combining table saws

[Warren Lake]

when I first started in a very small room I had probably six machines in there. Cross cut saw was set up so it got support from the ripping saw and that saved space. This photo is probably one of the guys on this site not sure where I saw it. How is this set up used and benefits from this set up.


4290-B.jpg

[andy bessette]

I have combined one of my Unisaws (carbide rip blade) with a contractors saw (carbide dado). The other Unisaw (carbide crosscut blade) with an old cast iron table saw top for a router table.

[Mike Cutler]

Warren

I've also seen that photo before. I'm envious of the space.
I'm fairly certain that each of those "stations" is a dedicated blade setup. Rip, crosscut, plywood. I'm also guessing that it was a two person operation, and Barbara Siddiqui (sp.) come to mind for some reason as the actual owner
The slider is to the left so that takes care of all of the big panel work. The remaining three appear to be set to not interfere with each other ,if the one on the top right is setup to rip long stock. The two in the center I would guess would be other crosscut, or smaller rips.
It's setup for production runs of small pieces, like cabinet doors, carcasses, and window parts.
The router setup has me a little confused.

My shop is 9' wide and 19' long. My first table saw feed onto the shaper, and then onto the second table saw, which sits at a right angle to the first. I actually have an 8'x27" wide cast iron "island". It's great for material support. Getting it all level was a tedious process, and looking at Andy's photo's I'm sure he had to go through the same tedious process of getting everything level and true, so that they all work together.

[Jim Becker]

The benefit, aside from everything having more surface space to support material, is that each saw can have a dedicated setup for blades, etc., for someone doing production type work.

[Warren Lake]

makes sense. nice to walk up something turn it on ready to go. In my case in that first shop it was for support mainly.

[Jim Becker]

<p>
For most of us, I suspect, this kind of thing would have limited value, but for someone who is doing production of some kind, having at least one additional TS setup with, say...a dado blade sized for a common cut...would save a lot of time.</p>

[andy bessette]

I do no production work, only one-off custom woodwork on yachts, and find that having multiple table saws setup with different blades allows for much more efficient work flow. The outfeed tables are my work/assembly benches which, when gluing up large or complex assemblies, get covered with sheets of polyethylene, table saw tops and all, for more work space.

[John TenEyck]

I have a Unisaw and Sears TS bolted side by side, and a router wing on the end of the Sears saw, with a 52" Vega fence across the front.



I do no production work, but handle lots of long and wide parts. I would have needed the wide fence to do that anyway, so inserting the Sears saw seemed like a good idea since I already had it. I typically keep a ripping blade on the Unisaw and a cutoff blade on the Sears, but each gets swapped out as needed.

John

[Martin Wasner]

<p>
For most of us, I suspect, this kind of thing would have limited value, but for someone who is doing production of some kind, having at least one additional TS setup with, say...a dado blade sized for a common cut...would save a lot of time.</p>

I wouldn't clump them together like that though. We've got four tablesaws set up for various things. A vertical panel saw, and a straightline. Clumping them together like that you're very limited on the number of operators

[andy bessette]

... Clumping them together like that you're very limited on the number of operators

No one else uses my machines. It is a 1-man shop.

[Mike Cutler]

<p>
For most of us, I suspect, this kind of thing would have limited value, but for someone who is doing production of some kind, having at least one additional TS setup with, say...a dado blade sized for a common cut...would save a lot of time.</p>

Jim
I actually did not intend to have two table saws. I bought my General with the thought of selling my Jet Contractor saw, but when I started using it as an out feed table, it just kind of stuck around.
In the end it was cheaper than making an out feed table, and more stable, so I tuned it back up and it's my crosscut saw now. I would have kept it just for the out feed function.
When I got the shaper I just put it in between the two. I have 3 1/2' of in feed and out feed support for material on the shaper this way.

[Martin Wasner]

I do no production work,

No one else uses my machines. It is a 1-man shop.

I assumed that with the no production work comment.

[Warren Lake]

Id say its the other way around anyway. I did production stuff for many years and the same time doing fully custom stuff. Set up times are erased or have much less impact on production work

[Jim Becker]

Jim
I actually did not intend to have two table saws. I bought my General with the thought of selling my Jet Contractor saw, but when I started using it as an out feed table, it just kind of stuck around.
In the end it was cheaper than making an out feed table, and more stable, so I tuned it back up and it's my crosscut saw now. I would have kept it just for the out feed function.
When I got the shaper I just put it in between the two. I have 3 1/2' of in feed and out feed support for material on the shaper this way.

Honestly, there are (infrequent) times when I would like having a typical North American table saw setup for dados in my shop to compliment the slider...even though I can use a dado blade on my particular slider. But I honestly don't have the space for that kind of setup. I do like your idea of setting things up with the shaper for the second saw...that's efficient space utilization!

[Bill Adamsen]

As they get bigger they get harder to move. I cut the fence, top and mobile-base on my Unisaw (used for dadoes and box joints) and find it much less in the way, and easier to move around. I have a combo machine which is almost annoyingly immobile.