miter saw or table saw

[fiddlebanshee]

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So would a pair of sturdy sawhorses be enough, or should I get something bigger?

 

[ranchhand]

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I thought it was "Watch your fingers!"

Ed

That too!

I use sawhorses and a sheet of plywood for a work surface. the key is to have really sturdy sawhorses. And heavy plywood.

 

[Dogfish]

Buy in this order if you intend to build projects on a regular basis.

1. Circular saw (Mag 77 is my choice)
2. Compound miter saw that slides. (I will allow you to cut up to 12" wide boards)
3. Table saw. Excellent tool especially when ripping a lot of the same width boards, or when there is a need to make custom wood sizes.

A good wormdrive saw like the Mag 77 is extremely versatile and the gold standard for circular saws. You can rip sheets of plywood by making a rip fence, and lining up your speed square on the left side you can make square end cuts on boards.

I'd buy all three.

 

[write2caroline]

I got my husband a compound miter saw years and years ago when we were first married and he hardly used it! Maybe twice. He just had to have it! Soooooo, 18 years later... I found I use it all the time. It is the most useful power tool in my opinion next to the power drill. I use it on every project and he laughs and reminds me it is his saw!

I think every weekend builder should have one....Think of all the projects you can do! YUP Yup Yup that is the one I would get if I were you!

Caroline

 

[RocketDad]

I have a dewalt miter saw, and I love it. Overkill, but I bought it when I was doing trim carpentry. Cheap saws are not worth the savings.

I don't have a table saw, and don't have space for one in my tiny shop. I use sawhorses, a circular saw, and a straight piece of wood. I made my "rip stick" with a factory-edge from a piece of cabinet grade plywood (about 5" wide), screwed to a strip of masonite about a foot wide. The edge of the masonite shows where the blade edge is, so you line that up with the marks on the sheet you are going to cut, instead of measuring the width of the base of the saw every time. Saves a lot of hassle. I'll try to take a picture and post it after I drop the youngest off at preschool.

Actually, I do have a table saw of sorts, it's a jig for my circular saw. It's pretty scary to everyone but me.

You have to have a good, solid, flat work surface to get accurate and safe cuts in plywood. I use a pair of sawhorses and drop a pair (or more) of sacrificial 2x4's across it to make a good table. Remember, you want to support both sides of the cut to get a good line. If your workpiece or offcut are going to fall when the cut is complete, you're doing it the hard way.

I used to have a 4'x8' cutting table made ladder style with 2x2 with a set of folding table legs on the bottom. Worked it to death, and haven't had cause to rebuild it yet, but the openness of the minimal frame gives lots of places to put clamps.

My Golden Rule: Safety first, beer later, what's for lunch is third; quality is "job four."

 

[G2Shooter]

Buy them all!! You can never have too many tools.

 

[fiddlebanshee]

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I am having trouble getting my head around this. I see your point and have been thinking about the fall when cutting is complete, and I don't know how to fix it. If I use two sawhorses the cut will always fall away, no? Unless I use four sawhorses and make the cut between the middle two. what are your sacrificial 2x4s doing and where do you place them? If you put them where you are cutting, I don't see how they would provide additional support. Maybe I just need some more coffee?

 

[fiddlebanshee]

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Lol. Not when also having a house built and moving. Resources are rather at a premium these days.

 

[Ridgerunner]

If you set your saw penetration on your circular saw where you barely cut through the plywood and only a small cut through the sacrificial 2x4's they will not fall away. You get a cleaner cut on the plywood this way too. Somebody mentioned that a in an earlier post.

 

[Chickens-246]

Some Craftsman and among other brands have table saws with a built in miter table. The miter table slides on two rails and locks in place when not in use. Some table saws one can mount a router, making moldings is a breeze with the fence.