JET sliding table 'review'
I (we) now have the sliding table in place on the new Xacta saw at the mesquite outfit. This is the large JET table...I'm not sure what the model number is, but for reference it was $749 at Woodcraft.
As I mentioned in the earlier post, it's necessary to drill several holes in the cabinet of the saw, and also to cut both the rails and the support tube of the Xacta fence to accommodate the add-on slider. Drilling the holes in the cabinet also requires removal of the 'dust tray' at the bottom of the cabinet. I was unable to actually get it out of the cabinet, but tilted it up and out of the way enough to bolt everything up. It was no easy chore to get back in place. In fact, I was ready to CUT it out instead of putting it back at all. Somebody else got in back in with a bit of help from a crowbar. :(
The table rig itself went together quite well. The guide tubes are heavy duty, and teh whole deal mounted parallel to the top as it should. Table travel smooth and straight. Fine adjustment for table height and 'travel play' is made with eccentric screws...something I think they coulda done a better job designing. The adjustment is extremely sensitive, and it's quite difficult to get both the height and slop (which would be none, ideally) right. Instructions call for the sliding table to be just a wee bit higher than the main table (20/1000). I'm not sure why it should be higher if you can get it 'right', and it went together well enough that I think we can get it right...so tomorrow I'm gonna do that.
The fence mounts at either the front or the rear of the table. It has to be at the rear to accommodate a full crosscut in a sheet of plywood, but seems like it would be more practical for normal use at the front. Completely by accident, we set it up square the first time...no need to tinker with it. The fence itself has a 62" measuring tape on it, so you can use that to get an idea of how much room the entire set up takes.
All we've done so far is put it through some simple 'test' paces. Tomorrow we'll throw a 3'x4' tabletop on it and see how it works with some weight on it...but it looks and feels to be a very well designed attachment.
KC
