I have a 10" Ace hardware contractor's saw. I paid $99 for it. I have
made a few "improvements" to it over the years, like grinding down the
funky non-standard ridges in the miter gauge tracks, but otherwise it is
a fairly stock saw with a cast aluminum top that for some reason has
stayed reasonably flat. The fence is crap, of course, and the miter
gauge is laughable, so I made a few of my own (90, 45, and 22.5
degrees), hence the grinder work.
I'm starting to finally come down from the Remodeling Project from
Hell---700 new square feet and counting since September---and now that
warm weather is arriving, I am pulling all the old moldy crap out of the
garage and drawing plans for the New Shop, now that we have some
interior storage. My goal is to be able to work indoors without
dragging everything out and setting it up outside on sawhorses.
So. I have a ton of scrap lumber and some sheet stock, including some
laminate. I figure while I'm at it, why not build myself a new table
saw with all the scrap, using my existing saw for parts!
My plan is:
1. replace and/or augment the weenie aluminum top on my saw with
something larger than 18"x24" built from the laminate, probably 4 feet
across and maybe 3 feet deep so I can actually use the thing for plywood
2. build a stable, heavy floor mount for it, maybe with retractable
wheels so I can take it outside when The Mess gets overwhelming in the
garage
3. build a vacuum fitting into the cabinet to keep the dust down
4. design and build a fence that actually works, or failing that go buy
a Bismeyer and make it fit
Am I nuts to go into a project like this? Will I end up with a bunch of
new scrap and a table I can't put back together right, and have to go
buy a regular cheapo table unit anyway? Or should I revel in creative
navel-gazing bliss and marvel at my own rat-like industrious little
handiwork, and further gloat about having kept all that scrap in the
first place?
Also, any advice is appreciated on table size, height, other features to
build in while I'm at it, etc.
thanks all
"Musky" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I have a 10" Ace hardware contractor's saw. I paid $99 for it. I have
> made a few "improvements" to it over the years, like grinding down the
> funky non-standard ridges in the miter gauge tracks, but otherwise it is
> a fairly stock saw with a cast aluminum top that for some reason has
> stayed reasonably flat. The fence is crap, of course, and the miter
> gauge is laughable, so I made a few of my own (90, 45, and 22.5
> degrees), hence the grinder work.
>
> I'm starting to finally come down from the Remodeling Project from
> Hell---700 new square feet and counting since September---and now that
> warm weather is arriving, I am pulling all the old moldy crap out of the
> garage and drawing plans for the New Shop, now that we have some
> interior storage. My goal is to be able to work indoors without
> dragging everything out and setting it up outside on sawhorses.
>
> So. I have a ton of scrap lumber and some sheet stock, including some
> laminate. I figure while I'm at it, why not build myself a new table
> saw with all the scrap, using my existing saw for parts!
>
> My plan is:
>
> 1. replace and/or augment the weenie aluminum top on my saw with
> something larger than 18"x24" built from the laminate, probably 4 feet
> across and maybe 3 feet deep so I can actually use the thing for plywood
>
> 2. build a stable, heavy floor mount for it, maybe with retractable
> wheels so I can take it outside when The Mess gets overwhelming in the
> garage
>
> 3. build a vacuum fitting into the cabinet to keep the dust down
>
> 4. design and build a fence that actually works, or failing that go buy
> a Bismeyer and make it fit
>
> Am I nuts to go into a project like this? Will I end up with a bunch of
> new scrap and a table I can't put back together right, and have to go
> buy a regular cheapo table unit anyway? Or should I revel in creative
> navel-gazing bliss and marvel at my own rat-like industrious little
> handiwork, and further gloat about having kept all that scrap in the
> first place?
>
> Also, any advice is appreciated on table size, height, other features to
> build in while I'm at it, etc.
>
> thanks all
>
A few years back I had a FWW book called 'Shop accessories you can build ".
It had plans for making a sliding table saw. In reality, a TS is a very
simple machine and with a ready made donor for parts, very feasable.
The same book also describes a Shopmade Rip Fence Assembly.
Have a look in your local library or check with Taunton.
Bernard R
If you try it and don't like it, what have you lost?
Montyhp
"Musky" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I have a 10" Ace hardware contractor's saw. I paid $99 for it. I have
> made a few "improvements" to it over the years, like grinding down the
> funky non-standard ridges in the miter gauge tracks, but otherwise it is
> a fairly stock saw with a cast aluminum top that for some reason has
> stayed reasonably flat. The fence is crap, of course, and the miter
> gauge is laughable, so I made a few of my own (90, 45, and 22.5
> degrees), hence the grinder work.
>
> I'm starting to finally come down from the Remodeling Project from
> Hell---700 new square feet and counting since September---and now that
> warm weather is arriving, I am pulling all the old moldy crap out of the
> garage and drawing plans for the New Shop, now that we have some
> interior storage. My goal is to be able to work indoors without
> dragging everything out and setting it up outside on sawhorses.
>
> So. I have a ton of scrap lumber and some sheet stock, including some
> laminate. I figure while I'm at it, why not build myself a new table
> saw with all the scrap, using my existing saw for parts!
