Do you really need a table saw

[Jay Knoll]

Hi everyone

I'm following with interest the SawStop thread, and a recent article in FWW's power tool techniques special issue by Gary Rogowski really got me thinking (especially when I look at my little Dewalt bench top saw

Assuming that you've got a Guided Saw system (let's not get into what type)

And a SCMS and a Band saw, and for kicks, let's say a router table, why would you need a table saw --- especially a large cabinet or hybrid model?

Anyone out there "doing without" or at least going the minimalist route ( I can understand why a commercial shop would want a big cabinet saw with large side and out feed tables but what about those of us trapped in our garages?) What tricks/techniques have you developed?


Anybody else read Gary's article? What are your reactions?
Jay

[Von Bickley]

I can't speak for everyone, but my table saw is the heart of my shop. My shop was pretty much designed around a table saw. :)

[John Stevens]

Assuming that you've got a Guided Saw system (let's not get into what type) And a SCMS and a Band saw, and for kicks, let's say a router table, why would you need a table saw

Repeated rip cuts to the same width, and precise cuts that require more depth or power than the circular saw and SCMS can give. For the record, I own a Festool circular saw with guide rails and a 1m x 2m table to go with it; a Festool router that rides on the guide rail; a router table; and a BT3100 table saw. No bandsaw yet. Granted, the table saw sees much less use than the circular saw, but I wouldn't give it up.

[Nick Mitchell]

Jay, good question.

You don't really need anything more than a bench, some planes and chisels and a handsaw, but I'm sure that's not what you meant.
It all depends on what you make but for the weekend hobbiest making furniture or small cabinets i believe you can get by quite nicely with 2 machines. A bandsaw and a router in a table. Along with a good supply of handtools I can't think of anything you wouldn't be able to do with these 2 machines. I'm not saying you can do everything easily or efficiently but it can be done.
I do this for a living so this approach isn't an option for me but for a weekend warrior this set-up would do just fine.

[Jeff Sudmeier]

You could very easily not use a table saw. All of the cuts made could be done on another tool.

That said, I wouldn't give up my table saw. It is the very heart of my shop. You can't beat it for the speed of set up and the repeatability of cuts.

[JayStPeter]

I haven't read that article yet, but have discussed this same issue in some GCSS threads here and on the Festool Owners Group.

I can't think of a tablesaw operation that can't be done with one of the other devices mentioned. I could develop jigs and methods to make the others do the same job as my TS. In fact, I can think of some advantages of using other machines to do some of the operations (thinner kerfs = less waste on BS rips for example). If I was forced to give up my TS, I'd want a big nice bandsaw.
But, for now, I like my TS and will keep it. I think it is an accurate and time efficient way to do many operations.
Thin rips are the things that always seem to come up as the most difficult thing to reproduce with some of the other equipment. I tend to agree. They are somewhat fussy to setup on a GCSS. Using a bandsaw doesn't always give a finish ready for use. That's not to say a method can't be developed for either one. It's just sooo easy on the TS.

I'll read the article and see if I have any other thoughts.

Jay

[Keith Christopher]

You could very easily not use a table saw. All of the cuts made could be done on another tool.

That said, I wouldn't give up my table saw. It is the very heart of my shop. You can't beat it for the speed of set up and the repeatability of cuts.

Also it makes a GREAT level and flat surface when not in use. ;)


Keith

[Zahid Naqvi]

Hi everyone
Anyone out there "doing without" or at least going the minimalist route ( I can understand why a commercial shop would want a big cabinet saw with large side and out feed tables but what about those of us trapped in our garages?) What tricks/techniques have you developed?

Jay

I hear you Jay. I guess the biggest advantages presented here of a cabinet style TS: speed of setup and repeatibility, are not a make or break decision for a weekend warrior. I too use a Delta contractor saw. I am happy with the accuracy and the repeatibility, the biggest problem I have is dust extraction. If I can find a contractor style saw with really good dust collection I will gladly give up my cabinet saw dream :p . The new hybrids are looking interesting.
One work around I have adopted in my shop/garage to make up for the small size is to make my workbench, router table and cabinet saw exactly the same height. The router table and contractor saw are on semi mobile bases (locking casters on two legs so that I can lift one side and move them around, and lock down during use) this way I can move them around to make an outfeed table etc. when I have to cut sheet goods.

