So I am wondering what you guys like for table saws and what features I should look for. Model #'s would be helpfull also. I really just want the ability to make speaker boxes and I'll probably try to rebuild my kitchen cabinets at some time. Heres the catch, I really don't want to spend more than $500 if possible. Can this be done or am I dreaming?

The local autosound installer had a saw once that was set up like a big easel where the saw moved vertically to cut the 4x8 sheet that was also vertical. It seemed pretty accurate. Is something like that in my price range?

Any info appreciated!
crazychile

I doubt that you can do much for under $500, but I have not looked.

I suggest that you get one of those fences for portable power hand saws. You clamp the fence to the 4x8 and run the saw along side of the fence. They are not too expensive.

I think it is quite hard to get what you want unless you stumble onto something used and then tweak it a little. My home brew answers were always slow and a bit awkward. To get really good cuts, without a lot of set up time, you need a steady and large table and steady blade and a square fence. A lot to ask at your price point. My answer was to buy my big pieces from a lumber yard in town that does a lot of custom work. They make the first cuts and bring it down to a size for the project where my smaller table can handle them nicely. This solution was just to easy to bother with anything else. I will never have the table they use. Handling full sheets by yourself on typical home ($500 table) equipment is not easy.

Cheers
Craig Ryder

What I am describing is a piece of aluminum railing about four feet long that you clamp to the plywood and run your saw along the edge, keeping a straight line. I suppose that you could do the same with a length of wood, but then you would not get to buy a neat new tool.

I have seen these in the woodworking magazines.

You are describing a panel saw: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00006LPP9/qid=1080601120/sr=1-10/ref=sr_1_10/103-7772060-7408635?v=glance&s=hi

I am no expert, but from hanging out at woodworking forums I believe that even experienced woodworkers don't generally try to wrestle large sheets of plywood or MDF onto their tablesaws. They use a good old circular saw and a clamped straight edge or a sawboard. I cut panels slightly oversize with this method, then finish on a tablesaw. If you take your time and measure carefully, you can get extremely accurate results with a circular saw.

If you want a tablesaw (not a panel saw), the best deal on the planet is the Ryobi BT3100. I love mine. Check out http://www.bt3central.com . You can do searches on http://www.woodworking.com and other forums to get views on other saws by the likes of Delta, Jet, Grizzly, etc.

Good luck!

• Pi Studio 2 Construction Pix

Most non-commercial table saws are 10". Even on big Powermatics and similar saws cutting a full sheet of plywood by yourself is next to impossible without additional fixturing (infeed and outfeed tables, etc...)

You don't mention the saw you have (portable, floor standing, etc...) but Delta is a good name. You need to go to Fine Woodworking and find either some articles or books on how to handle large panels and using a table saw.

The saw you describe at the installer's is a panel saw. Unless it's something the likes of which I've never seen it's a lot more than $500 and not especially accurate.

• http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/index.asp

1. Thanks for the comment about my approach. The circular saw idea makes a lot of sense. I need a new circular saw anyway, so I'll keep that extra guide in mind when I buy.

2. I'll still need a new table saw, (I'll check out the Ryobi)my current Delta (I dont know the model#) was a Fathers day present a couple of years ago and could be mounted on a table, but I use the included stand. I would guess that the saw was between $200-250 when new. The problem is that the top surface is small. I would estimate that the top dimensions are around 18x24. So its impossible to cut anything but small pieces with any degree of accuracy. Even if I were to have someone cut down a large sheet for me, the remaining pcs.are still too big. I built 1 pi's a while back and even the pcs. for those were too big to use with the built in guides on the Delta.

crazychile

Here's how I do it, and I've made more than a few cabinets. Cut your sheet goods with a circular saw, but don't try to be accurate, make the parts an inch or so oversize. Use the table saw to trim them to finished size, and that's best done using a panel cutting jig that sits atop the table; you put the part to be cut on the jig and the jig and part both go across the saw top; perfect cuts everytime. A fancy table saw or $400 fence is not required; my saw is a $200 Sears, and my panel cutting jig I made from a 2x3 foot piece of plywood and some scrap wood. This picture shows the jig on top of my saw.

http://hometown.aol.com/fitzmauricew/myhomepage/photo.html

Norm Abrams (New Yankee Workshop) showed one of these some years back, and I made one. It made working with larger pieces much easier. Mine fell apart, and I have been too lazy to replace it. (But I should have!) You have to be sure to get the back side perpendicular to the tracks, or it will not cut square.