Thanks: 0
Likes: 0
Needs Pictures: 0
Picture(s) thanks: 0
Results 1 to 3 of 3
Thread: Professional Cabinet Saws
-
16th April 2015, 12:17 PM #1Member
- Join Date
- Jul 2012
- Location
- Kinglake
- Posts
- 79
Professional Cabinet Saws
Hi there,
Wondering if anyone can give me some advice on professional quality cabinet saws/brands?
I am in the process of transitioning into my own furniture making business and need to replace the saw i am currently using. I have outgrown it and now see many flaws in it that are limiting my ability to make the highest quality work I can without a great deal of time wasting.
I've been using an old 12 inch StartRite 275 that I have on loan from my uncle. I recently replaced the blade as i thought it was warped a little, but it turnes out that the arbor must be slightly wonky. The new Forrest WW ii blade i put on didnt resolve the small wobble. It's not really noticable when running full speed but when turned off and the blade is slowing down you can see it move side to side as it does a rotation. It probably has about a .5mm displacement accross the diameter of the blade. Apart from anything else, this makes it impossible to aligne the blade accurately to the mitre slots.
Also, the tilt mechanism is near on impossible to accuratly move small amounts. It has some play in it before the blade starts tilting and no micro adjustment. Basically it's all guess work and trial and error.
Prior to using this saw i had only used sliding panel saws and was thinking of getting a Felder 700s or possible a combo machine with spindle moublder but since using the cabinet saw, i now see the advantage when primarliy working with solid timber. The jigs that can be made/used are virtually limitless and the footprint is much smaller which is a major factor for me as i'm working from home in a small shop. I work primarily with solid australian hardwoods and dont cut many sheet goods up and can work around that when i do.
I am familiar with some of the high end slider brands such as Martin, Altendorf, Format4/Felder but I have no experience with similar quality cabinet saws..
Features that i am looking for are;
- 3phase 5-7hp motor
- 12inch blade capacity
- 45 degree tilt
- micro adjust tilt
- micro adjust rip fence
- decent extraction
I'm looking for a pro quality machine not a hobbyist machine.
Does anyone have any advise on brands or models to look at?
Thanks,
Mike
-
16th April 2015 12:17 PM # ADSGoogle Adsense Advertisement
- Join Date
- Always
- Location
- Advertising world
- Posts
- Many
-
16th April 2015, 01:04 PM #2
Hi Mike
My background is Tradesman Carpenter but did 16 years in building kitchens and white board cupboards. I appreciate what you are saying about "big" named benchsaws. With the kitchens we had over the years SCM, Steton then we had 2 Altendorfs. Really I found not much between them as they were all reliable and accurate machines. I ended up working for myself for a number of years and I bought a Jet Contractor Saw. I fitted my own sliding table which gave me 2400 mm travel. It was a good set up and reasonably accurate. After I retired I picked up an SCM 12" blade 3200 mm travelling table. Its a 1983 model and is still as accurate even after all this time. It was cheap on Ebay but I had to do a 600km round trip to pick it up and bring it home. Ebay has one there for $900 at the moment, you may pick it up at a reasonable price.
Just as a little hint to maybe fix the wobble on the saw you have at the moment....take the blade off and the 2 side plates that screw on with the blade, then put some, say 120 grit paper on a flat surface and give the side plates a rub to clean off any crud that may have built up over time.
Best of luck with your new ventureJust do it!
Kind regards Rod
-
16th April 2015, 06:16 PM #3Member
- Join Date
- Jul 2012
- Location
- Kinglake
- Posts
- 79
Thanks for the reponse.
I'll have a look at the blade clamps and see if that is the issue. I do suspect though, that it's the actual arbor that's bent a little bit somehow.
With reference to the saw you mentioned. I'm specifically after a cabinet saw rather than a panel saw. i.e one that has two mitre slots and larger surface, not a slider. I just dont have the space for a panel saw and while I initially was a panel saw man all the way, i really do now see that a cabinet saw has a number of advantages when just working with solid timber.
Similar Threads
-
Table Saws vs Radial Arm Saws
By RIMP in forum TABLE SAWS & COMBINATIONSReplies: 13Last Post: 14th March 2007, 05:22 PM -
DIY or get a professional?
By SOLOCHICK in forum WOODWORK - GENERALReplies: 21Last Post: 14th March 2006, 04:40 PM -
Looks like my last Professional Job
By Different in forum WOODWORK PICSReplies: 66Last Post: 1st November 2005, 11:51 PM