Hello
I am planning to build my own kitchen along with laundry/bathroom vanities.
I’ve built these a few times in the past under the supervision of an experienced cabinet maker, however I was always able to use his panel saw so never had to think about the machinery side of things.
I will be cutting sheets of melamine or laminex, so need a scribing blade to avoid chipping etc.
Now I have my own garage with 3 phase power and thought it be a good time to purchase a panel saw. I’m not a commercial cabinet maker and the saw will only be used to build what I need around my home.
I will probably end up selling the saw in a few years after I’m done, but who knows. I need a saw that cut angles, my budget is <$5k (AUD) and I am happy to get something old.
I’ve been doing alot of research and the brands that keep coming up are SCM, Altendorf and casadei. I’ve been keeping an eye on used classified sites. There’s a lot of Alendorf F90s for sale within my price range, but they won’t cut angles. The F-45 is the model that will, but they tend to be out of my price range. The casadei look like good value for money and they will do everything I want (infact my cabinet maker friend had a casadei).
Just after some tips on what to look out for when I go and look at these machines. In my list so far:
1. Sliding table condition (i.e. any play and ease of travel)
2. Blade adjustment, does it move up/down etc.
3. Blade straightness/squareness, I will only plan to look at saws that can be operated infront of me, so I’ll be able to run a few test cuts for this.
That’s all I can really think of with these saws from the 80s. If all functions check out and I land this saw in my garage on a level surface, is there anything else I need to do to? Should the saw be serviced?
What do they actually do during a saw service and how much does that usually cost? Should I ask the purchaser for a ‘service history’ ?
Replies
Hi Pulkor,
I think you have a good list to start with. I don’t know anything about casadei saws, but I believe the older Altendorf’s have phenolic ways that the slider runs on. These wear over time and would want to take a good look there and if worn determine if replacment parts are available. Another spot to check is the “carriage” table that supports the crosscut fence and material. I know older Martins had aluminum tables that can fall out of square if worn and no good replacment remedy. If these are worn out its going to be next to impossible to get repeatable square results. Not sure this is helpful, but a couple things I kept an eye out for as repeatable square cuts is the name of the game with these saws. I would spend more time on the front end searching for a good saw you can operate before purchase than servicing the machine post purchase. Good luck on your search
I have no experience with panel saws. But I'd bet a good track saw will do everything you need. I don't get any chipout on any material with mine.
One of those beasts is going to cost half your budget to get it put in place!
I can't advise on what to look for other than to check that everything seems to do what it is supposed to and nothing makes a weird noise, but from experience of using one in a smaller space it can be a challenge as machines are all about the same height. A slider is a serious space hog and big boards always seem to catch on another tool. That having been said, I usually rough cut boards with a circ saw and finish them on the slider, so it is not common to have a problem with cabinet sized bits.
I have a K3 with a scribing blade and it does indeed cut melamine perfectly, but even though I have the gear, I would not make my own melamine units. It's too much work and more expensive than buying a finished unit. You've done it before so know what's involved, but I cannot buy decent melamine for even close to the cost of a finished unit.
Here's an alternate suggestion - buy the carcasses and make the doors. You can easily alter existing units and with care you can ensure than any chipout is where you cannot see it. For smaller amounts of cutting you can also use workarounds like supporting the underside of the cut with thin MDF. You will also get nicely edgebanded fronts which are not easy to do at home.
I looked at a professional edgebander as it was on display in my local drool tool shop - they start at NZD125K.
As for 'who knows?' - it will be very hard to give up. I love mine - the sheer convenience of always having perfect edges on sheet goods. The ease of jointing timber, the safety of being well away from sharp spinny things and the firing line of projectiles... If you can find the space, you will not regret having a decent cabinet saw.
That's alot of machine for your stated purpose. Your going to cut maybe 10 or 20 sheets of material? I see these machines used all the time. Something doesn't compute about a machine that cost $20,000 and now they're selling it for $3500. It's not like a used car, it seems like a great deal until you realize that it has 300000 miles on it! Unfortunately there is no odometer on woodworking machines. Some of these panel saws in busy cabinet shops run all day everyday! When they become troublesome they don't get repaired they get replaced.
You can get this work done using the already mentioned track saw or purchase a brand new cabinet saw or both and have enough money left over to cover the cost of materials.
+1 for the k3
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