The Charnwood Table saws.

[Benchwayze]

Hi folks:

A quick check.

Does anyone have any 'Pros & Cons' on the Charnwood, 10" table saw. I think I can fit one in if I take off the cross-cut slide, which I probably wouldn't use, having a track saw. The MFT will be gong into my new shed. (When it's finished. :mrgreen: )

Cheers and TIA

John

 

[Gary]

New shed???

Do you have a tread on that?

Oh and pictures, must have lots of pictures.

 

[Benchwayze]

Gary...

No thread. The shed has been left in an unfinished state for over nine months now. My wife became ill with Parkinson's, and I have been pretty busy caring. I am at present having some respite, as she is in hospital. So I am getting to grips with the shop to take my mind off the problems. As for the shed, I will need to convert it to a Pent-roof, as the ridge that's there now is too low and there's no headroom. I am wondering if I will get anywhere until next Spring though! Probably not.

Cheers.

John

 

[Myfordman]

John. Firstly sorry to hear of your problems.
As for the Charnwood saw, woodbloke ex of this parish now on wood haven 2 bought such a saw when retired and within a year or so disposed of it stating it was not accurate enough. If you contact him though twh2 I'm sure he will expand on his feelings.
Hth
Bob

 

[Woodmonkey]

I have the w650 and with some fettling it has been accurate enough for me. The sliding table is the weak point but if you're not going to use it anyway then not an issue. Fence is ok but a better one could be added. Table nice and flat, mitre slots nice and parallel to blade and motor nice and powerful. The side extension was like a banana but i removed it and incorporated my router table.

 

[geoffshep]

I have the w650 and, as above, it is OK. I hardly ever use the sliding table, preferring a crosscut sled if needed. Mostly it gets used for ripping long stock, sheet material and making tapered cuts using a jig/sled.

The fence isn't great - it is parallel to the blade but not vertical to the table, and the micro adjust can be useful but is often tricky to set. Dust collection is poor. I fettled the riving knife to reduce the height so I can make rebates and also made it more easily removable.

The newer 629 looks nice, with a belt drive system and a simpler fence setup - it looks like a good machine for the price.

I have considered a better machine, and also making up a very-super-cool tools style fence system - which would work for both the saw and any additional router table.

 

[Benchwayze]

Thanks to all for the information. I was interested in a 'display' model that had been used in a showroom, but I find it's gone so I'll have to save a bit more for a 'new' model! Just my luck, as the difference in price was about 45%...
I am looking at how much space I'll get if I dismantle the MFT, or maybe use the mitre-saw on top of the MFT! So I think I will get one of the 10" saws.

Geoff:

With regard to the non-perpendicular fence. I'm surprised there is no means, on the saw, to adjust the fence for true vertical. If so, could you fit a strip of 10mm ally or tufnol to your fence, with shims behind it, so you could adjust for 100% vertical? You wouldn't lose much clearance. It'd be a fiddle, but worth the effort? Just a thought.

Cheers

John

 

[cammy9r]

Hi, some of the components look similar to my record power ts250 tablesaw. Well mostly the fence and guide rail. It is adjustable for vertical by moving the guide rail. That is making it higher at one side than the other. Takes forever to do. Another feature to point out is the blade tilt direction. It tilts towards the blade, this may not be of significance but worth noting. All my previous saws tilted away from the blade and that is what im used to so when I came to cut some bevels for a raised panel I was left stumped with how to achieve this. I never did sort a solution and pulled out the other saw and used that instead. In time I will figure something out.

 

[geoffshep]

I'm not sure what you mean by moving the guide rail - if you mean the bar which the fence rides on, that would not keep the rail parallel to the table top and the fence would be higher off the table at one extreme than at the other?

In my case it is just down to a shoddy aluminium extrusion which is not square, and only a problem when using the high side of the extrusion. So I guess I could get another one - but I would need one with a slot at the right height for the bolts in the fence mounting bracket. I think I can see now that the extrusion has some signs of being squashed, I certainly haven't done that myself but it is probably a bit late to get a replacement from Charnwood. It is only an issue when the workpiece is not resting flat on the table, say where it is narrower than it is high, and it needs to rest vertically against the fence.

In fact the least satisfactory bit of the Charnwood experience was customer support. I bought a spindle moulder at the same time, and let them know that a couple of threads in mounting holes were stripped, and some bolts were missing, they just said they were glad I had managed to sort it out with some bolts I already had. No mention of replacement parts.

 

[Woodmonkey]

My fence is also not perpendicular to the table top, this is obviously a design fault, I have not found a way of adjusting it.

 

[geoffshep]

Woodmonkey - check where the error is. I thought it was in the mounting block, but that is perpendicular to the table. I now see that it is the extrusion itself, which does not have parallel sides. The offending face is the one which fits against the mounting block, when the fence is upright.

 

[Woodmonkey]

Yes I think mine is the same, I'll have a look next time I'm in the workshop. I'm normally cutting stuff flat on the table so haven't really found it to be a problem tbh.

 

[geoffshep]

Same here - but it can be a problem trying to cut rebates on long narrow stock, where it would be nice if it was square against the table and the fence at the same time.

 

[cammy9r]

I'm not sure what you mean by moving the guide rail - if you mean the bar which the fence rides on, that would not keep the rail parallel to the table top and the fence would be higher off the table at one extreme than at the other.

Hi, that is exactly what I mean, as instructed to do so by the manual. Im not going to question the manufacturer but understand what you are saying. In my case it resulted in a height difference of 0.3mm from beside the blade to the furthest ripping width. It is however a different machine although the fence looks the same.

 

[SteveF]

Thanks to all for the information. I was interested in a 'display' model that had been used in a showroom, but I find it's gone so I'll have to save a bit more for a 'new' model! Just my luck, as the difference in price was about 45%...
I am looking at how much space I'll get if I dismantle the MFT, or maybe use the mitre-saw on top of the MFT! So I think I will get one of the 10" saws.



John

have u tried your mitre saw on mft?
I have done so for convenience but would find too tall for constant use

Steve

 

[Benchwayze]

Yes Steve. I have. I thought I might make a duck board from pressure treated stuff, and keep it outside by the back gate! Just next to the workshop door. Or maybe get the shed finished and put the MFT in there, where there would be more room. Now that's an :idea:

:mrgreen: