Hi All:
I have an old Makita 2708 table saw that a friend gave me before pancreatic cancer got him. I helped him build his house 20 years ago when I was in high school and have only done a handful of small construction projects since. Last year though I bought my first house and have started digging back into building and remodeling things.
Recently I used the saw to rip an 8′ piece of 4″ x 4″ white cedar into 3/8″ thick strips to use for part of some inside storm windows I’m building. I could tell I could have halted the saw blade if I had tried to go too fast. I also had to be careful not to bind the blade because it would heat up and scorch the wood (in addition to making a lousy cut of course!)
Will I kill the saw by using it in this manner or is it able to do this kind of work? How about the blade? It’s a carbide tipped CMT, 20 teeth per inch. I don’t have enough experience to know but I don’t want to ruin the tool.
If I shouldn’t be ripping 4×4 post with it, what’s another way to come up with 3/8″ thick x 2 1/4″ wide pine, if my lumberyard doesn’t have stock with those dimensions?
Also, does anyone know where I should go looking for one of the devices that fit in the channel on the saw’s deck for pushing the work through at the correct angle? And, how about a blade guard? I have seen newer models online that have one. Mine doesn’t. It’s just an exposed spinning disk of death at this point 😮
Thanks everyone!
-John
Replies
Used to have a 2708- tough saw and pretty powerful for it's size. Part of the problem may be the blade, a new dedicated rip blade should make for easier going. If you're runing an extension cord to the saw, too small a cord over a long run can hurt the saw- stick to 12ga. Irrc the miter gauge uses a non standard slot size ............ you may have to go to Makita or a place that sells Makita parts to get it. Google is your friend. Blade guard- Makita or a place that sells Makita parts.
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Long rips are pretty challenging to smaller saws. A dedicated ripping blade might help. Also a thin kerf ripping blade helps smaller saws cut better. you may have to slow down your feed rate in order not to bog the saw down which may result in more burning during the cut. You may not be able to help that.
It will probably not kill the saw because I doubt you will be doing long rips like that all day every day.
If you can find a good mitre gauge, that would help with crosscuts, but measure your mitre slot first small saws sometimes have a different size mitre slot.
If you can dig up a gaurd for that model it would be safer however most people don't use their gaurds. A guard would also function as a splitter which would prevent material from binding against the blade and pinching it. This is a very dangerous situation which you are likely to encounter when ripping rough/framing lumber. One tip to help in ripping long material with a short fence is to clamp a six foot level to the fence using small pony clamps in the hand holes on the level. it really adds support.
Proper tablesaw technique and outfeed support will help keep you safe as well as make the cut better.
Hope this helps.
Webby
Hey John...sounds like a blade problem is likely since white cedar is easy. I don't know about 20 tpi...sounds like a plywood blade! But a new cheap rip or combo blade, be sure that the blade is tight on arbor, use a combination square to see if the blade is basically parallel to the mitre slot, same for the fence when locked down. Burying a blade will cause heat and bogging....take shallower cuts once you have fixed things. If the TS starts cutting well after you check and correct stuff (and you are unable to find a guard etc on craigslist) then make a plywood insert so you have zero clearance and can glue in a simple wood splitter at least! Be Safe! I have trimmed fingers....no fun. Good Luck
John, If you want to check something different.
Round Edged Casing (RE Casing) is alledgedly 1/2'' thick x 2-1/4. There's some relief on the backside. To remove it you'd run it through the table saw standing the pc. up against the fence. It'll be clear pine.
That is if the round edge (minimal eased edge) isn't bogus for you.
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I assume that is a direct drive tool and if if you want it to last the first rule is to keep the rpms up, don't log it down whatever. Fence alignment, correct blade and all that won't make up for excessive feed rate. You can get a feel for the proper "sound "pretty quick if you pay attention.Retired until my next job.
"It's a carbide tipped CMT, 20 teeth per inch."
I think you mean an 8-inch 20 tooth blade, don't you? 20 teeth per inch would be a little less than 1/16" apart.
Use a ripping blade, a feather board to hold the stock to the fence and slow feed rate.
