Do you actually use 52ish inch rip capacity?

[Philip1231]

The wider rip capacity gives me a very valuable element: an excellent laydown area. This area of the TS is nearly always filled with parts in various stages of milling, tools that are waiting to be used at the joinery bench, odds and ends that simply end up there because this was the convenient place to put them. I have assembled, glued, and finished items in this space. Finally, it is an excellent spot for a cup coffee (particularly with the formica top)!

[kurt18947]

If you have the right setup and if you can physically handle sheet stock.
Stuff gets heavier as you get older.
I have no problem pre-cutting sheet stock, much easier for me.

Not only heavier but more awkward unless you have plenty of space.

[toolmiser]

I just realized that my unifence was 52" - 12". The previous owner pruned a foot off of it and then wanted a longer one. I got a good deal on it, I still have a router on it, and it works in my basement.

[Stwood_]

I must be living life right. We will have to agree to disagree. Live long and prosper Handi.
 
I have never came across plywood sheets that had any kind of edge defects and warps like a rough board can have. I do have an 18" or so long sanding block made of aluminum angles with 80 grit I will run along a ply edge if it is suspect. That is mainly to catch small goobers and splinters that could catch the fence.

I have come across plywood that has twist and bowing across the plane. I would imagine those would give a straight-line ripper trouble as well as it does a table saw with a fence. If the warp can be pushed down as it goes across the saw it may be usable. If the warp cannot be pushed down it is not worth trying to use in case goods.

Same here. I've never had a sheet that I couldn't make a rip off the factory edge and not have a straight, fresh edge.
I've had sheets that were damaged and the damage was a chunk gone, never a chunk sticking *out* that would affect the cut as the sheet travels down the guide fence.

As for those factory edges staying on the sheet from the first piece ripped, I always put the factory edge to the wall side of a cabinet, having a good clean, fresh cut edge to glue and attach the face frame to.

[Turner52]

My outfeed table is a full 4x8'. it is built in place and atached to the floor as is my saw. The table is 1/16" lower than the saw. Works great except when I need to use it that way it takes me about an hour to clear off the wide table saw and outfeed table. have no idea where all those cutoffs and junk come from. Must be the shop trolls or something.

[WoodworkerTom]

I have the HTC outfield roller table, the larger sized one. Love that I can fold it down when I need to. I have the 52" rip capacity and with the roller outfield table crosscutting a sheet of 3/4 is no problem at all.

I added a router table in the free space between the rails.

[Stwood_]

My outfeed table is a full 4x8'. it is built in place and atached to the floor as is my saw. The table is 1/16" lower than the saw. Works great except when I need to use it that way it takes me about an hour to clear off the wide table saw and outfeed table. have no idea where all those cutoffs and junk come from. Must be the shop trolls or something.

I blame the shop mites. They use the shop after hours, and fail to clean up afterwards.

[Turner52]

Thanks. Now I know who to blame for all of the acumulated stuff. Sure isn't my fault.

[rwe2156]

To anyone reading this who might be considering, I had a 52" fence for many years, when I purchased a SawStop I went with 36, even though the 52 wasn't much more.

My reasons:

1. I started using a track saw on sheet goods.
2. I found I rarely ever set my fence beyond 30"
3. It ended up being just another horizontal surface that collects stuff.

Instead, what I did was add a folding extension table to the right, which also serves the bandsaw.

The best thing I did was add an auxillary fence to the left of the table. I recommend this to all.

[lincmercguy]

I use the extended capacity all of the time.......to set my boards on while I'm running a batch through the planer.


A few years ago, I got a good deal on a Jet saw with the 52" capacity. I thought I would use it more than I do. Now that I have a track saw, I would use that instead for obvious reasons. Since I now have more space, the space taken up by the saw isn't a huge deal, so I'm not going to get rid of it. If I do upgrade saws in the future, I'm not sure what I would get besides something with more power. I would say 25" would be the minimum, so 36" would probably be just fine.