Building a storage shed

absolutebasics:
#1 Shop tool: your table saw

Forripping on a table saw, besides good quality features,like belt drive, cast iron top, etc., the most importantis a good fence. You want a fence that is solid andconsistently true, without constantly adjusting it.I’d try to get a good contractor’s saw for a coupleof hundred less than your top end budget—good, namebrand. Then, if time proves the fence a pain, use yourextra money towards a good after-market fence. Biesemeyer,Unifence, Incra are probably the three most popular.A good fence can make even a marginal saw a great tool.
If you do some exploring at a good woodworkers/toolstore, you can certainly test out the fences on varioussaws. However, for a fair comparison, someone will havehad to set the thing up right. This is more likely tohave happened where the store personnel know somethingabout tools. Good luck.
- daveferg

Youwill find that a tablesaw is the most useful tool youcould ever have in your shop. The amount of work itdoes is phenomenal. There are a good number of quiteadequate saws that fall under the $800 mark. You mightalso want to consider a used or reconditioned saw. It’sa good way to get a lot more bang for your buck.
- Chris Moore

Abouta year age I purchased a Dewalt DW 746 TS with a mobilebase for around $900. Have been very satisfied withit so far. It is better than a contractor’s saw in thatthe motor is under the table, not hanging off the back.This allows for storage closer to the wall. It is alsonot as expensive as a cabinet model.
- Monty

I’mnot advocating anyone buy a benchtop, but… (there’salways a but)…
Many years ago, I had no saw and a very restricted budget.After several months of moaning and complaining, LOMLfinally approved the (limited) funding for a saw. Ipurchased a Makita with stand. I still have that saw,and I’ve made some wonderful things with it over thelast 17 years. Yes, it does restrict what you can do,so you learn to do things in other ways. For example,you can’t cut sheet goods with a benchtop, so you learnhow to do it well using a skill saw and straight edge.You can’t get a really keen edge when ripping, so youlearn how to use a hand plane to dress the edge.
The point is, you make due as best you can with whatyou’ve got. If its gotta be a benchtop, then take yourtime, shop around and find the best benchtop saw foryour money. Then enjoy what you have, work safe, andbuild.
- Jules,

AlthoughI would not recommend a bench saw, it’s your money anddecision. If I were to buy a bench saw, I would notpay much more than $200. (I never have figured out whyanybody would buy the Dewalt or Bosch table tops for$500. The kicker is, the Dewalt only uses 13 amps.)
Here’s my advice: Don’t buy any saw that runs on lessthan 15 amps. I believe the Delta is 15. If the standfor that saw costs more than $50,pass on it. You woulddo best either building your own,with extensions orbuy one of those aftermarket jobs that have extensiontables. Make sure you have a heavy-duty extension cord,anythingsmaller than 12 gauge will not give full power. If youcan,keep the extension cord to 25 feet.
Now a word of warning: I agree with every other commentabout saving your money to buy a contractor saw, later,or if you can find a deal on a used one, go for it.You have to remember,contractor saws use induction motors,drive belts and are heavier-duty. It’s not that hardto repair a contractor saw, a new motor can be gottenfor $200 or less. On a benchtop, they use direct driveuniversal motors. Once you blow the motor, and you will,it will be cheaper to replace the whole machine thanthe motor. A good quality contractor saw will last alifetime. You will be lucky if you get five years outof the benchtop saw.
- woodchuck1954

MyBosch sabre saw, a straight edge, some clamps, and aplane got me a long way until I was able to buy a contractorsaw. Just remember that this is a tool that you willhave for a long time, and this is one tool that youdon’t want to skimp on. If you need to wait another6 months to one year or more until you can buy a contractorssaw, I would do it. If you need the portability or don’thave the room for a full size saw, then that changesthings a little.
- Wables

