Replies

1. 
   Henley | Nov 02, 2008 04:54pm | #1

   Depends what your doing.
   It can't rip sheet goods.

2. 
   Dave45 | Nov 02, 2008 04:57pm | #2

   If your cuts are all straight, a decent circular saw with a good blade, and used with a guide should give you cuts almost as good as you could get with a TS.

   You'll also need to do your cutting on a solid platform that gives good support to your workpiece. I often use sawhorses with 2-3 pieces of 2x4 and a sheet of 1/2" particle board for a platform. I can slide a sheet of plywood out of the pickup and onto the platform (good face down), mark my cuts, clamp on my guide, and away I go.

   If you're wanting to rip dimensioned lumber, take a look at some of the small job-site saws out there. Home Depot sells a 10" Ryobi saw for $99 that does a pretty good job. It definitely isn't a cabinet saw, but with some outfeed support (I use a roller stand), it works pretty well.

3. 
   JMartinsky | Nov 02, 2008 05:15pm | #3

   Dear E,
   These work a lot better than one would expect, on sheet goods, that is. Combined with a good blade on a circular saw, they are quite accurate.

   http://www.amazon.com/Clamp-50-Inch-Grip-Guide-T-track/dp/B0000DYV40/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1225635013&sr=8-3

   Something else that you may consider is a good becnchtop saw. Makita, and Bosch make very good units that are pretty accurate.

   http://www.amazon.com/Makita-2703-10-Inch-Benchtop-Table/dp/B0000223IK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1225635241&sr=1-2

   http://www.amazon.com/Bosch-4000-09-Worksite-10-Inch-Benchtop/dp/B00067IX1A/ref=pd_cp_hi_2?pf_rd_p=413863601&pf_rd_s=center-41&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B000FVYA82&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0PXBB03VKPWDAH18BXPB

   Best,

   John

   
   

   ---

   Edited 11/2/2008 9:16 am ET by Jmartinsky

1. 
   Eemad | Nov 02, 2008 05:47pm | #4

   I like that fence. I tried making my own out of hard pressed board and a finished strip of 1X2" pine. It was ok, but some of my cuts weren't as accurate as I'd like. I feel like buying anything but a cabinet saw is a waste of money. But now I'm starting to think that even with something like the table top saws you linked, I'd get better cuts than I am now. I'm just building a workbench and there's some room for error, but aesthetically, I'll know where the defects are.J, do you have any idea how loud those table top saws are? Compared to a circular saw?

1. 
   RalphBarker | Nov 02, 2008 07:22pm | #5

   Ah, the ever-present "if only I had a [fill in the blank]" issue. ;-)I tend to look at it this way - every tool has a sweet spot in terms of functionality. Some can be used in the gray area surrounding that sweet spot, but the results are often marginal. I wouldn't consider a band saw as a replacement for a table saw, nor would I consider a TS a substitute for a BS. Their target functionality is simply different. So is that of a circular saw, which I'd put in the rough carpentry category of tools.My suggestion would be to examine what you're actually doing right now, and see if a relatively inexpensive contractor or table-top saw would suffice for now. You're still likely to use your circular saw, along with good, rigid guides, for some sheet goods work.Life is almost always a compromise. ;-)

1. 
   Eemad | Nov 02, 2008 07:47pm | #6

   "Life is almost always a compromise."Truer words have never been spoken.

2. 
   JMartinsky | Nov 03, 2008 03:05am | #8

   Dear E,
   The tabletops are virtually identical as to sound as a circular saw, because they use the same motors. I hear you about a cabinet saw, and I felt the same way about accuracy, but I can tell you that after investing in a PM 600, which is a great saw, I appreciate the stability of the saw as much as the accuracy. I am a contractor and use a makita 10" benchtop saw dropped into a Rousseau table with two outfeed tables and I can tell you the accuracy is terrific. Will a 10" Makita cut 8/4 Maple all day.....? No. However for sheet goods, it is almost as good as the PM. Certainly good enough for cabinetry. The 10" benchtop allows for a better quality blade than say an 8" and the Rousseau fence system is very good. Now, granted that is about a $900.00 system by the time all is said and done, but it it is portable, accurate and powerful. If I am going to process hardwoods for six hours straight, or make dado's, then the PM can't be beat. For making several rips in hardwood, or processing sheet goods, the Makita will do the job.http://www.amazon.com/Rousseau-2700XL-Makita-Hitachi-DeWalt/dp/B0000224S3/ref=pd_sim_dbs_hi_2http://www.amazon.com/Rousseau-PortaMax-18-Inch-48-Inch-Folding/dp/B0000224RZ/ref=pd_bxgy_hi_img_bBest,JohnEdited 11/2/2008 7:06 pm ET by JmartinskyEdited 11/2/2008 7:06 pm ET by Jmartinsky

   Edited 11/2/2008 7:07 pm ET by Jmartinsky

4. 
   roc | Nov 02, 2008 10:07pm | #7

   If you like using hand tools and laying out every cut and sawing to the line then planing/paring to fit then you are good with out a table saw. Can do a lot of this on the bandsaw anyway.

   If you need to resaw or cut three inch or thicker stock or curved cuts, or cuts that are curved and angled to the face then you need a bandsaw.

   Duplicate cuts of plywood, sheet stock, grooves/dados, angled rips, templet sawing for repeated polygons:

   http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/SkillsAndTechniques/SkillsAndTechniquesPDF.aspx?id=2782

   then you need a tablesaw.

   If you start with a band saw I don't think you would at some point say "Now that I have a table saw I can sell my band saw". Both are critically useful tools especially if you are attempting to produce enough to make income from your work.

   Personally I bought a cheep tablesaw because of two reasons: 1. I did not like the expensive tablesaws due to lack of features that I had on tablesaws in high school thirty years ago. 2. I was unaware that for what I want to do a bandsaw would have been the best first stationary power saw.

   I now have a quality bandsaw and my same cheep tablesaw. I could not do the work I do without my bandsaw (unless I hired someone to resaw for me). And miss all the fun ! ? ! ? Unthinkable ! I could do without my table saw using the straight edge and hand held circular saw method for sheet stock. Though I do like my nice dado blade now and again I could lay out, saw and router plane to do this work.

   Resawing is another matter. Hard to get around that with hand tools or a tablesaw and have fun at the same time.

   You can have my bandsaw when you pry it from my cold dead hands.

   Edited 11/2/2008 2:11 pm by roc

   
   

   ---

   Edited 11/2/2008 7:50 pm by roc

1. 
   Shortduster1 | Nov 03, 2008 09:17am | #9

   I have been using a 1949 8" Delta Home Craft Table Saw forever and I have longed for a full size cabinet saw. However even a 12 Carftsman Bandsaw with the proper blade and large table I can do virtually very thing that I can do on a table saw and a lot safer with sheet goods, the straingt edges and 0 clearance  throats are the trick. Old doors and sturdy adjustable legs are esential.  I will grant that mitered boxes are easier on a table saw.