[Maurice Ungaro]

A good friend of mine who got me started on this never ending slippery slope does quite well with his hand tools and his ancient bandsaw. He's done a good bit of restoration work on his house without getting into a tablesaw.

[Cecil Arnold]

Quiet obviously you can do without, but you can do so much better, and faster, with. Need I say more?

[Ken Waag]

Jay,

I didn't buy that issue, but I will now, as it is an interesting thought.

I've been telling my brother, who is between shops ao he doesn't have a place for a TS, to get the Festool rig. It light, stores easily and really can do the work of several machines. Also I have read posts here and elswhere of folks who do just that. Maybe one or more will chime in here.

You mentioned giving up the TS, but why have the SCMS? A guided system can do that work as well.

There are some things that would, of course be much easier on the TS as mentioned by other on this thread. I guess the plausability depend a lot on the type of work you are doing.

I'll check that article. Interesting post. thanks,
Ken

[Alan Tolchinsky]

I can't imagine ripping 2" thick maple strips for table legs on a guided system. My Delta contractors saw has a hard time without a rip blade in there. But with the rip blade it's no problem. I think I'm giving up my dream of a cabinet saw and would rather lust after one of the guided saw systems. Of course when lust is brought up Festool is the one I'm lusting after. Hey, I'm sounding like Jimmy Carter. :)

[scott spencer]

It'd be a stretch to say the I "couldn't" do without a TS, but it'd be the blunt truth to say that I "wouldn't" do without one.

You certainly don't need the finest cabinet saw known to man. Everyone's needs are different and change with circumstances. I did fine for the first two years with my little Delta 36-600, but it's great to have some of those nice little "extras" no matter what type of saw you get. Extras like cast iron wings, Biese type fence, 300 plus pounds of mass, strong motor, DC, low arbor runout, a precision miter gauge, great blade, etc. :D

[thomas prevost]

Table saw? You don't "need" a car either. A bicycle will get you any place a car will. It just depends upon how much work you wish to do. Or neanderthal heaven, you could always walk.

[Andy London]

As noted you do not need any power tools and for those who want to go this route, my hat's off to them. I personally worked without power tools for close to three years when I started and really enjoyed it. I can do everything with other tools in my shop that are powered that the tablesaw can do, having said that and operating a WW business, I run two sometimes a third tablesaw depending on what I am doing.

I had a day job that took me to Africa for two years, nothing to do with woodworking however in my spare time there was always something that needed to be built at the base camp......all with very limited and somewhat crude handtools....I was sure happy and really appreciated what I have in the shop, back here in Canada.....Having said that, I've seen work, and purchased work, from locals that is just amazing, including carvings that were mainly completed using rocks to carve and sand to sand.

Every tool in the shop has the ability to do serious damage to a persons body, understand the tools, pay attention and above all else respect their abilities and one will do fine. I will have been WW 29 years this year and still have all my digits. One or two close calls over the years but that has always been when I was not paying attention.

[Jim Becker]

Yea, I wouldn't give up my table saw as there are a number of things I just plain enjoy doing on it. But it's true that the GCSS (and accessory work surfaces) as well as other tools are doing more work on projects that I may have done on the TS...or at least tried to do. I would consider replacing my cabinet saw with a Euro slider, however...unfortunately, the Prize Patrol has been avoiding my driveway lately...like...forever. :)

[John Motzi]

This is fun to contemplate - My first thought is that if I were starting all over again the table saw would be the last item bought rather than the first. Especially if I was an apartment dweller I would go for something like the Festool system including the MFT bench, guiderails, circular saw, router and sanders; I could build anything out of sheet stock and work with s4s lumber. Then I would add the cabinet maker's bench and all kinds of hand tools. Next after that if I had a place with a basement I would add a Bandsaw & Jointer/Planer so I could work with rough lumber instead of s4s. Then a drill press and finally the tablesaw.

Now having said all that - my first "big" woodworking tool was a Grizzly contractor's type table saw. That saw cost me $265 in 1986 plus another $60 for a nice carbide blade. I did alot with that saw plus a router. A modest Festool investment is many more $$$ than that.

