Replies

1. 
   esch5995 | Jul 27, 2022 05:01pm | #1

   You don't mention your experience level, but given some of the challenges I can only imagine you will face I would strongly urge you to look at one of the Sawstop models for their safety aspect alone.

   Sawstop is introducing a new compact saw that would be suitable for smaller projects or they have a solid portable contractor saw that would be more suitable if you foresee a need to cut sheet goods or to build furniture sized pieces.

   I also recommend a full face shield in addition to safety glasses as I envision your face being in a very vulnerable position. You may also want to consider an advance anti-kickback device like the JessEm feed rollers if they can be fitted to those saws. I am a 45 year pro and swear by them and made sure my son's saw was equipped with them.

   https://www.sawstop.com/product/compact-table-saw/

   https://www.sawstop.com/product/jobsite-saw-pro-jss-120a60/

   https://jessem.com/products/clear-cut-ts-stock-guides

2. 
   perryc | Jul 27, 2022 05:24pm | #2

   I would definitely second the face mask and Sawstop. Even though the usual issue with a tablesaw might be kickback, other unpredictable results can occur. I was cutting a piece doing what I thought were the proper safety precautions. A piece of the wood broke off and shot straight back at my middle finger holding the push stick, breaking the finger. It could easily have taken a different trajectory and nailed me in the face. With 20/20 hindsight, I concluded I was using the wrong stock for the job (should have used my bandsaw), but those are some of the amateur mistakes some of us make that could be life changing.
   As you are wheelchair bound, you will have reduced ability to push stock through the saw, even with a push stick. If you slipped and fell into the saw in any way, the instant brake of a Sawstop would save your butt. I am a relative newbie, but I hope this helps.

3. 
   esch5995 | Jul 27, 2022 06:02pm | #3

   Another option could be to forego the table saw altogether and adapt a Festool MFT and track saw. I have no experience with this option but I know others swear by it and the safety factor would be much higher. It also comes at a pretty steep cost, but it is worth exploring. Kreg also makes a poor man's version

   https://www.festoolusa.com/products/workplace-organisation/multifunction-table

   This video is a bit long but it will show you what I mean.

   https://youtu.be/bxr2t3NetEY

   https://www.kregtool.com/shop/cutting/track-saw-cutting/adaptive-cutting-system-master-kit/ACS3000.html

4. 
   elmaduro | Jul 27, 2022 11:41pm | #4

   Have never owned or used one, but DeWalt has small and light weight table saw. It's 60lbs and is battery powered. Might be an option to consider.

   https://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DCS7485T1-EB-Lithium-Ion-Brushless-Batteries/dp/B07GR4WVQF/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1G0UEFO3YEVGU&keywords=dewalt+cordless+table+saw&qid=1658979268&s=hi&sprefix=dewalt+cordless+tablesaw%2Ctools%2C194&sr=1-1

5. 
   pantalones868 | Jul 29, 2022 04:08am | #5

   Small light weight is what your asking. A track saw is not a replacement for a tablesaw. There are a lot of portable tablesaws on the market. You don't give a budget and you dont say what you want to use it for. The sawstop that someone mentioned runs about $900 and Sawstop is famous for safety. Getting hurt is really costly so it could be a bargain at that price but it is quite abit more expensive than other good quality portable saws. Dewalt makes a good saw and Bosch does as well. Ive used both of those saws and they are pretty good. They both can do some real work. Dewalt had a really good fence system. Both are about $600. If I was on a tight budget Skil makes one that looks good and is about $400. I saw one in a store once and it looked solidly made. There are quite a few saws on the market that are half that price but of dubious quality. In any case you probably want a 10" saw. I mentioned the Dewalt fence because the weak point for me on many of the portable saws is the fence. They all have a flat table and a blade that goes roundy round but the fences on some are poorly designed ,some to the point of worthless.
   For what it's worth I feel that portable saws are much more dangerous than their big scary looking 600 pound cousins. Alot of that is because of the casual set ups that happen because of their portability. They need to be fastened down to something solid, they can tip on longer stock because of their light weight. The bad fences can come loose in the middle of a cut.

