# Table Saws



## wrbrb (Aug 18, 2020)

I have an old Walker Turner table saw that has a lot of issues I’m discovering after using it for a while, it needs constant adjusting at both the arbor/blade and of the rip fence, doesn’t have any of the minor safety features of a modern saw, is hard to find certain parts for, and just generally isn’t great.

So, I’m in the market for a new budget table saw. I would like to do some simple cabinet making and use the saw for home renovation and moderate DIY use, and would like some room to grow into a bit more serious use.

I see the most affordable table saws seem to be job site saws, but they often seem to have a very shallow table depth with the blade not too far from the front edge of the table, and potentially limited rip width capacity.

Would it be fairly easy to build an infeed/outfeed table with miter slots for one of these and sacrifice its portability in order to get more surface area for stabilizing and cutting quarter sheets of 3/4 ply, making crosscuts on wider stock with a crosscut sled, and making it into a more permanent shop fixture?


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## flyingron (Dec 15, 2020)

I ran with a Delta Cabinet saw for years but when I switched to my SawStop PCS I was much happier.


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## Onetrav (Feb 23, 2021)

I just recently bought a DeWALT DWE749RS 10" Jobsite saw. You can use up to a 13/16" dado set and it can do a 32 1/2" rip with the fence on the right.

I made an overview and I added some other videos showing me using it.





Video of my box joint jig





And my cross cut sled


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## chandler48 (Jun 5, 2017)

I have a jobsite Ridgid and like the size of the table for that use. However over the years my old standby was my Craftsman. Large enough table for most work. Today, I like my Delta Unisaw with a 5' wide table and Jessum Router built in and Beisemeier fence. I made a run off table from two solid core flat doors we salvaged from a demolition. I cut the slot in the door so my sleds slide completely through the blade.

What you are wanting is a trade off. Size and money. The Craftsman could probably bought at a garage sale for $50-$100, and would give you years of service. The Delta 5HP would run probably $1500. 

One of our members submitted his design for an outfeed table for his table saw. Good information , there. Table saw outfeed extension


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

I bought a used craftsman table saw [with stand] a few yrs ago for $125 and couldn't be happier with the purchase.


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## DexterII (Jul 14, 2010)

In one of the arenas you mentioned, specifically cabinet making, which requires handling larger stock, my first two choices today would be SawStop and Laguna. But I get it, it's essentially a hobby, not a job, so even the Laguna may not meet the criteria of "affordable". So, after these two, for larger work, I strongly agree with the others on looking for an older Craftsman. They were great saws, and many still are, as long as they were used and not abused. The one common weakness that most of them shared was the fence, just not designed well, but as long as you know that going in you can at least be aware of it and check and recheck it each time or upgrade it with a Delta fence. Overall, a used Craftsman is probably the best deal there is in a quality larger saw. Otherwise, take your pick in smaller jobsite saws, but, in my opinion, using them with larger stock, particular sheet goods, is not a good, proper, nor safe alternative.


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## wrbrb (Aug 18, 2020)

Thanks everyone. The YouTube videos about utilizing the DeWalt job site saw are great, and I hear the feedback about a used Craftsman. The main issue with the Walker Turner is safety and finding used parts which seem to be hard to find and very expensive. Maybe with a Craftsman I would have many more replacement parts available even if it means buying one and then a second one for another $100 on Craigslist.


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## wrbrb (Aug 18, 2020)

I have a follow up question about making rip cuts on fairly wide stock that I thought I would ask here. It seems like most saws have about a 20 to 30 inch rip capability to the right of the blade due to the table width, wings, and/or maximum length of the rail the rip fence can slide over on.

If I want to rip a piece of, say, rough cut 33 1/2 x 37 1/2 plywood down to 32 x 36 for the back of a large cabinet or any other purpose, is there a way I can get away with using a smaller saw table with a shorter front rail?

I was thinking I could move the fence to the left of the blade, have half an inch between the fence and the blade, and the large “off cut” portion would be the actual finished panel, but that seems somewhat dangerous if I only have half an inch to push through between the fence and blade or if I would push the large portion and accidentally pinch the blade causing kickback.

Does a riving knife / splitter essentially minimize the safety risk here, or are people forced to just upgrade to a saw with a 40”+ rail to make large cabinet panels?


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## chandler48 (Jun 5, 2017)

You could do the subtraction thing and move your fence 1 3/8" to the left of the blade and make your cut, provided you have adequate support on the right bed for the piece. You would push only the large piece, NEVER the small piece. THe riving knives will keep the small piece from becoming a part of your stomach during kick back.


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## HotRodx10 (Aug 24, 2017)

wrbrb said:


> have half an inch between the fence and the blade, and the large “off cut” portion would be the actual finished panel, but that seems somewhat dangerous if I only have half an inch to push through between the fence and blade or if I would push the large portion and accidentally pinch the blade causing kickback.