So I guess if I were starting all over again today (with my current income) I would go the Festool route, but if I were starting young and relatively unweathly I would probably go with the table saw.

But since I don't have to start all over, I have all of the above!

John Motzi
Downingtown, PA

[Steve Inniss]

Hi Jay,

I did read that article and found it very interesting, and in a lot of ways, it rang true. As I recall, he said 9 out of 10 woodworkers wouldn't agree - or something like that. It does make you think a little bit about how we go about various processes.
The article also resonated with me as I have always sort-of gone this route. I bought a Makita contractors type TS many years ago, which has always been too good to ditch but doesn't compete on accuracy etc. - corduroy tenons. It also has no slot, but a metal crosscut sled. I have added other tools, all of them higher end, like my bandsaw, so I end up being not so TS-centric but more evenly distributed around the shop - bandsaw, routers etc.

Then there's that other group who feel you can do everything with a router and then the Neanders...
But hey, I love to see those TS monster gloats around here. -Steve

[Mark Singer]

I personally could not be without it. I think it is a fundamental part of the shop....many operations are best done on the tablesaw. I have the Festool 55 and cannot really get things square and nearly as accurate as with the tablesaw. I don't think I could have built my workstations without it and had as good a result....there was a lot of tablesaw work on that project. I just started watching David Marks and he really uses his tablesaw. He makes all of his cuts look safe and smooth...he takes it easy....with that attitude,which I share, I think it is a machine fundamental to woodworking than can not easily be replaced.

[Peter Dufresne]

without my table saw where would I put my coffee and stack all of the clippings and plans for things I am going to build?....

[Dale Thompson]

Jay,
IMHO, the table saw is the "heart" of any "real" shop! Now that I have gotten rid of my "kids", I can afford most of the other "auxilliary" power tools. However, I still depend on my PM 66 for ripping, 98% of my cross-cutting, all of my miters, "slivers" for curved surfaces, plywood facing, dadoes, ploughs, etc.

Years ago, I did all of these, plus a lot more, on my $99 9" Sears Radial Arm Saw. Not any more! The LAST tool in my shop that I would allow my creditors to take would be my lathe. :mad: :mad: The second to last would be my TS. :mad: EGADS! If I had a gun, I would shoot the guy who tried to take my 3/4" Skew with the Raffan radius! ;) :cool:

Jay, it all depends on what you are intending to do in WW'ing. :confused: Whatever, let loose of some of the moths in the old wallet and get a good TS. DON'T get a cheap table model - it's a matter of losing fingers and other vital organs! ;) :D

Dale T.

[Greg Mann]

If I had a gun, I would shoot the guy who tried to take my 3/4" Skew with the Raffan radius! ;) :cool:

Dale T.

Dale, Even without a gun around I would be extremely reluctant to deal with some angry dude that had a 3/4" skew chisel in his hands. :D

Greg

[Bob Johnson2]

I went for too many years without a TS of a decent size, the 14" x 18" Shopsmith table just took too long to get any kind of quality cut out of. Squaring decent size panels was one of the biggest problems. While there was not much I couldn't make without it it sure is much more enjoyable doing it with the CS.

[Dev Emch]

Boy, I am going to make some friends with this post! The truth is you do not need the table saw.

It is a very convenient saw but unless you have a very nice blade or a glue line rip blade on it, you are going to have to joint anyway. So ripping is one of the biggest jobs this beastie does. Then you go on to cutting grooves and dados. Yes, the table saw does its share here as well but its not the only tool that does a bang up job here. The tenon jig has really caught on and regardless if you use your own home brew or a commercial one by delta and all its knock offs, many woodworkers have gotten addicted to using them. It also helps in cutting sheet goods and the modern table saws really specialize in cutting massive amounts of sheet goods quickly and precisely.

No, I find the 20 inch to 36 inch bandsaw to be the most important saw. Even the 14 inch is useful but its restricted to resaw capacity. Bandsaws are much more useful and versatile. I can rip on one operation and turn around and use it to partially cut dovetails. Turn around and use it to resaw stock for bookmatch panels. It even cuts curves which the TS does not do.