1. 
   esch5995 | Jul 29, 2022 05:28pm | #6

   Pantalones868, I realize that like me you have extensive experience, but neither of us have tried using a tablesaw from a wheel chair. I can't imagine how I would be able to. The idea of the MFT table coupled with a Track Saw is not the far fetched and I have seen others who use that setup in lieu of a table saw with success. Festool really has put some thought into that combination and at the proper height I could see it being a viable option and safer as well.

1. 
   john_c2 | Jul 29, 2022 06:03pm | #7

   I'm not in that situation, but I would expect using a tablsaw in a wheelchair to be very dangerous. But I'm just guessing.

   There must be some group, veterans maybe, who have experience adapting a wood shop to wheelchair users. That's who I would seek out for answers.

6. 
   stantheman | Jul 30, 2022 01:13pm | #8

   This would make an interesting magazine article topic.

7. 
   _snl_ | Jul 30, 2022 04:26pm | #9

   Rob Cosman conducts a lot of WW classes with veterans who have a range of physical limitations. I don't know if he has any experience with people in wheelchairs but he could be a good resource.

   https://robcosman.com/

   Good luck finding a safe and suitable set-up.

8. 
   pantalones868 | Jul 30, 2022 06:04pm | #10

   Well, the op is asking about a tablesaw. He is probably better at determining his abilities then anyone. He might have a plan.
   I have all ten fingers but I have been slammed a couple of times. All of these machines have some inherent danger and a tablesaw probably doesnt top the list! There are some rules and I can't say I've never broken those rules...but..Don't let your hand be between the blade and the fence( push sticks), don't reach passed or over the blade when it is running ,don't have your body be directly behind the work piece in case it kicks back and always have an escape route, dont have the blade extended excessively above the depth of the work piece ( the half a thumb rule). Safety glasses are a good idea! Never ever free hand! The wood to me is more important than the machine but not as important as me. If the machine decides to kill a piece of wood let it have it,don't try to save it! The machine is moving faster than you can think!
   A tablesaw is at least stationary as is the operator more or less. A tracksaw is for all intents and purposes a refined circular saw. The operator has to MOVE along the length of the material to make it work. I learned how to produce a straight line with a circular saw when I was 15 so I never felt the need to get a tracksaw. I do very little anymore with sheet materials. If I did though I probably would get one.
   If any potential woodworker asked me what powersaw they should get and that they can only have one I would say a bandsaw. Which come to think of it might be a safer alternative . It and a hand plane and you can do pretty much anything a tablesaw can do + more. A bandsaw also has a "fun" factor that tablesaws lack. If price was no object for safety for someone with a disability-- well then a cnc machine? ------maybe.

1. 
   esch5995 | Jul 30, 2022 06:24pm | #11

   You guess about where tablesaw fall on the list of injury causing machines is off by a mile, it in fact leads the list and is not even close.

   https://www.wwgoa.com/article/shop-accident-statistics-woodworking-safety/#:~:text=Table%20Saw%3A%20estimated%2039%2C750%20annual,injuries%20than%20other%20woodshop%20equipment.

   Also I would ask you to think about all the things you said to do to use a tablesaw safely and picture yourself doing them from a chair. I can't see how it can be done.

   The OP also said he, like me was a senior, what he didn't say was whether or not he had experience with a tablesaw either before being confined to the wheel chair or after; that would make a difference to me in what I would recommend. It can be tricky enough operating a tablesaw as a novice but being a novice and challenged by doing it from a chair is quite a hurdle IMO. I will point while yes he did ask about tablesaw he also asked for advice and the MFT/tracksaw combination is a viable alternative with a few modifications.

9. 
   chuckvandyck | Jul 30, 2022 06:35pm | #12

   What are you looking to make? I think that is the best place to start.