>
> My plan is:
>
> 1. replace and/or augment the weenie aluminum top on my saw with
> something larger than 18"x24" built from the laminate, probably 4 feet
> across and maybe 3 feet deep so I can actually use the thing for plywood
>
> 2. build a stable, heavy floor mount for it, maybe with retractable
> wheels so I can take it outside when The Mess gets overwhelming in the
> garage
>
> 3. build a vacuum fitting into the cabinet to keep the dust down
>
> 4. design and build a fence that actually works, or failing that go buy
> a Bismeyer and make it fit
>
> Am I nuts to go into a project like this? Will I end up with a bunch of
> new scrap and a table I can't put back together right, and have to go
> buy a regular cheapo table unit anyway? Or should I revel in creative
> navel-gazing bliss and marvel at my own rat-like industrious little
> handiwork, and further gloat about having kept all that scrap in the
> first place?
>
> Also, any advice is appreciated on table size, height, other features to
> build in while I'm at it, etc.
>
> thanks all
>
I'd say it depends on your sense of adventure: It's certainly worth it if
you enjoyed the effort, it works to expectations, and is reliable. I'm a
little uneasy about a cast Al top; which I think begs the question, how
roughly is the saw to be used/moved/punished? And, well, like the last guy
said, what have you lost if it's not to expecitations?
If I were you, and I'm not, I'd try it if I had the time and the ambition.
It's certainly a good challenge.
Pop
"Montyhp" <montyhp at yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> If you try it and don't like it, what have you lost?
>
> Montyhp
> "Musky" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > I have a 10" Ace hardware contractor's saw. I paid $99 for it. I have
> > made a few "improvements" to it over the years, like grinding down the
> > funky non-standard ridges in the miter gauge tracks, but otherwise it is
> > a fairly stock saw with a cast aluminum top that for some reason has
> > stayed reasonably flat. The fence is crap, of course, and the miter
> > gauge is laughable, so I made a few of my own (90, 45, and 22.5
> > degrees), hence the grinder work.
> >
> > I'm starting to finally come down from the Remodeling Project from
> > Hell---700 new square feet and counting since September---and now that
> > warm weather is arriving, I am pulling all the old moldy crap out of the
> > garage and drawing plans for the New Shop, now that we have some
> > interior storage. My goal is to be able to work indoors without
> > dragging everything out and setting it up outside on sawhorses.
> >
> > So. I have a ton of scrap lumber and some sheet stock, including some
> > laminate. I figure while I'm at it, why not build myself a new table
> > saw with all the scrap, using my existing saw for parts!
> >
> > My plan is:
> >
> > 1. replace and/or augment the weenie aluminum top on my saw with
> > something larger than 18"x24" built from the laminate, probably 4 feet
> > across and maybe 3 feet deep so I can actually use the thing for plywood
> >
> > 2. build a stable, heavy floor mount for it, maybe with retractable
> > wheels so I can take it outside when The Mess gets overwhelming in the
> > garage
> >
> > 3. build a vacuum fitting into the cabinet to keep the dust down
> >
> > 4. design and build a fence that actually works, or failing that go buy
> > a Bismeyer and make it fit
> >
> > Am I nuts to go into a project like this? Will I end up with a bunch of
> > new scrap and a table I can't put back together right, and have to go
> > buy a regular cheapo table unit anyway? Or should I revel in creative
> > navel-gazing bliss and marvel at my own rat-like industrious little
> > handiwork, and further gloat about having kept all that scrap in the
> > first place?
> >
> > Also, any advice is appreciated on table size, height, other features to
> > build in while I'm at it, etc.
> >
> > thanks all
> >
>
>
The one point I would make is that you are building something around a cheap
piece of machinery. I have done this in the past and when the machine broke,
there were no spares and replacements were different enough that they
wouldn't fit.
The rule of machines is that they will break just after you have finished
all of your hard work.
John
On Thu, 01 Apr 2004 20:55:04 -0500, Silvan
<[email protected]> wrote:
>You don't need no steenkin' special equipment. Just a file and a lot of
>patience. :)
Filestine !
If you're flattening cast irion by hand, do it right and use a
scraper.
Of course, you'd have to make three of the things, if you're doing it
right....
On Wed, 31 Mar 2004 22:38:06 -0800, Musky <[email protected]> wrote:
>Am I nuts to go into a project like this?
Mass is good. If you look in the right places and go for decades-old
industrial cast iron, you can get a table better than anything you'll
ever make, and it needn't cost that much.
Making your own table saw is for people who have the equipment to
machine flat cast iron tables. I know when I'm beat.
(Bought a Wadkin last year that's the same age as I am. Never
regretted it).
--
Smert' spamionam
Andy Dingley wrote:
>>You don't need no steenkin' special equipment. Just a file and a lot of
>>patience. :)
>
> Filestine !
>
> If you're flattening cast irion by hand, do it right and use a
> scraper.
Yeah, that's what I meant. Make a scraper out of a file. I think Jeff
Gorman's site is where my concept of this comes from.
--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan <[email protected]>
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/
Andy Dingley wrote:
> Making your own table saw is for people who have the equipment to
> machine flat cast iron tables. I know when I'm beat.
You don't need no steenkin' special equipment. Just a file and a lot of
patience. :)
--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan <[email protected]>
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/