what table saw to buy?

[russ_1380]

Please help.

I am looking for a table saw. I recently posted as to 'how good radial arm saws and sliding mitre saws are' (was looking at old dewalt ones). Anyway thanks to your top advice, I think I will be better with a decent table saw.

My Criteria:

I will need to cross cut and 'rip' longish cuts, say 5-6ft.

It would be nice to be able to do dado cuts

I need accuracy above everything else!!!

Need to be able to cut very accurate 90 degree cuts (making square/rectangular panels).

Need to be able to cut accurate bevels 45 degrees.

Not too noisey

When first startng woodworking I made the mistake of buying a Clarke. I am now almost deaf thanks to it! I leart my lesson about cheap tools.

Ideally I'd like to get an old 'used' machine (i'm from the school of thinking anything made over 10-20 years ago is far better build quality than anything today).

My budget (this is the tough bit) is around £500 used.

I know this is covered a lot on here, but searched and couldn't see many threads. Apologies if everyone is bored with this question.

I see Wadkin ones come up on ebay often.

Any suggestions appreciated. Please go easy as I'm relatively new to all this.

Russ

 

[Digit]

The majority of Wadkins will be three phase machines.
I have a SIP 10 inch machine, CI table, a good fence and with mitre jig and cross cut sled does the business.
Five hundred is near to a new one and certainly would get you a SH one.

Roy.

 

[woodbloke]

Stretch to £900 and get one of these. Had a play with one last weekend...fabulous :wink: - Rob

 

[9fingers]

Russ,
I'm sure Roy will correct me but I don't think the SIP (which is a very good saw in many ways) will take a dado blade.

I suggest that you set up a daily search on Ebay looking for older Wadkins and Startrites. If you are up for motor changing then you should get a 3 phase machine cheaper than a single phase one with luck.

An Xcaliber 806 cabinet saw will take a dado blade but they are £1k +vat new but I've yet to see one offered secondhand.

Bob

 

[russ_1380]

cheers 9fingers.

I remember someone on here mentioning some wadkins (3phase) are hard to change to single as the motor is fixed to the floor of the machine? I didn't really understand this. Tried googling with limited success. There is a nice looking wadkin on ebay now:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 0367680485

.....but then again I don't really know what I'm looking at.

I need to convert my pillar drill to single phase, will a table saw conversion be similar?? Are the motors similar, I'm guessing they may have to be a lot more accurate (ie no wobble on spindle etc)?

Its still early days, so no rush for me. I've rushed into things too many times before only to waste money in the long run.

 

[Digit]

You're quite correct Bob, it won't. American import or an oldy is the only reasonable route, unless you start on suitable mods of course.
I get around the problem using gauge blocks for accurate dimensions and make a number of passes to remove the waste.

Roy.

 

[9fingers]

Hi Russ,

I've not had a really good look at a wadkin from the conversion viewpoint but normally these saws have a belt drive to the blade and the motor is mounted on a tiltable mechanism with the blade arbour called a trunnion.
The motor should be easy to swap with possible need for the shaft or the pulley to be modified. You can see the end of the motor in the pics of the ebay item. It is certainly not mounted on the base of the machine.

Converting a drill might be slightly easier as there is usually loads of room at the back of the drill so the physical size of the motor is less critical.

Drill motors will be between 1/2 and 1hp for most machines. I think wadkin saw motors will be more like 3hp. For a given hp a 3 phase motor will be slightly smaller than a single phase.

Good luck in your search and I certainly agree it is best not to rush in to a purchase. However if you ended up buying a wadkin that you subsequently did not want, then there should be no trouble re-selling it.

Bob

 

[9fingers]

Hi Roy,

I have the Xcaliber 806 which is the only saw I know of currently available in UK that can take a dado blade.

They do it by the basic saw having female taper in the arbour and an adaptor that fits into this taper which is only long enough to take a standard blade.

Separately, they sell a longer adaptor which easily takes a 13/16" dado possibly even 1".

