Two table saws - how do you use both?

[Dave Kennedy]

For the people with two table saws, how do you have them set up? Are they positioned near each other?

I have two Unisaws. One a 5HP, the other a 3HP. The 5HP is the one I'm using and the other was a deal I couldn't resist and was supposed to resell it. Now I'm thinking about keeping both and leaving one set up with a dado set.

I've thought about back to back so I can use one as the outfeed for the other. Could I also share the same 220V power drop? (Obviously not at the same time.) My primary is 20A and the 3HP is 15A, I believe.

Suggestions?

Dave

[Rich Engelhardt]

I had two - - then I found the best way to use them...






I kept one to use and sold the other one and bought something I'd actually use .

Seriously.....

Having two sounds like it's hte way to go. Keep a dado in one or a riip blade an a combo or crosscut in the other.
Or put them back to back and use one for an outfeed.

Problem is - - one is always covered up with crap. It just becomes another horizontal surface to collect stuff.

[Michael Moscicki]

On youtube, lookup Frank Howarth. He uses two table saws, then again he has a pretty big shop. His are back to back. If I remember correctly one is a Powermatic 66 and the other is a Powermatic 72.

[Andrew Hughes]

When I had two saws one was mobile saw for on site work.But I did set it up out side the shop some times.The last one I had was a bosch.Probably the best job site saw I ever bought.Sold it on Craigslist it started to collect spiders.

[Dave Lehnert]

I have two saws but one is a Shopsmith, the other is a JET cabinet saw with 52" fence.

[Warren Lake]

one for cross cutting one for ripping

[Carroll Courtney]

This is one of those issues that is good to have.Having two TS then later coming across a Delta Sliding attachment I installed it and love it for those miter cuts.Taking the time to set it up it is on the money.But if I did or had a lot of daddo cuts coming up I would go that route.I have my TS w/slider on a mobile base so when not in use its roll to the side.It don't cost me nothing to store it but it does makes my life easier when I need it.No plans on selling it or my other saw(Uni,PM66)Both are quality

[kevin nee]

I have a sliding table saw with a right tilt blade and a conventional with a left tilt. Both in premanat locations.

[Mike Cutler]

Dave

I have two. They are set up so that the blades are 90 degrees to each other. The cross cut saw is setup as the out feed for the rip saw, and the rip saw acts as a stabilizing surface for cross cuts. On the other side of the cross cut saw is a 3 Hp shaper. All in all, it's about 7 1/2' of cast iron working surface.
My jointer is set up to feed right onto these surfaces, which works out very well.I don't have a lot of room so the machines have to work with each other. The space is 19'x9' and has the two saws, a jointer, two bandsaws, a 15" planer, dedicated miter/ mortise station and a rolling tool box.

[Jesse Busenitz]

I'm working on my two TS setup right now..... PM 70 for ripping PM 66 immediately to the right for crosscut with a 11' beismeyer fence. and an 4x8 out feed. And yes I have a big shop Actually toying with the idea of putting my third TS on the back side for dados. I'll try and post a pic later today.

[Jeff Duncan]

I run 2 saws as well but never understood guys putting them opposing each other? Just seems like your always going to be walking back and forth setting up or moving things out of the way? Anyway, I have mine set up next to each other sharing a large out feed table. They also share a single long fence rail, though each fence is separately tuned to it's saw. This way I can keep them set for different operations. Sometimes one will have a rip blade and the other a crosscut. But more often the Unisaw has a dado blade on it while the other does general purpose. The benefit of having them next to each other is they are never in the way of the other saw, and at least for me it's easier to work in one direction. And I have all my blades, accessories, jigs etc., right there next to the business end of both saws.

You can certainly share the same drop, you would just have to deal with swapping plugs which may or may not be a big deal. I do this for a living so every tool is on a dedicated circuit…..or at least should be. A year into the new shop and I still have a handful of machines that aren't wired yet and are run of an extension cord….but I digress. Use the same style plug for both saws and share the outlet at least for now. If you find you like having both saws but the plug swapping becomes a pain you can always run a second line later.

good luck,
JeffD

[Erik Manchester]

I have a General 350 and a Unisaw, both with a 3 HP motor, and they are secured side by side in a single plane and share an extended extended Excalibur fence that covers both saws. The 350 on the left has a rip blade and the Uni on the right has a good cross-cut finishing blade. This saves a lot of time with blade changes and the extended table is very handy. In my 28 x 36 shop space is not a serious concern at the moment. I also use a 14" RAS to break down stock before it sees the TS.

[Matt Day]

As long as only one saw is running at one time, you can use the same power drop. I have all my 220 machines (5 - TS, RAS, BS, jointer, planer) on the same drop, and they are all plugged in all the time but only one used at a time. My DC is 110 which is how I get away with it. I'm a one man hobbiest.

My RAS is my crosscut saw, so I wouldn't set up another TS like that.

[Martin Wasner]

I have a Unisaw set up for dado-ing, a 66 for ripping sheet stock, and a 66 for solid. They're scattered around the shop, the dado and sheet saws are closest to the sheet stock, the saw for solid is closest to the cantilever racks. Not changing blades constantly is awesome, though I need to add another tablesaw for just general use.

[jack forsberg]

My buddy's set up is the best I ever used or seen.

http://vintagemachinery.org/photoind...l.aspx?id=4290