The Sergeant Major let me buy a table saw, it being my birthday last
week and all. I had been scouring the want-ads for literally months,
and it just so happens that the deal (in my mind) of the century came
up the week of my birthday. It was like, fate.
This giant piece of iron is a Grizzly 1023. I Bought it from an old
guy whose health is failing and he is selling off his stuff. Handed
over $350 for the thing, and it came complete and with 4 blades. The
worst part of the whole transaction was getting the damn thing into
the truck, because I had to dissasemble it to get it out the door. In
retrospect, however, I don't think that my buddy and I could have
lifted it whole into the bed of my pickup.
I had my neighbor help me get it off the truck and into the
garage/shop. I levelled the base, bolted the fence and extensions
back on it and called it a day.
The next day, Friday, it was all I could do to finish out the day at
work. I almost clocked out early to go home and start fiddling with
it. After an interminable day, I threw my hardhat in the gangbox and
shagged ass for the house. I then spent the next 7 or so hours
aligning and wiring my new boat anchor. At about 11 o'clock, I had
gotten it about where I wanted it. I plugged it in, checked the
breaker, ran the blade all the way down, said a prayer and hit the
green button with the 1 on it.
Hot damn! I got it right! Tomorrow, we cut wood.
Saturday, I watched Norm, then ambled on into the shop to make
sawdust. I fired up the saw and pushed a 2x4 through the saw. Prior
to this, the only table saw I had ever used was a POS bench saw we had
on the jobsite that wouldn't pass the nickel lying flat test. The
difference was, how should I say, dramatic. The large flat table and
the smooth running was amazing. Not to mention the fact that the big
daddy 3hp motor is a _freaking_hoss_. I pushed a piece of dunnage (3"
thick red oak heartwood) through the saw just as fast as I dared, and
I barely noticed the difference between that and a pine 1x4. The cut
was like I had planed it smooth. This saw is simply amazing. I spent
an hour or so literally cutting bladewidths off of scrap I had lying
around.
I waxed the top. I made pushsticks and featherboards. I honed my
miter gauge so that it would slide in the slot easily. I blew out the
sawdust. I waxed again. I think I'm in love.
That's all I wanted to say about it for now. There are a few little
dings in the finish, so to speak, but it's nothing major. Thanks for
listening, and happy birthday to me!
-Phil Crow
P.S. If you don't have a cabinet saw, stop what you're doing right
now and go get one. Today.
[email protected] (Phil Crow) wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> The Sergeant Major let me buy a table saw, it being my birthday last
> week and all. I had been scouring the want-ads for literally months,
> and it just so happens that the deal (in my mind) of the century came
> up the week of my birthday. It was like, fate.
>
> This giant piece of iron is a Grizzly 1023. I Bought it from an old
> guy whose health is failing and he is selling off his stuff. Handed
> over $350 for the thing, and it came complete and with 4 blades. The
> worst part of the whole transaction was getting the damn thing into
> the truck, because I had to dissasemble it to get it out the door. In
> retrospect, however, I don't think that my buddy and I could have
> lifted it whole into the bed of my pickup.
>
> I had my neighbor help me get it off the truck and into the
> garage/shop. I levelled the base, bolted the fence and extensions
> back on it and called it a day.
>
> The next day, Friday, it was all I could do to finish out the day at
> work. I almost clocked out early to go home and start fiddling with
> it. After an interminable day, I threw my hardhat in the gangbox and
> shagged ass for the house. I then spent the next 7 or so hours
> aligning and wiring my new boat anchor. At about 11 o'clock, I had
> gotten it about where I wanted it. I plugged it in, checked the
> breaker, ran the blade all the way down, said a prayer and hit the
> green button with the 1 on it.
>
> Hot damn! I got it right! Tomorrow, we cut wood.
>
> Saturday, I watched Norm, then ambled on into the shop to make
> sawdust. I fired up the saw and pushed a 2x4 through the saw. Prior
> to this, the only table saw I had ever used was a POS bench saw we had
> on the jobsite that wouldn't pass the nickel lying flat test. The
> difference was, how should I say, dramatic. The large flat table and
> the smooth running was amazing. Not to mention the fact that the big
> daddy 3hp motor is a _freaking_hoss_. I pushed a piece of dunnage (3"
> thick red oak heartwood) through the saw just as fast as I dared, and
> I barely noticed the difference between that and a pine 1x4. The cut
> was like I had planed it smooth. This saw is simply amazing. I spent
> an hour or so literally cutting bladewidths off of scrap I had lying
> around.
