First impressions- MicroMark tilting arbor saw on sale

[pebbleworm]

MicroMarks' tilting arbor saw and accessories are currently on sale at 299 USD- about 80 USD off of what is usually goes for. Maybe this is a close-out since Proxxon changed the design of their saw a little while ago, maybe not. I bit and am liking the saw so far. It will take any 4" or so blade with a 10mm arbor, and there is a 1/2" arbor adapter available that will work with even more saw blades and slitting saws. The variable speed seems useful for plastics and some wood cutting. Some reviews complain about the fence, but this little thing is not a Delta Unisaw, Just use some care, a square and a 1-2-3 block to set up the fence in a matter of seconds. I also sprung for the Accurizer fence and like it- works well and is as sturdy as it needs to be. The shell is molded in black which makes the molded in scales hard to read, but I filled them with white paint and solved the problem. the motor has plenty of power to cut through 1"+ walnut. The saw is light enough and powerful enough that it needs to be mounted to the bench somehow. Otherwise you can end up pushing the saw around as you cut larger stock. I've been using just a couple stops on a workmate bench but that is sub-optimal. The Micromark bench clamp looks like it would work well, but is so simple I'm sure I can find a scrap yard alternative. This is a big improvement over the little Proxxxon bench saw I was using before and at the sale price a pretty good deal. I don't have the room for a full size saw so this is worth the premium price just because I can put it away on a shelf.

 

[catopower]

Congratulations on the purchase Pebbleworm!

I think you'll find yourself using the table saw a lot. We have the Proxxon version in our club workshop and it does everything you need a small table saw to do. The Accurizer is a very well done tool. I knew the guy who originally developed it for the old Dremel table saws.

Happy cutting! (watch your fingers...)

Clare

 

[pebbleworm]

After using it for a few months I am pretty happy with it. Despite what I said earlier, it does bog down on heavier cuts and it took some careful stock selection to cut salvaged boards down into stripwood. I get a kick out of turning trash into model parts and really wanted the capability to cut down street find furniture. After working with plastic so long I get a cheap thrill when I throw my scraps into the compost! I had been using a Rockwell Bladerunner- pretty much a unitized upside down saber saw-
http://www.toolboxbuzz.com/power-tools/saws/rockwell-bladerunner-review-model-rk7320/
I could cut thicker pieces but it was hard to keep a long straight cut with the fence it came with. I have no room in a city apartment so a full size table saw is just out of the equation. BUT in the 1930s and 40's there were a lot of small 7" blade tilting table saws produced. They show up on craigslist occasionally, but are dirt cheap because they usually need to have a motor added or have not been run in years. Here is one like I found:
http://vintagemachinery.org/photoindex/detail.aspx?id=18029
Very solid cast iron construction makes for smooth operation, but they are heavy One advantage for model work is it has a 1/2" saw arbor so blades from a Dremel saw will bolt right in, as will a lot of larger trim saw blades. I am getting great results with a Freud Diablo blade that with a 1/16" kerf is just as narrow as the Dremel blades I have:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00008WQ2R/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
These saws are solid and simple. They have nice full size features like raising and lowering the blade, a solid fence, decent quality miter gauge and a tilting top instead of a tilting arbor. The tilt top is fine for model work, but close to terrifying with a sheet of plywood which is probably why so many of these little saws got put away in the shed. They show up pretty frequently on Craigslist near me, usually in neglected condition but cheap. Since they are so simple they are easy to fix- after a new pair of oilite bushings and a good cleaning they are ready to go. Just make sure that the fence and miter are complete and still with the saw. The fence on mine takes a little fiddling to adjust just so, but once it is in position it's not going anywhere. You'll have to find a motor to drive it, which can be a fun hunt itself. I'm using a 1/2 HP 1725 RPM fan motor out out of a condemned building and am getting a nice finish while cutting down a walnut award plaque and a mahogany tabletop. With that motor I have some belt interference when using as much of the 4" Dremel blade as possible, but a 3450 RPM motor would use a much smaller pulley and eliminate that problem. Or put the motor under the saw, or as I'm doing use a bigger thin blade. Mine is now mounted on a board with the motor behind the saw and I can put it away on a shelf. The whole assembly is (at a guess) a little over 50 pounds. I'd rather have it lighter which I could probably do with a brushless DC motor but that is a project for the future. It was an interesting project getting the saw up and running and already I see it as a very useful tool. Plus, it's fun to keep some old machinery in operation!

 

[secharles]

has anyone done a write-up of using a circular saw mounted upside down in a milk crate? good circular saws can be had new for less than $100.