Irecently purchased a Jet saw and I’m very happy withit.
As a guide to any saw purchase you need to considerthe following. (This is aimed at old methane gas likemyself where money is of little consequence.):
Do you have 230 Volt single phase or 208 Volt threephase available where you are going to use the saw?If not, skip the cabinet saws. They all (except oneGrizzly) require either 3 phase (3 and 5 HP motors)or 230 Volts (3 HP motors). The Grizzly needs a 30 Amp115 Volt circuit. (I’ve never seen one and it will haveto be wired using at least 10 gauge wire.)
Typically the next level of saw is called a ‘Contractor’s'saw. The professional usually takes this saw to long-termjob sites. These saws are usually wired for 115 Volts,single phase, by the factory although they may be rewiredfor 230 Volts. These saws are usually 1 or 1-1/2 HP.The vast majority of these saws are very similar exceptfor fences and table extensions. You can get almostany fence system on these saws which may increase thecost by as much as 66%. (Don’t worry, you receive valuefor your money.) There are two types of table extensionsfor these saws, stamped steel or cast iron. (The Rigdidhas an aluminum system for the wings. You can see whatI’m talking about at Home Depot.)
The next level of saw is also a contractor’s saw butit is a bench saw. This model is usually placed on abench for use. This saw is different from the abovesaws in that the saw blade is usually attached directlyto the motor shaft. (The others use an induction motor,<$$$> belt drive and pulleys.) This motor is usuallya “Universal” motor and uses brushes. This type of sawis usually found in the back of a contractor’s pickuptruck and used at every job site. These saws are frequentlyabused both while cutting and while bouncing in thetruck.
What I think that you should look for is the middlegroup of saws. These saws are usually used by the homewoodworker and some professionals. Usually, the decisionfactor is the voltage available. (Mine would have beena cabinet saw except that to put 230 Volts in my garagewould have been an $8000 bill! A very long story.)
My personal path to selecting a saw was to decide uponthe fence system first. Then buy the saw that wouldaccept the fence system. Another requirement of minewas cast iron table extensions. (More weight and morestability.) That narrowed the field down considerably.
Between the Delta and the Jet contractor’s saws, thereis little difference other than the paint color.
My advice to anybody planning a table saw purchase isto select the fence system that you really like. Thenpurchase the saw that fits the fence system. Lou Williams(a frequent Forums participant) has had a Biesemeyerfor 15 years or so. Others love their Unifence or XactaFence and I’m happy with my Incra. There are other fencesystems that I’ve no experience with and you may wantto investigate those systems. The point is to selectthe fence that fits your style of work and then thesaw. I think that if you follow this path you’ll bemuch happier with your final selection.
- Rich

BothJet, Delta, Powermatic, General make very similar contractorsaws. They are all based on a design that was a Deltasaw in the first place. The difference is what option/model/costis right for the user.
Brand names don’t have much real value. Some companieshave better service than others, some companies offerbetter sales but that is about the only difference betweenthis class of saw. Buy whatever one you like. Once youfind the model option that is right for you then findthe best deal. For some people that would be to spendmore money and buy from a local store that will supportyou and get the parts accessories or advice when youwant it. For others that will be the lowest price fromsome internet supplier on the other side of the country.It is up to you.
- Lou_williams

Youneed to make a career of going to garage sales untilyou find an $800 saw for $200. I missed (by 15 minutes)getting a 1940 something Delta Unisaw for $75 last week.Ever heard a grown man whimper?
- John in Chicago

Therecomes a time in everyone’s life, when he/she must backthe family car out of the driveway, and begin the slow,careful drive through the neighbourhood, learning tosafely navigate a somewhat intimidating piece of machinery.
The table saw isn’t much different. It can be very intimidatingat first, but as you use it more and more, you becomeconfident in your abilities and more comfortable.
Most table saw accidents don’t happen with beginners.More often than not, it’s complacency that sets in overtime and experience, over confidence (I done this thousandsof times) and thus, a lack of attention to safety anddetail.
Before you make each and every cut, both now, and 20years from now, stop, take a second to speak the words’Safety First’ and give it one more quick visual survey.If you practice this now, it will become habit.
Don’t try to do it all at once, from the beginning.Only after you’ve had a chance to learn (and do) thebasics with your new saw, to increase your confidenceand comfort level, should you go back to the books,learn additional ways to improve on those skills, buildjigs to get even more from your saw, etc. One step ata time.
- Jules

Ifyou have never used a tablesaw before, I would suggestyou find someone that will show you. A lot of issuesyou simply can not read about in books.
- woodchuck1954

Thefence is more important than saw. Buy a good, middlegrade contractors saw and upgrade the fence to an IncraTS-III. You won’t regret it.
- MadMark

