Thread: Table Saw - Limited Space

You could just get one of these, which practically folds up and fits in a pocket when not in use.

Or if that's a bit cheap and tacky, one of these.

Originally Posted by GraemeCook

But I saw the blood and was involved in the aftermath, Bob. It rattled me! That overrides any statistics.

It sure does. It's interesting what personal perceptions do. My mate who recently started wood working and I am sort of mentoring, and was deemed too incapable to own an angle grinder so his sons took it away from him, was very wary (and I have no trouble with that) of the table saw in my workshop. OTOH he did not think twice about using my new glide saw even though SCMS are more dangerous than TSs.

Originally Posted by GraemeCook

Nice featherboards, Bob. Mine work well but are no where near as pretty as yours. How did you cut them and get the tops of the feathers so even?

1) Start by cutting out a rectangular blank.

2) Then I used some strips of wood I docked from the ends of wooden Venetian blinds I had to cut to size, and laid these up against the TS fence as auxiliary fences to make the other cuts.

1 strip up against the fence - 1 cut, add another strip to the other strip another cut etc.
Used a stop clamped to the fence to get the same depth of cut.

3) route the slots

4) Cut the slope/angle using the TS mitre.

I've had them for 14 years and they have worked really well.

Thanks, Bob. If I raed you correctly, we basically use the same technique. See drawing:

Feather Boards 2.jpg


For me it worked fine when the bottom of the featherboaeds was at 90 degrees, but not when it was angled.

Originally Posted by GraemeCook

Thanks, Bob. If I raed you correctly, we basically use the same technique. See drawing:

Feather Boards 2.jpg


For me it worked fine when the bottom of the featherboaeds was at 90 degrees, but not when it was angled.

Well obviously I didn't do those ones that way
I think I just marked an line at an angle across the wood and cut to the line. It was a while ago.

Some really good ideas in there - and not just about the space issue. Am following up the ducting thread (have a DC to setup) and will read more guidance on feathers when i get to that.

Love the idea of a multi-machine and the Mafell Erika is exceptional - but too many $$$$. And i just bought a glide saw!

But the router in the Table saw wing is definitely the go. It doesn't change my basic issue with storing the TS when not in use but will tidy up the shop overall. Looks like the old Triton router bench is finally going to get retired.

Cheers

Originally Posted by BobL

Well obviously I didn't do those ones that way
I think I just marked an line at an angle across the wood and cut to the line. It was a while ago.

Cut to the diagonal line; Now that is a novel idea.

Originally Posted by BobL

I haven't seen them for a while either.

The wing I bought was about 100 mm too short and did not have a T-track so I ended up adding an "L" shaped melamine extension on it anyway.
My router fence is attached to the other side of my TS fence as shown here. I've had this for about 13 years and haven't used it that much but when I have it has worked fine. I did post the mods but the pics have gone - here is one I manage dot find amongst my photos showing the feather boards I made for the TS and router

Attachment 482317

The blade tilt issue is indeed a PITA but i rarely use the tilt so it has not annoyed me that much. I made heaps of jigs like a micrometer adjustment positioned, circle cutters and freehand workpiece holders but I hardly ever used them.

Under table dust control has been a been a nuisance since I first got it and given I don't use the router much I usually just let the dust spill everywhere and clean it up afterwards. A few years back I quickly put this simple dust collection arrangement together. Its not ideal but it does work.
Ducting update.

Thanks Bob. I have my router in a triton table ATM but not happy with flatness of table nor the fence. Plus it would free up some floor space (precious commodity for me) and concentrate my DC (as woeful as it is)

I think i just agreed to order the new baby Harvey Ambassador. Its the most compact of all the saws i looked at I should be able to squeeze it into a corner with minimal disruption to the workshop.

Seems a fair deal - a bit less power than some but up to date features and by all accounts better quality and reputation than the low end Sherwood/Hafco/Carbatec machines i was looking at.

Hi Graeme,
yes it does look nice. Something else to consider is a second hand ELU small table saw. I started off some years ago with one of these units and used it to build a home and some furniture in the early 90's. These saws also operate as a drop saw. They were designed as a site saw although mine also had a sliding attachment. Quite a few are still around if you watch the sales. I later went to a Triton and then a cabinet saw but when I retired I spent up and went for a Minimax Cu-300 combination unit. Now in a smaller workshop have for 4 years been using a MiniMax SC-2 slider with excellent results. I have been using sliders for over 10 years and do like the improved safety relative to cabinet saws. Like you I also breakdown slabs on the slider then use the bandsaw to make thin sections for boxmaking. I have both my slider,bandsawand thicknessers on wheels and use a snall front dolly wheel if I need to move items around.
Cheers,
Paintman

Originally Posted by PaintMan

Hi Graeme,
yes it does look nice. Something else to consider is a second hand ELU small table saw. .....

Yeah; I remember the old Elu as a very nice unit, but alas no more. Haven't seen one for a very long time - is it 20 years?