Replies

1. 
   fdampier | Apr 11, 2002 08:45pm | #1

   That's about it other than a more stable(read heavier) base to shove things against.  My contractor saw is a bit flimsy when I set a sheet of 3/4 inch plywood on it.  It wiggles around a bit and if the blade isn't tuned up and you're shoving against it try just to make this cut the thing will go for a walk on you. you then wind up chasing it into the corner and can't make the cut anyway because now there isn't enough room for the wood!

     I know, should never force anything etc.

1. 
   Andrew | Apr 12, 2002 12:32am | #2

   tablesaws 12" and up have a 1" arbor instead of a 5/8", the castings are heavier and the table is larger. when it comes to blades there is an advantage in industrial situations. bigger blades usually have a kerf of .134 instead of .125 for a 10" blade. the thicker blade has an advantage in that it is more stable when running. the other advantage of a larger blade is that you can fit more teeth onto a blade, giving you longer blade life and a better cut (not dramatically better though). take a look at a 10" crosscut blade, it has 80 teeth, a larger blade like a 14" or 16" will have 120 teeth on it. that and you have the obvious extra depth of cut. aside from being able to cut thicker material, the only people who would find real benefits from big saws would be companies who are running their saws all day long. i would imagine the cost per cut on a bigger saw would be less, and on a large scale would save a company some money, but not enough to amount to anything for a hobbyist. hope this helps

1. 
   sschefer | Apr 12, 2002 12:49am | #3

   I have a 12" CMS and a 10" table saw. That's all I have to compare. I went with the 12" CMS because I could whack a 4x4 in a single chop. I have re-sawn 2x4's on my table saw and I always had to take two passes. A 12" would have been nice then. Now I have an 18" band saw so I no longer resaw on the table saw. The band saw/12" CMS eliminates any need for a 12" table saw that I can see myself having. I also have the added versatility that they both provide. I think Sgian runs a 12 or better, he'll likely chime in with some interesting reasons for having one. I'll bet he really does need it.

   A 12" saw also means big motor and big motor means big power and that means more wiring in the shop which is a garage converted into a shop. I'm still trying to keep everything at 110/20amp so I shy away from the big stuff. Of course the rabbit would probably be happy with the chips off a 12" saw. I'm getting pretty tired of sharpening the planner blades just to make more rabbit bedding.

   Steve - in Northern California

   Edited 4/11/2002 6:02:28 PM ET by Steve Schefer

1. 
   fdampier | Apr 12, 2002 01:43am | #4

   Steve ol' buddy,

          would you like me to ship you some planer chips?  I'll be glad to, honest!  I'll tell you what I'll send you a box full of black walnut, a box full of eastern white pine a box full of white oak and a box full of maple.  all you do is pay the frieght bill.  I'll save the Tamarck  for the next time OK buddy OK?   :)

1. 
   sschefer | Apr 12, 2002 01:50am | #5

   Thanks for the offer but I'm still whackin up a stack of doug fir 2x6's that a friend (not so sure thats the proper term anymore) dumped off on my front lawn. This is some really nasty looking stuff. I didn't know about it until I came home and found it. All I saw in that pile of ..... was another 35.00 run to the dumps. However, I found that it is one of the few wood products that can be chipped up and used for bedding safely so I have put it to good use. It also lets the neighbors know that I'm doing good things for animals when I fire up the planner at 7:00am on Sunday morning. LOL,,,,, whoops slipped.... ROFLMAO now.

   Steve - in Northern California

2. 
   dgvffd | Apr 13, 2002 06:27pm | #6

   Limitations are less.  When you have the extra depth of cut, power and simple heft, you can do more faster safer and cheaper.  Usually.  Crosscutting thick timbers is easier, ripping is faster and easier, resawing is easier and you can do thicker timbers.  Personally, I resaw alot of recycled Douglas Fir beams that often start in 4x12, 4x 10 and 4x6 dimensions up to 14' long.  My bandsaw is NOT up to the job of ripping or resawing anything long because of setup limitations, which is basically saying I don't have a good infeed and outfeed table and the bandsaw just does not have the power and control to do what the tablesaw does.

   My saw is a hopped up late 70's/early 80's Rockwell contractors saw with a 5hp motor driving the arbor with a twin V belt.  The saw is set into a large table (about 10'x7').  When needed I can put a 12" blade on by removing the splitter attachment.  I use a 12" #### thin Kerf ripping blade for all my ripping needs at this point.  This allows ripping of 4" timber and resawing of up to 8".   I also often use a powerfeed for straightlining material and ripping at speeds up to 60 fpm.  Smaller saws (ie less powerful) would simply bog down and/or overheat.  We recently straightlined and sized (s2s) about 800 lf of 4/4 maple.  By being able to run the feeder at 60 fpm,  we straightlined it in about 30 minutes and then ripped it all to size (4,5,6,7" wide) in about 15 minutes.  That was roughly 1600 lf in less than 60 minutes.  Lots of sawdust.

   Douglas Vincent

3. 
   PlaneWood | Apr 13, 2002 07:58pm | #7

   You will appreciate power when trying to rip 2"+ thick hardwoods on a table saw.

   However, I have found that my bandsaw can rip 6" thick stuff with little problem.  You will need outfeed rollers though for long pieces, just as on a TS.

   And, being 60 years old, I long ago quit trying to rip full sheets of plywood on my tablesaw.  I have two sturdy saw horses with sacrificial tops.  I clamp down a guide board and use my circular saw.  Much better cut and a lot less strain on my back.  I slide the full sheets out of my pickup bed directly onto the saw horses.  I have an old Porter Cable circular saw and an expensive rip blade.  It makes a fine cut.

   I also quit using thick kerf saw blades on my 1.5hp Rockwell TS, in favor of using thin kerf blades.  Requires less power.

   But, it's difficult to answer your question better without knowing what you will be using you TS to cut.

   PlaneWood by Mike_in_Katy
   PlaneWood