[starCNC]

Does anyone here build their own table saw?

[jcc3inc]

Sir:

Some years ago when we first got married and were about to build our first house, I got plans and the arbor setup from some company in Popular Mechanics or some such magazine. The saw ran well, the only problem was that the tabletop was plywood and I didn't make the table slots as accurate as they should have been. A metal tabletop would have been better. The plywood frame was a lot quieter when running that my present all metal saw and stand.

I have seen do-it-yourself kits for making various tools of this sort on the internet! Right now I cannot direct you to them, however.

Regards, \
Jack C.

[onthemarc]

I built one 18 years ago. It got me started in my cabinet shop, when I had lots of time and no money.
It worked pretty well. It was my own design, tilted to 45 and had a 3HP motor 1" MDF top with HPL
the base 1/2 MDF with fiberglass outside. Looking back it was way to much work for what I got. I wouldn't do it again. I have gone through 5 commercial saws sense then. Saw are to cheap to buy new
and there are 10 to 20 saws for sale in the paper on any given day in any major city. So I know what you've been thinking. Don't Go there.

Marc

[Nono]

This is Discouraging to here anybody say don’t go there. I know several people that make good money on saw parts and manufacturing.

If you feel the need to put effort into it, make sure you get something back….Like doe ray me


If you got is Mill it up.

[pminmo]

My guess is the Popular Mechanics plan were from Gillium (sp). I bought some of their bandsaw plans years ago. Fine Woodworking has a book on building tools which has one in it. Nice looking, mostly wood. I too entertained the idea, but didn't. I good crafstman could build a better unit than you can buy.

Phil

[echnidna]

I built a sawbench a few years and still use it.
Pro woodworker friends have been astounded that it works better than their high priced commercial saws.

It has a 3HP motor built on a very solid steel frame.
The primary top is 1/4" steel with a 16G zincanneal secondary top so it cannot rust.

I can push hardwood through it repitively all day long without any problems.

The key points are
Plenty of power
Very rigid.
Nice and heavy so it doesnt move in use.

Regards
Bob Thomas

[pfred1]

My uncle used to get good results with a circular saw mounted upside down in an old wooden milkbox. Then again he's pretty crazy!

[ToyMaker]

pfred1 wrote:
"My uncle used to get good results with a circular saw mounted upside down in an old wooden milkbox. Then again he's pretty crazy!"

Years ago (ca 1970) I bought a used Sears circular saw which I used to build a table saw cabinet of 3/4" ply. I mounted the c-saw upside down in the cabinet and used it for many years. The top was too small (24 deep x 36 wide), but for close work it performed at least as well as any commercial saw I've used since.

robotic regards,

Tom
= = = = =
“Is getting well ever an art or art a way to get well?”
- - Robert Lowell Jr., American poet & playwright

[VWSatOz]

I built a bandsaw with 36" throat & moving table pulled by a bike chain & a weight dropping, an adjustable stop with a microswitch inside, all to cut steel not just wood. the secret was to use small ball races on each side of the blade to accurately guide the blade as it enters the job. This machine cost very little, cuts very accurately without any manual guiding &has worked well for me for 36 years & earnt a fortune! I say Go for it! I have had alot of ideas for a woodsaw and am currently building a gantry style with X&Y board-pairs as guide rails with aluminum extrusions &plastic blocks to take a moving carriage for router grooving or overhead saw grooving or cutting through a fixed workpiece about 3ft by 5ft.

[martinw]

Dear starCNC,

This goes back a bit... but there was a brilliant book published by "Fine Woodworking", (Taunton Press), called, I think, "On making and modifying machines". There are a whole load of fantastic ideas. I do not think that there was a table saw design, but it may give you inspiration.

Best wishes,

Martin

[sixpack1]

STARCnc There is one for 12”-14” blades in my shed to be built to the end. It has to be very sturdy, has a heavy steel frame, uses a straight guide which the angle can be adjusted for straight cuts, the blade is shifted as far back and left as possible and it’s driven by a 3HP motor. Bearings for the axle are high quality roller bearings. The table is made from wood which shows a lubricating effect is very sturdy and insect resistant (Ipil-Ipil) Lots of thinking forth and back went through my head because this the second machine I have built after a bandsaw. The bandsaw outperformes the tablesaw in many tasks greatly e.g. Power consumption, Thickness of cut. I decided to build my own stuff since I will get exactly the machine I am looking for. Think first over what you are looking for and what you are willing to do.