sawstop owners...what do you think abou your factory extension table?

[Jason Morgan]

I have been considering the upgrade of my powermatic contractor style saw to a real cabinet saw and cannot get past the guilt of not buying a sawstop. It feels like Im going to the car lot and saying I want the biggest baddest car you have and oh by the way I dont want seat belts or air bags. But I digress

Anyway, I went to the local woodcraft to touch and see the thing first hand and was impressed by the fit and finish. They had one there right beside a powermatic PM2000. They are equivalent in terms of quality IMHO. However I was not impressed with the Sawstop extension table. What were they thinking putting a GLOSS finish on an extension table. Sure it will look great until you slide a board over it and scratch the heck out of it (and every other time you use it). I must say I am not impressed with the table or their pricing strategy. I am willing to pay shipping and I am willing to pay for the extra cost of the electronics and the brake system. I dont like that they price th "saw" about the same as other high end cab saws but then charge you 500 for shipping, 400 for a fence, 250 for the cheap extenaion table, and another 200 if you ever want to move it (mobile base). Id much rather see a 3200 dollar saw that includes everything and then charge me extra for the brake.

What do you guys think?

[Don Bullock]

Jason, there have been many threads here on the SawStop. I'd rather not beat a dead horse here. Personally I liked the feature of being able to buy the parts that I wanted. I didn't buy their fence (it's a good fence) because I wanted an Incra. I decided that I'd add a router table instead of the extension table (still waiting on that). And, upon examining my bill, I noticed my dealer didn't add the shipping charge. As for your original question, yes, I think that they scrimped on the factory extension table, but that's something that doesn't come with the package and you can easily build a better one for less. If you still insest of getting the entire package for one price I'm sure that your dealer will be glad to make out an invoice that isn't itemized and then you won't have to "see" the individual prices.;) :D

[William Nimmo]

The extension table that comes with the saw stop is an absolute pleasant surprise. I use it constantly as an assembly table. That gloss finish is so easy to clean up after glueing. I adjusted my festool mft to be the same height and I slide all kinds of material across it without any damage or problem. I even took a trip back to the dealer and asked him what the heck they used cause it holds up so well.

[Don Bullock]

William, that's good to know. Thanks for the quick review.

Jason, there may be other dealers in your area that carry SawStop that will give you better service than WoodCraft. While the actual cost of the saw is set, there are other ways that dealers can provide service (i.e., setting up the saw, checking all the tolerances, placing it on a mobile base, delivering it to your shop for a very reasonable cost, etc.)

[Ted Baca]

I agree with Willaim and Don, I have had my SS for about 10 months now and the extension table has held up well. I did wax it when it was new and that reminds me that I should do it again. Also I had an Excalibur fence that I intended to install on it so by eliminating the fence fromthe git-go was of benefit as well. No regrets it has been a wonderful tool and pleasure to use every time I turn it on. I was going to get the PM2000 but the one thing that concerned me was the elevation mechanisim, which my local Woodcraft store had to ship back to PM for repairs. I think the chain is subject to rust and stretching and will fail over time MHO of course.

[Jason Morgan]

As before, I think the sawstop looks like a great tool, and I am surprised to hear that the tables have held up so well. The one on the sawstop at Woodcraft was really scratched up. I just assumed that since it was a gloss finish that the scratching would happen with occasional use (I think they only use it for demo's but I might be wrong. I am looking and drooling over all the top saws, but then I just keep asking myself, how can you NOT buy a sawstop? I guess I'd be curious to hear from those that had a sawstop within their budget constraints and DID NOT buy one what their justification was. (I dont mean this at all to be contentious in any way even though it may sound that way:D)

[Anthony Anderson]

Love Mine. Saw and extension table. No regrets. I have slid a lot of wood across the extension table and it is holding up great-now that's not to say that it won't scratch, anything will. As others have said the gloss finish makes clean up a breeze. I also use mine for an assembly table, and I am very glad I opted for the 52" fence and ext. table, even though I have a (12'X22') small shop. The large fence and extension table has proven to be a real help. If you can afford the saw you will not regret it. If you are going to buy a cabinet saw in the $2k-$3k range, you will certainly not regret spending the extra to get the SawStop. Sure, in the short term the initial cost will cause hesitation, but in the long term you will be glad you bought one. The only thing that would make you regret buying a PM, if you choose to buy one, would be not having the braking feature, of course then you would regret the decision forever, or at least every time you wish you had those fingers back. Regardless which saw you buy, always use the guard. If you can't use the guard, find another way to make the cut. If you have to use the saw without the guard, then use featherboards and pushsticks/blocks to keep the fingers and hands out of the way. Good Luck in your choice. Bill

[Dan Lee]

I also like the extension table. If I recollect correctly it is actually plastic laminate on the top and four sides unlike my former PM66 extension which was just melamine coated particle board

[Jules Dominguez]

I built my extension table out of 3/4 plywood with oak perimeter and stiffeners underneath, and laminated a scrap of white formica I got from a cabinet shop on top. It's very little trouble to make one.

