Three years ago, Steel City Tool Works (SCTW), introduced granite tops to table saws at the Association of Woodworking & Furnishings Suppliers’ show in Las Vegas. Granite used in woodworking machines extended to jointers, lathes and even planers.
At this years major woodworking show in Atlanta, the International Woodworking Fair (IWF), exhibitors were at a premium. Steel City Tool Works, however, was in full display. The SCTW booth was full of machines, sales representatives and more innovative products. In particular, the company showed table saws with a newly designed top.
Take a look at the photo above. Is there anything else? Look closely. I almost missed this detail while I was standing directly in front of the saw. Give up? Where are the seams that are generally found where the wings meet the saw top? Do you not see any? Thats innovation. Your fence will no longer catch on the seam when it slides across the tabletop.
Heres what the engineers at SCTW did. The table attached to the cabinet has been downsized to stop just at the far edge (away from the blade) of the miter slot. The wing edges are milled to complete the miter slots, so when the two are joined, the seam disappears in the miter slot. Cool. Ingenious.
The first question that springs to mind is: With the amount of finagling that one has to do to get the wings set correctly, is the miter slot usable given that is where the joint is? I tried a few slots and they worked fine. The company representative whom I spoke with explained that the wings fit to the table in the same manner as most other saws, but that there are set screws that allow you to perfectly dial in the fit.
Many saws in the company have their motors and pulleys connected together. The motors move in unison and the belt is removed from the motor. This arrangement results in less vibration during startup and runtime. The rep. bypassed the nickel test and went right to conducting the test using a penny. The penny remained on its edge until it was turned off. When the saw was turned off, the blade slid against the paddle.
If youre looking for an entry-level saw, take a look at SCTWs model #35990CS. This saw, with a cast iron tabletop and stamped wings, is priced at
And, check out the knobs that lock the blade guard and pawls on the riving knife. With a quick turn you either attach the guards or pull them from the saw. It’s simple to do, and it may be the reason we keep using them.
