Replies

1. 
   JohnWW | May 16, 2006 12:46am | #1

   A wood top can made for a table saw but it will require some engineering to fit it properly and to keep it flat and aligned.  The job would be fairly easy for a cabinet saw because the inner workings are attached to the saw's cabinet.  A contractors saw would be more difficult to use because the entire weight of the saw trunnion assembly and the motor are suspended from the top.  Probably the most difficult part of the job would be finding a solid way to attach the rails for the rip fence. 

   You could also just mount a wood top over the existing top but you would lose some depth of cut this way.  I have occasionally made up a full sized wood top for a saw and raised the blade through it, creating basically a giant seamless zero clearance throat plate that I could now attach a special jig to for some odd operation like coving panel edges.  

   If I were going to do this I would probably use MDF for the top and set in aluminum channels for the miter gauge slots.  If you give me some details of what you have in mind I could possibly give you some more specific advice.

   John White, Shop Manager, Fine Woodworking Magazine