[Bill Keehn]

I bought a SawStop last year and I absolutely love it. Everything except the extension table. I've had two problems.

First, the gloss finish does indeed scratch easily. I found that just a few splinters of purpleheart under the the glide on the end of the fence was all it took to leave deep scratches.

Then I had a piece of tempered hardboard on it to try and protect the surface while I used it as an assembly table, but that scratched it up as much as anything else.

Last week I tried to get a few old drips of polyurethane off the surface and finally had to resort to a safety razor. The drips came off easily, but the corner of the blade scratched the surface even more. I decided I'd had enough looking at the scratches and took it down to a nice satin finish with synthetic steel wool. Guess what.. my stock slides over the surface MUCH more easily than it ever did on the gloss surface, even when it was freshly waxed.

The second problem I have is that the table is only supported by the rails and by the leg on the end. The steel extension wing has mounting holes, but there are no matching holes in the table nor bolts to go in them. Even though the table was dead flat to begin with, it now sags a little near the middle of that edge. I'm going to drill holes and see if I can use some bolts to flatten it again. If that doesnt work, then I'm probably going to build a new one.

[Mark Visconti]

The second problem I have is that the table is only supported by the rails and by the leg on the end. The steel extension wing has mounting holes, but there are no matching holes in the table nor bolts to go in them. Even though the table was dead flat to begin with, it now sags a little near the middle of that edge. I'm going to drill holes and see if I can use some bolts to flatten it again. If that doesnt work, then I'm probably going to build a new one.

Bill, have any luck flattening it ? While the cast iron table is flat enough, the interface between the extension and cast iron table leaves a bit to be desired. I'm using an Incra LSTS as the fence and there aren't really enough pieces to support it. I have a bit more assembly to do, so it's possible mounting the fence carriage will help, but it sure doesn't look like it. I was considering a couple more mounting brackets from Incra as an option as well as drilling the holes in the extension that would tie into the right wing holes.

[Paul Johnstone]

I dont like that they price th "saw" about the same as other high end cab saws but then charge you 500 for shipping, 400 for a fence, 250 for the cheap extenaion table, and another 200 if you ever want to move it (mobile base?

Can't you make your own extension table? I did for my delta.. We are talking about the table to the right of the saw that the fence attaches to, right?

I don't know if an aftermarket fence would fit sawstop or if it would save you much money..

Or maybe another brand of cab saw with a really good blade guard?

[Mark Visconti]

Warning : I resurrected this thread as it referenced the extension table so try not to pile on out of date news.

[Dave Bureau]

Bill, have any luck flattening it ? While the cast iron table is flat enough, the interface between the extension and cast iron table leaves a bit to be desired. I'm using an Incra LSTS as the fence and there aren't really enough pieces to support it. I have a bit more assembly to do, so it's possible mounting the fence carriage will help, but it sure doesn't look like it. I was considering a couple more mounting brackets from Incra as an option as well as drilling the holes in the extension that would tie into the right wing holes.

Mark:
I am using the Incra fence also. I drilled the 2 extra holes in the saw stop extention table and that made it more secure. then I added the 2 extra brackets that the incra fence came with on to the extention table. That works great. I had to modify the brackets a little to line up with the stock holes in the extention table. everything is now solid as a rock.
Dave

[Andre Masse]

The second problem I have is that the table is only supported by the rails and by the leg on the end. The steel extension wing has mounting holes, but there are no matching holes in the table nor bolts to go in them.

Just got mine 2 days ago and there's a bolt to support the extension table now :

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2267/2574690953_e1c611693c.jpg

[Mark Singer]

Its really pretty good!

[Brian Penning]

Just got mine 2 days ago and there's a bolt to support the extension table now :




I like the extension table and seems to be holding the gradually increasing weight of my scraps quite well so far. :)

I have the bolt in my saw also.

[Bill Keehn]

Just got mine 2 days ago and there's a bolt to support the extension table now :


I noticed that a few months ago at my local Woodcraft where I purchased the saw. I feel vindicated, like they listened to me, even though they probably didn't. I haven't done it to mine yet but I will.

I removed the fence & rails and table and put it back together following the assembly manual. It's a little better, not as good as it could be, but it least it doesn't seem to be getting worse. I've had to train myself not to let things collect and sit too long on the table.

Still, I like the idea of a benchtop extension table like powermatic offers. One with a router lift in it would be even better. Actually I'm torn between that idea and putting a storage cabinet under the table.

[Joe Mioux]

It's a toss up.

I chose to buy it and I am glad I did. Why? because I didn't want to build one and I really like the way the black laminate's color matches the paint on the saw. Assembly of the whole saw and the extension is actually fun, but most importantly quick, easy and accurate.

Could you build one? yea, Do you want to build one? you decide.

I would rather be building something other than another jig or workshop accessory.

just my 2 cts

joe