That's what a push block is for. I've made ones similar to these:









out of plywood, and it only took about 10 minute. Once they're cut up too badly, I toss them and make a new one.

The blade guard and anti-kickback pawls were the first thing to go when I bought my table saw.


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## wrbrb (Aug 18, 2020)

So with the fence on the left of the blade, either push the piece on the right side and let the riving knife do its thing, or use a 1/2 inch push stick on the left side?

Seems like the right side pushing would be the only option once you get down to 1/2 inch or less?


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## HotRodx10 (Aug 24, 2017)

wrbrb said:


> So with the fence on the left of the blade, either push the piece on the right side and let the riving knife do its thing, or use a 1/2 inch push stick on the left side?
> 
> Seems like the right side pushing would be the only option once you get down to 1/2 inch or less?


I have no idea the about the left side/right side thing. I'll just say anytime pushing on both sides of the piece you're cutting would put any of your fingers closer to the blade than you're comfortable with, use a push block or push stick.


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## chandler48 (Jun 5, 2017)

You'll find yourself pushing unequally on each side and could bind the work on the blade. That is why I suggested pushing only the large portion, keeping it all tight against the fence. Yes, the riving knives will do their job. Of course, I am not the one to be teaching about riving knives, as they are the first thing that goes away. They are there for a purpose and a good one, but there comes a time when you just use common sense and don't let the technology protect you from yourself.


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## DexterII (Jul 14, 2010)

wrbrb said:


> If I want to rip a piece of, say, rough cut 33 1/2 x 37 1/2 plywood down to 32 x 36 for the back of a large cabinet or any other purpose, is there a way I can get away with using a smaller saw table with a shorter front rail?
> 
> I was thinking I could move the fence to the left of the blade, have half an inch between the fence and the blade, and the large “off cut” portion would be the actual finished panel, but that seems somewhat dangerous if I only have half an inch to push through between the fence and blade or if I would push the large portion and accidentally pinch the blade causing kickback.


This could be done, but I would not, for several reasons; mainly safety, but also because guiding the piece is going to be a challenge so the the end result would just as likely be less than desired. No single tool does everything, so if the table saw was not large enough I would make such a cut with a circular saw. A track saw would be the preferred tool, but with careful setup a good straightedge can achieve the desired results. Wood River, Bora, and I don't know who all make straightedges that clamp in place pretty quickly, but the straight edge of a good piece of plywood and a pair of clamps work too. I would go this route rather than forcing a table saw into something bigger than it is intended to accommodate.


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## HotRodx10 (Aug 24, 2017)

DexterII said:


> but also because guiding the piece is going to be a challenge so the the end result would just as likely be less than desired.


I do it all the time, with good results. It helps that I have a full-size table saw, where the fence is about 28" long; definitely an advantage over the "jobsite' saws.


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## wrbrb (Aug 18, 2020)

I’m really on the fence (pun intended) about what saw to go with.

Option 1, the Walker Turner I have seems like it’s very well made and just needs an insert and blade guard / splitter to be safer. I’m only into it $180 including purchase and extension wings. I could make an outfeed table for it and switch it to 220V down the line and it could probably handle anything. A few hundred more dollars on hard to find parts would be needed. But then if anything breaks I would probably be out of service until it can be located. The fence is also not great, so that would be an annoyance unless I spent more on upgrading that.

Option 2, parts seem much more readily available for the 113. series vintage Craftsman, but I would still be building an outfeed table and would need to find any missing accessories, possibly finding a second and having to sell the walker turner to make space. For now, the spare parts seem easier to find than for the WT. Again, a new fence might be necessary.

Option 3, I could go with a jobsite saw and build a table around it, and it would be complete and safe. A 10 inch Dewalt would be around $600 and has an arguably better fence than the first two options, and does have a small surface area and is lightweight in comparison to the first two, but if I build a table around it probably wouldn’t need anything else.

Option 4, I could spend $650 to $1000 on a hybrid saw like a Ridgid, Delta, Shop Fox, Grizzly, or Laguna, but I’m not sure what that really gets me over the Dewalt contractor with a table built around it, and the QC on some of those is a little suspect for the price. This price point seems like a little bit of a wasteland, with build quality way below the vintage contractor units in options 1 and 2.

Option 5, I could look for a used Unisaw/Jet/Rockwell/Delta cabinet type saw, but that might be expensive and I would worry about the motor or it being incomplete or flawed in some way (previous misuse), guessing this would be around $500 and the replacement parts could be just as hard to find or expensive as the WT.


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## HotRodx10 (Aug 24, 2017)

wrbrb said:


> needs an insert and blade guard / splitter to be safer.


I've seen a number of older saws with home-made inserts out of wood, metal plate, or plastic.

