What cut is realistic with a 1 HP TableSaw ???

[Shawn Honeychurch]

Morning All;

I am wondering what depth and length of cut is realistic with a 1 HP table saw. I have a 1 HP direct drive Delta TS (36-390c, called the QT-10 in Canada), and had to rip some old 2x4's last night. I have a decent (read generic) 40 tooth carbide tipped blade, and have the fence and such all nicely tuned up. I had to feed very slowly so a 10' piece took maybe 2 minutes to rip all the way down. I also got a lot of smoke from the wood and the edges of it all fairly burned in some areas, I assume that is due to the slow feed speed. If I feed faster it trips the breaker in my house.

A quick bit about the wiring (or lack there of) in my shop, the shop is about 10' from the house, and the wiring in it was so old and bad I ripped it all out when I started rebuilding the walls, so right now I am running a 20' heavy duty extension cord from the house to the shop and running everything off that. To do the ripping I made sure the only thing plugged into the cord was the TS.

So is the problem that the saw is under powered, or is it not getting enough from the extension cord?

Thanks
Shawn

[Eric Gustafson]

So is the problem that the saw is under powered, or is it not getting enough from the extension cord?

Thanks
Shawn

You will have better luck with a 24 or even less tooth ripping blade. I sometime rip with a 40 tooth combo, but it is much easier with a ripping blade.

[NICK BARBOZA]

exactly what Eric Said: too many teeth for ripping on that saw.

[Richard Magbanua]

Shawn,
I just replied someone else about this same topic. I hope this helps:

Quote:
Originally Posted by John Appleseed
My Delta Hybrid is only 1.75 h.p., so based on what you guys have said I should upgrade to more h.p. .......

What hp should I upgrade to, I will be ripping hardwood boards.......

Would appreciate your help....
Before you get a new saw...
What blade are you using?
Most blades that come with new saws aren't very good at least when compared to premium blades. You can compare and compare one hybrid saw to another, but the REAL difference is the BLADE!
If you are going to rip a lot of boards then you should try a rip blade. I have a Freud glueline rip and it works considerably better/faster than my Freud combo blade. You also may need to get a thin kerf blade made for lower hp saws. I have a CM hybrid and haven't had much problems with power for what I do.
Are you using your blade guard/splitter? Ripping boards can release tension in the wood and cause the board to close up after the cut and pinch the blade.
Finally, repeated ripping 2x4 hardwood boards is a lot to ask of anything under a cabinet saw. It's not a big deal to rip in two passes so don't be too hard on your saw. It's still a good saw!

Good Luck,
Richard in Indy


I just read that you have a 1HP direct drive saw (tabletop saw?) Ripping a 2x4 would be a chore for your saw. Even with a premium blade I would try ripping in 2 passes. Raise your blade up 3/4" for the first pass and then cut through on the second. Be safe and use your guard on the last pass! There may be nothing wrong with your saw, you just need to know its limitations and adapt.

[Ryan Sparreboom]

I also agree that your blade is the problem. Less teeth, get a good quality blade and make sure it's sharp. Your generic blade may be dull, causing the burning and inability to cut. I always say don't cheap out on blades. You can make better cuts with a good blade on a cheap saw, then you can with a cheap blade on a good saw.
Switch it out and let us know what happens.

[Prashun Patel]

I just upgraded from a Delta TS350 which had a 1hp induction motor. That saw lasted me for several years. I also had trouble ripping 2x4's on a single pass.

You have to do BOTH things, IMHO: use a ripping blade and do it in multiple passes (2). The ripping blade will prevent burning and doing it in mult passes will prevent the blade from binding, the breaker from tripping, and the 2x4 from kicking back.

I

[Lee Schierer]

Several comments. As others have said a 24 tooth blade will cut faster and easier, you may even want to consider a thin kerf blade for your saw.

Burning is generally caused more by poor blade alignment to the fence than a dull blade. Check the alignment of the blade to the cross cut guide and the fence to the cross cut guide slot.

