A look at a german table saw (Rapid PK-100)

[Phil Thien]

I find it kinda odd that it has a sliding table considering how the blade tilts. I mean I'd much rather have a screw tilting arbor than a sliding table. Weird.

I guess it is all personal preference. Me, I'd prefer a sliding table w/ decent capacity, I don't change the blade's angle often enough to make the lack of a handwheel that big a deal.

Although, I recently picked a portable table saw (Porter Cable) over others because it DID have the handwheel for angle. But that was "an all other things being equal" decision.

[Dave Lehnert]

Welcome to the Creek.

Nice looking saw. Thanks for posting.
Be sure to post more of your tools. I am always interested in tools woodworkers use in other parts of the world.

[Loren Woirhaye]

This type of saw is often used as a "dimension saw", for cutting panels. Thus usually used for 90 degree cuts. Altendorf made a model that doesn't tilt at all. I think it was cheaper so shops could get a slider for what it's good for and use something else for angles.

[Judson Green]

I guess it is all personal preference. Me, I'd prefer a sliding table w/ decent capacity, I don't change the blade's angle often enough to make the lack of a handwheel that big a deal.

Although, I recently picked a portable table saw (Porter Cable) over others because it DID have the handwheel for angle. But that was "an all other things being equal" decision.

Yeah, I never changed angles much either, but when I did I tended to creep up on it and want to fine tune it. And frankly that sliding table looks kinda smallish, your not likely to be cutting up 4×8 sheets with it.

Dennis, could ya pass along some dimensions? I'm curious the length of travel on the sliding table.

And for the record, I think the table saw is cool (especially like the dovetail ways, you could make a rockin sled) just think its kinda funny how two countries develop and use essentially the same machine, quite differently.

[jack forsberg]

funny i thought rapid was Italian!

[Judson Green]

funny i thought rapid was Italian!

Then it would be rapido!

[Dennis Aspö]

I heard some comments before I bought it that it was Italian too (and that the top was not cast iron, but it clearly is), but I looked up the manufacturers site:
http://www.rapid-maschinenbau.de


Company profile:
http://www.rapid-maschinenbau.de/English/ego.html


Company history
http://www.rapid-maschinenbau.de/English/historie.html


And they still make the PK-100, you can find an english spec sheet to download if you are interested:
http://www.rapid-maschinenbau.de/Eng...ab/pk_100.html


I'm not sure if my table ever was teflon coated but I got a pretty nice patina on it now after cleaning it with steel brushes and ballistol. Surface felt a bit tacky afterwards however.


I then got an idea to take some sawdust and sprinkle it on the top, then I rubbed it in with my hands and the sawdust clumped up and the surface was left feeling clean, not sure if there's enough oil left to offer protection or not. I believe the "patina" itself will also stop further corrosion.


I will probably take it apart further and clean parts from rust, perhaps repaint them as well. It would be nice to restore this saw.

[Loren Woirhaye]

It looks like it was inspired by Ulmia designs. Ulmia stuff is sweet. Holz-her too. I have a couple German machines and they are not messing around.

[Dennis Aspö]

I almost bought an ulmia but it was not in as good shape, and the price was higher in addition.

I got around to seeing what wattage the motor was, apparently they didn't use 3 or 4kW back in '76 as their modern specs indicate, this one is "only" 2.5kW, still plenty enough considering it's a 3-phase motor and thus it has more torque than a 1-phase of identical power rating would have.

[Bob Hoffmann]

Hi Dennis,

Some thoughts about the sliding table ... When I was in Germany - 1995, I purchases a small slider to attach to my contractor saw. I have never been sorry that a I did, and it is used for cross-cutting. It is not for cutting panels. It also has a small table -- about 1' deep and 1.5' wide. Never had an issue with it being too small to crosscut a board.

I noticed that there is a bolt slot underneath the table that keeps the arm under the table -- and it supports the table with a ball that the table rides on. The other side of the table has grooved rollers that ride on a tube -- and the rollers are cam adjustable to fit snugly. Now, if I put the table to its end, the ball falls into the wider part of the bolt slot (it is that to get the bolt head into the slot. I got around it by putting a wooden stop on the end of the rail so that the movement of the table stops before it gets to the point where it drops into the bolt slot. I was thinking that it was because I mounted the support in the wrong place -- but I also have noticed that it would be nice at times to have a way to make the table not move -- and I was wondering if that is the idea of your table dropping -- it is a stop for the table so that it is in a position that will not slide when you are cutting a sheet with the rip fence without the sliding table fence ... just a thought.

So, my suggestion is to put a stop so that it won't go that far, or use it as a stop so that the table won't move when you don't need it to ...

The support arm is very sturdy, and even when it is at the point where it is closest to the non-movable table, it can still support a board for cross cutting ... I never use the miter gauge on saw for cross cuts -- the slider is a much safer way to go.

I was also going to mention that when you are cutting using the sliding table, you only have to move the table so that the fence is past the blade -- the wood is fully cut ... at least for 90 degree cuts. The travel to the back of the saw is seldom used -- unless you can move the fence to the back of the table for wider boards.

It looks like a really nice saw set-up, and with the slider, the grooves are seldom used -- the dovetail keeps a miter gauge from falling down when it is extended to the front (for wide boards being cut at an angle) ... I am guessing that the slider does not have a way to cut a piece at an angle ... perfect use for an attachment jig to the slider that can angle a fence for miter cuts ...

[Dennis Aspö]

If it'll fit and work as I want it to I believe it will get use for crosscutting pieces, it should be able to cut at angles from what I've seen, I've honestly not had much time to look at it in detail.

A lot of the jigs have I planned to make for this saw will use the slots, they will be for making small and intricate cuts like box joints, dadoes and tenons, for those I don't need see a need to be utilizing the sliding board, unless I just want to use it to move the jig so I can stand on the left side, but that might be excessive.

Also I had a better look at the arbor and with both flanges and nut on there's no extra space left, so it seems even such an old saw as this was not capable of accepting dadoes, a small shame I think but not a big deal. I had believed this started in the late 90s myself due to new CE marking rules.

[Rollie Meyers]

Seeing that red Ceeform plug, I assume it's 400V 3Ø? Nice thing is in some European countries that 400V (400/230V) 3 phase is avail in a residence.

[Dennis Aspö]

Yeah 3-phase is standard here for every standalone house, only in apartments won't you get 3-phase power. It's usually only a single outlet in your power junction box (not sure what to call it) but that's enough. I'm pulling in an extension to my garage and I will be looking for 3-phase equipment in the future. I think my next investment (no time soon) is going to be a planer/jointer.

[Dennis Aspö]

I have a question about my top, do you think I need to clean it more? It has kind of a patina going now and I've read elsewhere that the patina prevents further rusting, so I am wondering if I should leave it like it is (very thin film of oil), or should I degrease and clean off all the rust and seal with a wax of some kind?

I'd almost be tempted to try and rust blue it but I don't have the equipment for such a large piece and I don't know how cast iron would react to the process as opposed to steel.

[Bob Hoffmann]

The oil on it could be transferred to the wood -- not a good idea. I use wax on the top -- and just on the saw top, and not on the sliding table -- for that, you don't want the piece to slid around on it ...

I have a dehumidifier that runs constantly in the garage shop, and that seems to provide enough moisture prevention that I don't have a rust problem. Bu the wax does provide a nice glide action to the saw top. BTW, I am a real fan of Goddard's wax -- from England ... use it on furniture and on the tools ...