10. 
    pantalones868 | Jul 30, 2022 07:12pm | #13

    Of course tablesaws top the list. Everyone has a tablesaw!
    Jointers are far more scary. Visit some construction sites and see how some of those portable tablesaws are in fact being used. Set on the floor and kneeling over them is my favorite! I would like to see a statistic that differentiated from a shop setup fixed in place table saw vs a job site saw as far as accidents go. You cant lump them into one thing. I have a radial arm saw that gets used for crosscuts all the time but ripping on a radial arm saw is like a death wish! A most common workman comp claim is from utility knives and falling off of drywall buckets used as step stools! A more fair statistic would include the percentage of users or number of tools in existence( but then they do actually admit that in the article). I myself have a prominent scar across my knuckles from a dremel tool! Garry Bennett lost a finger to his bandsaw. I don't know how you could hurt yourself with a tracksaw but I bet you can. While I can see the difficulties of using a tablesaw with the limited mobility one would have in a wheelchair I also can't imagine how you could move a saw by hand down the length of a board and drive a wheelchair at the same time. Hopefully i never know! Most of my safety advise about the tablesaw really came down to one thing - keep your hands away from the blade ---and you can. There are (hopefully ) rare times that you might experience kick back. If you position yourself so that you are not directly in the line of fire ALMOST everytime it will miss you and bury itself in the wall behind you. I know we all throw them away but every saw comes with a guard and a kickback devise. Most accidents aren't accidents at all but come from lack of experience or from doing something we know we shouldn't be doing but do it anyway.
    Besides, I'm a senior your a senior, he's a senior ,we're in the bonus! It's like as if someone said to you "dont go out don't see your grandchildren don't have the last of your life because you might just catch something!" Just imagine if that ever happened!

11. 
    mschlack | Jul 30, 2022 08:34pm | #14

    Like others, I do wonder if the wheelchair is going to put you in a dicey position relative to the table saw. So not only is a track saw an option, but also a high quality jigsaw. A few years ago I had to help with some kitchen makeover stuff for my daughter and had to invest in a Festool jigsaw and tracksaw. Their jigsaw also works with the track. Both tools are impressive in their ability to cut readily and accurately through even thick stock (1.5" oak counter tops, for example, with the jigsaw). For household projects, that might do the trick. You won't be saving money -- those two Festool products might well add up to more than a small table saw. But you might gain more flexibility in positioning yourself.

    I would recommend, if there's one near you, visiting a Woodcraft or Rockler or similar store that has reasonable quality tools and getting a feel for what's going to work for you.

12. 
    eddo234 | Jul 31, 2022 10:20am | #15

    There are lots of articles about wheelchair accessible woodworking shops. This guy’s tools, including his SawsStop tablesaw, are all lower for access. I wish he showed how he lowered it. As has been mentioned, the possibility of kickback is real. I installed JessEm Clear-Cut Table Saw Stock Guides on my SawStop, which is a great anti-kickback safety device. I highly recommend it. I recommend a Sawstop saw, if you can’t figure out a way to cut the bottom off a cabinet model, I’m sure the Contractor model could easily be lowered, and whether you choose the Jessem or not, I would definitely put some type of anti-kickback on it (Board Buddies, and BOW Fence Pro are 2 others). https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Pd0OUoTP90k

13. 
    bergenfurniture | Aug 16, 2022 05:36am | #16

    Among various small table saw options, Dewalt has a good product. Its Jobsite table saw with a rolling stand offers a 10-inch blade size with a 32.5-inch rip capacity and weighs 90 pounds. If you need a cordless one to avoid tangling with the wheels, check out the Milwaukee M18 fuel with an 8.25-inch blade size, 24.5-inch rip size, and 44.9-pound weight.

14. 
    BiesseIndia | Oct 12, 2022 03:18am | #17

    The use of hand tools is one of the most popular DIY projects. There are many hand tools for woodworking and they vary in functionality and construction. For different tasks, different types of hand tools are needed. If you want to work on a small object like a jewelry box, a precision drill would be more appropriate than a chisel. With the chisel, you would need to apply more pressure and it might damage or chip the surface of the wood because it does not have as much control as with other options.

1. 
   john_c2 | Oct 12, 2022 05:05am | #18

   I like poodles.

15. 
    geedubbee | Oct 14, 2022 08:24pm | #19

    +1 on poodles.

    General of Canada used to make a series of reduced height and depth machines just for folks who need to sit while they work. I do not know that General Int'l continued that line.

    As mentioned, if I had to use a saw from a seated position it would be a bandsaw. We didn't get far enough to ask if you are left or right handed. Inca Euro 260 bandsaws and the like can still be found. They would suit me better as a righty if I were seated.