There’sonly so much reading you can do before it just becomesa mass of jumbled irrelevant information.
If you can’t find someone who has a TS who can helpyou out and you still desire to read more then here’sa few titles. Two different books with the same name,but different authors: “The Table Saw Book.” One author’sname is Cristoforo. I can’t remember the other author’sname, but the book is published by Taunton Press. Anothergood one is called, “Table Saw Basics.” The last onehas plans for pushsticks, feather boards, outfeed tables,etc.
All three of these should be available at your locallibrary. I suggest you buy at least one TS book forfuture reference. You will find that once you have theTS set up and in use that is when you will want to referback to instructional books.
Loose Screw

Startwith a good table saw…as you can’t get by withoutone. Make sure that the fence is accurate… meaningthat all you need to do is slide it to 24″ and lockit down… without worrying about the measurement orwhether it’s parallel to the blade. Make sure that youcan rip 24″ using the fence. Get some board buddiesor a similar device for holding down stock and get afeatherboard[used to keep smaller pieces ofstock (board) pressed firmly against your table sawor router's fence] or two and a push stick (geta kit that has all).
- Robert Walker

Theheart of every good wood working shop is a good tablesaw. Buying used one is a viable choice. A well-madesaw is going to last for YEARS. Shop wisely. Good handtools are also important so don’t cheap those out either.
- Jerry

Spenda lot of money for a solid cabinet table saw: minimum3hp and 220V. Make sure it has a rock solid fence withZERO flex and ZERO deflection. Buy the very best carbideblades…at least 2 with 40-60 tooth, which competitivetests have shown produce the smoothest cuts. (Forgetthe combo blades that usually come with the table saw…onlyuse those for cutting 2×4′s, or scrap.)
- C. Scott

Thekey areas in a table saw is the fence. Can it be setaccurately. What’s the motor size?. Can you cut 8/4oak? Take your time and look around.
- Lou

Yourtable saw is the cornerstone of your shop. Any seriouswoodworker will tell you to avoid a bench saw, you cannever be as accurate as you need to be. If you havebeen pricing wood, as well as tools, you know how importantit is to have a powerful, accurate saw. Power and accessoriesare certainly important factors to keep in mind. Benchsaws are very limited. Think long term; dado sets, upgradedmiter gauge, extension tables, outfeed tables, etc.
- Bob

Agood table saw is a must. And if you have time to searchthere are a lot of good buys in the used department.There are a lot of older Unisaws and Powermatics outthere for the right price providing you have some knowledgeabout machinery. For advice, the woodworking Forumsat woodworking.comand the woodweb.comare both good places to start.
- windstu

Whileat a woodworking show, I realized that a saw purchaseis really two purchases; the table saw and the fence system.And in reality the fence system is really the first decision…withthe table saw second. While wandering about this woodworkingshow, the importance for the largest cast iron table topbecame obvious. Also, I don’t expect to be cutting sheetmaterial exactly and precisely in half at 48″ so a 32″fence system is good for now. What is important to meis the ability to perform cuts that are repeatable andvery precisely repeatable.
- rrich

Your tablesaw is the core of your shop. Bench saws aretoys. Save your pennies and get a better saw. If you’reserious about woodworking you won’t regret it. Mostwoodworkers also invest in a “better” fence somewherealong the line. If not when they buy the tablesaw initiallythen when they outgrow ‘em. I was a carpenter as a youngman and after about a 12 year lapse got a bench saw.Couldn’t understand why nothing seemed to come out right.Figured I’d lost my “touch”. Gave it away to a friendwhen I moved. About 15 years after *THAT* I got a contractorssaw and suddenly discovered my “touch” was better thanever! With the addition of my new fence, I’m doing whatI think is very good work. Others must think so tooas they’re paying me to do it!
- MadMark

I don’t think everyone has to buy a contractor saw tobe a happy woodworker. Not knowing your financial situation,my advice would be to buy as good a saw as you can afford.Given, a $100 to $300 benchtop saw isn’t as powerfulor even as durable as a $400 to $800 contractor saw,but if I had to wait until I could afford to throw $400or $500 into a saw plus all the other stuff needed toget started, I might not ever have gotten into woodworking.Start with what you can afford, and move up when youget a little more experience and feel for what kindof tool you need. Heck, I still have my first benchtopsaw to use when my primary tablesaw is set up for aspecific cut and I don’t want to change it, so I don’tthink that first hundred bucks was wasted at all.
- Rod

To help you select the right tablesaw, woodworking.com recommends the following articles: Choosing A Tablesaw Contractor Or Cabinet?

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