Another table saw... its a sickness.

Most people I talk with feel more comfortable with a table saw than a RAS, which is perfectly fine. They are both excellent tools when used properly and both have their pros and cons. Having spent so many years working with my father using his RAS I gravitate to it for pretty much all cross cutting while using a table saw almost exclusively for ripping. It will be interesting to see if I am able to adapt my habits and make proper use of the sliding table on my new saw.

The first thing that I will have to figure out is the blade for the table saw. I have always used high tooth count Freud Ultimate cross cut blades on the RAS and my table saw always has a Freud hair line rip blade. I don't think I will be happy compromising on a combination blade.
 
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I took two tries to build a mobile base I am happy with. The saw sat way too high in the first base and I was having troubles with my welder so I was very unhappy with my welds. I also apparently mis-measured on the first base making it WAY too tight of a fit.

First base:
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Second base:
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On the first base I put the two casters on the right side of the saw protruding out to the right of the saw. In the second base I put right hand the casters protruding to the front and back as well as added 2 additional casters. I did this so I would have room to build a blade storage cabinet to go under the extension table on the right. With 4 casters (900lb rated) it was very hard to move the saw around which is why I added the additional casters. I am much happier with the new base. It might be holding the saw a bit to low for me but it will be easy to raise the saw with some 2 x 4's between the base and the saw.
 
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The saw came with a 50" rip fence. Due to the width of the fence the fence rails stuck out 60" to the right of the blade.

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This ate up WAY too much of my shop so I hacked 14" off the rip fence rails.

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I had to buy a metric tap set so I could reassemble the shorter fence rails with the original brackets and spreader bar metric hardware. I did my best to line up the brackets and spreader bar to be the same height as they were originally.

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I had a can of PPG "Pit Bull Vista Green 55-606" paint left over from a Powermatic 71 rebuild and it seems to match the Casadei green very well! I sprayed the end cap for the rear fence rail in the picture above.

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You can see the PowerMatic 71 in the background behind the first base in this picture. It is for sale!
 
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A common feature on almost all sliding table saws these days are T slots in the sliding portion of the table to hold clamps and other accessories. My saw is an older saw and it didn't come with any T slots on the sliding table.

I picked up two different T tracks:
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The track on the left is a standard (5/8" overall width) T track used for all sorts of woodworking jigs. The track on the right is a "Miter slot" width T track. Unfortunately the miter T slot on the fixed table is metric so the aluminum miter track is narrower than the miter slot on the fixed table. The miter T track is also a little proud of the table in height. I would have to mill down the brackets to make the miter T track flush with the top. The 5/8" T track sits a little recessed from the top of the sliding table. I would have to add some spacers to lift it up slightly.

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The Miter width track came in an 8' length. I could only find the 5/8" T track in 4' lengths which is a little short of the sliding table length. I will have to use 2 pieces of the 5/8" T track to cover the length of the table.

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The edge of the aluminum plate that forms the rest of the sliding table is pretty well butchered along the edge that faces the blade. The looks of this really annoys me! I am thinking of taking the 5/8" off of this messed up side of the plate to clean it up. Which ever side I take the extra width off of my plan is to clamp the aluminum to the brackets on the sliding table and use the saw to cut a straight edge on this half inch plate. I am a little nervous about cutting this thick of an aluminum plate on a table saw but from what I have read this is done all the time. Any pointers?

I have pretty much decided to go with the 5/8" T track. I would have gone with the miter width T track if it was the width of the metric miter slot on the saw.
 
Beckerkumm said:
I have nine saws. You don't even have a temperature yet. Dave
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LOL! I also have 3 radial arm saws to go along with my 3 table saws. I gave my fathers Craftsman table saw away to a deserving party a few years ago when he passed. The Powermatic 71 is a saw he purchased for $1 and we rebuilt together. It will be hard to sell it but I am sure my father would understand. I get my tool junkie gene from him!
 
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