Most of the experienced woodworkers I know never use a blade guard. Whether having one on is safer or more dangerous is a subject of much debate.


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## wrbrb (Aug 18, 2020)

Thanks, but there are some challenges with the TC995 insert opening shape so I'm currently leaning toward one of the other options, just not sure which one.


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## colin123 (Oct 9, 2014)

Almost all tablesaws designed to plug into 110v wall plugs are going to draw 15 amps I find this to actually be theire limiting factor not the depth of cut or table size. skillsaw just came out with a 15 amp worm drive tablesaw it takes a maximum blade size of 8 1/4 but I honestly run 7 1/4 blades on my tablesaws anyways they are cheaper bog down les and can still cut through 1 1/2 inch material at a 45° angle plus the worm drive transfers more torque than a traditional sidewinder tablesaw which makes it great for dados. 8-1/4 IN. Portable Worm Drive Table Saw


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## chandler48 (Jun 5, 2017)

But given the limitations of the Skil table top saw, I would run. No doubt it is more expensive than one would normally pay for a belt driven saw, and there are no benefits to a smaller blade. The OP is looking for something more substantial.


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## colin123 (Oct 9, 2014)

I guess my point is that saw has more torque than any other mentioned here and by that definition it is more substantial.10 inch portable or contractor saws with 15 amp motors always seemed like kind of a gimmick to me. It's great in theory to be have a 3.5 inch cutting depth but would you honestly try ripping a 4x8 beam in half with any of the saws listed here. Also at $399 it is cheaper than most other options. I think if your going to get something that's portable this is the way to go if you really need something bigger I would skip all the half measures and get a 220v cabinet saw.


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## chandler48 (Jun 5, 2017)

Delta Unisaw with 5 HP motor, certainly I have ripped thick lumber without a problem. All my stationary tools are wired for 240 volts so their spool up speed is substantially faster than when wired at 120 volts.


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## colin123 (Oct 9, 2014)

I'm sure that 5 hp delta is amazing to work on and can use every bit of it's 10 inch blade but I don't know if it fits the ops need for a budget tablesaw to do home repairs with. I think it's more fair to compare the skillsaw to the sidewinder dewalt that costs 200 dollars more has less torque and can't take as large of a dado stack.


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## wrbrb (Aug 18, 2020)

Yeah - I basically want to be able to run plywood sheets across whatever saw I have, do home repairs and want the saw to be capable enough for building base cabinets for the kitchen and to use for more and more things as my skills and projects grow. I would spend $1000 (not $1200, not $1400) if I knew I was getting a solid cabinet/hybrid saw, but the old saws scare me a bit (parts availability, bearing/motor issues, fine tuning, not knowing how it was previously cared for) and the new saws just seem poorly made until you get up to the $2000+ mark. So, the decision is either something old and have to spend time and money on it, or build an outfeed table and more side support around a saw like the Skil or DeWalt jobsite and hope it can do what I need.


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## turbo4 (Jan 30, 2021)

My son likes his Dewalt except for the fact that its extremely LOUD. I may be borrowing it soon so ill find out. I have a big craftsman but its a bear to move from place to place. The motor that came with (The craftsman) was weak ,when it finally died i put a good grizzly motor on it and it screams through wood now.


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## wrbrb (Aug 18, 2020)

Maybe I’ll get the Skil or Dewalt (or a used) job site saw, have that for its mobility and build a table around it for supporting larger workpieces, but keep the Walker Turner and fix it up over time.


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## HotRodx10 (Aug 24, 2017)

Sounds like all you need for the Walker Turner is an insert, which can be cut to the approximate shape with a scroll saw, jigsaw, or band saw, and then smoothed to the final shape with a sander or a bench grinder.


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## turbo4 (Jan 30, 2021)

I was considering a Rigid table saw but they have terrible reviews.


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## ratherbefishing (Jan 13, 2011)

I think Tamar at 3x3 Customs uses a Dewalt jobsite saw set into a large shop made table. Her videos are worth watching, too, IMO.


https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC39z4_U8Kls0llAij3RRZAQ


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## turbo4 (Jan 30, 2021)

ratherbefishing said:


> I think Tamar at 3x3 Customs uses a Dewalt jobsite saw set into a large shop made table. Her videos are worth watching, too, IMO.


 Im leaning towards the Dewalt saw. Lots of good reviews. I had a ryobi table saw but it was way underpowered
and the motor burned up doing some ripping. Until now i cant justify replacing that same small weak motor at 50 to60% of the price of a new saw with a stronger motor.


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## wrbrb (Aug 18, 2020)

Wondering if anyone has any knowledge of the large rectangular weld pictured slightly left of center in this image of my Walker Turner table saw. Could it have come that way from the factory, or is this a repair that has been done at some point?

I would hate to invest more money in somewhat rare replacement parts for this saw if it turns out it has a structural issue.


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