Old Craftsman Table Saw Upgrades11/16/2021
125 (Prior Lake / Lakeville dakota / scott ) pic hide this posting restore restore this posting. An often overlooked feature of table saws, at least for new buyers, that can literally make or break the tool is the table saw fence.Craftsman 1 1/2 HP Table Saw Motor w Switch & Cords from 315 saw. At first glance this saw looks a little like a rust bucket, but looks can be deceiving.When it comes to table saws a ton of focus gets put on the sexy metrics of horsepower and table size. The short of it is that the saw has the potential to be a nice addition to my shop. For one, the Craftsman has a more powerful motor, allowing the saw to support using a dado stack. Without a doubt, the older Craftsman table saws are decent tools and are considerably better than my little Delta contractor saw.
Old Craftsman Table Saw S Upgrade For TheseI replaced the blade with a Forrest Woodworker II.Have ever tried to make finishing cuts only to have the wood start to bind and burn at the end because the table saw fence won’t stay aligned? Or maybe your cuts never seem to come out straight because the fence has started to warp?I have said on more than a few occasions that I have been very happy with my Grizzly hybrid table saw. This is a popular upgrade for these old saws, but the documentation out there on how to do it is pretty sparse.My trusty old Craftsman tablesaw seems to have less and less Sears components in it as the years go by. In this instructable, I'll cover the procedure for installing a Delta 36-T30 T2 fence & rail system onto a Craftsman 113.298762.While this is a great option, and one used by some of the top table saw manufacturers, these materials can be prone to warping over time. The steel components give the whole system good rigidity and some heft while the aluminum keeps the fence lightweight enough to move around easily.Some fences have composite or plastic edges that, in theory, allow for less resistance against the while making a cut. MaterialMost high-quality table saw fences will be built with a combination of steel and aluminum. Here are a few things to look out for when upgrading your table saw fence. For the most part, I’m always able to get it to work but have had to become a little more acquainted with the jointer to clean up my edges before glue-ups! What Makes for A Good Table Saw Fence?Table saw fences should be sturdy, lock into place with little play, and be long enough to support your piece all the way through a cut. Shortly after I bought the saw Grizzly actually discontinued the model and released a similar model with a far superior table saw fence system, for what it’s worth.The fence on my saw has way too much play in it which leads to misalignment to the blade when locking it down.SizeThis should come without saying but choose the right size fence for your saw! Table saw fences come in a number of different sizes both for the fence itself and the rails. This helps ensure that the fence itself will stay square to the blade. There is just way to much play when locking it down so I can never fully trust that it will be well aligned.Most high quality table saw fence upgrades will have a wide guide surface against the rails and multi point locking system. As I said earlier, this is the biggest shortcoming on the fence on my table saw. Locking MechanismThe mechanism to lock the table saw fence in place to the rails can truly make or break the fence.Check the fit of each for your specific saw as some are designed to work with certain brands of table saw only. The Best Table Saw FencesHere are a few of the best table saw fence systems available right now. Systems like this are extremely well made and a great upgrade but also cost quite a bit more than a drop on fence. RailsAre you looking for a new fence and rail system or just a fence to drop onto your existing table saw rails? This will dictate which options you have available to you.Some table saw fences, like the Incra fence we’ll talk about a bit later, come fully integrated with their own rail system. This helps to keep your pieces supported all the way through a cut. The Jet XACTA, for example, is an extremely well rated fence but it is almost impossible to find rails for it anymore so unless it fits on your existing saw you may be out of luck.If you have an old saw though, or just a saw with a cheap, bad fence, upgrading your fence can breathe new life to your saw and its capabilities. Other Table Saw Fence Upgrade OptionsThere are a few other table saw fence upgrade options, like the Delta T3 system or Jet XACTA, that are designed to fit specific brands or models of saws. Whereas my old fence has a lot of play while I lock it down.This fence is a great upgrade option for folks with older saws or just cheap fences and don’t necessarily want to spend the money on an absolute top-of-the-line system.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply.AuthorVicente ArchivesCategories |