Lowes Brand 10" table saw

blgoode

blgoode

Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Oct 3, 2003
Messages
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I have been using the table saw at work wich is a heavy duty one with loads of power. Anyway I need one at the house and I got a giftcard for Lowes for fathers day. Will the Tradesman brand they carry be fine to cut slab handle material? Just looking for something small to keep out of the way when not in use. They also have a nice (2 times the money) Hitachi saw I have been eyeing but know nothing about it either.
Any opinions would be great! :D
 
Just depending on how hard / thick the wood is It should not have much of a prob. I have a delta the same amps I think....... Anyways It can cut 1" oak pretty easy. Just make sure to take it easy and have a sharp blade
 
I would think at the most I will want to be able to rip 2 1/2" x 3/8" slabs out of say cocobolo. What do you think?
 
If I said anything about cocobolo I would be lying :( .. Im sorry Ive never messed with that stuff. But....... If cocobolo is as hard as I think it is I dont think the saw would have a problem. At least not with 3/8"
 
We started with a small band saw. The biggest problem is the diameter of the wheel. You may have to use very thin narrow blades. The blades are notorious for wandering their way through wood. We had new blades made but they cracked because of the small wheel. Most small bandsaws will not accept a 1/2" wide blade. I've found 1" to be optimal for slabing scales.

The next problem is accessories. You cannot get accessories for most smaller bandsaws. Roller bearing blade guides, resaw guides, miter guides, quick release fence, variable speed pulleys, extension block, etc.

Next is the machine construction. The wheels need to be made of cast iron or steel. This will provide inertia and keep the blade speed high. It is important to not have the motor slow down and kick in the start winding. If this happens continually the motor will burn out. The cutting table should be supported by a large trunion. If the trunion is too small the table will tip easily when pressure or weight applied to the edge of the table.

To test a bandsaw I recommend using desert ironwood or lignum vitae. Ironwood is hard and lignum sticks to the blade. If the saw will easily cut these woods it will cut every other wood.

I recommend a 14" as the minimum size for a wood bandsaw. If you have extra money buy a carbide tooth blade. It will last for years. Delta and Jet both make good 14" bandsaws. I inspected an 18" Rikon and it looked good but I've never seen the 14". Some of the Grizzleys are good and others make a good door stop.

If you decide to buy a Jet call the Jet factory outlet at 866-831-0722 (they're called Equipment Sales & Surplus). We just bought a "scratch & dent" Jet 18" and saved almost $500. Mechanically there was nothing wrong with it.
 
Thanks Wong.
Chuck, I am looking at a table saw to rip slabs on. I know what you mean about teh bandsaw. I keep thinking about one of the cheaper ones too but thats why I got rid of my small bandsaw years ago. Blade poped off and didnt cut well at all!
 
If you are cutting 2.5X3/8" slabs you are cutting 2.5" stock.In cocobola and hard stuff that will bog down a cheap saw.Get the biggest motor you can afford.And a GOOD carbide blade,not the $13 specials.
 
I bought a $99.00 Ryobi table saw from Home Depot 4 years ago and have used it ever since for cutting out handle materials. I do not buy scale slabs or blocks, but get either boards, turning blocks or slabs. I also do not use punky woods like boxelder of maple burl. Most of what I cut up is Ironwood, Mesquite, Manzanita burl, Osage Orange, Olive, etc. Often the pieces are thick onough that I have to make back cuts.

I wear out a 60 tooth carbide blade in about 6-8 months working part time. The saw just keeps on cutting.

$ for $ this is probably the best value power tool I have ever bought.
 
thanks fellas. Looks like the right blade can make the saw. They had a medium level saw that was $129.00 that may just have to do.
Looks Like I have some more shop planning to do ;)
 
BG, I bought a full size Ryobi fold up table saw for around $200 and it's handled everything I've thrown at it. Has a real nice rip fence on it too and it's nice having a bigger table when I need to cut up larger stuff. I was checking out Rigid's $500 fold up model when I noticed this one and checked all the specs and they're identical. Since it folds up, it stores away easy too.
 
We also bought a Ryobi table saw at Home Depot a few years ago as a throw away saw. We use it for cutting carbon fiber and G10. It is still going strong! It is a tough saw.

This year we sealed up the holes and put a dust collection adapter on the bottom. When we use it we turn on the dust collector. Doing this got rid of 90% of the dust.

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I use a Ryobi,too,and it works well as a handle cutter.Using a dust collection system is almost mandatory with exotic woods.Blades are 80% of the saws ability to cut well. Cutting some maple burls up can be a chore,even with a 12", 3HP belt drive saw.
 
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