I am a shaper guy but that does not mean I cannot use a router table. Router tables can also joint lumber because of how the fence is set up and if you use a nice long straight bit, its actually pretty easy and fun. I find the shaper and its little cousin, the router table, to be of more use than the table saw. I use the table saws to quickly cut precise parts quickly and in mass.

If I had a small one room basement shop, I would put the money into an 18 or 20 inch bandsaw with a 2 or more HP motor.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

While you can do a lot if not all things without a table saw it can sure increase your productivity if you need to mass produce a part in numbers. But hey......if you neander, a bander, router, shaper use the tool that suits your whim and need! But PLEASE regardless of what tools you use....use them safely and pass on you "tips" to me! :D

[Dev Emch]

Ken...

Exactly what do you mean by "pass on your tips to me"? I hope your not thinking about cooking up a batch of chilli.:rolleyes::rolleyes:

[Rob Millard]

Jay,

My table saw, spends most of its time hanging on the wall collecting dust. If it weren't for using it to rough out large moldings ( like I did in with the curly maple chest on frame I posted on this site) I could get rid of it and really never miss it. Since I have it, I do use it to run grooves for drawer bottoms, cutting tenons, and the occasional cross cut using the sled I made for it, but many project are completed without it. I have no desire for an expensive model, the $139 I paid was enough for me. I say this from the stand point of making period reproductions in solid wood. Other types of woodworking such as with sheet goods or making production runs, you'd be better served with a good table saw. In my shop the bandsaw is the tool of choice, and I use it 5-6 days a week.

I never heard of Festool until I joined this site, and I'm still not sure what it is.
Rob Millard

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Dev.....in this case my definition of "tips" was techncial secrets or suggestions for success using a w/w tool......I'm not Wendy's or planning to sue Wendy's or anybody else for that matter.

[Ken Salisbury]

Do you really need a table saw?


ANSWER:

It's kinda like asking a pro football player "do you really need a helmet?" :D :D

[Frank Pellow]

I don't really need my table saw (a General 650). I really like the saw but I would give it up before I gave up my guided circular saw and router system (GCS+RS). I firmly believe that I can do everything on my GCS+RS that I can do on my table saw and that I can do those things with as much or even with better accuracy on my GCS+RS. But, some things are just easier to do on my table saw (and I like the big flat table).

[Jay Knoll]

Maybe some more background would continue to frame the discussion.

When we bailed out of our condo and bought a house I had a garage to work in. The shop wasn't much, just a bench nailed in the back corner. So I bought a Dewalt bench top table saw -- supposedly one of the better ones at the time I bought it and relatively "portable".

As I became more involved in woodworking, I bought

a great 16" band saw

a router table

a SCMS that I used for the kitchen project

and finally some a Festoolstuff, a saw and guides, MFT, Rotex, Router and Jig saw

a "brand X" 6" oriental jointer ($80 bucks)


Reading the saw stop thread (and lusting after all the other "big iron" gloats and reading about sliders got me wondering if I should consider upgrading and figuring out how to shoehorn another tool into the garage and still have room to work and store a car or two.

Then I started thinking

the MFT lets me cut square panels without any sweat

the guides let me break down large sheets very accurately

I can cut dados with the router and the guide attached to the router

I could use the table saw to cut tenon shoulders and then finish up on the
bandsaw,

but I could use the MFT, gang up a bunch of them and make all the shoulder cuts at once then move to the band saw to finish the cuts

I can rip on the band saw and not have to worry about kickback

I don't need to build a sled for cross cuts because I have the SCMS

as an aside I don't think the MFT is as handy as the SCMS for doing trim work, but it use it a lot, both for cutting and as a clamping/ work surface

At this point I think a new table saw isn't on my list of purchases, the last time I used it was to rip some 1/4" thin strips for a mortise jig I was building, I felt really safe using the GRRR-Ripper system

Guess I'll have to start dreaming about an new 8" jointer!

[Kelly C. Hanna]

Well said. I'll never be without my cabinet saw...that's a given.

