Recommend a Table Top Table Saw

[Perry Holbrook]

Would anyone care to give a recommendation for a decent table top TS? I need one that has a fairly small table. It will be set up as a dedicated tool to cut small finger joints for the box below. I'll fabricate a sliding jig and use a flat tooth blade of some sort. Blade size is not critical neither is ease of adjustment or power really. I guess lack of vibration and ability to seal it up for dust collection would be my strongest considerations.

Thanks for any help, I'm traveling til mid March and my time for research is very limited. Perry

[Dave Richards]

Perry, I don't have a recommendation for a bench top saw for your application. I have no personal experience with them but I have several friends who have had them. I've heard from all of them that after a short period of time the saw blade seems to move laterally when the saw is running as compared to when the motor is turned off. I expect it has something to do with the direct drive and bearings/bushings wearing. I've seen a similar thing with other motors.

You might want to investigate this to see if it will be an issue for you. I would think it would make setup for something like box joints difficult at best. Maybe it can be compenssated for although I imagine you would have to continually make adjustments as things wear.

Why not make a jig so that you could use a router for this. I have in mind a fixed jig that would take two pieces at a time and cut the mating joint. If you're planning to make a number of these boxes, it would be worth the time to make a jig to do the joints. If this is of interest, let me know. I'll sketch something for you.

[Kelly C. Hanna]

I agree....a benchtop router table and router would work much better. Tabletop tablesaw are not a good thing. Very inaacurate and vibrations abound.

[Chris Barton]

While I try not to discourage folks from considering any tool, I tend to agree with Kelly and Dave. Table top and table saws are, in my opinion, mutually exclusive terms. However, Proxxon makes a very small saw for table use that I have heard makers of miniture goods rate highly.

http://www.proxxon.com/us/images/produkte/38070.jpg

[Jim Becker]

The Ryobi BT3100 or whatever the current version is usually is thought well of for a small saw. But that Proxxon unit Chris mentions might be interesting for small work.

[Gary Herrmann]

I had a Dewalt benchtop for several years that was very accurate. It has a good fence. Buy a good blade to go with it.

[Lee DeRaud]

The Ryobi BT3100 or whatever the current version is usually is thought well of for a small saw. But that Proxxon unit Chris mentions might be interesting for small work.I agree with both of those comments, but the BT3x00 is overkill for what he has in mind. (Not to mention that it'll take a big table to hold one.) He needs something just about midway between the Ryobi and the Proxxon.

I've considered doing pretty much what Perry describes, using an old Craftsman 8" benchtop saw with the wings removed and one of those Freud box-joint blade sets...configured that way, the saw is about the size of a 'lunchbox' planer and weighs maybe 25 pounds. I just haven't gotten around to (1) buying the blade and (2) designing the sled.:p

[Dave Richards]

Here's a very quick sketch of an idea for a box joint jig. This would do both halves of the joint in one operation. I drew the base at a fixed angle but it could be made adjustable. I didn't draw clamps in but you'd simply clamp both pieces (inside faces out) in place up tight to the bottom of the top plate. Run the router in the slots to cut the joint. The pieces would be offset the proper amount so the corners would align properly.

[Michael Ballent]

If that is a quick sketch, I love to see what you could do if you had some time :D



Here's a very quick sketch of an idea for a box joint jig. This would do both halves of the joint in one operation. I drew the base at a fixed angle but it could be made adjustable. I didn't draw clamps in but you'd simply clamp both pieces (inside faces out) in place up tight to the bottom of the top plate. Run the router in the slots to cut the joint. The pieces would be offset the proper amount so the corners would align properly.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v506/weekender410/boxjoints1.jpg

[Lee DeRaud]

Here's a very quick sketch of an idea for a box joint jig....Run the router in the slots to cut the joint.Now all I need is a drawing of the jig to cut the slots in that top plate...:eek: :D

[Dave Richards]

Give me a few minutes, Lee. :D

[Perry Holbrook]

Thanks for the ideas so far. I appreciate the efforts but with all due respect, I think the router idea is not the best fit here. Those are compound angle finger joints. The beginning and ending pins taper to a very delicate width. I think the router will tend to tear them out.

The jig I use for these makes them easy to do but the set up is more time consuming than I want. Another issue is the distance from the front of my TS to the blade, requiring me to bend over the table that becomes uncomfortable after a while. I can easily justify a few bucks for a dedicated saw with the orders I've gotten from my first show of the year.

I'll give the Dewalt a look. Perry

[Dave Richards]

Well, good luck with the tablesaw search then. I hope you find one that works for you.

[Greg Narozniak]

http://www.ares-server.com/Ares/Ares.asp?MerchantID=RET01229&Action=Catalog&Type=Product&ID=80463

[Ryan Ricks]

I have had good luck with the Makita (2703). However, the miter guage slots are not standard. As such, any jigs have to have custom runners. Although I have enjoyed the saw, I'd look at the DeWalt - I believe it does have standard miter guage slots.


-Ryan

[Jim Becker]

Looks like a carbon copy of the Proxxon unit mentioned above. But that vendor does cater to the "miniatures" market...they have a lot of neat stuff. I referred my SIL to them awhile back relative to tools for making "reproduction" doll furniture.


http://www.ares-server.com/Ares/Ares.asp?MerchantID=RET01229&Action=Catalog&Type=Product&ID=80463

[Mike Goetzke]

Check out this saw:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=93211

...and it's going on sale at HF for $29 March 4th &5th (wonder if they will have a 20% coupon).

Mike