About the DIY table saw.
Needing and wanting a table saw I knew right from the start I was gonna have to do a DIY table saw. The cheap ones are small and well….cheaply made. The big ones are far to expensive for a part time wood worker just looking for straight cuts.
So the designing starts. Firstly I wanted a large surface area so big cuts are possible but I didn’t want it to take up too much space as I’m working in a double garage. The only way that was possible was to make collapsible outriggers. It would also have to be easily movable.
I looked at other peoples builds and took what i liked most and came up with this design. Many peoples DIY builds are designed to be multi functional featuring combos with router tables and jigsaw stations. I chose not to build a “work station” as I prefer to build them separate.
1 – Starting with cutting the materials needed for the main structure of the DIY table saw. (parts list and plans and the bottom of article)
2 – Once the cutting of the materials needed for the main structure was done. I marked and drilled the top and bottom of the sides of the saw and screwed them to the bottom board.
3 – Next up I screwed the bottom supports on the base.
4 – Moving away from the base of the DIY circular saw I start working on the top. I cut strips of 2 inch wood for support around the bottom of the top. I glued and screwed these down.
6 – Taking offcuts of wood I mount the on the edges of the markings to help align the saw. I then do two plunge cuts, 1 at 90 degree and 1 at 45 degrees.
7 – Flipping the top over i mark out where the blades have gone through the top and cut out this section to allow me to tilt the blade. I then marked out a further half inch and routered this to a depth of 3/16 Inch, the thickness of the thin plywood i have for the blade cover.
8 – Cutting a piece of thin plywood 3/16 inch thick to fit into the routered space and mounting it. After mounting the blade cover I flip the top over and mount the saw with 4 screws in each corner. After mounting I just do one final plunge cut through the blade cover.
9 – Moving back the base I mount 4 rubber lockable wheels as I would need to move the saw around. I made sure to use quality rubber wheels as plastic would slide easily on the smooth floor. testing the wheels afterwards I was pleased at the amount of grip they had.
10 – After mounting the wheels I turn over the base and place the top onto it. I have already pre drilled the pilot holes for the mounting of the top from the inside.
11 – Staring to look like a real nice DIY table saw I decided to use the saw to cut the rest of the wood I needed to complete it. I like the idea of the saw building itself. Using a temporary fence I start to cut the upper support of the saw. These have a 45 degree cut to them so that the outriggers will clear them when opened.
12 – Cutting the Last pieces of wood for the outriggers and hinge system.
13 – Further I assemble the 2 outriggers. Both outriggers are exactly the same. Gluing and screwing the frame supports on the the tops.
14 – Next I work on the hinges for the outriggers. I mark out center and round the ends off, my glue bottle seems to be the perfect radius. Using a jigsaw I cut the radius and drill the center hole that I had marked out.
15 – Mounting the hinges i mark and drill a hole. I used captive nuts and bolts to mount the hinges. I did this on all four sides.
16 – I temporarily placed stays under the hinges to hold up the tops. placing the tops on the hinges I used small offcut pieces of wood and screwed the tops to the hinges.
17 – Lastly I mounted the stays for the outriggers. Underneath the outriggers I also mounted stops for the stays.
Completed DIY table saw
Completing the saw I am very pleased with the end result. The saw cuts as well as any saw I have used. I will be upgrading to a bigger circular saw with a larger blade and more power. I am also in the process of designing a safety switch I can use on all the relevant tools I will be building. The Fence article will be released shortly.
In the future I am planning on building a new DIY table saw, I will most likely be using a steel framework with a blade holding mechanism that is fully adjustable with separate motor. But in the meantime this saw will do me just fine.
Next up I will be adding mitre slots and building accessories for the saw.
Tools Used
- Cordless Drill
- Circular Saw
- Jig saw
- Router
- G-Clamps
- DIY Track saw
- DIY Crosscut Station
17 thoughts on “DIY Table saw | homemade circular saw based table saw”
Outstanding design.
Cheap & easy.
Thank You for the comment Esteban.
Thx for Your hard work.💪
Thank you,loved it,like you I dont need enough to buy a good one.But I still want straight cuts.
Thank you Andrius, Exactly, and a big saw is big money
Great work brother..
Thank you for your comment
HI. I can’t open in my skectuchup 2021 version your sketchup model
I’m not sure why that would be, Maybe try the sketchup online version. I’m going to check because you are the second person struggling. Maybe I can save it in a different format.
Nice n chip
I am curious! Have you come up with any ideas on
how to adjust the saw? Do you have to get under the
table to change the saw height or the angle. Also how do you turn the saw on and off. Do you plug it
in and then unplug it. It really is a nice design, but
it could have been so much nicer if you had added
these items into your plans.
Hi.yes to adjust the height and angle you have to do it from below. To switch it on and off i have added a DIY safety switch wich i have not yet added to website but you can view the video here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEHM34RJk_s
Great idea!!. I love it and I will try to build one like this in my small working space.
Great idea!!. It’s simple and cheap to build one like this.
Dear brother
It is a amazing table saw. Can print it as pdf withe dimensions.
Excellent design. Fits just where I needed one without sacrifice of space. Simple and inexpensive. Bravo. Thank you.
Thankyou