[Dave Wright #2]

It's important in this matter to not confuse benchtop table saws with contractor or cabinet saws that are heavy, accurate, smooth, convenient, fairly quiet, and as reliable as the concrete floor beneath them. Benchtop and jobsite saws are the work of the devil. A good and well-adjusted contractor or cabinet saw is a pleasure to use. With all respect, if your table saw hangs on the wall then you don't have a table saw. I didn't understand this until I eventually upgraded to a good quality contractor saw and put a Bies fence on it. Revelation time. My current cabinet saw is even smoother and more pleasant, but the moment of revelation came when I hung the Bies on my Contractor saw and made the first cut.

Almost any cut that can be done with a table saw will set up more quickly and come out straighter and smoother than with any other method - saving you both time and follow-up with other tools. There are only three kinds of people who do not benefit meaningfully from table saws. 1 - People whose work mostly does not involve straight cuts. Think Sam Maloof. 2 - People who prefer to work without the help of tailed apprentices. I'm leaning this way, but the table saw is probably the last power tool I would give up. 3 - Folks with very limited shop space. A stationary table saw takes up a fair amount of room when you consider stock clearance space all around.

I was going to add a fourth group, people who cannot afford a solid and well-built table saw, but fact is that anyone can. A good used contractor saw is quite cheap and can be tuned to work well.

[Maurice Ungaro]

I was going to add a fourth group, people who cannot afford a solid and well-built table saw, but fact is that anyone can. A good used contractor saw is quite cheap and can be tuned to work well.
Right you are Dave. I purchased a used contractor's saw (import, brand-X, BUT with cast iron wings...and the motor draws 18 amps). I really wanted to try this wood working thing using MOSTLY non-electric powered hand tools. Oh, well...the router was the first purchase, and the TS was the second electron burner to be gotten, albeit, I got along for a couple of years without one. I built my bench without it, and created all of the tenons for the M&T joints without it. Having said that, I really love being able to mash the start button on that sucker and enjoy the capabilities that my saw has.

I bought it for $225 (new, I think the current price is $375). I've added a commercial Biesmeyer (bought on sale from Redmond - $220), a link belt, and above all, a premium blade (a Forrest WWII). All told, I've got $575 in the saw, which I might add, was done incrementally, and on my own terms - meaning that I bought what I wanted, when I could afford it. This last weekend, my brother helped me install a Bench Dog router table extension to this saw. I now have one solid piece of iron for a saw. Would I like to have a Uni, or other brand Cab saw? You betcha, but as my brother (who's had his own contracting firm for years in California, and has made do with an inherited contractor saw that has no accurate fence) stated "Man, why the heck do you need a new saw? This one is absolutely FINE!" And he's right. If I want more power, a new motor can be slapped on that sucker for a fraction of the cost of a new Cab saw.

When I get bored (read: caught up on the "Honey-Do List"), mayber I'll make a rolling cabinet for my saw - It'd be another inexpensive upgrade.

[John Weber]

No you don't NEED one, but I would hate to be without a table saw, I guess the same could be said for a CMS (could do without, but they sure make life easier). I've not used any the guide rail systems, although I've clamped a straight edge to sheet stock before, so I would say I've lived without ever really needing a guide system. I don't do much sheet stock work, so I'm much better off with a quality saw.

John

[Jeff Sudmeier]

It's important in this matter to not confuse benchtop table saws with contractor or cabinet saws that are heavy, accurate, smooth, convenient, fairly quiet, and as reliable as the concrete floor beneath them. Benchtop and jobsite saws are the work of the devil. A good and well-adjusted contractor or cabinet saw is a pleasure to use. With all respect, if your table saw hangs on the wall then you don't have a table saw.


I have used Unisaw's as recently as 6 months ago. Do they have more power and are they more accurate? Absolutely.

Is my Craftsman Jobsite tablesaw a complete hunk of crap? Absolutely not! I routinley (10 glue ups in the last 3 days) use the rip cuts I do on this jobsite saw to glue up panels. After I have jointed one edge, I rip the other edge and glue them up. My table saw is highly accurate and has never failed me.

You do NOT have to have the highest quality best tools to make good furniture.

Would I give up my table saw? NO WAY, I like using it.

In my opinion my Tablesaw is a good happy medium. It has done all I have ever asked of it. It is not a cabinet saw by any stretch of the imagination. However, it has never impeeded my progress or quality on my projects.

