Search the Community
Showing results for tags 'table saw'.
-
Part 001 I looked at my available options for a modeling table saw. The contenders are: 1. The Harbor Freight type 4” table saw (many similar types of this basic type of saw). 2. The Proxxon table saws, the cheapest is in my price range, the others cost enough that they are almost as expensive as the Gold Standard Byrnes table saw (see below). 3. The old Dremel 4” table saw. 4. The Byrnes table saw. The best and the Gold Standard, but well over my present funding level at about $500 with shipping. I hope to get one of these in the future, but that is at least a year or more away. The Harbor Freight type table saws are poorly built, and the blade height adjustment is by raising the table, on I’m sure poorly fitting leg/slides. It also does not have a fence. The saw blade slot is cast integrally with the table. This prevents you from cutting thin pieces, as they will tend to be pulled down into the slot. On a regular table saw the blade comes up through the table in a removable insert. If you are cutting thin pieces you replace the insert with one with a thinner slot. In many cases you put a solid plate in and run the blade up through the insert, giving you a zero clearance fit. Of course you need a carbide blade if it is a metal insert, but you can make a thin wood insert from hobby plywood for a regular steel blade. I can’t imagine the Harbor Freight type having good enough tolerances on the table slides for this, even if you can attach something to span the slot. Prices on these range from about $40 to over a $100. The cheaper Proxxon saw has a fixed blade height, also no insert, and only a 2” diameter blade. It does however come with a small plastic fence that does not span the full depth of the table. Prices range about $125 to $200. The Byrnes saw is built more like a machine tool, rather than a saw, and has a large array of available accessories, but it comes with a matching price tag. If you have the money get this. The Dremel saw is no longer made, but is available used for about $125 to $225,with shipping on Ebay. It has a blade that can be raised from under the table, as in a standard large table saw, and the blade can be angled also as in a standard saw. The blade is belt driven and the motor is more powerful than the Proxxon and HF type saws. It does come with a fence that spans the whole depth of the table, and a miter gauge. It has a removable insert. The base is a thick plastic, but durable. There are some accessories available in the aftermarket, but the sources are drying up. The blades and belt are still readily available, though. I chose this route as it falls within my price range, and has more standard table saw features, including a blade insert. My saw did not come with a blade protector, some of the later models did. The blade raising/tilting mechanism is not as sturdy as I would like, the miter gauge is a bit loose in the slots, and the fence is not the most robust, however. I will attempt to remedy some of these faults as this build log continues. The saw is eminently usable, though. This log will not be a regularly updated one, but I will relate all my experiences with both using and upgrading it as time goes on. Here are pictures of the saw as I got it. The first shot is the top. I noticed when I was editing the photos, that I had a visitor. I’ll have to fog the shop, this week. This is the front with the blade raising and tilting controls. These are the same types as a standard table saw. The power switch is on the lower right corner. If you look closely you will see that both front mounting lugs are broken off. The seller did not pack the saw well, and I guess the box got dropped at some point! Both lugs were in the box, though. I assume that they were still attached when it was packed, otherwise I’m sure they would have disappeared before the unit was sold. I’ll glue them back on with epoxy. I am not sure what type of plastic the base is molded of, so using a plastic cement may not work. If I had to guess, I would say ABS plastic. Here is the “guts of the saw from underneath. This is also similar to how a standard table saw is built. Notice though that there is no back to the saw. At one point there was an aftermarket back available, with a vacuum outlet, but they are no longer sold. I will make my own back for mine. Note that the rust is not atypical, the metal parts were not painted when built. It does not affect the operation of the saw. The saw ran well when I plugged it in, with the belt running smoothly. To start with I will disassemble and clean the saw mechanism, using the tips on this site. https://karincorbin.blogspot.com/2009/07/ye-olde-dremel-table-saw.html I will also need to come up with a support for the back of the blade mechanism when making fine cuts. This support may have to be removed to tilt the blade. I have to think more on this idea. Until the next part, thank you for reading my thread.
