Thread: triton v mdf sheet

I'll bite first

Maybe not exactly the same....unless of course you painted it orange

hardest bit to replicate would be an accurate fence

Originally Posted by mac_man_luke

hardest bit to replicate would be an accurate fence

Triton is still trying

Warrick

Originally Posted by mac_man_luke

hardest bit to replicate would be an accurate fence

In terms of a cross cuts all you need is a sled, put 2 accurate channels down with a router and you could quite easily build an accurate sled like they do for American cabinets saws.

You might end up using 4 -5 sheets of MDF to make a rigid table and they would involve quite a lot of time to get right.

Also another thing is the triton is quite compact and light, that means its mobile and could be packed away for people who do not have a dedicated workshop space ie share the workshop with a car. The MDF alternative would not be piratical because it would be too heavy and bulky.

i was thinking mdf with a fram built from timber.

yes you could "manufacture" your own table saw

it was probably a regular feature in WW mags 50-60 years ago.

the objections I see are:
mounting a blade guard
mounting a readily adjustable fence
easily adjusting the blade height
guessing that for rigiidity of the top, you'd have to use 25mm or thicker MDF which would translate to quite a bit of loss in depth of cut


lastly,
would the resulting table be any better than a Ryobi table saw?


ian

As I have said before ( but not recently) i think the time of the triton has passed.

there is much better value arround these days.

there are significant safety issues with the saw in a board set ups.
come to think about it I think there are safety issues with triton too......

check out hare & forbes, they have a ting they call a "site saw" or something similar.

it has a 12" blade rise & fall and tilt, dist extraction AND a riving knife.
They are cheap and portable.
The fence isnt wonderfull but the triton fence is certianly nothing to worry about.

weisy mate I recon the hare & forbes thing is more you style too.

cheers

Originally Posted by weisyboy

a have never used of really seen a triton in action so this is just a obsevation purely based on what i haev read and seen here.

insted of a triton why not just buy a sheet of MDF and rout a space to mount a circular saw and nock up a bit of a fence would this not be exactly the same?

im not having a go a triton owners nor sturing jsut a question.

Not having a go but NO !
Although if the differences are not fairly clear then there may be no difference from your perspective.
I am unsure of your exact reason for asking but it is not a question that one would likely ask if they had cut up more than a few things. The differences between a MDF mounted Saw a Triton or a top class panel saw would be clear with even a little woodworking experiance.
I have used all of them and trust me each one is a order of magnitude improvement over the other.

Ross

Originally Posted by ian

the objections I see are:
mounting a blade guard
mounting a readily adjustable fence
easily adjusting the blade height
guessing that for rigiidity of the top, you'd have to use 25mm or thicker MDF which would translate to quite a bit of loss in depth of cut


lastly,
would the resulting table be any better than a Ryobi table saw?


ian

I'm going to go against the grain here, but first stress that those who really know what they are doing can do this. It can be done, I've long been wanting to take photos of and post shots up of what my Dad did. I'll try and organise and post back pics here. It make take a week or two as the t/saw is in Qld and I'm down here. (wish it was in my shed not BIL's )

Sometimes a person with a lot of experience , the ability and need can overcome the points that Ian has rightly outlined and can address with safety and absolute repeatable reliability as top of mind.

My dad also had a home made table saw

the blade was mounted on a journal and belt driven from what looked like a washing machine motor — but given that washing machines were rare when the saw was built, it probably wasn't

the table top was made of 1in thick block board and I don't remember the blade size

the depth of cut was adjusted by tilting the table top — so a cut at anything other than full depth had the assistance of gravity as it slid across the table

there was no tilt so bevel cuts were not an option


whilst it worked quite well for my father, this style of saw is not an option I'd recommend to anyone and I understand that if WorkCover sees one they go bananas


ian

When the young inventor of the Triton saw table came on the original inventors on ABC TV that long ago that I can't remember when. The design was similar to what us carpenters and joiners were using on site. A bit of a frame with the B&D saw mounted upside down on a board. When cutting ply it didn't take long to work out kick back.
Mine worked well for years. Why B&D because in ozz they were the only 9 1/2 saw that was available. They were the days
les

There are a couple of really obvious reasons.

1. Not everyone wants to make their own tools. Some people would prefer to get on to the job.

2. As has been pointed out not every one has a workshop permanently set up. Either they move around or they pack stuff away in shelves or on the wall when not in use. MDF/Timber can't compete on strength/stiffness to weight on this type of construction. Great material for many other things but building a stiff strong flat table saw ? No.

3. As pointed out the triton comes with all the problems sorted out, mounting guards, there is a fence, maybe not great but it's plug and play, wheels, bracing, mitering. All that stuff is sorted.

Numerous people here keep saying triton is dying. Your entitled to your opinion but I see an awful lot of people using them. The triton section is one of the more active sections on this forum. Is it the solution for everyone ? Obviously not, but it does fulfill a role.

i will be buying a cabinet saw for H&F when i save enough money this was just an obsetvation.

I am sure it can be done weisboy, have been thinking on the same line as you, my table is stuffed, will never cut any timber straight, have been thinking of replacing it with either wood or make my own top out of steel, keep the rest of the table just replace the top.

Are we not the minds of invention, think of all the older generation that have gone before us in creating something better then the original. The inventor of Triton, his first table was all wood, then steel later, that Kiwi bloke who built the Britton m/cycle, now there is inspiration for you, if you think it cant be done look at his video. Sure you will get the detractors out there saying its this or that, ignore them and get on with your idea.

D D