Popular Woodworking 2000-06 № 115, страница 61
Endurance Test Delta's Series 2000 Saws When I bought a Delta 10" contractor saw for my shop at home I was suspicious of the ; shiny and oddly shaped Unifence. Here in our shop at Popular Wood-working the table saws are equipped with Biesemeyer fences or clones of this workhorse fence system. So I wasn't sure if I was going to get along with this aluminum thing. However, after a year of hard use on about a dozen major projects, ■ I'm convinced the Unifence is an outstanding fence system for the home or professional woodworker because it is accurate, reliable and performs some excellent tricks other fences just aren't built to do. But before I get into the fence in detail, let's talk about the entire j saw, which is now being sold as the j "Platinum Edition" contractor saw j for about $850. Without a doubt, the Series 2000 saws are the easiest contractor saws to assemble. With almost every other brand you have to assemble the base with about 40 bolts. Delta's goes together in about 10 minutes with just a few screws. And it's just as sturdy. Almost everything was in perfect alignment out of the box, and adjustments are easy to do with simple tools and the outstanding instruction manual. As with all table saws, there are a few things you should do to tune up your machine. First, replace the throat plate with a decent zero-clearance insert to reduce tearout. Replace the saw's drive belt with a link belt to reduce vibration. And do something about that miter gauge. Build or buy yourself a sled for crosscuts. Finally, get familiar with your Unifence. The fence has two positions that can be changed in less than one minute. The tall side of the fence is 31/2" high, which is taller than the Biesemeyer fence (at 23/8") or Jet's XACTA fence (at 2"). This is great for when you are cutting tenons on your table saw because it gives you more bearing surface so you're less likely to tip your work into the blade. The result: square joint cuts. The short side of the fence is great for cutting thin stock, or for ripping material that has a veneer facing on either or both sides. The fence can be quickly adjusted so the veneer hangs over (or under) the short side and the substrate rides on the fence. If you can't afford a sliding crosscut table, the Unifence will be your best friend. Here's why: The fence can be used like a stop block with your miter gauge to produce long crosscuts. First loosen the two lock knobs on the side and slide the aluminum section toward you until it is in ABOUT OUR ENDURANCE TESTS When a new tool hits the market we do our best to tell you what the benefits and pitfalls are with that tool.While this is good information, we know that the question you really want answered is,"How long will the tool last?" That's what this column is for.We regularly pick a tool we've used in our shop for at least a year that has stood up to our regular use.We make sure the tools we've tested here are virtually unchanged from the versions in the store today. So when you see a tool written up in here, it has passed the Popular Woodworking Endurance Test.—David Thiel, senior editor front of the saw blade. Lock the fence down to the desired crosscut length. Then use your miter gauge and the Unifence as a cutoff gauge to make your crosscuts. The fact that the Unifence slides forward and back can also be used to your advantage when ripping plywood. You can slide the fence a bit towards you to give yourself more bearing surface at the beginning of the cut. Finally, one of my favorite features is that you use the arbor wrench to adjust the fence parallel to the blade, though it rarely goes out of alignment. The only downside to the fence is you have to get used to the way it locks down. If you turn the handle as you move the fence, it will sometimes hop out its groove. However, that's a small price to pay for this outstanding fence system. PW —Christopher Schwarz results series 2000 contractor saw Nice Features • Versatile fence • Quick assembly and setup • Great customer service Recommended Modifications • Better throat plate • Link belt • Replace the miter gauge • Longer power cord Delta International 800-438-2486 |
