No more table saw questions.
#11
I have been on the forum for quite a few years. Power Tools was dominated by table saw questions. It is the center of my workspace and I doubt I could work without it. Am I missing something?
1st class birdhouse builder/scrapwood mfg.
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#12
It depends on the style of woodworking you do. I no longer own a table saw. Space in my shop is at a premium. However I couldn’t be without my bandsaw. I do woodturning now and rarely if ever do any flat work. There are a few things that are easier on a table saw but so far I haven’t needed to do them in several years,

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#13
I guess it depends on what you consider to be a "table saw question."

As I type this, the top four questions on the power tool forum are about table saws, accessories, or technique.  There's a few more down lower.

Edited to add: I just did a quick check of the page: By my quick count, there have been about 28 different threads that have a post during this month. I've been reading these forums (fora?) for nearly 20 years now. There have been times when the forum racked up that many power tool threads in a day.

Not trying to restart the discussion about forum participation levels.

I used to actively look for tablesaw threads until about the time I bought my current saw in 2012. I consider that saw to be the last I'll ever buy, so my level of interest in seeing threads about pros/cons of various saws has waned. Something will occasionally catch my eye, but not often. I'm not really looking for after-market accessories since the fence on my current saw is very good, and my 12-year Incra miter seems to be bullet proof. I'm also all set with sleds, spline jigs, and tenoning jigs.
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#14
Well there ya go- You just posted one.
Winkgrin


  Like anything else, they probably come in threes.
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#15
My journey into woodworking came via my Dad. He was a crafter. Ran church camps and used wood as craft material. His tools were saber(jig) saws, circular saws and sanders. We also cut firewood.

When I really decided to start woodworking, it was to build specific sized desks and dressers because I could not find/afford  stuff. So, flat work was it and a table saw was my first big purchase.
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#16
I started w/o  a TS .  All I had was a jigsaw and hand saws.  It was harder to work this way but I did.  My first TS was an old 8" Craftsman and made kitchen cabinets with it.  Now I have a 10" - would not do with out it. 

I went from making things using dimensional lumber to cutting everything to the size and thickness I want.  Watching Roy Underhill you think it's easy to work without power - no so much IMO.  Lots of work and a lot slower for some things.  I believe power helps me do my job.  Of course you still need hand tools to fine tune things.
John

Always use the right tool for the job.

We need to clean house.
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#17
I think everyone finally figured out how to fix all the problems they were having with their zip code saws.
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#18
For better or worse, I sold my Ridgid 3612 to my son-in-law for a ridiculously low price.
Thanks,  Curt
-----------------
"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards."
      -- Soren Kierkegaard
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#19
I started out with my first TS , one of the Craftsman "flexidrive" models.  That was a contractor saw with a shaft drive similar to a big speedometer cable.  It had a terrible fence that was upgraded to one of their extruded aluminum versions.  That was an improvement but still nothing to write home about.  A new Unisaw followed that one with a T square fence.   Great saw but in a fit of bigger is better and the OWWM Older is better frenzy, I replaced it with a Delta 12/14 which I had for about 10 years.  Also a great saw, but serious overkill for what I needed.  It acted more as a table than a saw in its later years.

I shifted focus about two years ago and got back into motorcycles so I needed the space in the garage.  I also realized that with a house full of furniture and most of my diy projects done, I didnt really need a TS that much.  So I sold the big Delta off and got a Bosch portable saw that now lives in the shed out back.  I can pull it out when I need it.  So far I've pulled it out just once.

Most of my woodworking now is turning, and that can be accomplished by one of two bandsaws still in the garage.  

Moral of this story, peoples needs evolve over time.  For somebody just starting out, a TS is a critical piece of gear.  I'm happy to talk about saws or whatever else comes up that peaks my interest.
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#20
(12-23-2019, 08:46 AM)EvilTwin Wrote: I started out with my first TS , one of the Craftsman "flexidrive" models.  That was a contractor saw with a shaft drive similar to a big speedometer cable.  It had a terrible fence that was upgraded to one of their extruded aluminum versions.  That was an improvement but still nothing to write home about.  A new Unisaw followed that one with a T square fence.   Great saw but in a fit of bigger is better and the OWWM Older is better frenzy, I replaced it with a Delta 12/14 which I had for about 10 years.  Also a great saw, but serious overkill for what I needed.  It acted more as a table than a saw in its later years.

I shifted focus about two years ago and got back into motorcycles so I needed the space in the garage.  I also realized that with a house full of furniture and most of my diy projects done, I didnt really need a TS that much.  So I sold the big Delta off and got a Bosch portable saw that now lives in the shed out back.  I can pull it out when I need it.  So far I've pulled it out just once.

Most of my woodworking now is turning, and that can be accomplished by one of two bandsaws still in the garage.  

Moral of this story, peoples needs evolve over time.  For somebody just starting out, a TS is a critical piece of gear.  I'm happy to talk about saws or whatever else comes up that peaks my interest.

I also had a Craftsman Flex Drive. I used to clamp the fence down with a hand screw at the far end of the table. One very cold day I started the saw up and the cable broke. If I recall a new flex drive cable was $60.00. I decide to buy a cabinet saw and took the old saw apart. The fence was given away. The stand is now used under a bench top drill press. Motor was used to make a 1x42 belt sander. The table and cast iron grate extension is mounted to the right of the cabinet saw. Only parts not re-used are the sheet metal box from under the table and the trunnion.
Used this saw for 20 years before the cable broke. I still use the miter gauge . 
mike
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