coat and have a smooth finish in colors and graphics that make you smile and want to use the saw, not colors that make one feel like they landed in a 1950’s asylum.
The warning stickers would be tastefully done and group together as much as possible. They would be produced using a glue that allows them to be as permanent as OSHA requires but as easy as possible to remove cleanly for the hobbyist that hates a cluttered view.
All the control surfaces would be heavy and chromed. Finely knurled where need be and polished smooth where not. The VFD and switches would be integrated into the spine so they would be flush except for the switches and speed pot. Both the VFD and magnetic switch would be branded with the saws manufacturer and not look like a collection of surplus parts.
TENSIONING/TRACKING
Tensioning would be accomplished via a large chromed (but textured for good bite on the hand) wheel attached to a large acme screw. The would be no quick release. The tension meter would be attached to a load cell with a digital display which reads in absolute pressure as well as a small key pad to enter blade width and gauge so a second line would show strain on the blade in PSI, making correct tension easy peasy, and repeatable. The spring would be massive and capable of tensioning a 2” x .042” blade to 35,000 PSI without bottoming out. The load cell would be connected to the motor control and not allow the saw to be turned on if tension was below a certain level, preventing tension off starts and stopping the saw automatically if the blade breaks.
Tracking would also have a large easy to turn wheel with a tracking window and an LED light inside the frame to illuminate the blade/tires. The motor control would have a “tracking” speed button which would spin the wheels under power but at a reduced speed of about 100 rpm to make tracking painless. The tires would be a light color to ensure it was clear exactly where the blade is tracking.
TABLE/TRUNNIONS
The table would be large, on the order of 32x40 and tilt from 48 to -10 degrees. It would be massively heavy and deeply ribbed, solid enough NOT to need a pin BUT a pin would be included. All the areas where feeder and feeder fences would be drilled and attached would be beefed up and careful design of the ribs would be undertaken to make sure there would be no issues with attachment nor loss of integrity.
The blade slot would be out to the right and though not ideal but probably needed for the particular fence. The throat opening would be large and easy to move a 2” blade in without damage. The throat plate would be large and made from brass and have sacrificial inserts for a ZCI both flat and for tilted cuts. It would have leveling screws.
The trunnions would be oversized and cast iron, it would have a large scale with positive stops at standard angles, there would be a built in digital inclinometer as well. The table would be adjustable as referenced to the blade, allowing drift to be cancelled by the table and making the DUAL miter slots useful. The table edges would be drilled and tapped for easy additions of Aigner extensions, if the table size was inadequate for a job. The table would have a large rack and pinion adjustment arm (ala Grizzly oh my) with a positive lock to increase table stability even though it should not be needed.
The blade guard would be a quick release swing out design to allow quick and easy access for blade changing and be equipped with a positive catch and safety micro-switch.
GUIDE POST
The guidepost should be square heavy and very rigid. It should have a smooth adjustment with a large hand wheel and be adjustable for parallel/perpendicular in two planes as well as friction. It should have a cover over the top of the frame so it is covered when fully up. As an option a electric guidepost control could be added.
GUIDES
First and foremost the guides should be easy to adjust. Both above and below the table large hands should be able to easily access the controls. All adjustments should be accomplished without tools and the knobs should be shaped for easy tightening and the screws on the knobs should be precision threaded and specified to allow for good torque without damage. The guides under the table should be height adjustable so that the lower guide can be just below the table at all angles. It should be on a precision track so it is easy to adjust and to make allowances for being parallel to the blade.
The main guides themselves would be ceramic, similar to those found on Laguna but with micro-adjustments and larger ceramic surfaces with the thrust surface also being split in to two with a wide separation like the side guides on the Laguna guides. They should attach to the guide post with a square mount which is screwed into the post. It should have a provision for quick change to a grooved thrust bearing ala the Carter Stabilizer and provisions for a quick change to a Cool Block type guide as well. All of the guide mounting options should have an indexing key to facilitate quick alignment. There should be adequate adjustment to ensure all blade widths can be easy and correctly adjusted for.
ELECTRICAL
As I have mentioned in earlier sections there is a lot of electrical and electronic things going on with this saw. It will have multiple readouts as well as a VFD for motor control. The magnetic switch will have a large off paddle and require reset. There are several micro-switches as mentioned to prevent unsafe operation. The internal wiring will be high quality and the ampacity of the internal wiring will exceed the minimal, I hate seeing a machine with uber-skinny wires, I know they are short runs but still.
