Thread: Advice on purchasing first table saw

*BUMP* alot of views but no comments.

I had an idea for testing the accuracy of the cut by doing this.
1. Take a scrap piece of wood and start a crosscut.
2. Cut a small groove, maybe 1cm into the piece.
3. Compare the width of the cut to the width of the teeth.

This way I can tell if the blade is rotating true or not. Is this a good way of telling cut accuracy?

Also, being safety aware, is there any after market blade guard/riving knife/splitter system that I could fit into this table saw?

Originally Posted by mordrax

*BUMP* alot of views but no comments.

You ARE impatient

Not only do the Moderators need to jump to attention because you decided to join this forum, the members do as well?

Originally Posted by Big Shed

You ARE impatient

Hehe, very much so , thing is, i've been watching all these diy videos and I want to get started making things asap!
I've been spending the last two weeks obsessed about finding a saw and I missed out on two makita auctions, a old cast iron top makita 2708 japanese made and a newer 2704-5 that was sold before bidding finished

Not only do the Moderators need to jump to attention because you decided to join this forum, the members do as well?

Alright, i'll stop being so impatient, sorry.

It looks like it would have been a reasonable machine in its day but without a fence and guard is not much use to you. He is asking way too much in its current state. If you could make a new fence and guard then about $100 is reasonable. $500 will get you a new makita table saw. Not that I am flogging them but as something to compare.
https://www.gasweld.com.au/products/MLT100-MAK
Here is a for instance I paid $120 for this about 5 years ago. I remade the fence but I did have the rail and locking device to start with. I have even reduilt the guard since then but again some of it came with the sale.
Keep looking as there are some good buys still out there.
Regards
John

Orraloon, that THING looks like Stephen Kings nightmare.

Mordrax, there are a few ways to test for runout. The cheapest is to clamp a piece of off cut to a mitre gauge. Make it about 1" from the blade and screw in a screw, wind it in until it just touches the front tooth on the blade. Mark the tooth with a marker. Rotate the blade a single tooth forward and back.... Wind the screw until it barely touches the blade, it will make a ting ting sound as the tooth edge skims the screw head.

Rotate the blade 180 until the marked tooth is at the back. Slide the mitre back and check the distance from the screw to the marked tooth is the runout.

People get a bit nuts over what this should be, but I would say 5 thou is OK, but I get mine to 1 thou with using a trick I found online using a sharpening stone and machining the arbor.

Regarding the Dyco, they are dreaming. $100 would be more credible.

Riving knife wouldn't be easy, but best to buy an MJ Splitter from the USA... Rockler sells them at a fair price.

A decent mitre gauge like an Incra would work wonders. Also a new belt for the motor if it isn't direct connect... Maybe new bearings if it is. Bearings are cheap.

Some sold wings made of thick ply and a decent fence and you are home and hosed. Give it a good clean and paint, new Freud blade and it should be sweet.

That sounds like alot of work and I think i'll skip this one for now from what you both are saying. However the one that went in the market yesterday i think was an absolute bargain! it had riving knife, guard, sturdy fence and was being sold for $90! I saw it 2 hours after it was put up and it was sold already.

I'm currently looking at a cheap ryobi one, not much else available:
Ryobi Table Saw and Router | Power Tools | Gumtree Australia The Hills District - Kenthurst

Evanist, if there is a big runout, where are the possible sources of the problem and how can they be fixed?
All i can think of is the arbor not being aligned propery which would be expensive to replace? or the blade being warped which is easier to fix.