TableSaw

B

Busbee Cue

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Hello,

I have a question about an old 9" belt driven craftsman table saw with a 1/2 hp motor. Is this going to be powerful enough to saw 1.5 squares of hardwoods from larger boards? This saw is in very good shape and very heavy with a steel top but not sure if 1/2 hp would be strong enough.

Any information would be appreciated.
 
My dad has had one like that for atleast 50 years. Still works great.
I believe the table is cast iron not steel.
With a sharp blade it will cut 1.5 stock all day long.
Just take your time.
 
it will depend on the blade randy. the better the blade, the easier it will be on the saw. if you have problems with the saw, give me call, you can come over and use my 3hp cabinet saw,

ps- call after the 1st. i'm out of town till then
 
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Make sure you have a good sharp carbide blade and don't push the wood too fast and it should do it.
 
Happy Holidays everyone.

Thanks for all the replies, I truly appreciate it. I already have a saw for the big stuff but ran across this small old craftsman saw that needs a good cleaning for $50. I thought about getting it for some smaller cutting jobs but was not sure if a 1/2 hp was capable of cutting ebony and such.
 
It sounds like you've gotten good information above. I'll simply toss in that the blade manufacturers are also pushing their thin kerf rip saw blades for lower power saws. Due to forum rules I can't give you any links, but all of them have one or more.

One disadvantage of these blades is that you may have to remove your splitter at the back of the table - sometimes the splitter is wider than the cut line in the wood.

Good Luck!

Gary
 
Merry Christmas,

I ended up getting a used Rigid TS3650 contractor saw. The top has surface rust
but with a good cleaning it should look almost new and it was a steal for $120.
 
I just had to replace my motor on mine. I would suggest to not skimp on the blade and go for at least 1 1/2 hp for the long run.
The 1 hp I have is okay but would love to have more.
 
Busbee Cue said:
Merry Christmas,

I ended up getting a used Rigid TS3650 contractor saw. The top has surface rust
but with a good cleaning it should look almost new and it was a steal for $120.
Click to expand...

That's the saw I have and I love it!! :love2:

I used Boeshield Rust Free to remove what little rust mine had and then rubbed it down with Boeshield T-9 protectorant. Worked great!

You can set them up really well - at one time, at least - mine would pass the nickel test - I could stand a nickel on edge, turn on the saw and the nickel would still be standing after the blade came up to full speed!!

Also, with the adjustable fence, you can get it dead nuts parallel with the blade - just make yourself a jig with a dial indicator.

Enjoy!

Gary
 
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