How to make a saw-table?

Hi @VulcanJohn

"Any thoughts would be welcome."

All I can offer is my experience. I looked at the Triton table saw in early 2000 when I owned a large 230mm Hitachi circular saw that I thought would be fantastic for it. A friend owned a Triton table saw and he allowed me to try the Hitachi inverted.

In the end the Hitachi was simply never designed to be inverted and I think this goes for a lot of other saws. My friend owned a dedicated Triton saw designed for the table.

I played with something like what you mention above (workmate stand) but in the end, too unstable and dangerous. I eventually purchased a cheap second hand table saw. Never looked back. I would consider an Ozito table saw - for starters, rather than an ad hoc system.

Cheers

Graeme.

Thanks for the quick feedback Graeme, you are right about the workbench being a touch unstable! Anyway, I have been checking some of the other discussion threads and the Ozito keeps popping up. Apparently it's nothing special, but it is cheap and, for the occasional user like me, does the job adequately. Time for a trip to Bunnies to have a touch and feel. Cheers.

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @VulcanJohn. It's marvellous to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about building a table saw.

I'm going to jump on the safety bandwagon and recommend purchasing a table saw. Table saws scare the hell out of me, even at the best of times. You certainly don't want one mounted on a table not designed for it.

I have the Ozito table saw, and it's not a bad little unit that will, at minimum, allow you to cut straight lines. A significant difference between lower-end models and those above $500 is the ability to lock the rear of the fence. In the cheaper models, only the front locks. I did find on the Ozito that when cutting larger sheets, my cut sometimes wandered off the line slightly, +/- 1mm. This was due to the fence flexing over its length. I made a slight modification to allow a quick-grip clamp to be attached to the end of the fence. The clamp locks the fence at the rear to the table, akin to the more expensive machines. I achieve near-perfect cuts now.

You should find that most table saws' legs can be removed, so if you're only using it once in a while, it might be worth taking them off for ease of storage.

I'll be keen to see what you purchase and hear your thoughts on it.

Mitchell

Hi Mitchell and thanks for your thoughts. The safety aspect has now made me dismiss the plan of mounting a circular saw beneath my Black and Decker workbench. Apart from the lack of stability, the difficulty of getting underneath the table to switch the motor off in an emergency is major worry.

I had a look at a couple of new machines at my local Bunnings today and was disappointed that the fences flexed, they could only be locked at one end and the "T" groove sleds and accessories all rattled around in the slot on the table, thereby negating any hope of staying straight and true across the cut. The Makita is still one I need to have a look at (I can't remember the model but it was $699) as it gets a few good recommendations, but there wasn't a display one set-up for me to check out.

In the interim, I found a Craftright 50" Aluminium Clamp and Cutting Guide, I/N: 5860136, priced at $24.90, which might help with keeping a circular saw cut straight.Have you used one of these?

John.

Jason

Hi @VulcanJohn,

I'm sure @MitchellMc will get back to you ASAP with his thoughts, but in the meantime you might like to check out this Best Advice article - What table saw do you recommend? It has input from Mitch as well as other experienced Bunnings Workshop members like @Brad and @r23on.

Looking forward to seeing what solution you go with.

Jason

Good morning @VulcanJohn

"Have you used one of these?

I don't own the Craftright straight edge - but I played with one in the Bunnings store on a display bench. Sorry - but I wasn't impressed with the lock 'tightness' - especially as my hand electric circular saws are weighty corded machines, so I still prefer a strong straight edge with G-clamps when cutting large boards.

"was disappointed that the fences flexed."

How much flexing did you notice? Miserable weather here so I'm just showing the fence only - it weighs around 20 kg and is held onto the front of the table saw with a large steel bar and held in place with bolts with hand grips. So it's a front only locking fence. But if I apply 'enough' force to the tip - I can flex it around 4 to 5 mm. But the thing is, if that amount of force is applied tangentially whilst pushing wood through the saw - then I'm doing something seriously wrong.

"T" groove sleds and accessories all rattled around in the slot on the table"

Loose mitre gauges on inexpensive table saws will always be a problem, possible solution - an inexpensive compound mitre drop-saw?

Pepsi for scale

My eyes are terrible.

Only now did I notice your Vulcan avatar!

I'm hoping you have an aviation story to share! 😁

Cheers

Graeme.

Hi John (@VulcanJohn),

I haven't used the Craftright cutting guide. Given that it's a budget-friendly product, I would expect adequate results. I'd encourage you to give it a shot. If you're not happy with how it performs, I can make contact with the store and streamline the returns process for you.

Regarding the Makita table saw, it might be worth asking one of our helpful Tool Shop team members if they could open a box for you to check it out. I'm sure they'd appreciate wanting to check out those features.

Mitchell

Hi again John - @VulcanJohn

"it might be worth asking one of our helpful Tool Shop team members if they could open a box for you to check it out. I'm sure they'd appreciate wanting to check out those features."

As Mitchell suggested above - I for one would be very interested to see how you get on with this and what your thoughts on the Makita are. I too have only seen it boxed up.

Cheers

Graeme.

r23on

What table saw to get will depend on how much you are willing to pay.
to me the best is the one that provides the best features and usability with out building a bigger table to fit it into

ie how big a sheet can I put on it and how deep a cut can I do

most should have a 10” blade

in the end it will be the wallet that dictate what you get

I have the Craftright guide and others, clamping is a bit fidley to get it right. Too loose it doesn't hold and too tight it can flex.

My father made his own table saw OHS would have a fit if they saw it, I still have it for now though with an upcoming move I may forget to take it with me depending on space.

