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Pic1)
The saw base is 6 inches deep by 21 inches wide (not counting the mounting feet). The mounting feet add 1+1/4 inches more width to each of the two sides. The two side uprights are 6 inches deep by 3+1/2 inches high by 1/2 inch thick pine board. The left and right top corner supports (horizontal pieces) are 6 inches deep by 3+1/4 inches wide by 3/4 inch thick pine board. The top two corners are glued and screwed with drywall screws from above. Between these two uprights, there is a 3+1/2 inch high by 20+1/4 inch wide by 3/4 inch thick pine board. This center upright support is glued and srewed in place from the two outside edges. Note it is set back from the front 1+3/4 inches to allow a hollow for the electrical box housing for the on/off switch. The left and right side mounting feet are 2+1/2 inch wide by 6 inches deep by 3/8 inch thick. They were made from 3/8 inch laminated board - composed of a particle board core with thin wood laminated on both surfaces. Both were glued and screwed in place from the bottom. They stick out beyond each of the two side uprights by 1+1/4 inches. The mounting feet are used to attach the table saw to my "rolling table" using four #8 round head wood screws - two on each end. Mounted on top of the two upper corner supports is the saw support table. It measures 18 inches long by 6 inches deep by 5/8 inch thick and is made of white Melamine Particle Board. It is set back 2 inches from the left inside edge of the left side upright support. The saw support table is glued and screwed to the two upper corner supports from above. An electrical box is mounted to the center upright support 3+1/2 inches to the right of its left side. A hole was drilled through the center upright support just to the right of the switch box to feed an extension wire from the switch box to an outlet box on the other side.
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Pic2)
Left front view of the home made mini table saw showing the left side vertical support, the upper corner support, the center upright support, the mounting foot, the on/off power switch and the saw height adjuster (on top).
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Pic3)
Right front view showing the right side vertical support, the upper corner support, the center upright support, the Melamine saw support table (on top), and the mounting foot (on the bottom).
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Pic4)
Back view showing the yellow extension wire power plug (to the left) and the extension cord (on the right) that goes between the rear and front electrical boxes via a hole cut through the center upright support. Power is fed from the cord on the left to the outlet with the black "hot" lead open to the switch on the front. In the "on" position, the switch closes the "hot" black lead from the power cord back to the outlet in the back which the Dremel tool is plugged into (black plug).
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Pic5)
Rear close-up of the Dremel tool hanging from a hook, the wire between electrical boxes and the height adjuster (top right of picture).
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Pic6)
A wider rear view of the same.
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Pic7)
In this picture, the front of the saw is to the left, and the rear is to the right. Close-up of the right hand side showing joining details. Note the center upright support is not located in the middle of the side, but rather closer to the front.
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Pic8)
Left hand side of the saw showing more detail of the saw height adjuster. This adjuster is designed to allow the saw blade to be raised up until the mandrel base just hits the underside of the saw's table top (blade fully extended) and to allow the saw blade to be lowered until it is just under the saw's table top (blade fully retracted). The saw height adjuster base is made from a pine board 6 inches long by 1+1/2 inches wide by 3/4 inch thick. It is glued to the top of the left upper corner support and to the left end of the white Melamine saw support table - flush with the front and overlapping the back by 3/4 of an inch. The front of this board is cut off on a 45 degree angle to allow room for the height adjuster's wing nut to rotate freely. A second pine board 3+1/2 inches long by 1+1/2 inches high by 3/4 inch thick is glued to the back edge of the Melamine saw support table (on the back side) and tight against the already glued base piece forming an "L" shape. A vertical locking guide is made from 2 pieces of 3/16 inch thick particle board that comes with thin wood veneer laminated to both surfaces. The piece is cut to profile the left side of the saw adjuster base. Do not glue this piece in place yet. Wait until later when the moving saw base and hinge support have been built and dry fitted.
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Pic9)
Top inside view of the saw height adjuster base and vertical locking guide (with the slot cut out) and the pine hinge support at the back. The pine hinge support is 1 inch deep by 1/2 inch high by 3+1/3 inches long and is glued against the inside of the second board and on top of the left back corner of Melamine saw support table.
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Pic10)
The moving saw base is made of pine board 3/4 inch thick by 6 inches long by 3+3/8 inches wide. It is tapered on the bottom starting from 2+1/2 inches from the hinged end (at the back) to the front edge. The front edge of the taper is down to 1/16th inch. This taper allows the table to move enough to drop the saw blade to just below the saw's table top. This view is of the left hand side of the moving saw base.
