Harbor Freight table saw is terrible

Yeah I'm gonna try it with a circular saw tonight! My dad is in the process of "fixing" the table saw by making a guide out of plywood etc. I really have no interest in doing all that. If it were me I would just buy the good tool first instead of spending time and effort on making a ****** tool decent.
I'm gonna just clamp a piece of wood down for my guide for the circular saw.
Ya you can make a guild or clamp a board to it and do the math to make straight cuts, Like I was saying its easier than getting out the table saw most of the time. Here is the one i made and I made it a long enough to cut full sheets plywood. Works great.

How to Build a Simple Circular Saw Guide for Straighter Cuts

 
Yeah I'm gonna try it with a circular saw tonight! My dad is in the process of "fixing" the table saw by making a guide out of plywood etc. I really have no interest in doing all that. If it were me I would just buy the good tool first instead of spending time and effort on making a ****** tool decent.
I'm gonna just clamp a piece of wood down for my guide for the circular saw.
You may not need to clamp anything down. You'd be surprised what one can do when working carefully and focused

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You may not need to clamp anything down. You'd be surprised what one can do when working carefully and focused

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Yeah great suggestion. You gonna offer the same when one is running a router making "windows" thru the wood? No need to use clamps, just focus and go slow, go straight.

ALWAYS clamp down work when cutting. Only takes 1 little mistake to ruin your day/life. I've seen way too many accidents, to even the most experienced people.

 
I just spent about 2 hours on my box. I made 4 cuts lol. I've never cut wood myself before and I was just trying my best to learn how to make straight accurate cuts. I'm getting better. I'm gonna finish my box tomorrow.

And yeah I clamp everything. And wear a respirator. And safety glasses. I'd rather be safe than sorry.

 
Helpful hint for ya: To get really straight cuts, check fence to blade at beginning of sawblade and towards the top. I've found that on my tablesaw at least that even when I press the wood against fence while cutting, it's not always gonna be straight every time. The fence I have is kinda cheap...and tricky to work with. Prob made in China lol But there's a tensioning screw on the fence itself.

 
Helpful hint for ya: To get really straight cuts, check fence to blade at beginning of sawblade and towards the top. I've found that on my tablesaw at least that even when I press the wood against fence while cutting, it's not always gonna be straight every time. The fence I have is kinda cheap...and tricky to work with. Prob made in China lol But there's a tensioning screw on the fence itself.
I'm using a Ryobi circular saw and a straight edge clamp that I got from harbor freight. For some reason I cut a couple of the cuts I made like 1/8" too short. Idk why. It looked like the clamp straight edge was even at both ends (I measured it with a tape measure) but it came out short a couple times.

 
Yeah great suggestion. You gonna offer the same when one is running a router making "windows" thru the wood? No need to use clamps, just focus and go slow, go straight.
ALWAYS clamp down work when cutting. Only takes 1 little mistake to ruin your day/life. I've seen way too many accidents, to even the most experienced people.
Where does the OP mention routers or windows ??

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OP, you might pick up a calibration disc and use a dial indicator or nice square to check how true everything is. Get the saw and table perfectly lined up with each other and then take a look at the fence. There should be adjustments you can make on the fence to bring it in true while it is clamped to the guide. Once you do all of that, you will be able to determine if there is real problem with repeatability of the fence clamp mechanism.

2312_calibration_disc_300.jpg
lateral_near.jpg
tablesawtunewithcombosquare.jpg


 
You are deflecting. He used that as an example to illustrate how bad your advice was. But you knew that.
Lol, ok... for a standard ported box for a first timer who probably won't carpet or paint or stain and probably use big obvious screws and most likely won't be putting in windows and lights etc I personally think a hand saw is good enough. I've built a handful of boxes with no leaks and have had good luck with straight cuts with a circular saw. If I can do it I think most should be able to as well. But if he wants to spend 2 hours on 4 cuts clamping things down then by all means have at it buddy.

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Lol, ok... for a standard ported box for a first timer who probably won't carpet or paint or stain and probably use big obvious screws and most likely won't be putting in windows and lights etc I personally think a hand saw is good enough. I've built a handful of boxes with no leaks and have had good luck with straight cuts with a circular saw. If I can do it I think most should be able to as well. But if he wants to spend 2 hours on 4 cuts clamping things down then by all means have at it buddy.

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He was placing emphasis on safety. Buddy.
 
