Heritical Table Saw Question

[twistsol]

You wouldn't be the first person to build out a small saw. I went the other direction and then came back. I had a Ryobi BT3000 saw with a wide table and a large outfeed with a router built into the wide table kit. I sold that, my crappy bandsaw and drill press and bought a Mark V with a bandsaw and jointer. I already had a track saw so breaking down sheet goods wasn't going to be in the domain of the Mark V and I hadn't utilized the wide table on Ryobi saw since I got the track saw.

Like many people I didn't like the table saw aspect of the Mark V and not because it was a tilting table or the table was too small, but I didn't like the height. Not heresy, just my preference. The drill press and bandsaw were far superior to what I had so even though the Mark V as a table saw didn't work out for me, it was still a win overall.

I picked up a Ridgid saw on clearance and added to it. Here's a $400 saw with a $600 fence, a couple of hundred for dust collection arm, more for the Shark Guard, and a home built wide table and outfeed. There's an Incra Miter 5000 for it as well. I'm blessed with enough space that I have three other assembly stations in my shop.

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Build around whatever saw you have. After all, a table saw is just a box that spins a blade. If it fails in a year or ten years from now, replace it and adjust setup to accommodate the new saw. someday I may add a router to mine or replace it with a SawStop, but for now, it meets my needs

The vac under the saw is for one of my Mark V's which is right behind me as I took the photo.

[CreekWood]

Hey Chris,
I see a trad bench and a collection of hand planes in the background of your shop. Cool!
So if you were to add a router wing into the combination, which side would you put it on? Would your fence get double duty (would you have to build out some kind of split fence to accommodate the router?)?

[BuckeyeDennis]

Chris, your shop is an absolute inspiration! Would you consider giving us a virtual tour sometime?

[twistsol]

Hey Chris,
I see a trad bench and a collection of hand planes in the background of your shop. Cool!
So if you were to add a router wing into the combination, which side would you put it on? Would your fence get double duty (would you have to build out some kind of split fence to accommodate the router?)?

The bench is less traditional than you think. It's an MDF torsion box with cabinets on it and damaged butcher block counter from Menards. The hand planes are passed down from my great grandpa who had a furniture factory in Illinois.

With my current setup, I would remove the stamped steel wing and add the router table to the left side of the table saw. My dust collection OCD is the main reason I haven't done that yet. I also have a 27x36 dedicated router table which can be seen in the upper right corner of the photo below, so no pressing need for an additional router workstation.

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The table saw fence is an Incra TS/LS and they have a wonderful split fence that attaches to it. I'd just have to remove my blade guard by loosening a couple of thumb screws, and slide the fence bridge left to the next set of stops and it would be in position to use as a router table fence.

[twistsol]

Chris, your shop is an absolute inspiration! Would you consider giving us a virtual tour sometime?

I have thought about posting one, but this basement shop is a new build I started in 2021. I think I now finally have the workflow and tool layout where I want it. I still have a few more tweaks before it is ready for prime time though. Below is a current layout. The main shop is 780 square feet. The STM1800 is a collapsible cutting station from Festool that is usually stored underneath the MFT's. The Mark V 520 under the stairs needs some TLC but that is a project for another day. The 10ER is a recent acquisition which I really don't have room for, but it called to me through Craigslist and I was powerless to resist.

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[RFGuy]

Chris,

Nice!!! Very nice!!! Also love the wood floors. What does the acronym OCD stand for? Thanks.

[algale]

Gorgeous shop/layout.

[twistsol]

Chris,

Nice!!! Very nice!!! Also love the wood floors. What does the acronym OCD stand for? Thanks.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. I have a 3hp dust collector and 4 shop vacs in my shop. I'd say you could eat off the floor of my shop, but I don't allow food in it.

The "wood" floors are are 89 cent per square foot laminate from Menards. They'll need to be replaced when we sell the house unless the buyer wants a woodshop in the basement as well.I knew they'd get damaged so spent as little as possible on them, but easier to clean and more comfortable than bare concrete.

[Ed in Tampa]

Chris Phelps. Nice shop! Looks like you spend your money on smartly and only on what is important not what other people say. Well done sir! My hat is off to you.

[RFGuy]

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. I have a 3hp dust collector and 4 shop vacs in my shop. I'd say you could eat off the floor of my shop, but I don't allow food in it.

The "wood" floors are are 89 cent per square foot laminate from Menards. They'll need to be replaced when we sell the house unless the buyer wants a woodshop in the basement as well.I knew they'd get damaged so spent as little as possible on them, but easier to clean and more comfortable than bare concrete.

Sorry, in the context of woodworking, I couldn't process OCD...kept thinking of something related to a shop or dust collection related term. Definitely know what that is and I am borderline OCD with my dust collection in my shop, but I only aspire to have it as clean as you describe. Maybe one day. I contemplate making a thin subfloor and installing plank flooring over the 1 car garage bay (out of 3 bays) that is my shop. It is much nicer to have a shop over a wood floor than concrete floors. Thanks for the inspiration from your shop.