The blade *is* actually ripping blade. It says right on it:8" Ripping 20 Teeth FTGIt's a CMT brand 201.020.08It's carbide tipped teeth are 1/8" wide.I agree with the comments suggesting ways to keep the wood tight and parallel to the fence. Using a builder's level as a straight edge sounds promising. In today's world of technology, are there still frequent uses for a big, long level or have laser devices taken over a lot of that? I remember that a nice builder's level is kind of a pricey thing. If I can see myself finding other uses for one, now might be a good time for me to think about getting one, for this.As far as the saw goes, it seems like what you are all telling me is that as long as I feed slowly and don't knock the rpm's down too much, I should be all right. In addition to putting some more time into rigging up good support for my in and out feed, I'm also going to keep my extension cord short and a heavy gauge.About the suggestion of using wood stock that has a rounded edge, I'm going to take it under advisement but probably pass because that edge would be visible and change the look I'm going for. But I appreciate that and everyone else's suggestions and comments. Thanks you all! :)-John
" Recently I used the saw to rip an 8' piece of 4" x 4" white cedar into 3/8" ......If I shouldn't be ripping 4x4 post with it, what's another way to come up with 3/8" thick x 2 1/4" wide pine, if my lumberyard doesn't have stock with those dimensions?"
As soon as I get the finishing touches on my project of turning lead into gold, I plan to start on that one of turning cedar into pine, but I don't think the Makita has that option.
;)
Make sure the blade is sharp and clean, then make sure you are feeding straight into the blade and tight tot he fence. Be sure the fence is parrallell to the blade. Being off only a hair can cause burning
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One way to dramatically reduce the stress on a table saw is to downsize the blade. If it's 10", downsize to 8". If it's 8", get a 7-1/4". As long as it will do the cut, the smaller the blade, the less stress on the motor.
A thin curf blade will also make a big difference, since it has to remove that much less wood. Also, keep the teeth clean of build-up and lubricat the sides of the blade.
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His blade is 1/8", that's quite a bit of material on a long rip.
I'm all for reducing blade diameter as well.
I would suggest to him this blade LU87R008 http://www.freudtools.com/p-36-thin-kerf-ripbr-nbsp.aspx @ .087 kerf it doesn't have to hawg through a whole bunch of wasted wood.
I *did* create quite a huge pile of sawdust, yes :(
Ok, that is about a $32 blade via Amazon.com. It doesn't look like it has carbide tipped teeth. Is that something that you forgo when you get a thin curf blade, because they can't get such tiny pieces of carbide steel welded securely onto such a thin blade?The reason they make carbide tipped blades is because they hold a sharp edge longer, right?
The Freud blade I linked to is carbide tipped.
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Thin Kerfallows for faster feed rate and reduced waste
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Positive Hook Anglefor fast cutting and easy feeding in ripping applications
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Ok, I see that now, sorry about that. I didn't see that mentioned on the description on Amazon for it. Serves me right for relying on Amazon :pI'm going to try this blade out!
John,
The website below will identify the parts and ship them for you.
http://www.ereplacementparts.com/makita-2708-table-saw-parts-c-97_98_216_221.html
Or: you could go to Craigslist.com and ask if anyone has a used guard and other parts. There were thousands of those saws sold. Someone will probably be happy to part with the parts you need. Worth a try......
oldfred
John
This is a job for a bandsaw ..
lots of good suggestions, try taking a shallow cut instead of one pass, slow the feed rate
Haha! I wish I had the space to put a band saw!! :) I've already taken over half the basement for the woodworking area. But knowing that's a good way to accomplish what I'm trying to do is helpful. Someday I might get there.How about the thin curf blades? Is the tradeoff that they can heat up and distort more easily, so you have to pay more attention to what's going on when you use one?Does anyone have any suggestions on a blade make and model to look for? Any good tips on good online sources to buy high quality blades at the best available prices? I know quality costs, but I've found that by shopping around, there's still variation in the price for the same item, even if it's a pricey, quality tool.Also, one of my first ideas WAS to do my ripping cuts in two shallower passes but I found that it was hard to keep the wood in perfect alignment with the first pass when making the second pass. I realize that's pointing to a need for me to get a better in and out feed support setup, along with a longer fence.