[OP]
Member
Exaktor Sliding Table?
Does anyone here have one of the Exaktor Sliding Tables? I am curious to hear how well they perform? I currently use my Festool TS55EQ but it takes time to set up each cut and repeatability of cuts is dependent on how accurate my mark is on each board. Having a sliding table with a stop would ensure repeatablility of cuts. Feedback anyone?
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Contributor
Chris,
I have had two Excalibers, which are almost identical..the biggest difference being the better, stainless slide rails on the Exactor. The Excaliber uses painted rails which eventually get scratched up.
My first one was the 46? inch model which I used for about 4 years on a Unisaw. When I got a sliding table saw, I kept the Unisaw and switched to the 16" junior model, which I set up for cutting dados in cabinet panels..it could dado 26" the way I had it set up.
I recently moved and built a new shop. Took the Excaliber off, and put on a Jessem. The only reason I did that was for portability...more on that.
Plus:
1. The accuracy with both Excalibers was good. No problems.
2. Easy to set up and align.
3. Very solid because of the legs going to the floor. Hint: Use angled brackets to screw them solid to floor, then drill through legs and put bolt in to maintain position. Dropping a sheet of plywood might shift the legs.
4. The fence on the larger model was plenty big enough for making corner cabinet cuts.
5. The 'step in' feature really works. You definitely have more room to stand than with a 'real' slider which sticks out from the saw.
Minus:
1. It is a pain to readjust if you want to move your saw around. This is why I went to the Jessem which has no legs. In my new shop I will be moving it around so I put it on a mobile base. It is smaller but will still do the dados I need.
2. You cannot use a mobile base because even if you lock the wheels, there is enough play that it may throw off the legs. See above.
3. You have to cut, or move, the fence rails. Same applies to all sliding tables that I am familiar with.
Nice to see someone local.
Rick Potter
Upland CA
Member
I have the EX26 with short rails, works very nice, once its set up and you use it awhile you will love it, wish I had the longer rails, will up grade when i get a new shop later this year.
johnnyinnb
He`s a block off the old chip
Contributor
Who sells Exaktor Sliding Tables? I cannot find anything on their site.
[OP]
Member
Rick, thanks for the valuable information! That really helped a lot! I think I am going to go with one and had already planned to get the one with the stainless steel table (EX26XS).
Chris, Exaktor lists a phone number you can call to find the nearest dealer. There is nobody in the LA or Orange County area currently. I have to order through Amazon since the nearest dealer currently is in Arizona. Let's hope Amazon comes through for me
Member
Member
chris, if you've ever thought about cutting down sheets of plywood, you may want to consider the 60" version which i bought off a guy on craigslist for only $500. i picked this model as an upgrade to the delta sliding table which worked well except for cutting down full sheets. with the exaktor, you can crosscut a full sheet without any problems and if you set up a stop block on your rip fence coupled with a digifence, you can get repeatability and accuracy that is FAR SUPERIOR to any of the guided circular saw systems. the only drawback is that it takes up a lot of space! it's wider than a car so i'm just dreading the next move my family makes within the next year or two since i doubt i'll be able to find another home with a 2 1/2 car garage...
Guest
Be sure you know why you are looking at an after market table and what exactly it is that you expect it to do for you.
Those after market sliders are better at some things than others. And of course they don't have particularly olong strokes so you can't rip an 8" long sheet of ply on the slider.
I am told that they need adjustment rather often.
[OP]
Member
Frank,
Help me understand. I thought the EX26XS does have the capacity to cut 4X8 sheets of plywood? The specs state the following:
- 22" wide, stainless steel tabletop, 76" outboard rail allows crosscuts up to 60" with fence positioned at rear of table.
- 30" telescopic extension from the left end of the crosscut fence will support pieces up to 84", other extension from the front of the sliding table allows you to crosscut panels up to 60" wide.
The EX60 has a longer fence but other than that I don't see how this one couldn't handle 4x8s. Am I missing something?
Contributor
If you haven't already seen it, go to Articles and Reviews on this site. There is a very good review of the Excaliber table there. Remember...Excaliber and Exactor are virtually the same. I remembered after reading it that my first slider was Excalibur and I had to deal with the mentioned Mr. Humphries on a problem with it. Later when I bought the small Excaliber, he was running Exactor, making the same equipment.
Apparently he started another company after problems with the first.
Rick Potter
[OP]
Member
Thanks Rick! I didn't even know there was an Articles and Reviews section on SMC. I read the article and it proved helpfull. This will do what I need it to do. Now I just need to ensure that I have the floor space in my shop for it. Thanks again!
Member
chris, the 26xs will give you the crosscutting capacity needed for a standard sheet of plywood but it gives you much less table surface area (18" vs 36") which may make it a little harder to maneuver. in addition, it would make it more difficult to make an initial squaring cut on the very edge of the plywood. regardless, the nice thing about the fence on any of these models is that there is an extendable arm with a panel support clip that will give you even more support beyond the sliding table. if you've got the space, go for the larger model - just make sure you don't want to move in the next few years! check on craigslist since a lot of people usually buy them before realizing just how much space they consume.
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