building cabinets with contractors saw?

[2cool2hear]

I wanted to buy a cabinet's saw table but they're out of my price range so I'm thinking about buying Ridgid r4512 to build cabinets. Am I asking for trouble?

 

[southalabama]

We built mahogany bookcases for a law office with a craftsman contractors tablesaw.

You shouldn't have any problems. Just set the fence up accurate.

 

[kctyphoon]

Absolutely not.. The guy I bought my platinum delta contractors saw from, with biesemeyer fence and extension table, and delta radial arm saw from had bought/used them to build his own custom kitchen with. It was beautiful, and the best part was I got both saws for $225 each - which is amazing considering the radial alone retailed for $1200 at the time, and both saws were completely spotless..

Just wanted to ad - Craigslist is an amazing source for machines like this.. Between private sales and estate sales you can find amazing deals. I just recently saw an ad for an entire rigid wood shop set up, for pennies on the dollar..

 

[maxwage]

Of course not.. as long as you don't get a junker, and make sure it's tuned up i.e. square fence, table, blade you'll be good to go.

The only drawback is the table size when ripping down sheets, but you can easily build a bench around the saw to make that task much more manageable.

 

[RivennHewn]

My friend had a junker table saw.

We put a Forrest Woodworker blade and a link belt on it.

The thing cut so good we barely had to use the jointer on the face frames and inset doors.

It's all about the set up.

 

[PugetDude]

In order of importance:

1. Skill
2. Blade
3. Fence
4. Saw

Years ago, I watched a carpentry crew in Hong Kong doing a retail store build out; lots of casework and built-ins. Their millwork was top-notch, they were using mostly hand tools; the only power saw on the site was a $10 Chinese skilsaw turned upside down and bolted to a piece of used concrete form plywood nailed to a couple of bamboo sawhorses. They had a piece of 2x2 mahogany clamped to the top for a fence. It wasn't pretty, but it worked.

Any contractors saw is more than capable of accurately cutting the parts and pieces needed to build a set of cabinets-if you take the time to install the right blade and set it up properly.

Good luck with your project.

 

[kctyphoon]

Here - I don't know if you happen to be close to jersey, but here is almost your entire woodworking shop, with all matching rigid equipment, for $750.. That's a pretty good price if that's for everything in the add.. All you would really need to finish it out would be a jointer and surface planer.. If I didn't have the stuff it do, I would probably buy this..


http://newjersey.craigslist.org/tls/4805295797.html

 

[thewatusi]

I built some cabinets using a straight edge and a circular saw. They turned out tight and square.

Now I own a cheapo craftsman table saw from CL.

When it comes to woodworking, patience is more important than expensive tools.

 

[CTyankee]

I built some cabinets using a straight edge and a circular saw. They turned out tight and square.

Now I own a cheapo craftsman table saw from CL.

When it comes to woodworking, patience is more important than expensive tools.

Now you've gone and done it..

My New Years resolution is to stop posting in any table saw related thread. Still got a few days to go...

 

[thewatusi]

Ha

I'll amend my post by adding that if I was woodworking professionally I would definitely own a cabinet saw with a huge outfeed table and a top of the line fence.

Just doing 2-3 projects a year that isn't needed imo.

 

[rapid robert]

I have used a craftsman pro contractors saw to build plenty of cabinets...will agree with comments about patience and correct setup

 

[kossuth]

Agreed. I have a jobber table saw. Built several cabinets and drawers. Not anything kitchen grade (for the garage) but they turned out well. In my case I would rough cut the sheets with my circular saw if the table saw was big enough. There were certain faces and backs though that were too large to go on the table saw so I setup a fence on the material and used my litte battery powered circular saw with a quality blade. Multiple ways to do it.

 

[dnschmidt]

If you don't mind living in sawdust there is little difference between a Delta contractor's saw and a Unisaw. I've had both. The enclosed base with a dust collector is the key advantage of the cabinet saw over the contractor's saw.

 

[allinon72]

I've built the following with a Dewalt DW745 portable table saw and Diablo blade

 

[Outlawmws]

I built some cabinets using a straight edge and a circular saw. They turned out tight and square.

Now I own a cheapo craftsman table saw from CL.

When it comes to woodworking, patience is more important than expensive tools.

Been there done that, still do it on occasion...

 

[turbowoodworker]

Allinon,
Very nice work. you should be proud regardless of which tools you use.

 

[senlow]

Quote:
Originally Posted by thewatusi
I built some cabinets using a straight edge and a circular saw. They turned out tight and square.

Been there done that, still do it on occasion...

Same here. I built several cabinets with a Craftsman (Skil made) circular saw and a straight edge. I was able to make tight fitting cabinets with that combination.

I presently use a Delta Contractors Saw with a clone of a Biesemeyer fence that I built. It's my opinion that a good, properly adjusted fence is more important than the saw.

 

[Mark118]

Allinon72 - The cherry chest with the inset top is stunning; great work!

 

[theoldwizard1]

As long as the fence locks down well and you have a good blade, you won't have any problems.

Get you plywood rough cut before your bring it home.

 

[machine_punk]

I used to intern with a cabinet builder. It sure was fun to go use his fancy saws, which made super-accurate cuts with little effort, but the truth is that I could duplicate the results at homeowner-grade, handheld power tools.

Skill and technique account for most of the quality of the build. Of course, you cannot do good work with tools which have bad bearings and too much runout, but you don't need a $1000 table saw to do good work, either.

All the woodworking shows make it look like they get great cuts, first time, every time. The truth is, there is up to 30 minutes of setup between each cut, with test cuts until you get it right.

You will be fine with that saw.

Kev

 

[BQuicksilver]

I have the Dewalt 744 contractor saw as my primary woodworking saw, and have had no issues. On occasion you need a friend, circular saw, or lots of outfeed help, but otherwise you can do professional quality work.

I'll requite pudgetdude, and add a 2a
1. Skill
2a Saw setup
2b Blade
3. Fence
4. Saw

 

[SlowPoke-Canada]

I wanted to buy a cabinet's saw table but they're out of my price range so I'm thinking about buying Ridgid r4512 to build cabinets. Am I asking for trouble?

I love this saw and I've used some pretty good industrial saws in the past. I could afford a better saw but found it hard to justify the cost for something I will use so little. I put some faith in the many positives reviews and I'm glad I did.

 

[maxwage]

I'm only 31 and have started my contracting career in high school trades classes, and the adage older, wiser craftsmen gave me some of the best advice of my life...

"It's not the tool that makes the man, it's the man behind the tool."

Truth being my close neighbor allinon72 and his fine example of craftsmanship with a portable table saw. I own a Bosch 4100 with gravity rise stand, but the rack and pinion system on the Dewalt is superbly superior to the fence on my saw.

 

[SlappyWhite]

You need to spend more time and care when setting up. I have built all kinds of cabinets and furniture with mine. A good blade goes without saying...

 

[rharman]

Cast iron top, big motor, ability to add auxiliary tables - looks like a winner.

One more vote for good blade. It took me some time to get used to spending $60-$80 for a blade but it is well worth it.

Get, or build, zero clearance inserts too. That goes a long ways towards splinter free cuts.