rthorne

My Feedback: (29)

Guys, can a 10" table saw be used as effectively as a 4" table saw like the Microlux or Dremel.

I'd like to add a new tool to the shop for cutting plywood and such. I like the table saw's as I can probably get a straighter cut as compared to my scroll saw with a thin blade which can be warped during the cutting process.


A 10" table saw would be nice from a price standpoint. A good 10" table saw can be purchased for half the cost of the Microlux 4" saw.

BMatthews

For cutting balsa and model sized plywood you can get a thin kerf 8 inch blade that only wastes 1/16 inch and use it within the depth of cut limits just fine.

You'll "only" be able to cut balsa blocks up to around 2 inches thick. Then you need to put the 10 inch blade back on and loose the extra 1/16 with the 1/8 kerf.

And the ability to cut regular lumber and plywood for house projects or flightline boxes is a bonus. You've obviously got the room for the full size saw or there wouldn't be a question.

Sold yet....

smitymax

I have both a 10" table saw and a raial arm saw and use them both. It gets kinda dicey cuttting the relatively thin plywood and balsa and relatively small pieces such as firewalls etc. If I could afford it and had the room I would get a smaller saw such as the 4". If you are only going to use it for your models I would go for the smaller saw. If you want to use a saw for household projects, which I do, then you can use the regular size and make it do for the model cutting but be careful cutting the small pieces. dont use you fingers to push the wood through the blade. (Of course the same it true if your cutting regular lumber... keep the fingers away from the blade!!!

I think you will find for the model building the smaller saw will be much more efficent and useful. Good luck..

mglavin

My Feedback: (31)

I've been here and done this one...

I bought a Jarmac 4" saw. Nice saw, but not much power for plywood. Great for balsa and thin ply.

Then I finally found a Dremel 4" saw, major difference in power.

Still not completely satisfied though. I fly GS models and find myself chopping 1/4" and 5/16" 5-ply every now and then. This stuff really bogs down the small saws... So I of I went and bought a Makita 8" table saw, yee hah this is one fine saw... I found a high tooth count carbide [can't remember the number] excellent results...

Didn't go the MicroLux route, but nearly did after the poor performance of the Jarmac. If you go with the smaller saw there is a new kid on the block. They offer lots of high quality model power tools. Green in color, saw them at the local LHS. German manufactured I think. The name evades me. Pretty sure their advertising in mag's.

Lee Belew

My Feedback: (2)

rthorne

I have a 10" radial arm saw. Bought about 30 yrs ago.
A 10" table bought last year.
and A 4" Dremel saw bought new about 25 yrs ago.

I use all three.
The two big saws Blow saw dust all over my shop plus those are very dangerous blades that stop for nothing. The 4" saw has a 40 tooth tungsten carbide blade and will make a real mess of you if you put your hand in the wrong place.
My favorite for modeling is the 4" saw. much safer and easier to use and easier to move. I almost never have anything to cut that this will not do the job.

My next favorite is the radial arm. It is so easy to cut the dihedrial into two wing halves and it makes such a beautiful cut. The two wing halves fit together without any void space. And it is easy to cut a wing apart and remove part of the dihedrial after a newby has learned to fly a little and gets tired of the pure trainer. This usually happend with most after about the tenth flight. You can also clamp the wood down and cut very small pieces. Very easy to make angle cuts.

With the table saw the space between the table surface and the saw is too great to cut really small pieces. I use the table saw for building field boxes and for other larger chores.
Yes the small saws are expensive but once you get one noone will be able to take it away from you. I have been offered $250.00 for my Dremel saw many times. But the saw is worth a lot more than that to me.

Hope this helps.
Lee
[email protected]

BMatthews

There's a very simple trick that you can use for cutting thin material on a large table saw. Just clamp a sub fence of wood to the main fence. Use a couple of little strips of paper for clearance so the sub fence doesn't drag and carry on as normal. I do this all the time for cutting anything thinner than 1/8 on my big saw. And of course you only let the blade protrude enough to just clear the top surface of the material being cut.

