New Saw/Router/Cabinet

[MBG]

(Click on thumbnails to enlarge)

This saw served me very well for about 20 years:






This one for almost a year:






Then I found a deal on a new Uni about 6-months ago. I used what I learned here, from other forums, and two other TS's to create this monster:










Thanks for looking,

Mike

[steve-norrell]

One of the best looking 'monsters' I have ever seen!

Now I am embarrassed to post a picture of one I am almost finished building.

Regards, Steve

[JR]

Awesome, Mike. Just beautiful.

[jackellis]

They're all nice pieces of work. I'm just getting around to building sometime to mount an extra set of rails for my BT.

Since you've traded up I have to ask if you could describe some of the differences between your BT3000 and the Unisaw. I keep seeing deals on used ones locally and wonder whether it's worth trading up and why.

[RodKirby]

Looks great! A LOT of work (play?) went into that.

[leehljp]

Green with envy here! Beautiful!

[Ken Massingale]

An excellent piece of woodworking furniture, Mike. Be proud.

[Pappy]

That is a slick set up, Mike!

[lrogers]

Drool. drool. drool! That's a sharp set up!

[gad5264]

Very nice Mike, I am envious.

[jziegler]

They all look great! Very nice work.

Jim

[bthere]

Looks absolutely geat. What nice setups.

[Ed62]

Super job. It looks great. And functional.

Ed

[mater]

That is great looking work. I love it.

[MBG]

Thanks for all the compliments. I really had fun (most of the time) making the cabinet/router table.

They're all nice pieces of work. I'm just getting around to building sometime to mount an extra set of rails for my BT.

Since you've traded up I have to ask if you could describe some of the differences between your BT3000 and the Unisaw. I keep seeing deals on used ones locally and wonder whether it's worth trading up and why.

Everybody’s situation is different but my first TS was the BT3000. I think I paid about $450 for it. I upgraded to a newer BT3100 when they were around $200 and was able to almost recover my cost by parting out the old BT3000. I also bought a second BT3100 for around $120 at HD when they had a sale and accepted a 20% HF coupon (see the Frankensaw). The BT's were a great saw. I couldn't see myself without one until I was in a Sears Essentials about two years ago and found I could get the Craftsman 22124 for $500 including tax. I missed some of the features of the BT (and still do) but the added power, Biese fence, no SMT to adjust, and larger table top were the biggest improvements I experienced. The 22124 got me the itch for a Uni (a full size cabinet saw – huge trunnions compared to the 22124). I looked at several used saws locally but they were either in bad condition or over priced. On another forum I saw a place called toolsplus.com had a sale on a left tilt Uni X5 with Biese 50" fence system and mobile base for about $1500 delivered to my garage - couldn't pass it up. So sold my 22124 and hopefully have my last TS.

Other personal things, for me, came into the equation for upgrading my TS's. I have 5-kids and when they were young took a lot of joyful attention. No that my youngest is 14 I have more free time to work in the shop. I also have a friend who worked for me that retired and went into the home improvement business. Every once in a while he has me build a cabinet or some doors etc.. This helped me justify my new purchase.

Good-Luck….if this is your first saw I would stick with the BT for a while to see if you really are into woodworking. I have built many pieces of furniture and shop jigs on the BT over the years.

Mike