Power Tool Order of Importance

[Kevin in California]

Peter,
That is the one I have and it works great.

Kevin

[peter havriluk]

My title is ambiguous, as I don't have a table saw but I do have a radial arm saw and a minimal Black&Decker 3-wheel bandsaw. Has anyone seen a need to buy a table saw when he has a radial arm saw and some kind of bandsaw? If a radial arm saw can't duplicate the jobs that would be done on a table saw, how much of a table saw is needed? Saws with small tables can be bought for a hundred bucks, more or less, and they don't have a very big footprint. My guess is that a table saw would be a tool of choice for ripping up braces, trimming fingerboards and necks and.... (?). I realize that a radial arm saw can be used for trimming braces, for instance, but they also have a tendency to grab wood and fire it across the shop. There's also merit in the saw moving and the material being cut staying put, and that's possible with the radial arm saw in crosscut mode.

Thanks very much.

[dave d]

My title is ambiguous, as I don't have a table saw but I do have a radial arm saw and a minimal Black&Decker 3-wheel bandsaw. Has anyone seen a need to buy a table saw when he has a radial arm saw and some kind of bandsaw? If a radial arm saw can't duplicate the jobs that would be done on a table saw, how much of a table saw is needed? Saws with small tables can be bought for a hundred bucks, more or less, and they don't have a very big footprint. My guess is that a table saw would be a tool of choice for ripping up braces, trimming fingerboards and necks and.... (?). I realize that a radial arm saw can be used for trimming braces, for instance, but they also have a tendency to grab wood and fire it across the shop. There's also merit in the saw moving and the material being cut staying put, and that's possible with the radial arm saw in crosscut mode.

A well-tuned bandsaw is my tool of choice for just about any task where a power saw is required. Even a small bandsaw can be used for all of the examples you've mentioned.

[John Parchem]

I almost never use my table saw for guitar work and use a band saw instead. I have a radial arm saw but use it mostly to cut 2x4s.

[ken cierp]

This post begs for clarity -- what is it you plan to do?

As an example to take rough billets to precision blanks we (KMG) use a band-saw, table saw, sliding miter saw and a 6" jointer all are absolutely necessary.

On the other hand to complete a KMG kit -- no power tools ae needed.

A band saw is nice but limited in regard to utility. Except for cutting curves a (good) table saw is far more accurate versatile then a bandsaw with the right blade the edges are almost glue ready --- you can even resaw with a table saw -- more waste but it can be done (been there).

[TonyinNYC]

I don't have any power saws and I do just fine. I have a drum sander and I use it all of the time. I also have a small, bench top 5 speed drill press from Harbor Freight that is useful for lots of stuff.
I cut out my tops and backs with a coping saw. I profile my sides before bending using a cheapo pull saw I bought at Lowes for under $15.00. It has a gray handle if you live in the US and a grey handle if you live outside of the US. ;-) I have also cut tenons using the same hand saw.
I split my braces from billets of wood then I plane them to square and use my drum sander to get them to the correct thickness. Splitting the braces minimizes run out but results in a bit more waste than cutting them on a saw.
For putting the radius on my braces, I use the KMG Universal Guitar Brace Contouring System. My drill press is a little under powered so I have taken to marking the radius with the contour gauges that came with the jig and then planing the radius as close to perfect as I can. Then I stick it in the fixture and run it through my drill press to perfect the curve. Ken warned me my drill press might not be up to the task, but the plane takes the bulk of the wood off leaving only minor clean up on the press.
I still use the three cam clamps that came with my success kit as well as the bridge setter, bridge clamp, and mold. Actually, I still use everything that came with the success kit! I have added clamps and other tools to my collection, but I built my first three guitars with only the tools from the success kit plus a razor saw
So you don't need a saw, but they are nice to have. I don't have space for a table saw, so I wont ever get one. I tried to fit one in once, and it didn't work out. I would like a bench top band saw for cutting some things. It would be helpful, but not necessary. I don't build dozens of guitars each year, only 2-3, so speed is not a big concern, but I do want repeatable and accurate results.
I have the KMG hand held binding unit and it has worked perfectly on 8 guitars and an ukulele so I see no need to upgrade at this time. I also don't have room to store a big binding jig and since my process aint broke, I aint gonna fix it!

[peter havriluk]

Ken, a good question, 'clarity'. I intend to scratchbuild guitar bodies. I do not intend to resaw tonewoods. I intend to scratchbuild necks. I intend to cut up vendor supplied bracewood planks into braces. Should I find the right plank stock, I intend to cut heel blocks and neck blocks and trim fingerboards.