Thread: Home Made Table Saw ?

Try google there are plenty. This is the best one I saw so far.
Hector Acevedo's homemade table saw
Regards
John

What a talented man Hector is, that is a beautiful piece of machinery.

Bill, a T/S would be the last thing i would consider building in the shop its just too time consuming, we can build a lot of small machines easily but to me the T/S is just to big of a project. I am halfway through a shop built 12" disc sander and have spent a lot of time trying to reduce the runout , then i think to myself when finished this will not be a better machine than a store bought jigger for $200 on sale.
I used a Triton S3 for about 15years like a lot on the Forum, then 5yrs ago my Tax cheque went on a TS220 saw, it was a display model which cost me $1600 [normal retail was around $2200] and after picking it up and getting it off the back of the ute into the shed i was using it within 4 hrs.
At a guess i would say Hector's saw could be built in 40/50 hours fulltime work if you were doing it on w/ends that could double, too much time for me anyway.

I wish you luck with whatever way you decide to go.
Paul

My dad built one when I was kid, and did some pretty good work with it. Had a tilting table, angle iron edges to run a fence along (no T track back then), solid splayed legs and painted white. I'll see if I can dig up a photo of it.
Cheers

Thanks for the answers,

Yes that is a lovely bit of gear.

I've got acres of time and less dollars so I don't care how much time I have to spend.

Main concern is the skills and knowledge required to make something that is safe.

Seems to be relatively easy to buy a couple of bearings and make a drum sander or a lathe and many people have done both. However, I get the impression that a good table saw is 10 to 100 times more complicated and difficult.

Will keep looking for plans that match my abilities.

Regards

Bill

For the benefit of anybody who finds this thread in the future by using the search functions :

1. Hector's table was initially built from a kit he purchased from Gilliom Manufacturing - they made or collected all of the difficult metal bits and posted them along with plans. They did this for various power tools such as table saws and band saws. Some forums refer to "Gil-Bilt or Gil-Built" tools

2. Hector then made various modifications to the design

3. Mr Gilliom died but the company lived on however it has never had a web page - a google search gives the following contact details
500 Boones Lick Rd
Saint Charles, MO, 63301 United States
(636) 724-1812

I havent yet contacted them other forums indicate that they havent seen any advertisements from the company for a long time.

4. 2 Books that may be worth acquiring are ( I have just ordered them)

Making and Modifying Machines (Fine Woodworking Book)

and 40 Power Tools you can Make (various popular Mechanics Excerpts)

Available from amazon and/or thebookdepository.com and/or abebooks

5. Searching on the key phrase "Tools You Can Make" yields a few more interesting looking books



Regards


Bill

Originally Posted by steamingbill

For the benefit of anybody who finds this thread in the future by using the search functions :

1. Hector's table was initially built from a kit he purchased from Gilliom Manufacturing - they made or collected all of the difficult metal bits and posted them along with plans. They did this for various power tools such as table saws and band saws. Some forums refer to "Gil-Bilt or Gil-Built" tools

2. Hector then made various modifications to the design

3. Mr Gilliom died but the company lived on however it has never had a web page - a google search gives the following contact details
500 Boones Lick Rd
Saint Charles, MO, 63301 United States
(636) 724-1812

I havent yet contacted them other forums indicate that they havent seen any advertisements from the company for a long time.

4. 2 Books that may be worth acquiring are ( I have just ordered them)

Making and Modifying Machines (Fine Woodworking Book)

and 40 Power Tools you can Make (various popular Mechanics Excerpts)

Available from amazon and/or thebookdepository.com and/or abebooks

5. Searching on the key phrase "Tools You Can Make" yields a few more interesting looking books



Regards


Bill

hi Bill, I've thought for a while there must be some feasible way to convert a power saw into a table saw. Like the Auto Superstore has a Rockwell power saw, 1200 watt & 185 mm blade for just $49 in their sale catalogue now. OK, made in China, no doubt, and probably only suited for light use, DIY, etc., but I think it could suit installing into a suitable table. I'd only use it 1-2 days a month, & I'd need it mainly for light work, but often with the blade tilted, & with both a cross fence as well as a rip fence.
On the other hand, for about $250 or less, I found a small table saw that would suit me, I'd have to look the details up, tho like you (I gather), my budget is tight.
In any case, in my experience, these saws are among the most dangerous tools -I've met 2-3 blokes who'd lost fingers this way! (And I need all mine to play my harps!)

Please keep in touch, mate.
Hooroo for now,
Harper

I have done the power saw fixed to a sheet of ply many years ago and did a fair bit of work with it but would not encourage anybody to try now. It did scare me a few times with kick back. Fortune has left me with all my fingers but I think it was a close call. Back then it was concidered an ok thing to do and I still have the woodwork book that gave me the idea. Anything you build will need a splitter/reveing knife and a guard.
Regards
John

Here is a link to a home made table saw. Looks good to me, but I wonder about the economics these days.

http://www.vintageprojects.com/power...-saw-plans.pdf

And here is a link to a page showing the conversion of a circular saw to a table saw.

Convert a hand-held circular saw into a table saw

Originally Posted by John Samuel

Here is a link to a home made table saw. Looks good to me, but I wonder about the economics these days.

http://www.vintageprojects.com/power...-saw-plans.pdf

And here is a link to a page showing the conversion of a circular saw to a table saw.

Convert a hand-held circular saw into a table saw

Thanks for links

Yes am aware of both of those concepts.

I like the illustrations on the vintage site - clean cut mature likeable chap with a tie and and apron just oozes with decency and good wholesome family respectability.

They tip the table rather than the blade in their design - looks quite feasible to me

Bill