Here is a short post to let you know ToolBoxHero is now proudly carrying products from WoodCraft Supply.

For those of you who are not familiar with this legendary company here is an short paragraph about them:

Since 1928, Woodcraft, America’s oldest woodworking retail chain and headquartered in Parkersburg, WV has delivered the finest woodworking tools, woodworking plans, and woodworking supplies to America’s woodworkers. Woodcraft brings you over 20,000 woodworking tools all backed by our 90 Day Guarantee and industry best customer service.

A Woodcraft Store

With top of the line power tools, clamps, pen kits, hand saws, fasteners, woodworking plans and more, Woodcraft is able to fill all your woodworking supply needs. Woodcraft has provided the woodworking community the best woodworking tools for 80 years, helping people complete countless projects. If you’re looking for the best in woodworking tools, woodworking plans, and supplies, look no further than Woodcraft.

To browse their website and see their latest catalog click here: WoodCraft Supply

Skil Flooring Saw

Skil has just introduced a new miter saw specifically designed for flooring. This saw is different than every other miter saw you have used and I feel it will be a big hit for anyone who has to install hardwood floors.

For me what makes this saw so great is the fact that it sits low to the ground. Most miter saw beds are 2 to 4 inches off the ground making hard to accurately cut long pieces of flooring. They are prone to having sharp edges on the feet so you have to be careful not to scratch your new floor if you don’t have them mounted on a stand. The Skill Flooring Saw sits low to the ground and with just a scrap 2×4 for support you can easily and accurately make your cuts. The bottom has no sharp edges so you can safely work on and around your new floor.

The rest of this article is the ad from Amazon.com. Read through it and click on the banner below to order this new saw.

Technical Details

All in one design

The portable, multifunctioning SKIL 3600-02 120-Volt Flooring Saw has the ability to make miter, cross, and rip cuts in many types of flooring materials. Designed to cleanly cut through hardwood, laminate, and engineered flooring up to 8 inches wide and 3/4-inch thick, this saw is perfect for all wood flooring projects.

All-in-One Flooring Saw Offers Everything You Need

Tackling a floor installation project usually requires a miter and table saw, each designed for a specific task. However, the SKIL 3600-02 Flooring Saw’s all-in-one design gives you everything you need in one portable, powerful package. Saving you time, energy and money, this flooring saw makes accurate cross, miter, and rip cuts.

Whether your installation project takes you to the attic or the basement, this flooring saw goes right along with you, making it a great alternative to larger bench-top tools. Now you can measure, cut, and place your flooring planks without having to get up and walk back and forth to wherever your miter and table saws are set up, which means you can complete your installation in less time. For further convenience, the compact SKIL 3600-02 Flooring Saw offers a built-in cord wrap, a handle for easy portability, and a convenient push stick that stores under the tabletop.

Rips Too!

Miter Cuts Are Easy

Cleanly Cuts Many Materials
With the ability to rip through hardwood, laminate, and engineered flooring, the SKIL Flooring Saw features a 40-tooth carbide-tipped blade that provides a clean cut without shredding or splintering. Design engineers at SKIL gave this all-in-one tool an aluminum tabletop height of 1-1/2 inches, the same height as a piece of scrap 2x material or two pieces of stacked oak hardwood flooring. This design safely supports extra-long flooring pieces, so they don’t bend or tip off the table as you cut. In addition, dual sliding rails keep your material in place to provide accuracy and smooth operation during cross and miter cuts.

Simplifies Miter Cuts
This flooring saw has the capacity to make angled miter cuts between 0 and 47 degrees. Offering built-in miter table-top detents at 0, 22.5 and 45 degrees–the most common miter cut angles used in flooring installations–this flooring saw ensures cutting accuracy for all skill and experience levels.

What’s in the Box
3600-02 120-volt flooring saw, (1) 75540 4 3/8-inch 40T blade, self-aligning rip/miter fence, blade wrench, clamp, and push stick.

Buy HERE: Skil 3600-02 120-Volt Flooring Saw

Craftsman 10 in. Sliding Miter Saw Model 21237 Review

You can click on Model 21237 anywhere in this article and go to Sears.com to read more and purchase this saw.  You can purchase it online and pick it up at your nearest Sears store. If you buy the saw online from them I will get a commission from the sale.  It is my way of paying for this site. I get no other compensation from SHC for this review.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rW8Rhkuqx1g

I purchased this saw in October 2007.  The saw in this review is the silver version.  Since then Sears has changed the color scheme to black and silver. I will go through the changes they made with the new color scheme.

