DIY Life

This week, instead of talking about a particular project, I'd like to talk about one of the most important and versatile tools in the shop: the benchtop table saw. The fact of the matter is that although I'd love to have a contractor table saw or cabinet table saw sitting in the middle of my wood shop, that's not an option.

Sure, it's a two-car garage, but it contains everything else as well. Workbench, lathe, a pile of lumber, power stool storage, paint storage, and of course room enough to actually assemble a project.

The latest models have really come a long way from the earlier models. Manufacturers weren't born yesterday, and recognizing the huge market, responded with plenty of R&D. The newer ones have virtually eliminated vibration issues.

Benchtop saws spin 10 inch blades, so there's no problem with common hardwood lumber sizes or sheets of plywood. And if a chunk of stock happens to be just a hair too thick, you can always do the old trick of cutting half way through and then flipping it over and finishing the job. I'd recommend having a helper if you try this!

And along with that disclaimer, here's another one: always wear those safety glasses or goggles.

Read on to learn the advantages of a benchtop saw, accessories available for it and more.


Advantages of a benchtop table saw

• Size – It takes up very little real estate. The tabletop is the widest part of the whole thing. Typically, this is about 19 inches deep by 20 inches wide. Very manageable.
• Lightweight – This saw usually weighs in between 35 to 50 pounds. The reason for this is the clever combination of the materials used to build it. Usually, the tabletop is aluminum and the body/base is a durable, sturdy plastic.
• Portability - This lightweight factor makes it easy for the DIYer to tote it around to the backyard or load it into the pickup truck for a remote project.
• Economy – Lots of bang for your buck. Face it, for the most part we're DIYer's, not big-time contractors. That being said, why pay for horsepower we won't ever use?
  

Benchtop table saw accessories

Although you might think that the saw's small footprint would limit its ability to tackle bigger jobs, this just isn't the case. Manufacturers have seen the gold mine and answered the call. Check these out:

• Stand/table – When I first bought mine, I did the first few projects on the ground; even though when I built my work bench I put heavy-duty casters on it, it's kind of taken up residence against the wall. Then, in Lowe's one day I found the perfect size table for it. I paid about $60 for it and bolted the table saw to it. It's still light enough to load up.
• Rip fence – This is one of the most important components on a table saw. Even if you set up for a precise cut, it's all for naught if the fence scoots even 1/16 inch when the blade bites wood. This is why I list it as an accessory. You might pick up a saw of reasonable quality with a sub-par fence. It's easy to upgrade.
• Table extensions – You can get a lot more real estate with a table saw extension. You're really going to want this if you plan on ripping any plywood. They give you the functionality of a contractor table saw, while still being able to take them off and stow them out of the way when you're done. Yes, now your spousal unit can pull the car back into the garage!
• Roller stands – This is another device to give you a helping hand when working with larger stock. Set the roller stand right before where the stock might become unstable and the roller/s will support it. The most common models have from one to five rollers and are height-adjustable.
  

What can you expect to spend?

This is another of those tools where you can spend pretty much whatever you can afford. At a sale at the local
home improvement store, you can pick up a dandy one for between $100 to $200. But if you're really planning to work it hard and often, plan on shelling out between $350 to $600. I went for the mid-range type because I really don't do any production work anymore.