Hi, this is my homemade table saw version 2.
Its based on the design of my previous homemade table saw
but with various design changes to make it
much easier to build. Unlike my previous saw,
this one doesn't tilt, the blade only goes up and down.
But, that's what makes it much easier to build.
I built mine with a Makita handheld circular saw
but realistically, most circular saws
from places like the Home Depot, can be used.
Here's 2 other cheap handheld circular saws.
And to make them fit, you have to print out the template
for the part that mounts right here.
And this one here is a little bit smaller, right here,
although it's square.
So you have to make that cut-out a little bit more squarish
to fit this one.
The Skill saw here is slightly more challanging
because it's a bit wider, so you have to widen this cut-out.
And it also has
this depth scale here, which gets in the way of
this piece of plywood that has to go here.
So, if you use that one, I'd recommend
you just cut this part off with a hacksaw.
On my previous homemade table saw,
I added a throat insert, and the reason I needed that
is when tilting the saw,
the blade actually moves to the side quite a bit,
because the saw doesn't use any trunions.
But, I found the insert came out a few times,
so I actually had to add some screws to hold it down.
And the whole thing just became too much of a
pain in the butt.
On my new design, I just eliminated the tilt mechanism.
And that makes the raising mechanism
a lot simpler.
And I don't need as robust a top because
I have more room to reinforce on the bottom.
And I don't need an insert
because the blade never moves side to side.
It is possible that this area around the blade
gets chewed up over time, but if that happens,
I can always route out a narrow channel and
just put a very narrow insert here.
Now, because this one doesn't have an insert,
blade changes have to be done from below,
or by flipping over the top.
Even though I used only basic tools
in building this saw, its not a project for
those that aren't mechanically inclined.
If you're intimidated by building this saw,
I'd recommend you just take a circular saw,
and bolt it to the bottom of a sheet of plywood,
like I did in my improvised table saw video.
I find this saw is fine for working to
about a quarter millimeter, or 64th of an inch,
but not beyond that because the arbor flange
is just too small and it's not permantly attached
to the arbor.
Compared to the arbor on my old Beeber table saw
you can see it's much bigger
and it's permanently bonded.
And you need that kind of stability if you want to work to
5 thou, or a tenth of a millimeter,
for precision joinery.
I built this saw using just some particle board
coutertop material that's only this thick.
And the nice thing about that is it already has
a really hard coating on it.
But, as I was building it, I realized
an old desk would also be a really
great material to use.
So, I made provisions in the plans for how to change it
for tops that are much thicker than what I used.
How good a saw like this cuts, very much depends
on how good your blade is, how good your saw is,
and how precisely it's built.
I have a very detailed set of plans
available for this saw on my website.
But, because the whole idea of this saw is,
it's a very inexpensive saw.
I priced it very low. So, in fact, the plans
cost about as much as I paid for this cheap saw blade.