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Pic11)
Back view of the moving saw base.
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Pic12)
Right hand view of the moving saw base.
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Pic13)
Bottom view of the moving saw base.
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Pic14)
Installed view of the moving saw base.
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Pic15)
A 6 inch long paint stir stick is glued down the right hand top edge of the moving saw base. Then two more layers of paint stir sticks were glued on top of the first stir stick leaving a tight rounded gap for the thinnest part of the Dremel flex shaft to fit into (see Pic10). The center of this gap is 2+1/4 inches from the back edge of the moving saw base. The fit must be very tight or the end of the Dremel flex shaft will wobble and become unsafe. Make sure that the gap also holds the end of the Dremel flex shaft exactly parallel to the front and back edges of the Melamine saw support table. Otherwise the saw blade will not end up perpendicular to the Melamine saw support table. The shaft is indexed in place (on the right side of the stir sticks - see Pic30) at the point where it thickens. The first two layers end at the front and back edges of the table and the third layer is longer and extends 2+1/2 inches forward of the moving saw base. A one-piece fourth stir stick is hinged at the back end (piano hinge end) with a dry wall screw through a rounded "cabinet mounting" washer. Both of these longer two stir sticks are rounded on their ends to form a handle when aligned. Here the saw height adjuster is in its highest position.
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Pic16)
Here the saw height adjuster is fully lowered.
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Pic17)
A short piece of piano hinge (1/2 inch wide when folded closed) is screwed into the end of the moving table and then into the top of the hinge support. Next, the adjustment block is made from pine board 2 inches wide by 2+1/2 inches deep by 3/4 inch thick. This block is glued to the front edge of the moving saw base just to the left of the stir sticks. On the front left end of the block, a half wood thread, half 1/4 inch threaded bolt (with the same thread pattern as the wing nut) is screwed in place after first pre-drilling. Make a paper template for how the bolt rubs against the vertical locking guide and then cut out the curved slot. Do this before gluing the vertical locking guide and hinge support in place.
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Pic18)
After cutting out the curved slot, place a washer over the bolt and slide the moving saw base sideways (to the left) until the hinge aligns with the hinge support and the base of the bolt is tight against the vertical locking guide. Slip another washer and then a lock washer over the exposed bolt and then screw on the wing nut. Screw in the hinge mounting screws while ensuring that the end of the "kocked in" Dremel flex shaft is still parallel to the front and back of the Melamine saw support table.
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Pic19)
The top stir stick is swung to the right to fit the Dremel flex shaft, swung back, and then locked in place with a black metal paper "binder clip". To raise the saw blade, pull up on the stir stick handles and then tighten the wing nut.
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Pic20)
The fixed saw table is a four sided box made from 1/2 inch thick pine board. The front and back are 3+3/4 inches wide by 3+1/2 inches high. The sides are 7 inches deep by 3+1/2 inches high. Both sides are knotched out at the bottom to allow the pieces to straddle the front and back of the Melamine saw support table and to sit exactly 2 inches above the top of the Melamine saw support table. Cut these knotches carefully to ensure the saw's table top will be level. There is a semi-circular cut-out on the left side to allow access for the flex shaft and saw blade and to allow for its vertical movement. The right side has a rectangular cut-out to allow sawdust removal with a vacuum. The four pieces are glued together and fit tightly against the edges of the Melamine saw support. The center of the fixed saw table is aligned with the mounted saw blade and then screwed in place with a screw in the front and one in the back that go right into the edge of the Melamine saw support. Here, the bottom of the box is facing forward and the back is to the right.
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Pic21)
Another view of the fixed saw table. The top of the box is facing forward and the back is to the left.
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Pic22)
To help index the location of the box, a 3/4 inch by 3/4 inch pine stick is cut to fit exactly between the box and the vertical locking guide. It is then glued to the front edge of the Melamine saw support and up against the vertical locking guide. Do not glue to the box - it is removable.
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Pic23)
Left side of the mounted fixed saw table box. Notice that the lower mounting screws are left proud of the box.
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Pic24)
Right side of the mounted fixed saw table box.
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Pic25)
To close up the sawdust removal port, a stir stick was cut 7+3/4 inches long and knotche at both ends to hold a hair elastic.