On the back side situated beside the motor (for form factor) would be a positive lockable disconnect which would have a breaker for current control. It would come with a high quality 15 foot cord with the proper NEMA locking plug AND the matching locking receptacle so as long as the wiring in the wall was correct you would have a proper high quality setup without going to the store.
BRAKE
Along with the electrical brake there would be a footbrake with micro-switch connected to a serious (think small car drum brake) mechanical brake. The foot pedal would have significant mechanical advantage built in for a quick stress free stop. The pedal would have a quality non-slip surface.
This highly effective brake would require another bit of complexity. There would be a limit mechanism hooked to the brake pedal what would allow the micro-switch to trip BUT not allow the mechanical brake to engage, this limit would be engaged when narrow blades were used since engaging this brake with a narrow blade would rip it right off the wheels. This limit switches position would be run through a logic switch connected to the tension meter that would not allow the saw to be turned on if the full brake were engaged and tension was below a certain amount (based on the assumption the low tension meant a narrow blade was installed) and conversely would not allow the saw to be turned on with the brake limit rod ON preventing the full brake from being used if the tension was above a certain level (assuming a wide blade that would allow mechanical brake usage). The electric brake would be set to allow quicker coast down but not a rapid stop so it would function with any blade.
BASE
The base will have integrated casters what can be raised and lowered via a hydraulic foot pedal. It will raise enough to roll effectively over the average (read not perfectly flat) concrete floor and have large diameter wheels to roll well over small imperfections.
One of my pet peeves about trying to have one saw do everything is the table height. For resawing particularly tall cuts one needs a low base, maybe in the 34-35” range to control the material properly. When contour cutting it is much easier to work the material if the table is higher, say 43-44” above the floor. So my saw has a built in scissor lift which leaves the table at 35” when down and can raise it to 44” when fully raised. It will be designed to accommodate several hundred pounds of ballast in the protion of the base that does not move, allowing the owner to reduce the raised center of gravity at their discretion. The base of the saw would be extended in the rear (not past the table) to make sure their was a very wide stable base with or without ballast.
DUST CONTROL
As mentioned the top and bottom cabinets would be sealed as well as possible. There would be the standard chamber right below the table with a sacrificial ZCI and a 6” DC port the chamber would be sealed as well as possible except for a properly sized vent at the top opposite of the hose fitting. And work in conjunction with the perforations in the brass throat plate. There would also be a 6” DC port at the bottom of the lower cabinet with angled dust trays to direct the dust to this port. There would be louvers near the top center of the lower door to properly direct the airflow. There would of course be a tire brush for the lower tire.
FENCE
The fence would be a modified version of the Laguna Driftmaster. First its size would be increased to allow it to move fully from against the spine to the blade. It would have the same quick adjustment along with the fine adjustment BUT also have a system for locking securely on the back side as well. It would have the same excellent drift adjustment (although this saw has a table adjustment the fence could be used for tiny and or quick adjustments when miter slot parallelism was a non-issue). It would have a short high-low fence with the tall portion being about 6 inches. It would have a separate 12” tall resaw fence with front and rear stabilizer arms that attached to the back of the fence to create a very rigid fence. The fence would be equipped with a digital readout with multiple functions for use with repeated cuts and resawing activities. The fence would be designed to take a version of the Laguna/Co-Matic “belt sander” feeder.
OTHER
A couple of small items. There would be a good work area lighting system probably best accomplished via multiple LEDs. I would like to see a multiple position laser for guiding work. It would cast a long thin line back toward the user for off hand resawing and a bright point very close to the blade teeth for following contour cut lines. I would also like to see an adjustable blower to clear dust from the cut lines.
Finally, I would like a sensor that could “see” me arrive and leave. When I arrive the saws main power would be turned on (unless the lockout was engaged) and it would say hello in a nice sultry voice, then turn off the main power when I left the shop telling me goodbye and have a nice day and reminding me to return soon.
Wow, this turned out to be a treatise! Originally, I didn’t think it would be but a couple of paragraphs. Even now I am sure I missed a lot of areas that would need to be addressed were this even a glimmer in a product managers eye! In the intro I said no one had made this saw as far as I know, now after going nuts I KNOW it has not been built, nor is anything near it likely to be built for numerous reasons. Even at the economy of scale of the average 24x24 saw this over electronic controlled monster would probably cost… you know I don’t even have a guess but it would be expensive if it was reliable.
Feel free to add, subtract, disagree, laugh, puke or just tell me what couldn’t or wouldn’t be done. I had planned to entitle this my dream saw but I think that suggests something more in the realm of reality, this is a fantasy saw, from the mind of a truly demented man!