-
With the new year came an assessment of my normal size shop tools and some of my modeling tools. I have a Unimat SL1000 lathe that I have used since I bought it in the 1980's. Sometime after that I bought the following Unimat accessories/attachments: 1. Table saw with miter gauge, fence and spindle attachment for blade; Used very lightly, next to new 2. Jointer with cutter; Used very, very little, next to new 3. Fret Saw; Never used; still in the oil wrap 4. Flex coupled attachment; Next to new; just can't recall if I ever used it still in the box The vintage is the hammered green finish. I cherish my tools and they are well kept. None of these accessories show any signs of abuse or rust. Some still in their original oil wrapping. Cherish them I do believe me but there comes a time when we have to push back and take a horizon view of these treasures. I am willing to sell them singly or as a package. Please contact me through the e-mail channel if interested. I can send photos to interested parties. This an update pictures follow. I mislabled the sabre/jig saw. It is a fret saw. The jointer, fret saw and flex drive still have the original boxes.
- 4 replies
-
- flex drive
- table saw
-
(and 2 more)
Tagged with:
-
I received the table saw from Micro Mark for Christmas and I am very pleased with it. I am looking for the download of Jeff's (Hobbymill) saw operation pdf guide. Does anyone have it or give me a link to it? I've done some different Google searches but nothing comes up. Mark Taylor suggested that I should look at the blades from Thurston (which I will do). Thank you. Marcus
-
I recently got a small (Taig) lathe, so I built a base for it and the motor, along with some drawers for keeping the accessories out of the dust. I also wanted a small table saw, but with the lathe I already had a powered shaft, so why not mount a circular saw on it and then a table. For simplicity, the table height adjustment uses the same tilting concept as used for thickness sanders. This is where I started and the attached pdf describes the design and how I turned a lathe into a table saw (pun intended). When time permits, I intend to also build a thickness sander based on the same concept. Bruce TableSaw.pdf
-
Hello everyone, My name is George and I this is my first topic. I have built about 5 wooden ship kits and I think now it is time for me to make one from scratch. I want to cut my own wooden stripes but I am not very familiar with the table saws that are available in the market. I am not willing to spend more than 200$. I would appreciate your opinion, helping me decide what table saw would be the best for making wooden model ships. Happy holidays to all
-
i am very tight on funds at the moment and also am in great need for table saw.i was thinking, in some diy stores you can get tile cutting saw. after i would change the blade, do you think this substitute would be good enough? i would fit piece of laminated board on the cutting table, so there are no obstacles and no grooves... also guide would probably need to be made. but all in all, is it a good idea, or bad one? thank you for your opinions...
About us
Modelshipworld - Advancing Ship Modeling through Research
SSL Secured
Your security is important for us so this Website is SSL-Secured
NRG Mailing Address
Nautical Research Guild
237 South Lincoln Street
Westmont IL, 60559-1917
Model Ship World ® and the MSW logo are Registered Trademarks, and belong to the Nautical Research Guild (United States Patent and Trademark Office: No. 6,929,264 & No. 6,929,274, registered Dec. 20, 2022)
Helpful Links
About the NRG
If you enjoy building ship models that are historically accurate as well as beautiful, then The Nautical Research Guild (NRG) is just right for you.
The Guild is a non-profit educational organization whose mission is to “Advance Ship Modeling Through Research”. We provide support to our members in their efforts to raise the quality of their model ships.
The Nautical Research Guild has published our world-renowned quarterly magazine, The Nautical Research Journal, since 1955. The pages of the Journal are full of articles by accomplished ship modelers who show you how they create those exquisite details on their models, and by maritime historians who show you the correct details to build. The Journal is available in both print and digital editions. Go to the NRG web site (www.thenrg.org) to download a complimentary digital copy of the Journal. The NRG also publishes plan sets, books and compilations of back issues of the Journal and the former Ships in Scale and Model Ship Builder magazines.