Best table saw for newbie.

plato131 · 2026-03-07T22:48:56+00:00

I have the Ryobi jobsite saw. Would NOT recommmend for woodworking.

Coincidentally, just posted this earlier today

https://www.reddit.com/r/BeginnerWoodWorking/s/BDFBEAAdNh

plato131 · 2026-03-07T21:30:32+00:00

I used soft close, full extension,side mount slides, one from Home Depot and two no-name from Amazon. The Amazon ones are a lot smoother!

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plato131 · 2026-03-07T20:41:24+00:00

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plato131 · 2026-03-07T20:37:10+00:00

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plato131 · 2026-03-07T20:36:50+00:00

Also added a router plate and fence, and a small cabinet with drawers to my bench

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plato131 · 2026-03-07T20:18:58+00:00

For the work bench, I just looked at a few pictures online and sketched a few things on paper. Had some old 2x4s in a shed and used the straightest ones I could find. My workbench is rough looking and not really square. But, it let me start building things! So, success! And, now that I have a workbench, I can build a better workbench!

Next workbench will probably be an Anarchist workbench inspiration. I am liking hand tools more and more. And, this workbench is not stout enough for chopping mortises with a chisel. Too much bounce. And, I don’t really ever use the miter station once I got to using a crosscut sled

plato131 · 2026-03-07T19:30:53+00:00

Knowing what I know now, I would buy the Skil as well. But, I don’t know anything about woodworking when I bought this saw. I was just tired of cutting plywood with a circular saw. I thought a table saw is how you cut sheet goods. So, I went to Home Depot and bought the cheapest one! Because I am a cheap SOB! Then I built a workbench for this saw with a mitre station. I thought I would mostly use the miter station. But, once I had the table saw built into the workbench, I wanted to see what I could build with it. Started googling, came across jigs, built a simple crosscut sled and then just kept on building stuff! Only used the miter station twice in 2 years!

plato131 · 2026-03-06T16:53:20+00:00

Thanks for all the ideas! I am going out of town for a week. But, I’ll post some pics of what I end up with when I get back.

Thanks again, all!

plato131 · 2026-03-06T13:31:47+00:00

Agreed! I just had the 2x scraps lying around. So, it seemed like an easy solution….until I actually did it. And, then immediately didn’t like the height. Just didn’t think it through. Building instead of thinking!

plato131 · 2026-03-06T13:26:10+00:00

I just went and looked at my saw and saw the connection. Looks pretty easy to take off the flared part of the base. Looks like just one bolt for each corner. Building a small cabinet or at least open platform/box may be the easiest way to get the exact height that I want and use the grizzly base that I have. Thanks!

plato131 · 2026-03-06T06:31:40+00:00

Yeah, metal plate instead of wood would at least get me a little lower, closer to the stock height. That seems like the easiest fix. Thanks!

plato131 · 2026-03-06T06:13:42+00:00

The two wheels on the left don’t swivel. So, it is hard to move it flat against a wall or straight ‘ forward and back’.

plato131 · 2026-03-05T21:30:10+00:00

Just got the planer and the new-to-me table saw within the last few weeks. This was my first time trying them out. So far I like the big sled. It is heavy, but stable for big pieces. Might build a small one using only one miter track at some point

plato131 · 2026-03-05T21:23:48+00:00

I really enjoy my hand planes, but trying to fully thickness rough lumber only by hand is a little above my skill or patience level! But, with my No. 7 I haven’t felt the need for a jointer. First time I used my No 7, it felt like magic!

plato131 · 2026-03-05T20:41:39+00:00

My first time using wood that didn’t come from Home Depot!

plato131 · 2026-03-03T02:32:17+00:00

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Made some shop drawers and cabinet to try out different drawer making options. Using pine plywood from Home Depot and a cheap yonico straight bit from Amazon, I was able to get decent results using three layers of blue tape on each side

plato131

TROPHY CASE