How do you set up two table saws in your small shop?

[John Mihich]

I had 2 Craftsman contractors saws bolted together with an Incra fence.  I had the rip to the right and close to the fence.  Worked well until the rip saw died - still had a good table extension with the saw.  Worked well for a long time.  I think my brother has 2 deltas facing each other.  I talked him out of selling one when he upgraded - he has a large shop.  He has room to make one TS as an out feed table

[lift mechanic]

Where I used to work they had 2 saws set up with a work / assembly bench between them, but one on each end. This worked well with one with a dado blade set for 18mm. The bench was large enough that one saw did not interfere with the other on the out feed. I was going to do that but it is getting to the point to start down sizing my shop. " The one who dies with the most tools wins" was my saying at work.

[stav]

I wouldn't go with the back to back option unless they were offset.  If you needed to have the blade set at a specific setting for the back saw and then needed to make a cut on the front one, something would have to give.  Side by side seems better.  Although you can get into the same issue there.

I would get both saws if I had the opportunity and space for them. Nice scores.

[fredhargis]

I wouldn't go with the back to back option unless they were offset.

That's the thought I had, let the extension of each serve as the outfeed table of the other.

[jteneyck]

I have a right tilt Unisaw on the left, bolted to a Sears saw with both wings removed in the middle, and then a cast iron router table on the right.  All of it is spanned with a Vega Pro 50" fence. Both saws can feed to the same outfeed table.  The plinth was missing on the Unisaw when I got it so I built a new base for it to be at the same height  s the Sears saw.  

John

[®smpr_fi_mac®]

John,

That's an interesting idea--remove the plinth on the Uni and build one that will place the two tops coplanar so I can bolt them together.

Would make ripping sheet goods easier with a wider support on the left.

[jteneyck]

John,

That's an interesting idea--remove the plinth on the Uni and build one that will place the two tops coplanar so I can bolt them together.

Would make ripping sheet goods easier with a wider support on the left.

Here's what it looks like.  




It's green but it's a 1954 Unisaw underneath.  I made the new plinth from soft maple with a plywood deck to bolt the saw body to.  You are correct.  Ripping wide stock is very easy with this set up.  However, my primary motivation for configuring it this way was to permit using my very large crosscut sled on the Sears TS with a lot of support on the left side.  

John

[Tapper]

Very nice setup, John! 

Mac, my guess is that this combo is hard to beat if you're going to operate with two saws, especially with the cast iron router table on the far right. Lot of utility there.

John, do you have a router table type fence that rides on your front rail or do you just clamp on an auxiliary fence?

Thanks,

Doug

P.S. I think Hank Knight has a similar router table setup on his Sawstop.

[Mike in kc]

This is a good friend's shop. a 14" Delta in the foreground and a 10" in the far corner.   Makes for a very nice work area.   Maybe a bit of overkill in tight spaces but at least its a possible concept that will be helpful.

[jteneyck]

Very nice setup, John! 

Mac, my guess is that this combo is hard to beat if you're going to operate with two saws, especially with the cast iron router table on the far right. Lot of utility there.

John, do you have a router table type fence that rides on your front rail or do you just clamp on an auxiliary fence?

Thanks,

Doug

P.S. I think Hank Knight has a similar router table setup on his Sawstop.

Doug, I made an auxiliary fence that clamps to the TS fence.  There is a vacuum port in the right end and that pulls chips from the router bit on edge cuts.  The front faces on the auxiliary fence slide in/out in a T-slot and easily can be replaced with another, such as a tall fence, as needed.



John