Popular Woodworking 2000-11 № 118, страница 62

Contractor Saws

For most beginning woodworkers, contractor saws are the entry-level machine. The fence is more accurate, the motor is quiet, reliable and powerful, and you can add hundreds of accessories to it.

Most contractor saws (priced between $300 and $900) are powered by a 1¹/2 hp induction motor that hangs outside the rear of the machine on a belt and pulleys (a few are direct drive). Unless you rip 3"-thick maple every week, you'll find this motor is up to the task and should last you for 40 years. Almost all of these motors can be easily rewired to run on 220 volt power, which can improve the performance and longevity of your motor. Check the information plate or spec sheet on the saw and see if it's "TEFC," which means it's a totally enclosed fan-cooled motor . That's a good thing in a dusty shop.

When you get your saw home, replace the standard belt. It will get stiff with time and make your machine vibrate annoy-

ingly. Replace it with a link belt.

Make sure the controls of your saw operate smoothly and can lock down easily. Also, if you can swing the extra cash, we recommend you buy your saw with cast extension wings instead of the stamped steel ones. The extra weight will make your saw more stable, and your top will be flatter, which will allow your jigs to ride more smoothly and increase the reliability of their cuts.

Here are other things to look for while in the store:

• Which way does the blade tilt, left or right? This is a personal preference, but people with left-tilt saws swear they are safer because the blade tilts away from the fence.

• How long are the bars for the fence? Most brands let you choose between a 30" rip capacity or 50". Take the 50" if you have the space so you can crosscut to the center of a full sheet of plywood.

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OmmenKo:

The following table saws have been tested or used by the editors of Popular Woodworking and have earned their recommendation.

Occasional User

We don't recommend benchtop saws for most woodworkers.We recommend you purchase the Grizzly GI022SM, a contractor saw with a front-and-rear locking fence, stamped extension wings and a 1 ^ hp motor for $299 plus $42 shipping.That's less than some benchtop saws, plus you can upgrade this saw later with a better fence and cast-iron extension wings.The Delta 36-444 and Jet JWTS-10JF offer similar features to the Grizzly but they come at a higher price.

Serious Home Woodworker

Competition is really tight in this category because several manufacturers make outstanding saws, and prices are competitive.There are three machines that really stand out. Delta's Series 2000 contractor saws (with a Biesemeyer or Unifence, priced around $850 to $880) are great saws that passed our magazine's Endurance Test. Jet's JWTS-10CW2-PF ($800) also passed our Endurance Test and offers the XACTA fence on this model, which is an excellent Biesemeyer clone.And Powermatic's Model 64-A ($780) won our Best New Tool of 1998 award and also offers a Biesemeyer clone fence.We also recommend the Grizzly G1023S, a 3 hp cabinet saw with a Biesemeyer-clone fence for only $775.Wow.You cannot go wrong with any of these saws.

Advanced Woodworker or Professional

The Cadillac of cabinet saws is the Powermatic Model 66, which is famous for its top's mirror-like finish, its three-point yoke system and its $2,100 price tag. However you cannot go wrong with the General S350-T50, Jet JTAS-10X50 and Delta 36-821L Unisaw.All are excellent cabinet saws with world-class reputations that feature Biesemeyer-clone fences, 50" rip capacity and a smaller price tag than Powermatic's warhorse.

RiP FENCE: THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF YOUR TABLE SAW

Trying to make a piece of furniture with a fussy or inaccurate rip fence is asking for trouble. If your rip fence won't lock parallel to the blade, your wood is going to bind or kick back. If you cannot adjust your fence so it is exactly 90 degrees to your saw's table, you're not going to be able to cut joints with your machine.And if you have to check your rip fence with a tape measure every time you set it, you're eventually going to take up golfing or something more relaxing. Get the most accurate fence you can. Here's a list of the most common types of fences listed from least accurate to most accurate.

BENCHTOP FENCES:These are designed for carpenters to cut 2 x 4s and plywood to size for construction. Most lock at the front of the saw and at the back, which in our opinion makes them more difficult to align to the blade. Only a few of the benchtop fences can be adjusted so they sit at 90 degrees to the blade.The fences on the high-end benchtops are better on average, but they're not as good as your average fence on a contractor saw.

FRONT & REAR LOCKING OR INDEXING FENCE:You'll find these fences on entry-level contractor saws.They ride on rails or tubes at the front and the back of the saw.When you set the fence for a cut, this type of fence locks at the front of the saw. It also has a mechanism at the rear of the saw.A little stub will either lock the fence down at the back, or the stub will push against the rear rail to align the fence as it locks. All these fences can be tuned to be accurate, but it takes some work.These fences are good for beginners, but once you try a fence that locks at the front only, you'll never want to go back.

FRONT-LOCKING T- SQUARE FENCE:These fences,which Biesemeyer made famous, lock only at the front of the saw, usually on a big steel beam.They are dead-on accurate, easy to align and set up, and if you want to remove the fence you merely lift it off the table. Most professional shops use a Biesemeyer or a clone of this excellent fence system. Delta's respected Unifence, which looks a lot different than a Biesemeyer, also qualifies as a front-locking fence.