Thoughts on a Cabinet Saw?

[masonsailor2]

The only thing it could focus on would be aluminum. But that aluminum could get really hot. The window faces SW and even though I doubt a fire would insue I am not anxious to find out. My solution will be to block the window. I am about to have to insulate the garage doors for summer so I will just cover them with the insulation for the summer. The side windows will provide enough natural light. I will cover it in the morning just the same. Thank you all for the valid concern.
Paul

[ERLover]

The only thing it could focus on would be aluminum. But that aluminum could get really hot. The window faces SW and even though I doubt a fire would insue I am not anxious to find out. My solution will be to block the window. I am about to have to insulate the garage doors for summer so I will just cover them with the insulation for the summer. The side windows will provide enough natural light. I will cover it in the morning just the same. Thank you all for the valid concern.
Paul

What are your garage door/doors made of? What is the R value of the insulation? Here what I looked into is just some white Styrofoam with minimal R value.

[Dansmith]

Power, not needed unless into thick woods, get a spliter kit to prevent binding, this rib blade, and it makes very clean cross cuts, and add a longer add on piece of something to your miter gauge, or go go with a Kreg miter gauge like this.
(links omitted from quote)

Thank you, ERLover. I do have a thin kerf blade on my Delta and it works great. On the other hand, that Kreg miter gauge looks mighty promising. Of course, my question would still be whether the accuracy of the contractor's saw can be just as good as that of a cabinet saw. And maybe, I am just making a mountain out of a molehill as to the accuracy issue.

I think you are making a mountain, even with the best of set up cabinet saw, consistence in your sawing technique can change things. It is wood working, not metal machining. If you dont need the table size, stay where you are till your projects grow out your table size. Spend your money else where or on wood.

Thanks. I think you are correct. My problem is that I have some metal working experience that has led me to unrealisticaly hope for the same kind of tolerances when woodworking. I have done a bit more research, and have decided that I will gladly stick with my tried and true contractors saw, and learn better woodworking techniques.

[Dansmith]

As far as power goes I went with a Dayton 2 hp and it does everything I have asked of it. As far as the trunion on a big saw being more robust than Delta contractor saw there is no doubt. All I can say is that it has handled everything I have asked of it and I check it regularly for runout and it is right on. In all fairness I did replace the arbor and bearings before I built the saw. I had no idea of what it had been through so it seemed prudent. Thank you JPG about the magnifying glass and the sun. Very good point I had not thought of. Definitely a risk I had not considered.
Paul

Thank you.

[Ed in Tampa]

Cabinet Saw is a misnomer a 3 hp Saw is production Saw meant to cut wood 24/7 . It may have a steel cabinet around it but the saw was built for production. Never seen a broken trunnion on any Saw yet, so trunnion strength is not an issue. In fact a contractor saw set up properly should be more solid than what is being labeled cabinet saws today.

Shopsmith has one weakness, the blade is fixed and the table must be raised or lower to set depth of cut and the table must be tilted to make bevel cuts.

Short of that it is an excellent Saw.

However Ed Reible was right on, if you want a "cabinet Saw" get one. But understand it was made for production and you will never utilize it's potential unless you do production work 24/7.
Ad man hype had oversold these to hobbiest for years!

[robinson46176]

Before my Ridgid TS-3650 years ago this was my answer for limitations of my SS 510. I used it mostly for cutting sheet goods and for tilt arbor applications. Its 3/4 HP motor did tend to be a little under powered for stuff like ripping 2" oak etc. I Finally I got around to running a 220 volt line over to it and switching the motor over. Problem gone.
I still have that saw and table and may actually put in the woodshop after I get some more stuff moved out, mostly to the "other" part of the basement. I'll move the stuff then decide. I did like using it. It also made a decent assembly table. The top is 4' x 6'.

WS - Big table for bench saw .jpg (159.8 KiB) Viewed 10503 times

.

[Dansmith]

Thanks, Ed in Tampa. I did decide against the "cabinet" saw. I am in the process of re-familiarizing myself with tuning my Delta Contractor saw.

Interesting set-up, robinson.

[ChrisNeilan]

Cabinet Saw is a misnomer a 3 hp Saw is production Saw meant to cut wood 24/7 . It may have a steel cabinet around it but the saw was built for production. Never seen a broken trunnion on any Saw yet, so trunnion strength is not an issue. In fact a contractor saw set up properly should be more solid than what is being labeled cabinet saws today.

Shopsmith has one weakness, the blade is fixed and the table must be raised or lower to set depth of cut and the table must be tilted to make bevel cuts.

Short of that it is an excellent Saw.

However Ed Reible was right on, if you want a "cabinet Saw" get one. But understand it was made for production and you will never utilize it's potential unless you do production work 24/7.
Ad man hype had oversold these to hobbiest for years!

Ed, I have to say THANK YOU! You are spot on. I have a standard Craftsman table saw from the 60's. It's a fine saw, a good saw, a rugged saw. I don't use it! I prefer the Shopsmith. Sure it might take longer to dial it in, but I feel safer using it. I have often drooled over the ads of the new breed of table saw - Saw Stops, Powermatics..., but what I have is more than fine for what I do. Not to take anything away from those saws- they are great- but I just don't need them.

[Dansmith]

ChrisNeilan, is that the old Craftsman contractor style saw you reference? If so, they sure do have great reputation. I inherited and old Craftsman 12" band saw, made by King Seely, model # 103.24280 that is still going strong, and I think it was made in the 1950's.

[Sazerac81]

I will say that the sawstop saws are very nice and such a wonderful right step in the right direction for safety and their sliding table add on is very slick and very well built!

Cheers,
John