Saw benches can perform nearly all woodworking tasks whereas your saw horse would be very limited in most cases. The top part of the saw bench is the real discriminator. Sawhorses will have a long slim top and cannot really support anything on its own. The common dimensions of a sawbench at the top are about 7″. This is useful if you’re using a saw blade that’s movable where cutting angles is required. You’ll be able to cut wood at various depths, with a sturdy saw while it is nearly impossible to do so with a sawhorse.
Bench saws are a staple attachment used on the saw bench. They usually come with a rip fence for cutting boards lengthwise, allowing this movable guide to provide extreme accuracy for parallel cutting. The hold-down is another feature standard with a bench saw that keeps the board from jumping off the table during the cutting operation. These guides are adjustable and are necessary options that should be installed as part of your saw bench configuration. So you’ll need to make sure you get the best accessorized bench table saws possible to accommodate your need for safety.
The saw bench itself must be very sturdy and well built to prevent slippage and possible collapse because of size, shape, weight and thickness of the wood you’re planning to cut. The circular saw bench requires the same attention to design and optimization. A guard is positioned over the saw blade parallel with the table top. You’ll have a height adjustable guard and angular displacement settings relative to the table tops for angular, parallel and cross cutting jobs. A protective panel is included to protect the operator’s fingers.
When it comes to mitre saws, the need for a well designed mitre saw bench is no less important. Sometimes referred to as a chop saw, the mitre saw is used for precise cross-cuts and compound angles. Saw benches with left and right side long tables help keep the stock being cut level and in line with mitre saw blade. Portable mitre saw benches are commercially available for use outside the shop.
The handy bench top band saw is another reason why you should own a good saw bench. It is virtually impossible to do good work without a quality saw bench when using band saws. With an improper cutting surface, you’ll experience fluttering blades that flex and wander, as well as binding and barrel cuts. With a well designed saw bench, you have real estate on both sides of the saw, sturdiness to support the weight of material being cut, increased accuracy for angle cutting and parallel cutting on a bench that can support whatever capacity of wood you’re sawing. Saw benches can make your work seem like child’s play when you invest or build a quality saw bench.
Posted on July 26th, 2010 by Saw Bench
Filed under: saw bench