As for the dust you got me there. No doubt about it a big saw makes big dust. And we all know how balsa dust likes to float....

If you can only have ONE saw then make it a big one and adapt it to work with the thin material. If you can spare the room and cost then a little model sized one as a second saw would certainly be convenient. And sometimes it's convenience that counts.

I personally like bandsaws. I've got a super big all cast iron antique one for big wood projects and a little 3 wheeler for model stuff. Don't want to give up either.

Dennis DiBona

I recommend the 10" saw is so much more versatile and can do anything a 4" saw can do and more. The idea of the 8" blade on it is a wonderful suggestion. My 10" saw has a port for my shop vac and really does remove most of the saw dust. I was going to get a 4" at one time but looked at my shop and saw the 10" saw, the jig saw and my Band saw. You can cut anything in modeling with those three with the correct blades and the know how. Like someone said to me one say OH Man If I had all those tools Norm Abrams has I could do all that stuff too.
never think a tool replaces the know how.

The DiBo :idea:

joebob

My Feedback: (14)

Actually, the thin kerf 10" blades only have around a 3/32" kerf, and you can find some smaller if you look around. The small 4" would be great for cutting small sticks and such, but the versatility of the 10" far outweighs the difference. If you have the bigger saw, you'll surely find uses for it. With just the small one, some day you'll find yourself saying, "Gee, I wish I had a bigger saw to cut this with!"

turbines

My Feedback: (9)

Personally if all you are going to build are balsa models and the occasional around the house building projects I would go with a table top model of the full size table saw variety. There are many brands to choose from and they are not expensive. The many types of blades that are offered are too many to count. Most of them will fit under your work bench or where-ever out of the way. I have seen some home built dust collection gadgets for the these saws also. One thing to remember like Norm Abrams says,"Always read the owners manual, wear your safety glasses and don't drink and saw.

joebob

My Feedback: (14)

You're right about the dust collection. Most saws can ve fitted, or many alreday come fitted, with a dust port that will allow you to hook your shop vac to it. You can get inexpensive shop vacs and one of the table top 10" saws and you'll have something that will serve you well for model building as well as occasional bigger jobs around the house.

I am a woodworker as well as a modeller, so I tend to gravitate toward the bigger size machinery.

BMatthews

I was actually refering to using thin kerf 8 inch blades. That's why the "only up to 2 inch before you need to change" comment. The inference being that the 8 inch blade on the 10 inch saw would do probably 95% of our modeling needs and loose less balsa in the process.

But you're quite right for thin kerf 10 inch blades. Frankly at that point I wouldn't bother. It's so much easier to rely on the kerf being 1/8 and makes the math so much easier.....

Turbine- Good point about the saw type. The smaller topped ones are great for tucking away when not needed. But you definetley need a spare set of hands when chopping up a 4x8 sheet on them. If I got a compact one the first thing I would do is make up a little roll around base to hold the dust and have a little storage area for blades and tools for the saw. The only other shortcoming of the smaller machines is that the rip fences are often terrible. Too short and Too cheaply made. So if you go for a compact shop carefully. There ARE good ones but they are not that common.

turbines

My Feedback: (9)

If you do go with the table top 8-10" saw. One thing that will make it easier to use is a '0' clearance throat plate. With this plate the blade is surrounded with a minium clearance. With '0' clearance one can cut more narrow pieces or strips without the work piece slipping down inside the blade and throat plate that comes stock with the saw (the gap is too wide on stock plates). I made mine out of a wooden blank and it attaches to the table top just as the metal one did. With the saw blade all the way down or below the table top turn the saw on and slowly crank the blade up. The blade will make it's own '0' clearance as it cuts through the wooden insert.
Make or buy some push blocks or push sticks also. safety!
Use the false fence as stated earlier above, thin stuff will not slide under the metal fence if you use a wooden false fence.
Check out the Home Depot for the RIGID brand. Good warranty and good quality for a good price.