All heavy duty extension cords are not up to the task. Your motor wil be drawing almost 15 amps when full loaded cutting you piece. Your wire should be #12 or #10. Small wire size in the extension cord will starve the motor and cause it to trip the breaker. You can tell if the wiring in the cord is too small if the cord is warm to the touch after using the saw. If you are on a 15 amp circuit, you need to switch to a 20 amp circuit. (Warning: If the breaker being tripped is 15 Amp, do not change the breaker to 20 amp without a certified elctrican verifying the wiring)

With regard to saw power, you didn't say what you were trying to rip. Your saw should rip most material up to 1-1/2" thick and do it all day with the proper voltage (current), thin kerf blade and proper alignment.

[Shawn Honeychurch]

OK, first off I made one mistake, I was in fact using a 24 tooth blade, and that was better than the first try which was a 40 tooth blade which was basically unusable.

But as it sounds, a 1 HP is underpowered for what I was asking it to do.

I will check out the extension cord and the circuit as well and make sure both are up to the task.

What I was ripping was 30 year old 2x4's that came out of a wall.

[scott spencer]

Good alignment and a sharp clean decent quality 24T thin kerf ripper can have a huge effect on your saw's ability to cut. Even an inexpensive $30 Freud ripper can work wonders. It's also much easier to cut wood if it's been straightened and flattened on a jointer.

[Pat Germain]

My Craftsman contractor saw probably doesn't put out more than 1HP. I can use it to cut 8/4 walnut and maple. Granted, it doesn't cut it easily, but it does cut it.

I found using a very short and very heavy duty extension cord makes a lot of difference. I once connected my TS to a long and thin extension cord. It wouldn't even cut 1/2" plywood using that extension cord.

Trying different blade heights might also help. It can be a bit scarey ripping with the blade at maximum height, but so is ripping on the verge of kickback.

[J. Z. Guest]

Great advice by Lee, as usual. In addition to what he said, I will make the following recommendations:

- I've found that even 10 AWG extension cords have cheap plugs & receptacles on them. Too much contact resistance. You'll know because the cord will be just barely warm, but as you approach the plug or receptacle, they are hot. This is from the contact resistance of the spot-welded contacts. Build your own by cutting off the plug & receptacle from your 10 AWG extension cord, and re-wiring it with industrial-grade plugs & receptacles.

- But extension cords are intended for short-term use only. When you do wire up the shop, use 10-12 THHN wire.

- Measure your line voltage. If you're on older service from the electric company, you could be starting out with low line voltage. My mom's house was wired in the 1930s, and her line voltage is down around 110 V. My condo is in a new subdivision, and is always between 123 & 125 V. This makes a big difference in the current your motor needs to pull to develop the same power.

- Since you said your saw is "direct drive" (like mine) this means it is a brushed, universal motor. These tools are subject to The Rating Game. Max. developed hp on those motors is under extreme overload, right before the motor burns up. It is not a real rating. An induction motor that is rated 1 hp can run at 1 hp all day long, and considerably more under a heavy load. Ever wonder why some shop vacs are "6 hp max developed" and can still run on a 15 A, 120 V circuit? That's why. The Ratings Game. In general, anything with an induction motor has a real rating, and anything with a universal motor, it is not a real rating.

- Get a high quality, thin-kerf rip blade. Even a simple, $40 Freud from your local Home Depot will make a remarkable difference compared to a regular, 1/8" kerf blade.

[Bill Wyko]

A common mistake is the thought that more teeth make a smoother cut. That is correct in cross cutting grain but in ripping, less teeth allow larger amounts of sawdust to be ejected and more cool air to be introduced. This is what makes a blade with fewer teeth make a clean, smooth cut w/o burning the wood. It'll be easier on the saw motor too.

[Shawn Honeychurch]

Thanks to one and all for the advice and suggestions.

I will check the cord and make sure it is good quality and fix if needed. I also had not thought of a thin kerf blade, i will try that, makes sense that it would be a big improvement for ripping.

Obviously I will eventually need a better saw, will keep my eyes out for an older Delta Unisaw or a Powermatic 66.

[Danny Thompson]

Thin kerf is the way to go on a lower powered machine. An engineer/co-worker recommended I switch and he was dead-on.

Less mass to spin and less wood ground to sawdust, means less resistence in the wood. That makes it is easier for the machine to keep up with your feed rate.