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(07-10-2020, 02:18 PM)Teak Wrote: So 10 odd years back Steel City Tool Works (RIP) was selling table saws with granite tops. Back then it lead to a lot of heated discussion on the pros and cons plus the longevity of the admittedly out of the box thinking.
Not sure why but out of the blue today, I thought of those saws. So does anyone here still have one of those granite table saws? If yes what has your experience been like? Did the granite top chip (was a big concern on boards back then) and did they live up to the hype of dampening vibration and lower maintenance (no rust) as claimed by the manufacturers of the yore?
I still have a Steel City Granite Top Contractor's Saw, and have used it for many years. Works awesome. I agree there are cons to having one, but no deal stoppers. For example, no magnetic holds, and I had one of the bolts come loose that held the rip slide. Upon further investigation, I learned the anchor in the granite had come loose, so I had a friend mill me a new one from aluminum, and re-mounted it. I love not having to deal with rust or prevention of rust, and enjoy even setting my cup of coffee on it on cold days with no worries of spilling and rust. One added benefit AND setback is the weight. it is awesome for stability, smooth for wood movement; however, with a mobile contractor's base it is admittedly top-heavy. I have almost tipped it over a few times over the years. If it were on a cabinet base, it would probably be near-perfect.
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(07-10-2020, 02:18 PM)Teak Wrote: So 10 odd years back Steel City Toolworks (RIP) was selling table saws with granite tops. Back then it lead to a lot of heated discussion on the pros and cons plus the longevity of the admittedly out of the box thinking.
Not sure why but out of the blue today, I thought of those saws. So does anyone here still have one of those granite table saws? If yes what has your experience been like? Did the granite top chip (was a big concern on boards back then) and did they live up to the hype of dampening vibration and lower maintenance (no rust) as claimed by the manufacturers of the yore?
Steel City appears alive and well north of the 49th.
https://steelcitymachines.ca/
The web site defaults to French but if you look in the upper right corner of the home page it says fr. Click on fr and you get the choice of en(glish). I don't know about parts for granite top machines.
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I always wondered if the granite top saw functioned better as a "catch-all" shelf in shops, because all too often, that's what my Unisaw is.
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(01-28-2022, 01:45 PM)MGoBlue1984 Wrote: I always wondered if the granite top saw functioned better as a "catch-all" shelf in shops, because all too often, that's what my Unisaw is.
Which is why I don't get the fascination with long fence rails. In a commercial cabinet shop that does a lot of sheet goods and there are 2 people OK maybe, but for small/hobby shops I think a guided saw makes better sense. I won't speak for others but for me handling 4' X 8' sheets by myself is no fun.
