Cabinet Saw B-Day Present?

[Jacob Mac]

Julie, I'm nowhere near as good as you are at woodworking, but I did go through a similar process a few years back. I got the Grizzly 690 and it has been fine. Getting it calibrated was a real pain, but I always think calibrating machines is a pain.

If I had unlimited funds, I'm sure I would have went with an ICS or a slider. But I didn't, so I got the 690, and it hasn't held me back at all. A lack of talent and time has, but not the saw.

[Mike Henderson]

The 36 inch saw should work fine. If you want to save a bit of money, go with the 3HP. It's plenty strong enough to do the work. If you were to use a powered feeder and putting a lot of work through the saw I'd recommend the 5HP.

I have a 3HP and it doesn't even work hard.

[Added note: If you get the 36", you can cheat a bit by moving the rails to the right to give you a bit more cut distance. I did that with mine. You give up most of the ability to use the fence on the left side of the blade but I don't miss that.]

Mike

[David Publicover]

Hi Julie,
I’m another fan of a cabinet saw. It was a massive improvement over my previous 1.75 hp hybrid style saw. Much smoother, accurate and more powerful. I was lucky and got a great deal on a demo 3hp Sawstop ICS with 52” rails. In my small shop the long rails have been a complication. I’m looking at cutting them down to 36” but I haven’t been able to bring myself todo it quite yet. I have not felt the need to have anymore power. I haven’t had any trouble with 2” hardwood.
Having seen the high quality work you produce, I’m sure you will appreciate having a good cabinet saw and be able to take full advantage of its capabilities.
Happy birthday!
David

[Charles Lent]

Julie,

If you have room for a Delta Contractor saw with the slider added, you have the room for a cabinet saw and slider. Whether you go with a 36" or 52" fence system will be your decision, but I ran across an 80's 3hp Unisaw with a 52" Unifence about 12 years ago. Since my shop is only 14' wide, I really needed a smaller fence system, but I can't bring myself to cut the rails (might get a bigger shop some day), so the saw is sitting at a 90 deg to the wall with the end of the fence table up against the wall. I go around it on the left end when I need to go to the other end of the shop. It's been this way since I moved it in. I never break down full sheets with it, I do this outside on a cutting table and then bring the pieces in for final cutting.

In a home shop you will never need 5hp. Three hp is all you will ever need. Find yourself a clean Unisaw in good shape. Clean it up and put that slider on it. Maybe give the arbor and motor some new bearings and new belts, and you will never need a better saw. I love my Unifence and it's ability to be used both as a high or low fence, on either side of the saw blade, and the fence extrusion can be adjusted to any length desired very easily. It's one limitation is that it's difficult to attach featherboards and other accessories. I solved this by buying a Uni-T-Fence extrusion from Peachtree Woodworking in Atlanta. This is a square extrusion with T slots on the top and face, plus a strip of HDPE on the lower face side to make feeding wood past it easier. It fits on the Unifence base casting just like the original fence extrusion. I kept both, so I can enjoy the benefits of either, depending on the project need. I added a Wixey DRO to my Unifence, so now I can move tand then re-position the fence and repeat a cut within 0.005". I don't need better than this. My son will inherit my Unisaw, and it will likely last him the rest of his life too. At this time he is using the 34-444 Delta Contractor Saw that I found and cleaned up for him.

A Powermatic 66 is a great saw too, but it will likely be more difficult to attach that slider to it than it would to a Unisaw.

Charley

[Julie Moriarty]

Lots of great advice and input here! Not that that is surprising. Thank you, every one of you!

I'm working in a very different world now. There is at least one man there to help me (the homeowner) and sometimes more. Though we are all pushing into our 70's, or more, it's really nice to have help lugging heavy lumber into place. This really makes the work so much easier.

The other thing is, this is a pretty big job. We've roughly installed 800 bd/ft of high density woods and there's lots more to go. The neighbor's PM66 has so far ripped 4/4 bloodwood, 4/4 tigerwood (goncalo alves) and 4/4 pecky Bolivian walnut, some at 45 degrees, all without any problem. And we've got 8/4 zebrawood to resaw and rip. I'm quickly getting spoiled.

While it's been a whole lot of fun, will I ever see this kind of thing again? Probably not. People are not very receptive to a woman, especially at my age, being capable of doing this kind of work. Thing is, I haven't been in this good of shape in years. And it really feels good to be alive again. But that doesn't lend credence to competency.

Lots to think about. I really need to take some pictures and post them. It's pretty cool how this is going. As for the cabinet saw, yeah, I'd love it, but I'm really trying to be practical (something I too often fail to do.)

