Do you miss your tablesaw?

[ChuckS]

Apart from dadoes, a track saw will struggle to cut tenons, something Norm Abram was doing all the time in New Yankee Workshop with the tenon jig on the table saw.  I bet Norm helped sell not just a lot of nailers but also tenon jigs. (Of course, the Domino machine can fulfill the need for both of the above in a breeze.)

There're other things a track saw can't handle that a table saw can with no sweat: cutting a circle, for instance. What matters for a woodworker is what she or he does primarily in the shop AND how efficiently the task is to be done. A circular saw can do a lot of things with the right jigs, accessories and TIME.

I can use a panel saw and handplane to prepare my stock...but that's something I've tried and will never do again, because I enjoy building furniture, not dimensioning stock. I know a talented bowl-turner who had been building furniture before he bought a lathe, and now uses his table saw as a finishing table for his woodturned pieces. All stock prep. is done on the bandsaw. But I also came to know a fellow woodworker who had two table saws side by side, one dedicated for cutting dadoes.

 

[derekcohen]

This thread poses a silly question. It is silly as there is no single answer. What we see are a myriad of options from a range of woodworkers, each with a preferred way of working, not to mention the different build interests.

For myself, a traditional-orientated woodworker, building furniture in solid wood only, I would not want to be without my slider. And, no, a bandsaw does not replace a tablesaw - they focus on different tasks. A bandsaw is best for resawing.

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[ChuckS]

Snip. no, a bandsaw does not replace a tablesaw - they focus on different tasks. A bandsaw is best for resawing.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Even for resawing, it's x times (depending on one's setup) faster to do it on a table saw with a narrow ripping blade and an aux. tall fence. Of course, there's less waste using the bandsaw. I use the bandsaw for resawing only when a board is too wide for the table saw, and that's a once-in-a blue-moon thing for me.

 

[Packard]

Snip. no, a bandsaw does not replace a tablesaw - they focus on different tasks. A bandsaw is best for resawing.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Even for resawing, it's x times (depending on one's setup) faster to do it on a table saw with a narrow ripping blade and an aux. tall fence. Of course, there's less waste using the bandsaw. I use the bandsaw for resawing only when a board is too wide for the table saw, and that's a once-in-a blue-moon thing for me.

I bought a narrow kerf rip blade for that exact same operation. I waste less stock, and the motor labors less.  I have a table top band saw, so no resawing in the band saw.

 

[kevinculle]

I don't miss my tablesaw but if I did, I would just go down to my basement shop and stand next to it.  It's a Delta Contractors saw bought new in the mid-80s now equipped with the Incra TSIII system fence and a cast iron router table extension.  I will part with it when I am no longer capable or interested in woodworking.

 

[Tom the Remodeler]

From a safety perspective, a band saw is a superior tool to the table saw for ripping applications, due to lack of kick back. In theory, you can rip halfway through a board, walk away and the board will not go anywhere (never walk away from a running machine). A properly tuned band saw with a sharp blade will rip just as nice as a table saw, and besides the work goes through the thickness planer or shaper for final pass anyways so a "perfect" edge is a non-factor.

There are also a variety of nice bandsaw-specific power feeders, making the task that much safer.

The Jessem guides are fine, but there's no way they're going to prevent a 7.5hp+ saw from throwing a 8/4 board through a wall (or person) if the wood binds or otherwise doesn't want to play nice on a table saw.

 

[derekcohen]

I am curious how one resaws a 12 wide board on the tablesaw? My slider has a 12” blade and will saw 4”. Blades for the slider are 1/8” thick, which makes for a more stable cut. I would hate to use a thin-kerf, more flexible saw blade to this depth …. which is still far shorter than I need. Perhaps those whi are advocating a tablesaw for resawing only work with narrow boards?

A properly tuned band saw with a sharp blade will rip just as nice as a table saw, and besides the work goes through the thickness planer or shaper for final pass anyways so a "perfect" edge is a non-factor.

Not in my world. I can get a glue line cut with my Hammer K3 slider (using the slider to rip). I have a Hammer N4400 bandsaw (17 1/2”) which is set up with a Woodmaster CT 1” carbide blade (properly tensioned). It rips very well, but the finish and straightness is not remotely in the same universe as the K3. A bandsaw will also be severely limited in it crosscut capacity.

Do people just sprout popular comments made on forums? Or from experience?

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[Packard]

I saw a video demo on ripping wide boards on the table saw.  It is not a method I would prefer to use.

Step #1:  rip to max depth on one edge.
Step #2:  flip board and rip to max depth on opposite edge.

At that point a center web is still holding the sides together. In the demo, he used a hand rip saw, and using the cuts on both edges to guide the saw, he completed the rip.  He then ran the board through the planer.

It looked like a lot of work, but he got the job done.  (Though he only had about 3” to cut through, so not a 12” board.)

 

[ChuckS]

Snip.
Do people just sprout popular comments made on forums? Or from experience?

Regards from Perth

Derek

Both could be the case, I believe.

Table saws can resaw boards safely with a tall fence only up to certain width. I always try to resaw boards on the table saw from start to finish. If the width is too much for the table saw, I usually go with the band saw, which, in my case, admittedly is second-rate, and struggles with long boards.

But on a couple occasions where I couldn't get a new bandsaw blade in time, I started with the table saw, then finished it on the band saw with a dull blade.

