So, as I mentioned in a few other threads. I really want to get rid of as many floor space hogs as I can. 2-4 "panel" saws hanging on the wall, or in a wall mounted tool cabinet take up zero floor space. I've been forcing myself to do everything by hand on the three projects I've recently been at. (I'm about to start #3).
Sliding Compound Miter Saw
I built a pretty nice SCMS workstation with fold up wings and a kreg scale and storage underneath and I'm very happy with it. But it takes up too much floor space. Now that I've gotten my hand saw crosscutting dialing in on 80-90% perfect, the shooting board cleans it up quickly to 100%. I really think that the SCMS's days are numbered. But, I want to get several more projects under my belt before I ditch it as it was Festool expensive, and I spent a good weekend of my life making the cabinet/workstation it lives on.
Neander'ing it - But honestly, I'm liking so much that I don't have to fiddle with trying to get my cut perfectly lined up by trying to eyeball my cut line vs. the circular blade (even with the laser dialed in, the laser line is too fat for "perfect" now that I'm used to knifed in lines...). I'd often have to make cuts to creep up on perfect. And plug in the shop vac and hook it up to the SCMS, and don eye/ear protection. Just a pain really.
At the end of the day, since I'm not doing cut after cut with the same settings, I don't feel like I'm really saving any time vs. just cross cutting by hand.
Table Saw
Next up is the Tablesaw, again nice piece of quality kit as like my fingers (and this one is designed not to take them, even if I accidentally offer them up). But I got it at the 55" table size (it has the extension table). I sized it for a big panel cutting sled I made (and have already given away after I got my track saw, as it took up too much space and was heavy). Now, the one thing I'm pretty sure I don't want to do by hand all the time is ripping. Again, I'm forcing myself to do it all that way right now to both learn sawing technique and to see if I really could live without the TS. It helps that I have so much stuff piled on it due to lack of storage space that wheeling it out, unloading it, hooking up the dust collector, donning eye/ear protection, opening garage door so I have enough in-feed clearance (Which in Texas means now the garage is stupid hot again in less than 5 minutes) helps me avoid using it..
Neander'ing it -Well, boy do I work up a sweat ripping. I'm still not good at it, but the 7 point rip saw once it gets close to vertical powers through the material like I certainly didn't expect. I still can't stay on the line in this grip, but it shows promise as being pretty fast. The pair of sawbenches I build as hand tool project #1 are part of the success story. If my table saw could always be setup and in position (I have to wheel it out to where the car normally lives to get any out-feed clearance), it would doubtless always be faster and less labor.
Alternatively... as many folks have pointed out few woodworkers today, even hand tool nut jobs rip everything by hand. My current TS is taking up just way too much floor space, and it blocks access to a big section of wall which has tools and shelves I need to be able to get to unless I drag it out to the operation zone. I've not owned a bandsaw for years since my last one broke. I hear some folks value it above the tablesaw if you had to pick one. That might be an option for quickly ripping long boards. Or I might sell the big Saw Stop and go for a smaller footprint model... I just don't know.
Also, I also have a track saw, (and jig saw) and due to a big project I did off-site last year (couldn't bring 20' long boards home to rip), I have some long sections of track. Still takes a bunch of time to pull out the tools and set it up for a long cut, but the track can hang on the wall and take up no floor space, and the saw itself is of course just as big as the storage case, which isn't using much floor space either).
Also, also, if I go full neader' on ripping, if I build a split top sawbench, that I think would speed up the rip until I hit the inside of the rip notch, move board, repeat sequence of ripping by hand today. Or maybe ripping at the bench? (Not had much luck with that so far... but only tried it once)
Router Table
Built my own table, but with a nice phenolic top with cool fence and tracks, and height adjustment from the top from (I forget the company). Last use was for picture frames. I don't currently have any hand planes for profiling beyond a beading blade for my plow. Don't know where I'm going with this. Shop vac isn't powerful enough for good dust collection, so if I keep it I guess I'm stuck with the dust collector. I've started reading about profiling planes. But I don't own any yet.
Lathe
I want one... but need to free up space for a floor stand, or figure out where to store it when not in use. Can't use a dust collector with it so there is hope I could get one and still loose the DC.
Dust Collector
If I get rid of the TS and Router Table and I don't need it for bandsawing (if I ever get on), that is bonus floor space I can free up!
Whew, I meant this to be a quick post as I usually do my creak'in late at night. I'm cutting into my shop time on my only day off this week. I'm headed out to the garage to do battle with something!
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