Why would I use a sliding table? Or a pull saw?

[zeroseven]

Newbie question I know but I have a sliding table on a little Makita MLT100 and for the life of me I cannot fathom what it is for.

Also just acquired a rather knackered Record Power TSPP250. It has the facility to 'pull' the blade approx 8 inches......again, why would I need to do this?

Seeking enlightement

 

[Job and Knock]

Newbie question I know but I have a sliding table on a little Makita MLT100 and for the life of me I cannot fathom what it is for.

It's supposedly for doing cross and mitre cuts on one saw. I use an MLT as my site saw and TBH the sliding table is probably less use to me than a chocolate fireguard. It's just too small. A mitre saw is far safer because the material stays static and can be supported during the cut unlike trying to cut materils by pushing them across the saw - and when you are bevel cross cutting the ends of 5 metre lengths of skirting you really don't want to move the naterial to make the cut

Also just acquired a rather knackered Record Power TSPP250. It has the facility to 'pull' the blade approx 8 inches......again, why would I need to do this?

So that the saw can handle crosscuts in a similar mannerto the mitre saw. i.e. the material stays static whilst the blade moves. It was either a copy of the Mafell Erika saw or a badged version. The Germans seem to have been quite keen on dual purpose saws which can act as a chop saw as well as a site rip saw. It means you only need to carry one saw, not two, but blade changing is a bind on any saw, so they tend to be used for rough framing in the main. The original was the Elu TGS (which became the deWalt flip-over), followed by the Elektra-Beckum, then the Erika (a different take on the same problem). Even Makita make them (flip-overs) these days

 

[blackrodd]

This tells you about the record TSPP250 pull action. http://www.powertooldirect.co.uk/record ... 89340.html

I presume by little, you mean the bench top MLT100. http://www.axminster.co.uk/makita-mlt100-saw-bench
Regards Rodders

 

[zeroseven]

Thank you....guess I hadn't considered anyone might try to push 5 metres of wood through the blade :shock:

Appreciated

 

[DennisCA]

The sliding table on my saw is extremely useful and increases safety by a factor of 10, it extends for large pieces and last night I was cutting up 4 meter pieces in half for storage without any problems. In your case I guess it works as a miter gauge for the small parts it meant to use.

The Record Power TSPP250 I can see also can have a sliding table that is more substansial, it would be quite a nice thing to have.

 

[Job and Knock]

Thank you....guess I hadn't considered anyone might try to push 5 metres of wood through the blade :shock:

Just pointing out the differences between saws designed for use on an installation job and in the workshop. No joiner or carpenter I can think of would ever dream of doing such a thing because it is stupidly dangerous due to the potential lack of control you have over the material. However, the number of posts I see where someone is proposing breaking down 8 x 4ft sheets of plywood on pocket handkerchief-sized table saws or make other cuts which show a total lack of regard for safety gives one pause for thought