Sliding Tables on TS's?

[Chems]

I see a lot of things about sliding tables, but one of my favorite woodworkers Thomas McDonald has a big saw stop table with massive extensions on all sides of the saw. I've watched him on his podcast cut up larger material just using the rip fence and this extra support, so whats the advantage of the sliding carriages over that sort of setup?

 

[Streepips]

Just use one, then you will see. Honestly, it will provide the best explanation..

 

[OPJ]

Using the rip fence alone can be fine but, if the sheet is out of square then it's not going to true it up for you. Accurate cross-cutting of solid timber is another benefit, if you don't have the room for a SCMS or RAS.

Some people like to clamp waney-edge timber to sliding table (preferably a sliding 'beam', like on the Record TS200) and remove the bark like that.

 

[wizer]

I couldn't get on with mine. Just couldn't get my head around it.

 

[Woody Alan]

so whats the advantage of the sliding carriages over that sort of setup?

Accurate repeatability. As in building a cabinet. Safer and quicker.
No disrespect intended Tom but the sliding table on your jet is not in the Panel saw league. When I aspired to that saw I looked at one and thought the solid wing and mitre guide was a better proposition. I also had a Scheppach 2500 sliding table for a while and that couldn't take any weight without deflecting.
So the answer is horses for courses, if yopu want to do big panels on the cheap do it his way, if you want to do them better spend a fortune on a really good panel saw.
IMHO

Alan

 

[Chems]

Well TBH if I want to work with big panels I'll be out with the guide rail as its just so quick to use.

So if I was doing that would you recommend I'd be better off with extension tables and the mitre slot then?

 

[Mr Ed]

I have a very small sliding table on my Kity 419 and have grown to find it indispensible. For about a year when I first got the saw I didn't use it, but now its a key part of how I work.

I use it as a large mitre gauge in a lot of situations, when crosscutting. Because of the sliding mechanism and the larger support surface I believe its more accurate than a mitre gauge.

Heres the other thing; if you have a piece of material with no known square sides you can easily straighten one edge up using the fence, but then how are you going to get another face reliably at 90 degrees to that? I use mine all the time to do this.

With a big enough sliding table you can use it to rip off the waney edge of boards - mine is too small to do this.

The benefit of the Kity sliding table is that you can slide it off the end of the rail and remove it whenever its in the way for operations using the fence.

Personally I think a sliding table on your saw is a great asset.

Cheers, Ed

 

[woodbloke]

I have the same set up as Ed on the same machine, a K419 and the sliding table is very useful. If cross-cutting, the fence needs to be regularly checked for squareness of cut (by using a 300mm try square against the blade) as any lateral adjustment (sliding the fence further out from the blade) alters the set. This can be a bit of a pain, but doesn't take long to do. Smaller stuff though, I just cut to length and then shoot in the ends on the bench with a LN No9 on the shooter, which is far more accurate. The other useful thing is the 'repeat stop' on the fence so that multiple pieces can be cut to the same length - Rob

 

[Corset]

A sliding table is brilliant. It makes everything easier. If you are ripping big planks you can take some of the weight on the sliding table making everything easier. You can square up timbers quickly without messing with a planer or guide rails.
I use mine for crosscutting in preference to my mitre saw.
I have a saw spindle and the sliding table can be used for tenoning etc.
Check out the felder/minimax site for a video of how its done.
Owen

 

[wizer]

Alan, I think you are probably right about the Jet. I think the design of the slider was flawed. I think if/when I eventually get the Axminster TS200 I'll use it in the same way as Rob and Ed.

 

[trousers]

I doubt the design of a slider made by a good firm such as Jet would be flawed imho. What was it that it couldn't do? The smaller Record has had a hard time iirc, but Martin has set his up sweet as a nut apparently. Whatever saw you buy needs setting up, and you have to be realistic when it comes to choosing the saw for the work you intend to ask it to do.
Match your saw to your expectations.
It is also about what you do a lot of as well.
Kity will not do bigger sheet work, but ideal for crosscutting smaller stock and squaring smaller panels. Bigger slider for bigger panels, but realistically you won't rip the length of a whole 8' sheet on a saw with less than a 10' slider. Yes i know you may do the odd one on your (smaller) saw, but what a struggle that is, and you'd be better of (and safer) on the floor with a circular saw and guide rail a la Matt. Pro shops need the beef of a big machine.
Just my 2d worth.

 

[Chems]

Well I've got my eye on getting an SIP 10" model second hand one with rigth and left extension tables so wouldn't a good crosscut sled do the same as a table and save me the extra £500?

 

[wizer]

Well I've got my eye on getting an SIP 10" model second hand one with rigth and left extension tables so wouldn't a good crosscut sled do the same as a table and save me the extra £500?

Yes

 

[Streepips]

http://benchmark.20m.com/articles/Surve ... ables.html