Hi @Brad

"My father made his own table saw OHS would have a fit if they saw it"

Please Brad - please show me a photo....

Hi @VulcanJohn

Just returned from Bunnings with some wood. Whilst there I asked the person in charge of the tool-shop if they would be willing to remove the Makita table saw from its box for appraisal. They were more than happy to do this - provided I didn't want anything assembled. I thought that was a fair deal.

Hi Graeme, I used to live in the UK and the penultimate Vulcan display aircraft (XL 426) was based at Southend On Sea in Essex following her retirement from RAF front-line and display duties. For a short time I was a member of a dedicated group of volunteers, consisting of complete civvies like me and some ex-forces personnel who knew what they were doing. The group undertook the onerous task of keeping her in working condition. Despite the complexity of the aircraft she was able to do everything bar fly (CAA regs and red-tape etc) at the time when I left the UK for warmer shores! Have a look at their website "avrovulcan.com" to see what they are doing these days, plus some of the history. I have always loved the awesome shape, the sound and the majestic beauty of these aircraft. Her display successor was XH558 and she is (was?) based at Robin Hood Airport in the UK Midlands area somewhere. Their website is https://vulcantothesky.org/aircraft/vulcan-xh558. Sadly, with her frame hours timed-out and without the support of the Original Equipment Manufacturers her flying life also ended a few years ago. Many of the parts supply companies no longer exist and RR wouldn't support the engines as they had no remaining staff working/trained/alive. It's galling to think that the American's B52 bombers are from the same era, and they are still in use today; updated, modified etc, but the same basic design. Yet we let the delta die... real shame and short-sighted in my opinion. (it's replacement could not have performed the bombing of the Falklands as it didn't have the range, they could refuel but not replenish the engine oil while airborne, ah, progress!)

John

Sounds like a good plan. I'm free over the next couple of days so I'll have have a trip down and see if I can peek inside a box.

I will see how much useful stuff is on top of it in the morning.

Belt driven with a washing machine motor.

No riving knife so it stalled rather than have kickback.

Don't try this at home!

Afternoon John @VulcanJohn

Thank you for taking the time to pen your Vulcan experience. Much appreciated.

"It's galling to think that the American's B52 bombers are from the same era"

Possibly galling also to a lot of Americans - in particular, aerospace titans like North American, Rockwell and Northrop to name a few who at times hoped to replace it. Once it was learned Gary Powers survived his descent into the USSR, combined with the Skybolt failure and when the British Navy took up Polaris - the writing was on the wall for the V-force. Still, the B-52 is an amazing anomaly - I've read it could reach 100 years of service. One thing's for sure, I won't be there to see it.

Hi @Brad

Thank you for the photo! I can see a bit of my own father in that table-saw. A different generation.

"Don't try this at home!"

Probably safer than this...

EricL

Hi @Noyade

I wonder how accurate this table saw is? My only other concern is the safety aspect of the saw itself. A few timber screws holding the saw does not fill me with confidence.

Eric

I think I will stick to my Bosch GTS 10 XC.

Unless someone wants to buy me a MiniMax CU410 Elite Combination Machine. s-l1600

Hi @Brad

"Belt driven with a washing machine motor."

And I'm sure it worked a treat. My father's hybrid table saw is powered by a floor polisher motor - 1 1/2 HP.

Not sure if this is a washing machine motor?

But he made a disc sander outta a spare motor from somewhere.

Used a belt pulley to mount the face.

Given the ease that the motor stalls I think it may be 1hp or less.

Used a linkage belt.

Some of these home-built contraptions are wondrous bits of ingenuity and lateral thinking, but somewhat scary in these OHS days. However, like many things, they were "of their time" and served a purpose without too many fingers being lost. You would have to hope that anyone clever enough to think of the design, and then build it, would have the common-sense to know how to use it safely!

My search for a machine for the current time has brought me back to the $699 Makita unit. (Bunnings i/n 0118523). I had a chance to get my hands on one and it seems to hit the sweet spot for price, build quality and being a well-known brand. Now I just have to start saving my pennies, and clearing a suitable space in the garage. Thanks to everyone for your information, ideas and stories about table-saws.

Happy building.

John.

It's great to hear you managed to get your hands on the Makita and found it suitable @VulcanJohn. What convinced you that it was the most suitable machine? Less play in the guides?

I'll be looking forward to hearing your review on it.

Mitchell

MikeTNZ

Hi @VulcanJohn,

I bought one of the cutting guides from Bunnings a couple of years ago, for the very reason you're describing.

Best thing I ever bought, once you know the offset from the edge of your saw blade to the edge of the base-plate, it's too easy to make good,

straight cuts every time.

Sorry to go off topic here, but I was watching a YouTube video by a guy in the US and he was using some type of solid foam sheet insulation as a base for his timber and having the saw blade cut into it with the whole setup on his workshop floor.

Has anyone here heard of a brand name for this material and if it can be sourced down-under?

Cheers,

Mike T.

Hi @MitchellMc

I watched a fence contracting team trim the bottom of a newly installed picket fence the other day. They were using a Festool plunge saw and rail system.

Very impressive. They must be able to connect the rail as it was a 10 metre length? Wanted to ask, but they looked busy.

Does Ozitio still make a plunge saw? I only see the rail...

The kit still appears on the Ozito website @Noyade, so we should be able to order it in. They might be changing the model hence it not appearing on the webpage. I can't imagine it's going anywhere as plunge saws are becoming more popular with D.I.Y. enthusiasts. I was using a Makita plunge saw a few weeks back and was very impressed.

Mitchell