From: gary_preckshot@lccmail.ocf.llnl.gov (gary preckshot)
Newsgroups: rec.woodworking
Subject: Re: Bottom Line-Which Table Saw Is Best?
Date: 8 Sep 92 16:27:20 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: LLNL

In article <1992Sep4.174140.26511@adobe.com>, bennett@adobe.com (Bennett Leeds) writes:
> 
> Dan Schlissel writes
> >... Let's concentrate on on three, Delta, Grizzly, and Powermatic
> > (the big ticket item) cabinet saws.

Actually, Bennett's exposition was excellent, and I'm just adding a few
things.

Here's one area I have some experience to slightly disagree with.

>    capability for adding sliding drop stops) can make poor saw tolerable and
>    a mediocre saw a pleasure. The standard rip fence and miter gauge the come
>    with many saws are of lower quality than the saw itself.
> 
>    All a table saw really is is a blade that spins, a mechanism to adjust 
>    the blade's height and angle, and a table top to support work and jigs. 
>    You can always buy or build better accessories for it.

I had a S***s saw and the elevation and tilt were incredibly difficult to use.
The motor pulley kept slipping sideways on the motor shaft.  There was
nothing that made this saw even remotely tolerable.  No accessories came
even close.  I replaced it with a Grizzly G1023, and although this is not
as good a saw as the Unisaw (the common point of comparison - sorry, Bennett,
not enough people have Incas to know how good they are), it suits me.


> 4a) Some quality questions:
>     How much runout does the arbor have? How about the arbor flanges? How
>     flat is the table top? How well milled are the miter gauge slots? Are
>     the slots parallel to each other? How well do the extension wings fit - are
>     they flat with the table? How well does the insert fit? How good is the
>     protractor on the front of the saw for setting angles? Is there a gauge
>     for blade height?

Most of this stuff is hard to measure in the showroom, but you should look
at the tilting arbor mechanism and ask yourself how well it will work
when full of sawdust.  Also, look at the Unisaw - the arbor is driven by
three v-belts and has very robust bearings.  The arbor flanges are large.
This saw (and the Grizzly also) spins the blade with authority and
precision.  This is your basic table saw.  If you don't have this, it's hard
to compensate with add-ons.

> 4b) Some convenience questions:

[good  stuff deleted]

If it isn't convenient, you will dread using the inconvenient features.
Convenience is the difference between a pleasure and a duty.

> 4c) Some safety questions:

[More good stuff deleted]

If safety features are not convenient, they get disabled.

> 
>     A splitter behind the blade helps prevent kickback. Using feather

A splitter presses the rip follow-through against the back end of the fence.
I consider a splitter an absolute necessity to clean rips.

>     A magnetic starter has the safety feature that if the power is cut off,
>     the saw won't automatically restart when the power is turned back on.
> 

And your switch should have the "off" button standing higher than any other
button on the box.  Someone in panic and pain must be able to shut down
the tool with a closed fist (or a stump, if it gets as bad as that).

Gary
Newsgroups: rec.woodworking