Crazy table saw question

[Robert Mayer]

can anyone vouch for the quality of the G0444? It definitely looks like a step above the crapsman I have.

[Perry Schmidt]

Rob,

Now, for you experienced folks, what are your TS recommendations with a $500 budget in mind? The Ryobi BT3100 looks like a lot for the money, but I also like miter slots and a big cast-iron top looks nice, too, so long as it's been stress-relieved and not prone to warp.

I got a BT3000 years ago - very nice saw! But it's a carpenter’s saw, not a woodworking saw. I still have mine, on a fold up cart for 'site' work - although not being a pro, I don't get much 'site' work. It does occasionally come in handy – friends houses, church, etc. And for what I use it for it works very well. If I have any remodeling type work coming up (which I’m done remodeling this house) I would use this saw a lot more.

But for woodworking, it’s not a good saw. To imprecise, no slots, not heavy enough, not enough power, fence is too small, etc… I upgraded to a Grizzly 1023S cabinet saw about a year ago. Wonderful saw!!

If $$$ is a concern (which it always is J) I’d go w/ a Grizzly contractor saw or look at General Industrial for a scratch/dent Jet, or comb the papers for a used saw – takes time, but they do show up occasionally. Or save up for that cabinet saw.

Perry

[Tyler Howell]

Gentlemen,

Be Fare.
You spent many an hour drooling in the show room and paging through the catalogue at the Tools of Craftsman arr arr arr. At one time they did have a quality product. I believe the people making Ridged once produced Craftsman products. Check my facts

Surf the net, there is a WW web sight just for those that use the stuff. There’s some impressive projects too. I spied many a Craftsman in the shops of some excellent WW at SMC.

Sears is “wood butcher light with training wheals”. Almost everyone started there but it is time to move on. Buyer beware. Research your product first. Do not start hanging a lot of stuff of your Craftsman to make it a real saw. Can’t make a silk purse out of a Sows ear.

[Tyler Howell]

Robert don't take a step take a leap. Never buy cheap tools.

[Eddie Severt]

James,
Go to the Grizzly web site to check shipping, they usually have a deal nationwide for a set price that is usually really reasonable. I will be ordering some of their tools as soon as the money is available.
Eddie

[Don Abele]

I had an old Craftsman tablesaw for the longest time (when I got it, it was already 10+ years old and I had for almost 15 more)!!! Of course, that was when they actually made quality products. But I too had the same problem when I started to become more serious in woodworking - the miter slot was odd sized. The top of mine was cast iron. Not wanting to spend money on a new saw, I actually cut the miter slot wider and deeper. I used a straight edge clamped to the table and a circular saw with an abrasive blade and made a series of cuts. Took about 30 minutes to finish and then I epoxied a new miter slot (from Rockler) into the opening. Worked great and was dead on straight and accurate. Stayed that way for about 8 years before the saw finally was killed when the movers dropped it.

Be well,

Doc

[Bruce Page]

The slot is 11/16 wide x 3/8 deep, with that goofy pair of "T" shoulders which are about 1/10" thick. I guess they are supposed to hold the miter gauge in, I dunno, haven't looked at enough TSs to know how the slots are normally setup. There's just over 1/2" clearance between these shoulders, so you make a rabbet on each side of the top of the runner about 3/32" wide and 1/10" deep. Having done all of this, when I screwed the sled panel into the runners, it pulled the runners up so they bind with the shoulders. I'm hoping once I attach front & rear fences the weight will make the runners ride on the bottom of the slot.

Whoa James, back the truck up!

If I’m understanding you correctly, you are trying to make the runners with an inverted "T" and a channel to clear the hump at the bottom of the slot? That’s way too much work! The runner doesn’t need to be any thicker than about ¼” and just a hair thinner than the width of the main slot, (.687 I believe). The main purpose of the t-slot is to hold the miter gage in the slot when cross cutting wide boards.


Like most of us here, my first saw was a Craftsman. I put a lot of $$ in upgrades with the hope of having a saw with repeatable accuracy that I didn’t have to fiddle with. I finally cut my losses and bought a Unisaw.