Having said that, I try to build projects without resawing anything if possible.

 

[Tom the Remodeler]

I am curious how one resaws a 12” wide board on the tablesaw? My slider has a 12” blade and will saw 4”. Blades for the slider are 1/8” thick, which makes for a more stable cut. I would hate to use a thin-kerf, more flexible saw blade to this depth …. which is still far shorter than I need. Perhaps those whi are advocating a tablesaw for resawing only work with narrow boards?

A properly tuned band saw with a sharp blade will rip just as nice as a table saw, and besides the work goes through the thickness planer or shaper for final pass anyways so a "perfect" edge is a non-factor.

Not in my world. I can get a glue line cut with my Hammer K3 slider (using the slider to rip). I have a Hammer N4400 bandsaw (17 1/2”) which is set up with a Woodmaster CT 1” carbide blade (properly tensioned). It rips very well, but the finish and straightness is not remotely in the same universe as the K3. A bandsaw will also be severely limited in it crosscut capacity.

Do people just sprout popular comments made on forums? Or from experience?

Regards from Perth

Derek

Derek, I agree with you that ripping with a slider is a great method for initial material prep, I have a KF700SP with a 10' slider and will regularly use it to straight line rip solid lumber. That being said, this wood is not ready for a glue-up, not by a long shot, regardless of how pretty the edge is. Solid timber regularly goes a little squirrely after being ripped, even on a long slider. Therefore, the slider rip is only the first step in the S4S process, not the end, at least for high-end work like doors and windows where the stiles need to be dead-straight. Usually, I'll use the KF700 to clean up an edge of rough sawn lumber, in preparation for some trips over the jointer and through the band saw, then on through the planer to produce precisely sized S4S stock for further processing at the shaper.

A "glue line" edge is irrelevant if the board is not straight, and ripping on the sliding saw does not guarantee a straight board. If you're building projects where a clean edge off a table saw works, then I'd say that's great and I'd encourage you to continue your process.

Ultimately, ripping on a sliding table saw no different than using a shooting board and an "L-fence" on a table saw, or just using a track saw, other than being faster and safer (if using the proper techniques).

Unfortunately most hobbyists choose to not go that route (slider), instead opting for the cheaper, "traditional" style table saw. In that context, I have not heard anybody articulate a scenario where ripping on a table saw is safer than a band saw.

 

[smorgasbord]

I don't have a tracksaw, but when I see videos like this:=837 (starts at 13:57) it makes me glad I have a tablesaw. Ripping with that setup would drive me crazy.

 

[bwehman]

The smaller the workpiece, the bigger the tool. The bigger the workpiece, the smaller the tool. There are definitely exceptions, but overall, if you plan on cutting smaller pieces, a table saw can be super useful. Conversely, if you plan on cutting large sheets, the track saw is super useful.

 

[ChuckS]

I don't have a tracksaw, but when I see videos like this:=837 (starts at 13:57) it makes me glad I have a tablesaw. Ripping with that setup would drive me crazy.

Never knew ripping (no matter with what machine) would be that mathematically challenging. [tongue]

 

[woodferret]

I don't have a tracksaw, but when I see videos like this:=837 (starts at 13:57) it makes me glad I have a tablesaw. Ripping with that setup would drive me crazy.

I think he just made it more maddingly complicated than it really is.  Downside of narrow track saw ripping has always been finding support of the right thickness for the track.  Once that's done, take a board, screw some stop blocks on it, and rip til the cows come home.

It's those situations of "I just need two strips" that's annoying to setup on a track saw.

 

[Packard]

A while back, I made this hollowed out cove cut for a pencil tray.  It was pretty straightforward, though I had to make a couple of sample cuts to get the right radius. 

I would not know how to do this with a track saw.

 

[squall_line]

A while back, I made this hollowed out cove cut for a pencil tray.  It was pretty straightforward, though I had to make a couple of sample cuts to get the right radius. 

I would not know how to do this with a track saw.

Put the material under the track, lock the saw in place with a front and back stop, lower the blade, and push the stock from one side to the other.

The biggest issue with this would be the friction strips on the track, but that could be overcome with blocks that are slightly wider than the stock to hold the track slightly above the workpiece.

I believe Peter Parfitt has a video on how to make a cove cut with a tracksaw, or it was another user who posted on here with photos or a video.

 

[Packard]

That’s akin to teaching a race horse to run on its hind legs.  It can be done, but …

 

[ChuckS]

That’s akin to teaching a race horse to run on its hind legs.  It can be done, but …

A quicker way to cut coves or dadoes or whatever a table saw can do with a track saw is to mount the track saw upside down on a plywood top, and use it like a table saw!

Many carpenters in Asia do exactly that in reno projects with their circular saws.
[attachimg=1]

 

[Packard]

I wonder what Festool’s liability lawyers would say about that operation.

 

[smorgasbord]

I think he just made it more maddingly complicated than it really is.  Downside of narrow track saw ripping has always been finding support of the right thickness for the track.  Once that's done, take a board, screw some stop blocks on it, and rip til the cows come home.

It's those situations of "I just need two strips" that's annoying to setup on a track saw.

Well, yeah, to even think about ripping based on a 90 degree angle off of a crosscut that itself was made at a 90 degree angle to the edge against which he's wanting to rip is crazy. What is it about tracksaws that would make someone think this way?