SawStop Sliding Crosscut Table

[James Nugnes]

There was a thread here about a guy getting a used TS that came available because the organization's insurance company selling it politely "suggested" they get a SawStop. Maybe guys interested in upgrades but not all that interested in SawStop specifically might find that a good avenue to some good used equipment that they would prefer anyway. I would bet when the insurance company comes calling, there is not much internal discussion about making the change or not.

[Bill Sutherland]

I have the Sawstop PCS and the TS55 and MFT and for the money I'd do it again. There are so many things the TS55 MFT combo do well as well as having the table as a clamping/finishing platform. I haven't discovered all its capabilities but when you visit the Festool Owners forum it will amaze you.

[Lee Reep]

To get the perfect cut using track saw, parallel guide is needed. Check this thread from FOG, http://festoolownersgroup.com/festoo...rallel-guides/

I own a Festool TS-55 track saw, and it is an amazing tool for breaking down sheet goods. I bought the Seneca Parallel Guides, which are less expensive than Festool's. They have received really positive reviews and are a really nice add-on for making repeatable 90s after busting down a sheet of plywood. (Seneca also makes several add-ons for Festool's Domino). I bought a track saw rather than upgrading my contractor saw to a SawStop. I'll get a SawStop someday, but not the wide table version. I see no reason to ever put a full sheet of plywood on a table saw after using my track saw. I built my own "MFT-style" workbench, with CNC-machined large top. It also doubles as my outfeed table for my table saw.

[Dennis Aspö]

I think the OP said he was a hobbyist (like me) so I don't think a big format style slider is the ticket if space is a concern. I got a euro saw with a slider (Rapid PK-100), it's a american style cabinet saw and I think it's a great machine. It's very versatile setup and it can take all types of jigs and it takes less space than a format slider.

The slider can't be used to rip long pieces but with my short fence addition and the riving knife, I am entirely satisfied with this solution and think it's a perfectly safe way to operate.

[Curtis Myers]

: The stops are not stops but merely place holders, they flex if you actually bump your work piece against them. In my mind it is a design flaw in what is otherwise a premium product and Sawstop should redesign and send out replacements. They politely told me that wasn't going to happen. This is an important function of a crosscut fence: accurate sizing of a batch parts. In making your decision you should add in the cost of buying, and modifying to fit, functional stops. I thought my $1000 would have bought me those already.

I completely agree. The stops are the week link to an otherwise excellent product. Both of my stops were out of square when I received them. Called Sawstop and they sent me two new ones which were also out of square. Took them apart and squared them up. They designed the stops way to compliceted for what they are.
If you watch their sliding table intro video on YouTube (www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fw0282Ymv6o) they describe how you can slam a piece of 1" or smaller stock into the front of the stop and the stop will popup out of the way. They put to much design emphasis on the popup gimmick where they designed an effective stop feature OUT of the stop.
I emailed Sawstop several time about the inadequate stop design. At first the engineer told me the stops were not designed to hold upto the demands of a production shop and ment for the hobbiest. I told him I was a hobbiest and was dissatisfied with the gimmicky stop. Please design an effect stop. I would simply purchase a competitor stop but the channel is a proprietary size.
I like the sliding table but I paid WAY to much for it and they missed the mark with the stops. Even if they fix the stops I cannot swallow the $GRAND$ I spend. With all that said I'm keeping the slider because I like it even though I paid too much. I already had a Sawstop and plan to keep what I have. If I was just starting out a small true slider would be in the same price range.



Curtis

[John Sanford]

If you watch their sliding table intro video on YouTube (www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fw0282Ymv6o) they describe how you can slam a piece of 1" or smaller stock into the front of the stop and the stop will popup out of the way. They put to much design emphasis on the popup gimmick where they designed an effective stop feature OUT of the stop.Curtis

The popup is not a gimmick. It's a feature common to many saws, it makes for quick squaring of work pieces. SawStop's execution may not meet your preferences, but the feature itself is found on everything from the Kreg Miter Saw "fence" kit to Felder sliders.

[Steven Satur]

The problem with the stops are all well and good, I think I could live with that. Its the missing 90+45 degree detent that is the problem

[John Coloccia]

I emailed Sawstop several time about the inadequate stop design. At first the engineer told me the stops were not designed to hold upto the demands of a production shop and ment for the hobbiest.

Well, again, this shows how far off the mark SS is with this thing, and I'm a big fan of a their product...I'm on my second SS. I really have to scratch my head and wonder just what the heck was going through their mind when they designed this thing. When you can design a contractor saw that performs as well some cheap cabinet saws, and then you introduce something that just misses in so many different ways, it really dilutes the brand.