[Jim DeLaney]

I also like the big cast-iron-topped Rigid at HD, can't remember the model#

Thar Ridgid saw is basically just a Craftsman in a new suit. Both are/were made by Emerson Electric. Craftsman dropped Emerson maybe five years ago when they went to offshore manufacturing for thir saws, and Home Depot picked them up for their Ridgid line.

[James Carmichael]

Whoa James, back the truck up!

If I’m understanding you correctly, you are trying to make the runners with an inverted "T" and a channel to clear the hump at the bottom of the slot? That’s way too much work! The runner doesn’t need to be any thicker than about ¼” and just a hair thinner than the width of the main slot, (.687 I believe). The main purpose of the t-slot is to hold the miter gage in the slot when cross cutting wide boards.


Like most of us here, my first saw was a Craftsman. I put a lot of $$ in upgrades with the hope of having a saw with repeatable accuracy that I didn’t have to fiddle with. I finally cut my losses and bought a Unisaw.

Hmmm,

If the runner is just 1/4", that sure doesn't leave much to screw into, plus about a 1/8" reach from sled to runner. Or do you put a spacer block between the runner and sled and screw through that? That would work, so long as the spacer block were only about 1/2" and centered to clear the shoulders for the T.

Anyway, shoulda listened to my gut and waited to get a more serious saw, but had lots of RM projects and a limited budget. Like you, I'm finding a TS to be a money and time pit, I love working with it, but if I'm going to spend that much time and effort, would rather spend it on something better.

[Bruce Page]

Hmmm,

If the runner is just 1/4", that sure doesn't leave much to screw into, plus about a 1/8" reach from sled to runner. Or do you put a spacer block between the runner and sled and screw through that? That would work, so long as the spacer block were only about 1/2" and centered to clear the shoulders for the T.

James,

It sounds like you are attaching the runners through the sled base and into the runner. Most sleds, including mine, have the runners attached by screws into the sled base. If you use ¾“ material for the base that would allow for a ½“ bite using a ¾” wood screw.Here is a recent thread that I replied to with some pictures of my sled.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...?threadid=5915

[James Carmichael]

James,

It sounds like you are attaching the runners through the sled base and into the runner. Most sleds, including mine, have the runners attached by screws into the sled base. If you use ¾“ material for the base that would allow for a ½“ bite using a ¾” wood screw.Here is a recent thread that I replied to with some pictures of my sled.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...?threadid=5915

Thanks for all the input, Bruce. Seems to me no matter how the runners are attached, if they are snug with the panel, they're going to pull up and bind on the T shoulders. Do all TS have a miter retainer like this?

I think my best bet will be as you said, make the runners 1/4" high, but glue on blocks about 1/2 w x 1/8 h that will ride between the T to screw the panel to.

[Chris Padilla]

....I'll have to cut with my trusty ol B&D jigsaw and a long straightedge, just too much trouble to make in/outfeed support for 4x8 panels.

James, I picked up one of those 1.5" thick foam panels from HD (white foam, shiny paper on the other side, used for insulation), lay that on the floor, and use a straight-edge and my worm-drive circular saw (Skil Magnesium one...nice saw...also from HD) to chop up the 4x8 panels into manageable chunks.

When the foam is beyond use, I toss it a buy another one. I still have the one I bought 4 years ago...just don't push the blade to far below the plywood and it'll last a good long time.

[Kurt Aebi]

Noah,

Try using a 1/2 " end mill in your router and running the router on the slower-side (usually routers run a little fast for metals, but aluminum is pretty soft) if you have an adjustable speed. You usually run a mill pretty fast when machining aluminum and if you set-up correctly, you can get good results with your router.

Good luck and if you try it, let us know how it turns out.

[Noah Alkinburgh]

Kurt,

I may just do that. I have a Bosch 1617EVS so I can turn it down slow. Where might I get a 1/2" end mill though?

Noah

[Dar Lounsbury]

Maybe not the easiest idea but a local machine shop quoted me about $100 to re-machine the slots to fit the standard bars. This would be one way to improve the saw without total replacement costs. Perhaps someone in your area would do it for less.