Will I upgrade to a cabinet saw in the future? For sure, the extra power and stability of the cabinet saw would be nice. However, it is not necessary for me to create high quality projects.

[Dave Wright #2]

One of the projects of which I am still most proud is a small table/cabinet made as a wedding gift for a close friend. It came out very well. The glue ups were clean, edges straight, joints clean and precise. And...it was made using a $150 Delta benchtop saw.

No question, you can do great work with inexpensive machines. On the other hand, my Delta was extremely loud, shook like a paint mixer, left deep blade marks on stock, could not be relied upon to repeat a dimension to tighter than 1/32" accuracy, had extremely limited rip capacity, and was too small to safely cut stock in many situations. I gave it to Habitat after installing its third set of gears.

I'm sure there are better benchtop and jobsite saws. My "devil" comment was somewhat tongue-in-cheek. My 635 pound saw isn't much use outside of my shop. If I ever have a sustained need for a saw outside of my shop I will post back @ SMC for advice.

Best, Dave

[Stan Thigpen]

Welcome to Woodworking!

You have just embarked on a lifetime journey of happiness, joy, peace, satisfaction, and complete and utter frustration. Since I have accumulated literally weeks of experience since the latter part of the 1990's, it is only fitting that I should be willing to give back to the trade something in return. Namely, tips.

Chapter #1 - Set Up
One of the first decisions you must make as a new woodworker is how many tools you can afford. The more, the better. Don't be preoccupied with worrying about what the tools will be used for. Remember: you are only a beginner - how could you possibly know at this early stage?
While you are considering how much you can spend on tools, it is best not to involve any other members of the household on such an important decision. After all, YOU are the one who has the ambition to create beautiful works of art from dead trees, so you should make all the purchasing decisions.
Once you have come to a conclusion on the total amount of money available, proceed to the next step: "What can I sell?" With a little looking around the house, you will find many things that at one time seemed to be worth a considerable amount of money to you, but now have gone unused for days. Like the kitchen range. You do have a microwave, right? How often do you cook nachos in the oven, for crying out loud? Get rid of it. After all, life is a matter of priorities.
I will leave the rest of this step up to you. Just walk around the house examining everything you see. Can you justify owning that? If another family member gives you a quizzical look while you are considering the value of, say, a toilet, just make up an excuse quickly - like, "Oh, I was just admiring the plumbing, Honey." She'll probably just shake her head, roll her eyes, and mutter something like, "It's been sitting there for eight years, and he just noticed it"
After gathering all your funds together, it is very important to buy the tools you will need all at once. Otherwise, considerable objections from people less interested in beauty than you will hinder any additional purchases. When you get home from the tool store or woodworking show with all your tools still in boxes, you will understand one of the true joys of woodworking - buying cool stuff.

Chapter #2 - Getting Started
Now on to your first "project". Since I happen to have completed mine, I consider myself to be totally qualified to give advice on yours. Don't be concerned that you have blown your total budget on tools. All you need now is wood, anyhow. How expensive could that be? Answer: "Do you really need two cars?"
Unfortunately, the syndicate who owns all the trees also knows how desperate you are to actually build something with all those tools you just bought, and has jacked the prices up to just below that of a new Jaguar. But don't be discouraged. Most woodworking project plans can be customized to use common, everyday pine two-by-fours. The prices on these are actually less than a used Toyota.
When selecting your quality lumber, be sure to pick up each piece, examine it carefully, look down it from both ends, sigh, shake your head, and put it back on the stack. If any other woodworkers are in the area, this will quickly establish you as a discerning craftsman. Then just walk around the lumber area until they have left, and then go back and grab the few that are only moderately twisted. If there aren't any left, just buy a sheet of particleboard.
I suggest that your first project should be a workbench. Since you are the only one who will be using it, you won't have to listen to other members of the family make snide remarks about its aesthetic value. Like, "Is it OK if we hide whatever that thing is when company comes?"
The only problem with building a workbench is that you need a workbench to build it on. Don't worry - once again I have an important tip for you. Write this one down: "The Dining Room Table". Chances are, there are a bunch of useless items cluttering up what could be a suitable substitute for a workbench. Silly flowers, frilly place mats, coasters, etc. These all can be removed while you are working, and then replaced before she retur... um, I mean when you are finished. (Tip: always use a depth stop on your drill bits.)
After cutting out the pieces for your project, be sure to rout the corners off everything. No self-respecting woodworker would allow a 90-degree corner on a piece of wood. You did buy a router, didn't you? And a roundover bit? That one tool, above all others, is what separates true craftsmen from just "wannabes". (If you didn't buy a router in chapter one, don't fret. Just ask yourself, "Do I really NEED that gas grill?

