Hey guys,
This is a first attempt at making a homemade tablesaw for cutting thin material.
I slapped this first prototype together in around two hours (hence the crappy Nokia pictures), mainly because it was freezing cold inside my shop and I had a hurt elbow and only the bandsaw to cut plywood strips (which lead to massive hand-planing of the cuts to straighten them – surprisingly easy on plywood with a well-honed plane blade).
Anyway, here are a few shots of my latest hoax, all made with recycled parts (I have quite a bunch of electric motors of various sizes and powers, DC or AC).


A nice surprise I got when giving it its first run is that that thingie ejects almost all the sawdust downwards, hence absolutely nothing is flying around:


Now that’s a nice thing when fooling around with MDF, as was the case here.
Now that it’s up and running, I’ll mod it by reducing the main arbor and concealing the motor under the work surface, add it T-tracks, a fence, and an auto-feed system with rollers and featherboards to cut very long strips with ease. I first designed this mini TS for making bindings and other inlay strips.
The next level will be using a round unteethed paper-cutter circular blade, to get ultra-smooth cuts on thin material (the current blade handled the 5mm MDF without trouble).
Now, what are your impressions? :)
-- Thomas - There is no such thing as a problem, there only are solutions.

















8 comments so far
mafe
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8084 posts in 1286 days
#1 posted 846 days ago
Really nice, this is the way to go.
Build tools, use tools, upgrade tools!
Is the little motor really strong enough?
Really cool work there.
Best thoughts,
Mads
-- Mad F, the fanatical rhykenologist and vintage architect. Democraticwoodworking.
Sodabowski
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1903 posts in 1029 days
#2 posted 846 days ago
Yep, it’s really powerful for an old crappy motor. If need be, I’ll replace the magnets with NdFeB ones if I find them in the same sizes :)
-- Thomas - There is no such thing as a problem, there only are solutions.
tdv
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1113 posts in 1266 days
#3 posted 846 days ago
Thomas that’s the way to do it. Proxxon make miniature drills sawbenches etc. & they start at about £120 – around three hundred & fifty yours will do the same job. Thats inventiveness
Cheers & keep practicing the modes
Best
Trevor
-- God created wood that we may create. Trevor East Yorkshire UK
Sodabowski
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1903 posts in 1029 days
#4 posted 846 days ago
Yep, they sell all things Proxxon where I work :) I’m already working on the second powertol: a MDF bandsaw. More to come soon!
-- Thomas - There is no such thing as a problem, there only are solutions.
Bertha
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12906 posts in 890 days
#5 posted 846 days ago
Very very cool. I’ve always wondered why the mini power tools were so expensive.
-- My dad and I built a 65 chev pick up.I killed trannys in that thing for some reason-Hog
Dennisgrosen
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10851 posts in 1312 days
#6 posted 846 days ago
now thats nice :-)
what sawblade did you used one of proxxon´s or a blade from a dremell like maschine
you can bett I will follow this on the edge of the chair
take care
Dennis
Dave
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9401 posts in 1036 days
#7 posted 845 days ago
I think you will need a sawstop mini. Jk ;) I like what you have done.
-- Superdav "No matter where you go - there you are." http://chiselandforge.com
Sodabowski
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1903 posts in 1029 days
#8 posted 845 days ago
@Dennis: it’s a blade I had bought years ago, I don’t remember the brand, but I’ll check, as they still sell these where I work :)
@dave hahaha :D thx :)
-- Thomas - There is no such thing as a problem, there only are solutions.
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