I've been up and running for a few days now. I decided to live with the scratches on the sliding table top. I just used a black sharpie to blend them in. I couldn't find another one anywhere in the country. It could be another 6-8 weeks and I couldn't bring myself to sending it back. Even though CPO tools was going to pick up the return shipping no problem. I'm told it's because of the dock strikes in San Diego. Anyhoo, the assembly went smoothly. It's easier to install than an extension wing, the bolts are accessed from the top of the table and the legs keep it relatively aligned while you're attaching it. I've made some cuts, I'm overall pleased with the way it handles for crosscutting and ripping. There are a couple of gripes I have so far:
- The switch box is now mounted under the sliding table, it is set way too far back for my likes. I'd like to be able to bump the paddle switch with my knee if I needed to if I get into trouble.
- The stops on the sliding table fence are junk and out of square with the fence. This is a common gripe and it is true. I need to modify but I shouldn't have to.
The slider works super smooth and has a smaller foot print than my Excalibur did and overall I'm happy and would buy it again. Oh, BTW, I mounted the sliding rail flush with the front of the saw table to reduce it's footprint and normally you need to drill holes for this alternate way of attaching. ... and redrill and tap new holes for the switch box on the underside. Even though the instructions show you how, when I went to drill them, they are already drilled from the factory and the new holes for the switch box are drilled and tapped too. They just haven't rewritten the manual. That's nice, the aluminum is a full 5/16" thick and I was nervous about drilling some accurate holes freehand. And BTW, speaking of manuals, as nice as the saw's manual were written and hardware packed and organized, the ones for the sliding table are written just like any other power tool I've bought, written poorly and with bags of nuts and bolts rather than the nice blister pack for the saw and fence.
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