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Advantages of the Sliding Table Saw Like most woodworkers, I had Although I occasionally make RETHINKING THE TABLE acquired my collection of tools, cabinets and various pieces one at a time. I have a cabinet with sheet goods the bulk of SAW IN THE ONE MAN SHOP saw for general purpose work, my work is made from solid Of all the machine tools in a woodworking shop, a vertical panel saw with a skill stock. I’m slowly changing the the table saw is the workhorse. With it, you can saw for sheet goods, a big ra- ways that I think and how I vi- make virtually any straight cut. Fitted with a good dial saw for rough crosscuts, sualize the process of making a small sliding table saw for something. The biggest change dado head, the table saw is the tool of choice general work and a miter saw is using the slider to make a for cutting dadoes and rabbets. for crosscuts and miters. I got straight edge after face joint- I recently built a new shop and associated with cutting up the small slider after getting ing and planing the material decided to upgrade my equip- sheet goods they also excel frustrated with two versions on my 16” jointer-planer. The ment, especially my table saw. at straight-line ripping. of bolt-on attachments for my opposite edge is made using After rethinking how I use my cabinet saw. I also have a pile a power feeder or the slider. shop, it dawned on me that As sheet materials became of jigs to increase the accuracy Wow, I can go through a pile of I wasted space because I more popular, particularly in and efficiency of the tools. wood in half the time or faster. had a number of machines production settings, manufac- And what is even better than that I used intermittently and turers responded by creating Although my old equipment was the speed is the quality of the when I wanted to use various the tilting-arbor table saw which adequate there was always a product. With my old arrange- machines, things were often is epitomized by the Delta uni- question mark in regards to ment getting good results was in the way. Another factor saw, first manufactured in 1939. accuracy, especially when always a struggle, especially in my decision was the fact Looking at the latest American handling large pieces. My at- with bigger pieces. that I have a sawmill, and the saws, there has been very little titude has changed with this wood that I have dried, with change except for making the new saw. Although I have always With my older, smaller slider the help of a dehumidification table bigger and beefing up the enjoyed woodworking, using the I used the sliding table like a kiln, is now ready to use. One fence. Some of the manufac- Felder machines is really fun. large miter gauge mainly for pressing question was, after tures offer attachments but to I can truthfully say that those crosscutting. With the standard jointing and planing the rough my knowledge there is no true machines are better than my skill American table saw you make a lumber how was I going to es- slider made in North America. level. If something isn’t right it is cut using either the miter gauge tablish a straight edge quickly The attachments usually allow the way that I did it or set it up or the rip fence to guide the and accurately? I don’t have for a 4 foot crosscut but I also that is the problem. I have used work. If neither of those will do the room nor the inclination, needed the straight-line ripping or worked in shops with older the job the usual approach is much less the volume, for a function. In contrast, Europeans cast iron industrial machines. to design and make a jig such specialty piece of equipment have been building sliders for In comparison, the European as a taper jig. A large accurate like a straight-line rip saw. decades and continue to evolve machines, and especially the slider easily handles the ripping, For the straight-line function and refine the design. accessories, are much more crosscutting and tapering task I decided to get a bigger slider. evolved. These tools are el- more efficiently and with fewer Although sliders are usually egantly designed and made. set-ups. The large T-slot in the Mark Duginske working on his FELDER KF 700. 4 SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT 5 Advantages of the Sliding Table Saw middle of the sliding table allows miter gauge. I got the deluxe About once a year I reread “direct read” style so you read clamps to secure the work to the miter setup with holes that a pin the red underlining in the the ruler directly off the edge table or to secure a guide such drops in for locating the various terrific book Organization For of the rip fence, no mater what is required for cutting tapers. I’m miter angles. On the scale the The Creative Person. Although mode the rip fence extrusion is finding that the pile of jigs I used distance between each degree I seem to get a lot done, or- in. That also means that if you in the past has been replaced is at least .420” so setting a frac- ganization has always been a add a sacrificial wood fence with the slider and the crosscut tion of a degree is a snap. struggle for me. Changing to to the high position rip fence stop system. The heavy duty one machine rather than using the ruler works without any outrigger table combined with Combined with the greatly five different ones is helping to mental gymnastics. I got the a stop (that extends to 103”) improved accuracy, there keep me much more organized 49” fence. easily replaces my radial arm is an equal improvement in and thus more efficient. saw for long cross cuts and efficiency. In the old days, I The guard is very simple and with an accuracy that a radial would rough cut boards on Another reason for a slider is attached to the high quality saw owner could only dream the radial saw to get them to a is safety. Though undeni- riving knife, which goes up and of. All of my crosscuts are manageable size for a second ably handy, the table saw down and tilts with the blade. now dead-on no matter how more accurate cut to be made also has its dark side. It is Because it is small and has long or how wide the stock on my table or miter saw. How responsible for more injuries very little upkeep it is the kind is. What a pleasure! efficient is it to keep handling than any other woodworking of guard that would actually stay material over and over? Now I machine. Many of those inju- on the saw. There are some very clever handle it once and then move ries, particularly those caused accessories that make life for on. Without exaggerating, I by kickback, can be traced After some deliberation I de- the one-person shop owner would say that I get twice as directly to an incorrectly ad- cided to get the scoring blade easier. One accessory that I much work done as I used to. justed saw, no guard or bad option. When I cut plywood use frequently is the parallel First, and perhaps most impor- technique. The slider design having a really clean cut is cutting device that clamps tant, is that it gets done right changes the way the material the ounce of prevention. The anywhere on the edge of the the first time. Secondly I move is cut. With the standard saw adjustable scoring unit I got is sliding table. An adjustable stop material much less because I’m the material is guided through a simple design that is easy to can be positioned to be aligned using one machine, not five. So the blade by the rip fence or the adjust. When used it requires a with the crosscut stop at the op- I’m not moving material around miter gauge. Often, the operator 10” blade and can be removed posite end of the slider so that figuring out which machine or leans over the blade and gets in seconds for the use of a 12” one can easily use the slider to jig would work best for a given into other awkward positions. A blade. make cuts parallel to an edge task. This one machine does a large slider is a much safer of a board, thus providing the much better job of every task. piece of equipment because Most saws have extensions ripping function with the slider. the wood rests on the table attached to the cast iron table It makes ripping so easy it is Another factor that helps my and the table is pushed rather that expand the surface area almost like cheating. It also efficiency is a change in the than the work piece. of the table. On my Felder the makes breaking down sheet mental process. Although extensions are stamped sheet goods into child’s play. I can most people think that creativ- This saw also has a rip fence steel that bolt to the massive also take the stop bar off and ity is problem solving, another similar to other saws. It is the cast iron table. This provides use it as an auxiliary table for perception is that it is problem typical dual-purpose fence an adequately large table for sheet goods.

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