Good morning -
Since I've made "extra room" in the shop I'm now looking for a small table-top saw. Something along the lines of 12-16" at the base with a blade that will raise up sufficiently to cut raw EVA (say 1.5 - 2" depth
of cut). Any recommendations?

I don't think that there are any really good small table saws avaliable new now. I use a Delta 9" saw that was made in the 50's. A little bigger than what you specify but smaller than a real table saw. It will work on a bench top. Sometimes you can find them at @#$%& or sales. 9" delta'rockwell "builders" saw. Made just like the larger "contractor" saw but smaller in all dimensions. Saw one go for $150 at a @#$%& last month. Wish I had bought it.

If you do locate a quality small table saw please post and let us know. I have been looking for a very high quality, small saw to re sell or to reccomend to customers to prepare increment core samples for ring dating, etc. So far I have been forced to go with 10" cabinet saws to get a flat steel table with no ribs and an arbor that will mount a dado head and is fairly stiff.

Dewalt seems to be doing a fairly good job of coming up with good designs now. I have not looked at their smaller saws lately, but I would check them if I were you. The Jet saw with the sliding table is a lot bigger than you are looking but it seems solid.

I happen to have a cast iron table saw that's a Craftsman built in the fifties with a new carbide blade for sale. It's got a 3/4 hp motor, and is in great shape. Email me if you're interested.

Bob Hughes
mgabob@comcast.net

Ken,
Micro-Mark sells a small, precision table saw that looks pretty good for fine work. The specs say it's good for a 1" depth of cut in soft material. It's a tilting arbor saw so you could even do angle work. Here's the link:

[www.micromark.com]

Watch out!!!! Small has a habit of turning into big. You may want a small saw now but I suspect before long you will need to build a new bench or some shelves or........ Get a servicable size saw if you at all have the space. Take a trip to your librabry and look thru the past issues of woodworking magazines. several rate tools from time to time. I seem to recall a pretty good rating on the portable saw the Home Depot sells

Thanks, Al - See I already have a full size table saw. The "problem" is that it doesn't "live" near in the rod building workshop and the kerf of that blade is quite wide (with large teeth) for heavy ripping and cross cutting. This one would be reserved for EVA / Hypalon and small wood & plastic trim rings.

I am pretty sure Dewalt makes a "portable" size table saw with big boy abilities. Check out Lowes or Home Depot. A friend has one, not sure the footprint size, but I carried it out of his garage and set it on some fold out legs. We were ripping 3/4 MDF with no problems.

Jim,

Thanks for the link. As complete tool fanatics my father and loved it.

Mark

Well, silly me. I thought this would be pretty easy to find --- NOT! The small 4" saws will only get a max depth of 1 inch. I was hoping for soft material to a depth of something like 1.5 - 2 inches to work with raw (unshaped) EVA or hypalon. I did look at the micromark - Nice saw Jim and thanks for that tip. I also looked at Proxxon saws but again max depth is 3/4". Oh, and since I'm a tool freak I was really drooling over the Proxxon mini-lathe... I'm still looking but will probably have to look for something that has a bigger footprint / larger blade size and I suppose I should have realized that from the outset. Tomorrow's foray will be a "great circle route" Harbor Freight, Lowes, Home Depot...
I've been using my bandsaw to cut this stuff but I think it really would be easier with a table saw.

Ok - well this is what I think I'm going to purchase to fill the "table saw" desire. Since I also do a bit of woood working / cabinet & trim installation for people this might fill multiple needs! Comments more than welcome! Below is the @#$%& item number.

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