Lol, ok... for a standard ported box for a first timer who probably won't carpet or paint or stain and probably use big obvious screws and most likely won't be putting in windows and lights etc I personally think a hand saw is good enough. I've built a handful of boxes with no leaks and have had good luck with straight cuts with a circular saw. If I can do it I think most should be able to as well. But if he wants to spend 2 hours on 4 cuts clamping things down then by all means have at it buddy.

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The reason I spent hours on a few cuts is just because I have literally never cut wood before other than cutting subwoofer holes with a jigsaw. I was looking up how to do it and just checking over and over to make sure I did it right. And I still did it wrong. I'm going to get better and faster but really I don't see any shame in taking so long and trying my best to get it right.

And trust me, I'm a safety freak. I was going to clamp things down and wear a mask/glasses no matter what. I'd rather be safe than sorry.

 
The reason I spent hours on a few cuts is just because I have literally never cut wood before other than cutting subwoofer holes with a jigsaw. I was looking up how to do it and just checking over and over to make sure I did it right. And I still did it wrong. I'm going to get better and faster but really I don't see any shame in taking so long and trying my best to get it right.
And trust me, I'm a safety freak. I was going to clamp things down and wear a mask/glasses no matter what. I'd rather be safe than sorry.
By no means was I trying to shame you, I scrapped my fair share of wood and wasted lots of time trying to make it perfect when I made my first few boxes. I came down to the conclusion that my circular saw was good enough after a while but that's me. I can do pretty straight cut by eye and hand and I use glue and caulk and large clamps to hold all together and I've never had an issue with leaks or gaps. there's nothing wrong with wanting perfect. I think my comments were meant to try to save you from spending money on a new table saw when it can be done with a circular. Good luck and I'm sure it'll be fine you seem very alert and focused to get this right.

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By no means was I trying to shame you, I scrapped my fair share of wood and wasted lots of time trying to make it perfect when I made my first few boxes. I came down to the conclusion that my circular saw was good enough after a while but that's me. I can do pretty straight cut by eye and hand and I use glue and caulk and large clamps to hold all together and I've never had an issue with leaks or gaps. there's nothing wrong with wanting perfect. I think my comments were meant to try to save you from spending money on a new table saw when it can be done with a circular. Good luck and I'm sure it'll be fine you seem very alert and focused to get this right.

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Yeah I have just one more board to cut and I'm done! I've been using a small Ryobi circular saw and it is FINE. No need for a table saw. There is a technique to cutting straight though for sure... But all my cuts are within 1/16 of an inch so I am getting better! At least it's better than getting it cut at Home Depot and having it be a 1/4" off AND slanted!

I just need to figure out a couple things before I make my next box. How do I get wood glue not to drip everywhere, and why is my MDF splitting on the sides even though I'm pre drilling and countersinking //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif.

 
Lol, ok... for a standard ported box for a first timer who probably won't carpet or paint or stain and probably use big obvious screws and most likely won't be putting in windows and lights etc I personally think a hand saw is good enough. I've built a handful of boxes with no leaks and have had good luck with straight cuts with a circular saw. If I can do it I think most should be able to as well. But if he wants to spend 2 hours on 4 cuts clamping things down then by all means have at it buddy.

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So what were you like when you 1st started cutting wood? Not everyone here has exp....we have new people come here and ask questions, ask for help, etc. So instead of talking down on the guy, help him out.

Or if you wanna fork over 500 bucks for a nice tablesaw for him I'm rather sure he wouldn't mind.

So what if he takes 2 hours to make 4 cuts. At least he was safe at it and has all his fingers.

 
He was placing emphasis on safety. Buddy.
At least someone on here got the hint. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

I just may try that dialing the saw thing. I'm a machinist by trade and got my toolbox in my garage. I'll see about do that what you posted a few replies back with dial indicator and mag base.

 
Well I have finished my box. All the cuts were within a 16th of an inch of what they were supposed to be. No 1/4" gaps like I got when Home Depot person cut it. Ports are in, bracing is in, t-nuts are in, caulk and glue is drying now.

This is the first time I've:

Cut wood myself

Actually used screws instead of waiting an hour for each panel to dry. Countersink drill bit too.

Made a ported box

Cut PVC

Used t-nuts

Used caulk

Used the Jasper circle jig and a router

Used bracing

So many first time things this weekend! I must say I'm a little burnt out... I'm not making another box for a while but I'm sure when I make another box it will be much faster/easier.

And no, this box is not perfect. The cuts could be better. And when I cut the PVC I cut it a little slanted. And even though I predrilled, the wood still split on the corners on the sides. And the inside of my box looks like a 10 person bukkake. But I feel a lot more comfortable building boxes now.

 
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