>
> I waxed the top. I made pushsticks and featherboards. I honed my
> miter gauge so that it would slide in the slot easily. I blew out the
> sawdust. I waxed again. I think I'm in love.
>
> That's all I wanted to say about it for now. There are a few little
> dings in the finish, so to speak, but it's nothing major. Thanks for
> listening, and happy birthday to me!
>
> -Phil Crow
>
> P.S. If you don't have a cabinet saw, stop what you're doing right
> now and go get one. Today.
Funny thing about that 1023. I had a similar experience about 7
years ago when I got one. The original fence was a hefty piece of
junk (seven years ago) so I bought a Biesmeyer a couple of years ago.
The "hoss" plus the fence makes a wicked fine slicer. Never strains
itself, always accurate.
Congrats on a great b/day. You did well.
Paul
"Phil Crow" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> I had been scouring the want-ads for literally months,
> and it just so happens that the deal (in my mind) of the century came
> up the week of my birthday. It was like, fate.
>
> I waxed the top. I made pushsticks and featherboards. I honed my
> miter gauge so that it would slide in the slot easily. I blew out the
> sawdust. I waxed again. I think I'm in love.
>
> That's all I wanted to say about it for now. There are a few little
> dings in the finish, so to speak, but it's nothing major. Thanks for
> listening, and happy birthday to me!
>
> -Phil Crow
Sounds like a very Happy birthday. Congrats.
Ed
Fun aren't they!!
"Phil Crow" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> The Sergeant Major let me buy a table saw, it being my birthday last
> week and all. I had been scouring the want-ads for literally months,
> and it just so happens that the deal (in my mind) of the century came
> up the week of my birthday. It was like, fate.
>
> This giant piece of iron is a Grizzly 1023. I Bought it from an old
> guy whose health is failing and he is selling off his stuff. Handed
> over $350 for the thing, and it came complete and with 4 blades. The
> worst part of the whole transaction was getting the damn thing into
> the truck, because I had to dissasemble it to get it out the door. In
> retrospect, however, I don't think that my buddy and I could have
> lifted it whole into the bed of my pickup.
>
> I had my neighbor help me get it off the truck and into the
> garage/shop. I levelled the base, bolted the fence and extensions
> back on it and called it a day.
>
> The next day, Friday, it was all I could do to finish out the day at
> work. I almost clocked out early to go home and start fiddling with
> it. After an interminable day, I threw my hardhat in the gangbox and
> shagged ass for the house. I then spent the next 7 or so hours
> aligning and wiring my new boat anchor. At about 11 o'clock, I had
> gotten it about where I wanted it. I plugged it in, checked the
> breaker, ran the blade all the way down, said a prayer and hit the
> green button with the 1 on it.
>
> Hot damn! I got it right! Tomorrow, we cut wood.
>
> Saturday, I watched Norm, then ambled on into the shop to make
> sawdust. I fired up the saw and pushed a 2x4 through the saw. Prior
> to this, the only table saw I had ever used was a POS bench saw we had
> on the jobsite that wouldn't pass the nickel lying flat test. The
> difference was, how should I say, dramatic. The large flat table and
> the smooth running was amazing. Not to mention the fact that the big
> daddy 3hp motor is a _freaking_hoss_. I pushed a piece of dunnage (3"
> thick red oak heartwood) through the saw just as fast as I dared, and
> I barely noticed the difference between that and a pine 1x4. The cut
> was like I had planed it smooth. This saw is simply amazing. I spent
> an hour or so literally cutting bladewidths off of scrap I had lying
> around.
>
> I waxed the top. I made pushsticks and featherboards. I honed my
> miter gauge so that it would slide in the slot easily. I blew out the
> sawdust. I waxed again. I think I'm in love.
>
> That's all I wanted to say about it for now. There are a few little
> dings in the finish, so to speak, but it's nothing major. Thanks for
> listening, and happy birthday to me!
>
> -Phil Crow
>
> P.S. If you don't have a cabinet saw, stop what you're doing right
> now and go get one. Today.