Chapter #3 - Assembly
This is the step where you realize that you didn't label all the little parts you cut out. So, in order to not look like a fool in the presence of your family, just announce, "Hey, everybody! Let's see who can solve this puzzle I made in the shop!" The trick here is to immediately distract everybody as soon as the project gets assembled correctly. Like, "Oh my God!!! The house is on fire!! Everybody outside - Quick!!" Then, while they are running and screaming, grab your air nailer and nail everything together. Excuse me? What do you mean you didn't buy... Oh, never mind.
On the other hand, if nobody in your family (or any of the neighbors, either) can figure out what the thing is, be sure to console them and say, "What a bunch of idiots! - I guess I'll have to make the next puzzle a little easier".
Now, some people will tell you that beautiful woodworking projects shouldn't be assembled with an air nailer. There are even some fanatics out there who say you shouldn't even use nails. HAH! Isn't that a riot?
If anyone asks you if you are going to use dovetails, avoid that person at all costs. Dovetailing is a method of joinery that is only used by traveling magicians who set up booths at trade shows. They use sleight-of-hand to create marvelous patterns of multiple dovetailed corners, and then try to get you to buy a $400 jig that will allow you to do the same thing at home. Right. And if you buy a brush and some paint, you can also paint the Mona Lisa on your deck.

Chapter #4 - Sanding
Now that you have cut your wood, rounded off all the edges, and blasted it all together, it is time for the work to begin. Yes, it is SANDING time. You did buy a sander, didn't you? Do I have to tell you everything???
The artistic use of a sander will quickly advance the status of your project from mediocre to average. Sanding by hand is extremely limited, and is recommended only for sissies who are afraid of taking a risk. Real Men will throw caution to the wind and use the loudest, buzziest machine that they can hang onto. With a sander, you not only can make wood "almost as rough as it was before", but in tight spaces you can use the vibrating action of its frame as a tool to cut little dotted lines onto the nearby surfaces. Try doing THAT with just sandpaper. (Besides, if your project doesn't have little signature beauty marks that cause passersby to ooh and aah, you are a miserable failure anyway. Where would Cindy Crawford be without her mole? Flipping hotcakes down at the Awful House, that's where!)
The sanding stage of your project is very important. It is the one step that allows you to Christen your workshop. Until now, all you had was a collection of tools, but after sanding, you will notice that everything in your shop looks different. There is a light tan shade to all you can see, and all you cannot see. Now you have a REAL workshop. (Sanding should not be attempted in the dining room, since there is not enough time to clean up when she com... umm... I mean when you are through.)

Chapter #5 - Finishing
Congratulations! You have just finished the drudgery portion of your first project, and you can now proceed to the final step: ruining it. Actually, among experienced woodworkers like myself, we refer to this as "Wood Finishing".
Wood finishing is a complex art, and as such, it should never be attempted by the beginner. But, since this is only a workbench, we will proceed as if we didn't know any better.
There are two steps to finishing:
1. Making the wood a blotchy mottled brown, known as "staining", and
2. Giving it a shiny, bubbly, coarse texture, often called "polyurethaning".
Staining the wood is rather enjoyable, since there is no way to screw it up while you are putting it on - splash it, dunk it, spray it - it doesn't matter. Just wait a while, and then wipe it off. From my experience, it seems to improve the appearance of the piece if you don't let it set overnight before wiping it off.
Proceeding on to the polyurethane stage, it's just the opposite. Instead of there being no way to screw it up, there is no way to get it right. So don't try. The people who make polyurethane have designed it to have a mind of its own to give experienced woodworkers a challenge, which will only overwhelm pathetic untrained beginners like yourself (no offense). "Poly", as we in the trade call it, will go on evenly, smooth and slick - while you are watching. Once you turn your back , it changes from Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde, and destroys your project. Beautiful, even coats turn to sags and runs, and that smooth texture is now like 12-grit sandpaper. But don't let it worry you. It was designed that way. It builds character, and helps you to grow into a skilled artisan that others will look up to, and tell their children, "Son, if you apply yourself, maybe you can grow up to be like that someday" Women will crowd around you, asking for autographs; heads of state will travel around the globe to umm... where was I? Sorry, I must have dozed off.
So there you have it. Woodworking isn't that complicated after all. And it doesn't cost nearly as much as some hobbies, like diamond collecting. Best of all, YOU can learn how to do it. Just be sure to keep your eyes open for new tools that you can't possibly do without.

