Yikes, Homemade Table Saw

[jbrain]

I hadn't seen this one before..

http://www.instructables.com/id/Conv...o_a_table_saw/

[abbi'sdad]

i have a jig's and fixtures book that has something simular in it, says in my book its kind of a guy on the job in a pinch kinda setup

[Crash2510]

yikes is right. I had to do this once on the job where no table saw was available and the job needed completed. Needless to say, I was very careful. i used a level that I was very careful to parallel to the blade as a fence and clamped it tight. dangerous, but it didn't scare me as much as some of those old table saws I have seen on jobsites in the past.

[Uncle Cracker]

I wouldn't recommend that to anybody, unless they're looking to collect on their dismemberment insurance...

[bruce hylton]

In the hands of a skilled craftsman that is a very workable situation. I have been there. However, I have found a quality straight edge and circular saw to be more accurate.

[SARGE..g-47]

Skip the large outer table and that was my first Table-saw in 1972 until 1975 when I saved enough to get a high $ ($300 and $270 on sale. whoa....) Sears contractor saw. A 1951 Shopmate (J.C. Penny) used circular saw given by my former FIL.. a 2 x 4 piece of ply with a rectangular hole cut out for the blade.. an piece of angular aluminum held on with C clamps (adjusting was a PITA as you had to measure front and rear from blade teeth to assure proper alignment).. a hollow ground planer blade (top of the heap smooth cuts in the days before all the blade advancements) and the ON-OFF switch was the trigger duct taped down and plug er in.. un-plug er.

I did two end tables.. several bread boxes.. a coffee table.. a kitchen table and numerous house upgrades (surround mantel for fireplace.. etc.) on that saw. Was I careful? As careful as I could be given the circumstances as I wanted to be a WW and it was the best I could do at the time. Not having a real TS wasn't about to stop me from working wood... and it didn't.

Fond memories of that TS and the old Shopmate (still runs and had the best steel base I have ever seen on a circular) sits on a shelf in my shop to remind me not to complain about not having this or not having that.. etc. Many before me didn't have what I had which was little but.. sufficient with a little caution and creativity.

[Zenaca]

I remember helping my dad build the kitchen cabinets in 1969 for the house that my mom still lives in using just such a saw . Like sarge says the trigger was taped on.

Oh ya the cabinets are still there in use every day!


Bud

[atgcpaul]

I think my Uncle owned a table from Sears made especially for this purpose.
You supply your own circular saw.

[docrowan]

I believe I've seen three plans of greater sophistication in some of the old wood-working books I have. If you don't defeat the blade guard and construct it well, I see it as less dangerous than a lot of older table saws that have no guards people are still using every day.