Thanks again. I'll make a point of taking some pictures tomorrow and post them.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Let's think this out again. You are in your seventies. What are going to to do, wait for old age to get the saw of your dreams? By then you will be too old to enjoy it. Take that next stimulus check and GO FOR IT! Just think of it as Uncle Sam (and our grand children, they have to pay it back, plus a lot of interest) gave you a reverse inheritance. FYI, I'm having a hard time spending stimulus check on "wants," rather than needs. Did spend $400 out of the first to buy materials to replace shed roof across back of the shop. Rest and second went into savings. This allows credit union to make loans to others, so indirectly I stimulated the economy

[Julie Moriarty]

Let's think this out again. You are in your seventies. What are going to to do, wait for old age to get the saw of your dreams? By then you will be too old to enjoy it. Take that next stimulus check and GO FOR IT! Just think of it as Uncle Sam (and our grand children, they have to pay it back, plus a lot of interest) gave you a reverse inheritance. FYI, I'm having a hard time spending stimulus check on "wants," rather than needs. Did spend $400 out of the first to buy materials to replace shed roof across back of the shop. Rest and second went into savings. This allows credit union to make loans to others, so indirectly I stimulated the economy

Whoa, Bruce! I'm not 70 for a couple of months! Until then, I refuse to accept any more aging!

But seriously, I understand what you're saying. But when I imagine having a cabinet saw, the next thing nagging me is the anemic 3/4 HP cyclone dust collector that should probably be upgraded. And then we're talking another couple grand. It's at this point I throw in the towel cuz there's no way we can afford both.

[Zac Martin]

The other thing is, this is a pretty big job. We've roughly installed 800 bd/ft of high density woods and there's lots more to go. The neighbor's PM66 has so far ripped 4/4 bloodwood, 4/4 tigerwood (goncalo alves) and 4/4 pecky Bolivian walnut, some at 45 degrees, all without any problem. And we've got 8/4 zebrawood to resaw and rip. I'm quickly getting spoiled.

Tigerwood, bloodwood, and Bolivian walnut?? OK now you HAVE to share some pictures of this kitchen when it's finished! Happy early birthday, btw!

[Alan Lightstone]

Tigerwood, bloodwood, and Bolivian walnut?? OK now you HAVE to share some pictures of this kitchen when it's finished! Happy early birthday, btw!

Oh, yeah. Without pictures, it didn't happen. You know the rules, Julie.

I went from a tricked out SawStop contractors saw to a 5HP Sawstop ICS, and am thrilled at the difference. I also downgraded to 36" instead of 52", and rarely miss it, but love the extra space it has given me in the shop. I doubt you'll miss it.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Whoa, Bruce! I'm not 70 for a couple of months! Until then, I refuse to accept any more aging!

I got your age by reading YOUR POST above. Age is a case of mind over matter, if you don't mind it doesn't matter. We have a friend who is 69 with three years of experience. As for up grading DC, you buy a Super Dust Deputy, then find a used 2 HP two stage and have a decent DC for a lot less than two grand. Remember that a thousand mile journey starts with only one step. Oh, an early HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

[Ted Calver]

The only thing more awesome than a skilled female wood worker is an SO that buys her a new Sawstop for her birthday! Welcome to the "active adult" world ... and another early Happy Birthday!

[Jim Becker]

Julie, I don't think that a person having indoor or outdoor plumbing has any bearing on what they are capable of doing or enjoying. Neither does age, within reason around physical health. So if you are enjoying your woodworking as is clearly evident, having a nice, heavy saw will make for a wonderful continuation of that pursuit.

[Charlie Jones]

I have a 3 Hp Unisaw from the nineties with the 32” Unifence. It has been entirely adequate. You will enjoy the power, precision and dust collection not matter which brand you get. I suggest bayou look for a used Unisaw or PM66. That should save you quite a bit.

[Julie Moriarty]

I've been going back and forth between a decent DC and a real cabinet saw. From what I've seen thus far, either choice would require some concessions. Then I ran across Harvey. No not Jimmy Stewart's imaginary rabbit friend.

The Harvey HW110S-36 requires no concessions. On my present TS, I have a sliding table on the left that I'd love to keep. All of the cabinet saws I've seen have an access door on the left making it impossible to mount the sliding table. The HW110S has the access door on the right. The only thing I don't know is would the angle adjustment wheel interfere with the slider bar for my sliding table? Other than that, this saw looks perfect. Reviews I've read so far are good.

And it comes with bells and whistles that are extra for every other TS. It is said to be identical to the Laguna Platinum Series TS but with overarm dust collection and a very impressive miter gauge. It would probably add to the jobs I now take to the TS.

This is it. (no extras are added to the photo)

[Charles Coolidge]

5hp, 12 inch blade, 1 inch arbor, 48.25" x 30.75" 2" thick cast iron table.

https://www.grizzly.com/products/gri...ble-saw/g0696x