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Pic26)
Front view of sawdust removal port closed up.
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Pic27)
Back view of sawdust removal port closed up.
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Pic28)
The saw blade is a third party 2 inch wood blade which came with its own "heavy duty" mandrel.
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Pic29)
Close-up view of the blade. Make sure the blade is mounted to turn in the proper direction (the top of the blade will be moving towards the front of the saw).
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Pic30)
The saw is indexed correctly in its cradle and will be held in place once the stir stick is swung forward and clamped.
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Pic31)
Here the blade is mounted and lowered to its lowest position.
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Pic32)
Here the blade is mounted and raised to its highest position.
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Pic33)
When indexed correctly in the height adjuster, the blade ends up in the center of the fixed saw table box.
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Pic34)
The saw's table top is 10+1/2 inches deep by 6+1/2 inches wide by 3/16 inch thick. It is made from 3/16 inch thick laminated particle board which comes with thin wood veneer laminated to both surfaces. To mount it, two locator pine blocks are attached to the underside. These blocks are 3/4 inch by 3/4 inch by 3+3/4 inch long. In order to glue these blocks in their proper locations, I turned the top upside down and placed the fixed saw table box (again upside down) on top and centered it. Temporarily clamp the two together making sure they are parallel front to back and side to side. Then glue the locator blocks to the top on the inside front and back of the box. When dry, fit the top onto the box and screw in place with two screws - one in the front and one in the back. The screws go right through the box and into the locator blocks.
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Pic35)
Side view of the saw's table top.
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Pic36)
Placing the saw's table top on top of the box. The fit must be snug with no room for side to side movement or twisting.
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Pic37)
Here I am screwing on the top. After the top is screwed on, turn the saw on and manually raise the blade up (using the stir stick handles on the height adjuster) until it cuts all the way through the top and is in the highest position. If everything was positioned properly, the blade should end up parallel to the sides of the saw's table top.
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Pic38)
Saw blade in its highest position.
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Pic39)
Saw blade in its lowest position.
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Pic40)
Top view of the auxiliary sliding table top.
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Pic41)
Bottom view of the auxiliary sliding table top.
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Pic42)
The auxiliary sliding table top is made from more of the 3/16 inch thick laminated particle board. It is 7+1/2 inches wide by 7+1/2 inches deep with two runners on the under side edges. The runners are 1/4 inch thick by 1/2 inch wide by 10 inches long with rounded leading ends. They were glued onto the underside edges of the auxiliary sliding table top while clamped parallel to and snug with the saw's table top. I temporarily added a single sheet of printer paper between one of the runners and the saw's table top when gluing to ensure there would be enough room for movement between the two pieces after everything dried. Now add fences to the front and back edges of the auxiliary sliding table top. The fences are 1/2 inch thick by 1+1/4 inch high by 7+1/2 inches wide. Be careful to ensure that they are both square to the sides of the auxiliary sliding table top. Once dry, raise the saw blade to its highest position, turn on the saw, and run the auxiliary sliding table top right through the saw bade. That will cut the bottom in two but the bront and back "fences" will hold everything together. If the runners are still too tight, then sand carefully by hand until they slide freely but are not loose enough to wobble.
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Pic43)
The auxiliary sliding table top after it is run through the table saw.
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Pic44)
Here the auxiliary sliding table top is being pushed through the saw from left to right.
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Pic45)
Here the auxiliary sliding table top is being pushed further through the saw from left to right.
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Pic46)
Here the auxiliary sliding table top has been pushed all the way through the saw.
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Pic47)
A rear view of the completed saw mounted on one of my "rolling" work mates.
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Pic48)
This cross-cut jig is used to cut wood by sliding it through the saw blade with the jig. To the left is the hinged height adjustment bed with a wing nut tightener and a built-in hold-down for the Dremel flex shaft.
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Pic49)
To the right is an optional extension bed used to support longer material. This extension's bed is at the same height as all the jigs' beds.
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Pic50)
For length-wise cuts, fences are temporarily clamped in place and push sticks and feather boards are used to safely push the wood through the saw.
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Pic51)
This jig is used to build various sized hatch cover gratings. A shallow cut was made into the jig's bed and then filled with a glued wooden stick cut the same thickness as the saw blade. The bed was then moved two blade thicknesses to the left of the saw blade and a full length cut was made parallel to the glued stick. The clamped cardboard deflects saw dust.
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