I assume this is how they appear to have got around the EU rules on TS not accepting dado blades.

Bob

 

[Digit]

I wonder if the H and S police know about that then?
What I do not understand Bob is that EU Regs permit upto 15 mil wide blades, how do they manage that, or did I mis read something?

Roy.

 

[DaveL]

I am guilty of swapping the motor on a Wadkin, read about it here, its not that hard and the machine should out last you, mine will me.

 

[9fingers]

Roy,

I think it is only a H&S issue when such a machine used in a commercial workshop when it will break the rules as the saw has no braking and can be fitted with a dado blade.
Woodford (the importer) classifies it as a semi professional machine.
Selling to hobbyists as separate item I don't think breaks any rules.

Rather like it is legal to sell Diesel fuel and also legal to sell ammonium nitrate. Mixing them together to make a bomb is however illegal!

I was unaware of the 15mm blade EU rule. I'm no fan of nanny rules whether it be H&S in UK or the EU!

Cheers

Bob

 

[russ_1380]

Cheers Dave

Yours looks ace there.

My concern with used is; spares/reconditioning and mainly accuracy.

Can you cut nice parallel and square 90 degree cuts easily on it?

 

[John McM]

The Lyndhurst Rob linked to takes a dado blade and I may be wrong but I think he'll negotiate on the price!

 

[white_sw]

I have the SIP saw mentioned above. It won't take a dado blade. However, it came in well under my budget which too was £500 ish.
I picked it up second hand a few months back on eBay for £230 which was a price I was more than happy with. After collecting it, I still
had £250 left so I got myself a Veritas Low Angle Jack plane with it and still had change.

When I started looking for a saw, I spoke to Lyndhurst and they will (or would) move on the price. I was offered one for £700. I'm just
gutted I didn't have the funds available when those saws were going on eBay for 500 quid ! I was watching them very closely indeed.
Even considered taking a lone after visiting them to have a play.

Sam

 

[BradNaylor]

There is a nice looking wadkin on ebay now:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 0367680485

The guy selling that - Richard at Ribble Valley Design - is a top bloke and I would suggest speaking to him about what he has available. I notice that he has a Multico panel saw on his ebay shop at the moment.

I've bought loads of machines off him over the years and have no hesitation in recommending him. Mention the name 'Duncan'. He won't have a clue who Brad Naylor is!

Cheers
Brad

 

[Doctor]

I've bought loads of machines off him over the years and have no hesitation in recommending him. Mention the name 'Duncan'. He won't have a clue who Brad Naylor is!

Cheers
Brad

I just enquired today at ribble valley design about a machine, I thought I would oil the wheels of business a bit and mention the name "Duncan", he threatened to call the police....... :lol: :lol:

 

[misterfish]

You can get a decent used single phase machine - this went for £300 recently http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Wadkin-Circular-S ... 0384640958 . You 'just' need to keep your eyes on the listings and can pick up a bargain.

Misterfish

 

[BradNaylor]

I've bought loads of machines off him over the years and have no hesitation in recommending him. Mention the name 'Duncan'. He won't have a clue who Brad Naylor is!

Cheers
Brad

I just enquired today at ribble valley design about a machine, I thought I would oil the wheels of business a bit and mention the name "Duncan", he threatened to call the police....... :lol: :lol:

Nah,

He'd only do that if you mentioned the name 'Phil Pilchard'

:wink:

Brad

 

[BradNaylor]

You can get a decent used single phase machine - this went for £300 recently http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Wadkin-Circular-S ... 0384640958 . You 'just' need to keep your eyes on the listings and can pick up a bargain.

Misterfish

That looked a good buy.

Nice to see that it had a security chain on it.

Can't be too careful these days. You've only got to turn your back and some hoody will have put your table saw on his shoulder and had it away on his BMX!

:lol:

Brad

 

[9fingers]

Nice to see that it had a security chain on it.

Brad

I thought that might be the Wadkin fitted with the chainsaw option?! :lol: :lol:

Bob