Portable/Job Site Table Saw from WoodCentral

The poster who began this thread thought a portable table saw would be useful to him, and asked for perspectives from other woodworkers who had used them. - Editor

"I'm looking to get a portable/jobsite table saw. It will be used mainly for ripping 8/4 and lighter material. I have no experience with one and would appreciate any comments and/or recommendations." - Clint

He got the perspectives he'd asked for. - Editor

"My #3 son Ken is a contractor and has used several. His favorite has been the RIDGID for on-site work." - George

"I have the Bosch, and I love it. I do wish I had a cabinet saw for what I use it for, but I just do not have the room. Here are my thoughts on the saw after having it for about three or four years now. I use mine in a hobby shop, in the space of a one-car garage.

"Pros: The gravity lift folding mechanism of the table is a joy to use. Everything you need, including wrenches, extra blades, fence and miter gauge, stows away nicely on the saw. It rolls nicely wherever you need it. It takes very little space when folded and can be stored standing or lying down. Power is good. Dust collection works very well with my 1,200 cfm dust collector. The rule is very accurate for setting the fence, even when using the table extension. Whatever they coat the tabletop with has made the top maintenance-free.

"Cons: Whatever they coat the table with makes it so nothing slides very nicely through the miter slots. You have to be careful with the fence; it very easily loses parallel with the blade. I check it every time I have to set or move the fence. It's very 'tippy' when cutting full sheets of plywood. I have all the table extenders for it, and they work well, but cutting a full sheet of plywood on your own is hard enough without the saw tipping out from underneath you. I now cut full sheets with a circular saw. There is a lot of plastic on this saw for the price tag.

"I bought the saw before they started putting the riving knife on it. For the money, as much as I do like the saw, I would still prefer to have a cabinet saw, but given the limitations on space that I have to deal with, the saw works very well for me." - Ken

And he also got perspective on the stand. - Editor

"Whichever jobsite saw you get, I'd recommend the Bosch gravity rise stand. I picked up a Makita 2703 a while back at a screaming good deal and got the Bosch stand to keep it on. The saw is not bad; my biggest gripe with it is that the miter gauge is not the best and the bar on it is non-standard, so I'm stuck with it. The fence has the same features Ken noted for the Bosch saw, but as long as you're careful with it, it's OK.

"I think the stand is fantastic, though. You can mount pretty much any saw on it without too much trouble. It's easy to stow/unstow, and I've found it to be very stable shuttling it around in my garage." - Kevin

The conversation about cutting boards is a recurring one among woodworkers. What woods can you use? What finishes? What about maintenance? All of those subjects, and more, came up in this particular iteration of the cutting board conversation, which started with the following post. - Editor

"My wife found a picture of a segmented cutting board. She wants me to make some. A few questions come to mind. Is Titebond III an advisable glue for this type of project? Will woods like walnut cause problems for individuals with peanut and other allergies? Are woods softer than, say, hard maple, cause for concern if nicks and cuts develop and collect bacteria, etc.? I've seen mineral oil as a recommended 'finish' for cutting boards. What sort of maintenance/care must be observed to prevent delamination, etc.?" - Alan

Following an unusual detour in this discussion, where one poster suggested buying a pre-made cutting board, the conversation came back to woods, glues and finishes, that forum participants had used for this kind of project. - Editor

"Made several with [Titebond III] with no hassles; however, your joints must be very tight. Using TB as a gap filler is a recipe for creepiness. Made mine from walnut and cherry. No issues to report; it's dust and juglone extractives that cause the issues with walnut, which are mostly gone when dry. I finish all treenware with laxative-grade mineral oil, which I heat and then add a combination of beeswax and paraffin. Raise the heat above 190˚ for a few minutes, then decant into a small aluminum form. Apply the oil/wax by rubbing while heating the wood surface with a blow dryer or heat gun. Wipe off the excess. Renew the board from time to time with a new application of the oil/wax. Board will last for generations. If you're really concerned about germs, scrub the cutting surface with coarse salt and a little water. Done." - Mark

"There is way more fretting over cutting boards than what seems necessary. I have made bunches of them without incident. ...a board I made in 1966 is maple glued together with 'white glue.' It is our 'utility board.' It has been used to cut up dozens of lamb and deer and other critters and critter parts. It gets washed in the sink (NOT the dishwasher) as needed and, when it looks dry, it gets a slather of whatever cooking oil is handy. I like the cooking oil because it doesn't bleed back out like mineral oil. Some time last year, I ran it through the planer to remove some of the cleaver and meat saw wounds. Looks like it may last a couple of centuries more, or less." - Bill T.

"Already been said, but water-resistant glue, few clamps, a planer or sander, some mixed hardwoods for contrast, regular soaking wipe-down with mineral oil, and you are on your way to a safe cutting board that will likely outlive you. Mine are usually used for cutting foods, not doing brain surgery or cutting diamonds, so I don't need to go high-end." - Mamc

"Where I differ on these things is the finish. For the life of me, I can't bring myself to use mineral oil. It doesn't seal the pores of the wood, which is where bacteria will enter. It also never dries and can possibly become rancid. To that end, I've found what I believe is a better finish, which is Waterlox®. I've had great success by thinning the Waterlox about 10 to 20 percent, applying it very heavily, and wiping away all that remains on the surface. There's not enough to build a film on the surface and flake off over time because it's down in the wood. Unlike any plain oil, the Waterlox dries and seals the pores of the wood. Down the road as the board gets used a lot, the process can be repeated. I like the Waterlox because of its tung oil base, which makes it more flexible than a straight polyurethane or varnish. I'll leave the mineral oil to those who like it. To me, it's nothing more than a laxative." - David

Another poster commented on this post's use of the word "rancid," and David agreed with the point. - Editor

"You may not like the stuff, but mineral oil cannot go 'rancid' like vegetable, seed and nut oils. There are no compounds in it to spoil." - Mark

Another poster, Dale, provided a link to a study by the University of California at Davis that indicated wooden cutting boards harbored less bacteria over time than plastic cutting boards. - Editor

"I must have made 50 by now. I like cherry, but have used many different woods. I have used all the Titebonds, I, II and III. I glue up strips to about the size I want the board, except a little longer. I plane or sand them into submission....I finish them with sunflower oil. Does not go rancid and nobody is allergic to sunflower oil. I soak the surface over and over. They soak up an astounding amount of oil." - Barry

"Some time ago, when I worked for a door company, we would have cutoffs from the ends of red oak glued panels. I saved a bunch of these cutoffs....making cutting boards.... I finished them by shredding beeswax with a cheese grater and putting it in a pint can, then pouring in enough mineral oil to cover the beeswax. I then set this in a pan of water and turned on the heat. The beeswax will metl and blend with the mineral oil, which is then set aside to harden. It ends up being about the same consistency as cold butter, and is then simply wiped on the cutting board with a rag. It makes a really nice, long-lasting finish for cutting boards and other kitchen utensils." - Moses