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Re: Tables saw for a newbie

To: <shop-talk@autox.team.net>
Subject: Re: Tables saw for a newbie
From: "Karl Vacek" <KVacek@ameritech.net>
Date: Tue, 9 Dec 2003 08:45:17 -0600
John Blair wrote...
> My dad has a Craftsman cast iron table saw that he bought
> back when I born - 1948.  We've used it for all kinds of jobs,

The old cast iron Craftsman saws, built by King-Seeley Co., were real
workhorses, as stable as you can expect from a small table saw.  My dad and
I also did lots of good work with them.  Then in about 1980 Dad bought a 10"
Delta Unisaw - what a revelation.  Compared to the Craftsman, it felt like a
laser.  Smooth, stable, and rock-solid.  Dad's been gone for 15 years and I
still have the Unisaw.  I'd like to upgrade the fence if I had room and were
using the saw more, but as is (standard Delta fence) it's great.



> I haven't heard anyone talk about using a radial arm saw nor just a hand
held
> "skill" saw.

I also have a Craftsman radial arm saw - the old, cast-iron-column model
bought nearly new from a neighbor when Jill and I had our first house.  Even
though I always complained about wanting a table saw, while the radial arm
was all I had, I did lots of good work with it.  The main problem with this
or any other light-weight radial arm saw is squareness.  It gets out of
square at the drop of a hat - if you're doing an important project, you need
to go through the whole squaring process before the first cut, and maybe
check it occasionally while working.  I now have the Craftsman cabinet base,
and extension tables hanging right off the sides.  It's versatile, but it
takes a while to level it once you have it rolled to where you want to use
it.  I made a heavy top from 1-1/4" particle board, which helps stability a
little, but it's no miracle cure.



> So their must be some things that the radial arm saw is better at than the
> table saw, and vise versa?  Just wonedring what the differences if useage
> is between the 2 saws?

Basically, a table saw is for ripping, and a radial arm saw is for
crosscutting.  That said, you can do either one with either saw, within
limitations.  Crosscutting really long pieces on a table saw is just silly -
mostly you can do that better with a circular saw (Skilsaw, etc.) if you
have no other alternative.  A radial arm saw can only rip a width less than
its throat depth.  Within that limitation, the radial arm can still be a
good rip saw, especially with long infeed and outfeed tables.  The radial
arm seems more versatile, and a good one probably is.  But that means a 12"
or 16" DeWalt, and used ones of those are almost always 3-phase, out for
homeowners.

The old saying that "When all you have is a hammer, everything begins to
look like a nail" applies here.  You can accomplish most common operations
with either saw.  If you're really into woodworking, you'll probably want a
GOOD one of each.  Another option is a compound miter saw, which gives you
most of the cross-cut capability of a small radial-arm saw in a compact
package.



Personally, if I were starting out again, I'd buy a good table saw first.
10" is enough, and basically as big as you'll get in a small, portable saw.
For a stationary table saw, 12" would be nice.  Then I'd add a 12" compound
miter saw, and skip the radial arm all together.

Karl Vacek





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