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A good saw of this kind has a sizeable base plate, a built-in
adjustable ripping gauge, a sawdust blower, and a blade guard. Both
motor and saw arbor are mounted with ball-bearings for easy operation.
The saw blade should be set on the right-hand side of the handle, away
from the operator, with all the adjustments and buttons on the rear of
the saw housing so that the operator can see them easily and adjust
them quickly. Handles are usually the D-type with a trigger switch
enclosed in the handle where the fingers can operate it with ease. A
portable circular hand saw can be converted into a bench saw by the
purchase of a steel table made for the purpose, enabling it to do many
of the things a bench saw will accomplish. In our opinion, however, it
can never supplant the stationary bench saw, although it will be useful.
. . . stationary power tools
Most of these tools are large and heavy, coming either with their
own tables or ready to be mounted on a bench or support. Although
more expensive in general than the portable hand tools, they are capable
of astonishing feats, for they are versatile in their accomplishments.
For the home craftsman who intends to make woodworking his hobby
for many years, a selection of good-quality stationary power tools is a
good investment. The amount and type of work intended to be done and
the amount of money available for buying the equipment desired will
influence the choice here, too.
. BENCH OR TABLE SAWS: A bench saw (sometimes known as a "table
saw" or a "circular bench saw") will cost from about $20 to $25 and up,
some of the more elaborate professional models costing in the hundreds.
The least expensive kinds are, naturally, less versatile, less durable, and
sometimes less accurate than the medium-priced and expensive saws.
Also, the cost does not always include the price of motors, belts, stands,
and other fittings required to make them ready to perform their tasks.
The higher-priced saws frequently feature built-in motors, and their
stands or benches may be a part of the machine. Carefully milled fittings
which adjust to a fraction of an inch will assure complete accuracy in
the work they do. Many stands are fitted with casters which lock in
place when not being used to move the machine into a more convenient
position, so that they are stationary in one sense and mobile in another.
Good medium-priced saws have table tops of heavy steel and include a
"fence" (a steel bar which can be clamped to the table top parallel to the
saw blade, adjusted to the proper width, and thus become a guide for
wood as it passes through the saw, so that accurate widths may be cut).
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