[Jim Kirkpatrick]

I've been on the fence for a Sawstop PCS and the sliding table just added to my interest. I currently have a Unisaw with an Excalibur sliding table. I'm happy with the setup but the footprint takes up a lot of real estate in my shop. I was at Rockler looking at the SS with slider and one thing that bothered me is the base rail protrudes a good 12" in front of the fence rail. That means you have to either stand to the left of it which puts your eyes too far from the cut line OR you stand to the right of it and now you are right in line with the blade. My feeling is you would stand to the right of it with the power off to line up your cut, then move to the left side and start the saw up and make the cut. Seems inconvenient to me. Was wondering if anyone has thoughts or experience with this.
I was unaware of the fence stop complaints here, I'll have to return to see for myself.

[John Coloccia]

I believe you can move the rails forward so they don't protrude, at the expense of capacity of course. There's a video kicking around somewhere that they mention this, I think, but I just don't have it at my finger tips. I WILL say that the one I played with at my local Woodcraft was sturdy as heck and silky smooth. For the few design features that really turn me off, it does seem like a well built unit.

[Dave Anthony]

I use a Jessem sliding table, wound up making a home made stop block, see:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...ock&highlight=

Kinda crude, but it it works quite well. You should be able to do something similar w/SS. The Jessem doesn't have 45 & 90 degree detents either, and this is not a problem as far as accuracy goes. I can get reliable cuts (can make a picture frame without gaps in any of the miters) using just the markings on the scale. It can be a problem with movement when cutting large heavy pieces so I've learned to crank down hard on the locking knobs. Personally, I love the slider and the saw would seem incomplete w/out it.

[John Sanford]

I've been on the fence for a Sawstop PCS and the sliding table just added to my interest. I currently have a Unisaw with an Excalibur sliding table. I'm happy with the setup but the footprint takes up a lot of real estate in my shop. I was at Rockler looking at the SS with slider and one thing that bothered me is the base rail protrudes a good 12" in front of the fence rail. That means you have to either stand to the left of it which puts your eyes too far from the cut line OR you stand to the right of it and now you are right in line with the blade. My feeling is you would stand to the right of it with the power off to line up your cut, then move to the left side and start the saw up and make the cut. Seems inconvenient to me. Was wondering if anyone has thoughts or experience with this.
I was unaware of the fence stop complaints here, I'll have to return to see for myself.

Regarding the 12" projection in front of the saw, John Coloccia has it right. Set up flush to the saw, the slider has a capacity of 36" or so. You can increase that capacity by "moving" it so the table projects in front of the saw 12". The slider still slides the same distance, it's just that the start point is 12" farther from the front of the blade. If you look at the SawStop Sliding Table Overview slideshow, Slides #2 and #3 show the two setups. I don't know how troublesome it would be to change from one setup to another.

[Jim Kirkpatrick]

I have both the Stopstop PCS with the crosscut table and a Grizzly G0623X slider. I wrote a long review comparing the advantages of each but took so long the site logged me off and I lost the text in the process of signing back in.....sigh... I'll re-write it sometime but the short answer is that the sliding table is very nice overall with one serious flaw in my view: The stops are not stops but merely place holders, they flex if you actually bump your work piece against them. In my mind it is a design flaw in what is otherwise a premium product and Sawstop should redesign and send out replacements. They politely told me that wasn't going to happen. This is an important function of a crosscut fence: accurate sizing of a batch parts. In making your decision you should add in the cost of buying, and modifying to fit, functional stops. I thought my $1000 would have bought me those already.

Other than those issues I like it. Fence is easy to remove and replace (accurately). Works smoothly. For many things this style table (as opposed to a "real" slider) has the advantage. The crosscut fence being further from the blade means I can break down sheet goods with a track saw and then rip and crosscut to final size without removing the cc fence. Lighter weight means less effort to start/stop table on repetitive cuts, etc. But man those stops......

The picture shows the Sawstop fence stops next to Grizzly's. Note the tiny 3/8" wide section at the pivot point, which rides in nylon bushings. Too much flex even when brand new. I doubt they get any better with use
Attachment 307303
Attachment 307315

I just came from my local Rockler and had to see the flex for myself. Honestly, I didn't think it was bad at all. Negligible at most.

[Joe Jensen]

I don't know about the Sawstop slide attachment but I was never able to get panels perfectly square with my Festool track saw. With the Felder slider every panel is perfectly and effortlessly square.

Heck, for $1000 you could buy a real nice track saw and still have money left over for other stuff.

[David Kumm]

I don't know about the Sawstop slide attachment but I was never able to get panels perfectly square with my Festool track saw. With the Felder slider every panel is perfectly and effortlessly square.

Since panels aren't rectangular from the factory, what is the procedure with a track saw? Dave