Table saw without tilting blade

[angelboy]

I've yet to purchase a table saw (just missed out on a kity 1619 for £350 which I thought was cheap and it must have been as it went double quick time!) and wondered the necessity of a tilting blade?

I've seen a few old cast iron machine with only a rise and fall blades and wondered if a tilt is a must have, especially as I wouldn't want to commit a large part of my budget and floor space for a table saw that only has a rise and fall if I need a tilting blade.

What's your thoughts and is there any way round (jigs etc) a tilting blade?

 

[Hudson Carpentry]

I probably tilt my blade at least once a week. It all depends on what you have and what your making or using the TS for.

I don't know of any jigs for a table saw to combat non-tilting blades. The only way would be to make a fence that tilts but I wouldn't recommend it one bit. with a TS you need to keep the pressure down on the table, where with a tilted fence the pressure would be into the fence asking for a kick back and inaccurate work.

Other ways to get the same effect would be to use a surface planer with a tilting fence, Bandsaw with tilting table, c/saw although not suited to smaller timber, hand saw, hand plane, tilting radial arm saw but limited to length of cut and not suited for smaller width timbers and sander. You could use a router but limited to cutter angles and custom bits would set you back more than the TS in the end.

 

[Hudson Carpentry]

The one other bonus of a tilting blade is to adjust the blade for 90deg to the table is very easy, where with a non tilting blade it takes a lot of messing about inside the saw. Swing that around though and with a non tilting blade once 90 to table its likely to stay 90 to table for a while where as with a tilting blade its always best to check you have set it back to 0 after every time you have tilted.

 

[OPJ]

I mainly use the tilt function on my table saw to get a clean cut when bevel-ripping timber and sheet materials (one of the main reasons I bought one, in fact, after years of perseverance with a bandsaw). You can do an awful lot with a bandsaw but, you have to tilt the table on most machines and the finish off the saw isn't as good as with a sharp circular saw blade.

I've always found it more awkward to bevel the edge of a length of timber on a surface planer/jointer (at 45°, anyway), where it's difficult to keep pressure both on the fence and down on the tables, without the timber sliding... Angles closer to 90° aren't as bad. It's one of those things where it's generally easier to keep the timber horizontal as you pass it through the machine.

Woodworkers do also use this to mitre components (box and carcase sides). Mitres for a frame (with narrow components) can usually be cut using a mitre gauge or sled, with the blade left at 90° vertical. For wider mitres, there are several other methods (including the use of a mitre saw or hand plane and shooting board, to name two).

 

[Tusses]

I couldn't really do without the tilt function on my TS

 

[angelboy]

I think I have my answer.

Thanks!

 

[Benchwayze]

Go for a tilt/arbor.
On my saw-table lathe attachment the table tilts, but it means a complete reset if I do tilt it, and another when I wanted to revert to flat! So I never bothered.
I could have made a 45 degree jig that rides in the mitre channel, but I never fancied using one.

To my mind, a non tilting saw is designed for rough ripping, and usually found in a sawmill, where they have a guy doing just that, all day, every day!

John

 

[tomatwark]

I have a Sedgwick which does not tilt, and for the few years I only had this saw it would cause me problems from time to time, as the fence tilted but it was never really accurate.

If you only have got room for one saw, get one that tilts as it means you can do alot more.

When I finally bought a new saw that tilted I kept the Sedgwick for ripping only which after all is what it was designed for really, and with the big motor makes cutting large bits of hardwood easy.

Tom

 

[Benchwayze]

I have a Sedgwick which does not tilt, and for the few years I only had this saw it would cause me problems from time to time, as the fence tilted but it was never really accurate.

If you only have got room for one saw, get one that tilts as it means you can do alot more.

When I finally bought a new saw that tilted I kept the Sedgwick for ripping only which after all is what it was designed for really, and with the big motor makes cutting large bits of hardwood easy.

Tom

I wonder if your Sedgwick is the 16" model that put the breeze up me! :shock:

In the catalogue at the time, Axminster mentioned it was a scary brute to use! I never bought one obviously! :mrgreen:

John

 

[tomatwark]

I wonder if your Sedgwick is the 16" model that put the breeze up me! :shock:

In the catalogue at the time, Axminster mentioned it was a scary brute to use! I never bought one obviously! :mrgreen:

John

I certainly is John.

Great machine, I bought it from a training centre in 1993 and then sold it to friend about 3 years later as a workshop move meant I did not have 3 phase and a converter was to much money.

My current workshop does and when my friend was selling it about 4 years ago I bought it back.

With a sharp blade it will cut 5" stock no problem.

They don't seem to make alot of money second hand, I think because the don't tilt but if you want just a rip bench they are great.

Tom

 

[tomatwark]

I wonder if your Sedgwick is the 16" model that put the breeze up me! :shock:

In the catalogue at the time, Axminster mentioned it was a scary brute to use! I never bought one obviously! :mrgreen:

John

I certainly is John.

Great machine, I bought it from a training centre in 1993 and then sold it to friend about 3 years later as a workshop move meant I did not have 3 phase and a converter was to much money.

My current workshop does and when my friend was selling it about 4 years ago I bought it back.

With a sharp blade it will cut 5" stock no problem.

They don't seem to make alot of money second hand, I think because the don't tilt but if you want just a rip bench they are great.

Tom

 

[Benchwayze]

There you go Tom!
I did look at it with a view to buying, but I did want a tilt-arbor. Plus the capacity was a bit beyond anything I could use in a single garage. Although, had it been a tilt... Well that might have been different! I suppose I would have gotten used to the daunting speed etc... My Sedgwick planer made me jumpy at first, but I wouldn't be without it now!

John