Good luck, and don't hesitate to call.
Rick Fox
Copyright 1998. All rights reversed. No one under 17 admitted. No animals were harmed in the production of this document. Not responsible for injuries or damages even if it's my fault. No reproduction without consent. Violators will be persecuted. Prosecutors will be persecuted.

[Rob Blaustein]

Great piece, even rivals Per's hilarious quips (of course I have to give the nod to one of our own though)-thanks for sharing it. Who is Rick Fox?

[Dale Thompson]

Boy, I am going to make some friends with this post! The truth is you do not need the table saw.

Hey Dev,
Despite your talent, experience, knowledge and interesting verbosity, you are one puzzling guy. :confused: When ripping on a band saw, do you set up the "cut angle" on every blade and record it for posterity or do you "hone" the teeth on the blade so that they don't go spatic on you? :confused: To be honest, I haven't had much luck with either approach. ;) Dadoes, ploughs and even miters can also be a challenge on your "beloved" band saw. :D

A WW II on my PM 66 will obviate a jointer/planer for glued, biscuited or pocket-screwed joints. I don't know about yours, but my band saw will not give me that kind of finish. :o

For my part, I thing that you have been "sniffing" too much of that wood dust from the old Jack Daniels Distillery lumber that you were bragging about. :D :) I'm buying the first Manhattan. Check with your Dad and see if he may be interested. :) :)

Dale T.

[Steve Wargo]

Since I work primarily with hand tools, I don't even own a table saw. I used to, but never used it so sold it. I couldn't be without my bandsaw though. There is only one aspect that I miss my table saw for and that is crosscutting wide table tops, or the likes with a crosscut sled. but even then I still shot them all with a miter plane, so a guide and my cirular saw work fine.

[Dev Emch]

Dale...
You make me laugh! And you are right. The easiest way to scare the ladies out of the shop when their being a pest is to bring out a 16 inch WWII with a 1.25 inch bore. It does a bang up job! Would I sell my two large table saws? Absolutely not! They bring speed, convenience and accuracy to the work which is hard to replicate in a comercial environment.

Yes, the bandsaw can do all that. Can it leave a surface similar to a WWII? NO WAY! I dont care what blades you use! I did leave out one "minor" thing. Most likely, those guys only using bandsaws are also hard core plane users. NOT PLANE-R... PLANE.

Much of my work anymore is commercial so speed is of the essence. But items built for the love of woodworking have more hand tool work in them than machine work. Often, you will use a collection of planes to do your work. Large 24 inch #7 or #8 jointer planes down to smoothers like a norris A5 or norris A6. Detail work is done using wood bodied side escapement planes. Hollows and Rounds and dedicated profile planes like lamb's tonques.

Also, the shaper and its little brother, the router table, can make up much of the difference as well. I often set up the shaper to do jointing operations and precision sizing operations. You can use the router table to do this as well. You also have quite a selection of profile bits to use.

So let me recap. 1). There are many ways to do things other than using a table saw. 2). I use a table saw for shear speed in stock reduction. I do not use a table saw for final profile shaping. 3). Hand tools are a lost artform and can really provide a sense of accomplishment and they build skills. 4). If I had to live with only one saw for a variety of constraints.. I would choose the bandsaw over the table saw.

[Dale Thompson]

Dale...
You make me laugh!

Dev,
You make ME envious! :D I'm glad that I'm good for SOMETHING!! :eek: :cool:

Dale T.