Not impressed with new SawStop ICS

[Simon MacGowen]

Maybe, sort of. My (almost new) PCS fence face is not perfectly flat. Has a couple of variance spots as you run an indicator along it. Overall, though, it is straight and I haven't noticed any problems.

By fixing, I meant using higher quality and more-ply sheets, as opposed to the dirt cheap Chinese ply. It is easy to compare new fences with the old ICS fences by flipping the fences upside down. The first gen. ply had visible voids on the edges.

Good quality ply materials however do not guarantee flatness along the fence length, and that is why some woodworkers replace their stock fences with their own trued hardwood fences.

One more caution: avoid using the Chinese plys if you can, as there are reports that some imported plys contain carcinogenic bonding materials. You breathe them when you cut them on your saw! I seldom use plys, but always go for non-Chinese plys.

Simon

[Larry Edgerton]

Stop saws are used primarily by training educational institutions to prevent mishaps and insurance reduction. This is like forcing or implementing every educational driving instructor to purchase a Tesla.

They have two of the SS industrials at the industrial arts institute I teach at, and they are no different than the PM 66 shoved in the corner of my barn.

I can not get used to the thing being ready to go off at any time, its a distraction to me. So I took in an old Unisaw and put a key on it for my own use, students use the SS.

[Joe Jensen]

-Light trunnion
-Small bearings
-Belt drive, though tough to escape on a 10" saw
-Cheap motor
-Cheap switch
-Cheap starter
-Light stamped base
-Prone to mis-fires (though they do replace)
-Wierd grind on the table top (needs more texture to make it slippery. Looks nice, but not very functional)
-Light duty miter gauge slots
-Square miter gauge slots instead of proper dovetailed slots

I do like the fence though, it's one of my favorites of the T-lock variety.

Martin, you have a great list of features that differentiate US Old Iron industrial table saws from US Old Iron 10" cabinet saws and all Asian cabinet saws. I wonder why you would spend huge money on the Sawstop when so many of those critical features were missing. I am only aware of Northfield still making a saw with all those features, are there others, and at what price point?

[Rod Sheridan]

The electrical terminal box will only accept 12 gauge wire relief strain connections while the connections inside the saw are larger. That one still puzzles me.

Hi Steve, if it's a single phase saw, the 12 AWG flexible cord would be rated for 25 amperes, which is probably fine for that HP. The internal wirings may need to be 10 AWG.....Regards, Rod.

[Martin Wasner]

New? Just Northfield that I'm aware of. Used there's a bunch of options in saws that can't be killed. For cheap too. New I think a #4 is ~$10k? A rolling top around $20k? Price doesn't matter if you scrape out a living with it though, only cost.

The swapstop is fine, just call it what it is, mediocre. Not terrible, not garbage, but it sure isn't stellar.

I might end up buying one for one specific task where you have to get really close to the blade, push sticks and gadgets are out, powerfeed isn't an option. But it won't see much use. I'm comfortable doing the operation, but everybody else freaks out. My skills are better put to use elsewhere in the shop.

[jack forsberg]

New? Just Northfield that I'm aware of. Used there's a bunch of options in saws that can't be killed. For cheap too. New I think a #4 is ~$10k? A rolling top around $20k? Price doesn't matter if you scrape out a living with it though, only cost.

The swapstop is fine, just call it what it is, mediocre. Not terrible, not garbage, but it sure isn't stellar.

I might end up buying one for one specific task where you have to get really close to the blade, push sticks and gadgets are out, powerfeed isn't an option. But it won't see much use. I'm comfortable doing the operation, but everybody else freaks out. My skills are better put to use elsewhere in the shop.

whats the operation? just curious

[Martin Wasner]

whats the operation? just curious

Resawing 2¼" wide plywood strips for flushing the carcass to the face frame on drawer openings. Currently we double rip, cut shallow, flip, finish the cut.

It's fast and works well, but there's no room to be stupid. The blade needs to be reasonably sharp, and everything needs to be waxed up really well. I've never even had a scare doing it, but I'm pretty focused doung it

[Darcy Warner]

Resawing 2¼" wide plywood strips for flushing the carcass to the face frame on drawer openings. Currently we double rip, cut shallow, flip, finish the cut.

It's fast and works well, but there's no room to be stupid. The blade needs to be reasonably sharp, and everything needs to be waxed up really well. I've never even had a scare doing it, but I'm pretty focused doung it

So about 5/16"?

[Martin Wasner]

So about 5/16"?

Anywhere from taking almost nothing off, down to about a ¼". Usually they're about 3/8"

[Darcy Warner]

Anywhere from taking almost nothing off, down to about a ¼". Usually they're about 3/8"

For side mount drawer slides?

[Martin Wasner]

yep

10 characters

[jim mills]

I plane mine. Maybe get them close with the bandsaw first.

[mreza Salav]

Resawing 2¼" wide plywood strips for flushing the carcass to the face frame on drawer openings. Currently we double rip, cut shallow, flip, finish the cut.

It's fast and works well, but there's no room to be stupid. The blade needs to be reasonably sharp, and everything needs to be waxed up really well. I've never even had a scare doing it, but I'm pretty focused doung it

Have you considered getting thin ply 1/16" (it's called 2-ply here) and use that in combination with 1/8-1/4" ply to get to thickness you want? It should be faster (maybe not as cheap though).

[Matt Mattingley]

It will be interesting this year and next year most of the Patton restrictions become obsolete. A new playing field will be introduced. Touch lamps have been around for 30+ years... good for Gass for making a few billion dollars on SS. SS had a great marketing team. I’m pretty sure support will dry up in the years to come.

[Peter Christensen]

I’m pretty sure support will dry up in the years to come.

Why would you believe that? Festool bought them up earlier this year so I would believe support should continue. It’s not like they were bought by a group that sells off the good bits and drops the quality to junk levels and relies on the old name until it is no good anymore.