Model 21237

Introduction:

I was unsure if  this saw would meet all my requirements but I was willing to give it a try.   I had to install two arches in my kitchen, remodel an area around the washer/dryer in the basement and I wanted to build my wife a potting bench.  I had about 3000 board feet of 1 x 10 and 1 x 12 long boards that I wanted to use for building Adirondack chairs. My table saw is set in a corner and I was tired of having to move it every time I wanted to cross cut a long board.  This article goes through my experience with this saw for the last two years.

Warning: I included in this article all of my expectations, concerns, fixes and positives about this saw over the last two years.  So it’s pretty long.

Setting up the Saw:

I wanted a saw that would do the normal cross-cutting for home remodeling and a saw that could do exact finish work for a furniture items I wanted to build.  So, I was very critical of the Model 21237 and the tolerances of the cuts it could make.  I knew the $600 dollar sliders would meet my expectations but I wasn’t sure if this one could meet them.  At $250 retail I was a little cautious and took a lot of extra time checking the tolerances and going through the mechanical attributes of the saw.  After assembling the saw, the first thing I did was anchor the saw to my work bench. I had a friend buy a slider and broke it in half on the first cut he made by pulling the head forward and having it tip off his workbench. So from him I knew that sliders must be bolted down.  I planned on using it out in the garage in the summer and bringing down the basement in the winter so I used threaded inserts in the table and 1 1/2 inch long 1/4 inch bolts and washers. I mounted it so the front feet were near the front of the bench with the slider hanging over the edge. That way I could easily adjust the horizontal angle without banging my knuckles.

One item they changed with the new black and silver 21237 is the location of the feet and mounting holes.  The front feet are the same, but the rear feet are longer and protrude another 2 inches to the rear.  They also eliminated the wire support on the bottom rear of the saw. These positive changes make the saw easier to mount and more stable overall.

The next thing I did was check the accuracy of the fence. I knew about one out of every 1000 saws or so had a warped fence. If the fence is not perfectly parallel you can never get accurate cuts. The bevel and angle markings will be off and the saw will drive you crazy. I used a good engineer’s rule to check the accuracy and it was dead on.

Then I checked the 90 and 45 degree detents. I set the saw at 90 degrees, lowered the blade and then locked it down (there is a button on the back of the head to lock in the down position for transport) Then used and engineer’s square to check the angle and then repeated this step at 45 degrees left and 45 degrees right. Everything was correct right out of the box.

Time to Make My First Cut:

I took a 1 x 6 oak plank that I knew had a straight edge and using the engineer’s square, made a 90 degree mark. I turned on the saw’s laser and then placed the board on the saw and using the screw clamp that came with the saw clamped it down. I put my mark where I thought the blade would cut using the laser.

I made my first cut using the way I was taught to use a slider. Pull the saw all the way forward, turn it on, lower the saw, and then push the saw through the board. I missed my mark by 1/16 of an inch. After playing with the saw, I realized I should line up the mark with the RIGHT edge of the laser mark, not the left side as I had done. (After using the saw for two years I now realize that lasers are just guides. If you are cutting 2 x 4′s they are accurate enough but if you want exact measurements you need to lower the blade to your mark and then set your clamps to that.)

The supplied work clamp is too much work. It takes too much time to adjust it, tighten it down, and then release it for the next cut. I set up a Kreg Bench Clamp to the left of the saw and I use that when I want to clamp my work. I move the clamp to the basement with the saw in the winter.

Ok, so far so good. EXCEPT the saw did not cut all the way through the board! It left about 1/4 inch on the backside of the cut.  After looking at the saw and playing with it I saw that even though the fence was lined up perfectly, whoever aligned it at the factory had pulled the fence all the way forward in the adjusting slots.  I thought about returning the saw, but before I did I decided to play around a little.

I went to loosen the four screws that hold the fence.  They are hex (Allen).  No problem, I have one of those.  When I went to loosen the screws though, they were so tight that I couldn’t get them loose.  I was afraid if I put to much effort on them I would strip out the heads and then as far as I was concerned the saw would be junk.  So I found my old impact screwdriver (it’s the kind you hit with a hammer and it gives a little twist to the screw.)  The screws easily loosened with that.

So I moved the fence all the way to the back, and the used my engineer’s square to align it back up with the blade.  I was careful to tighten the screws evenly so I didn’t warp the fence.

I checked the new black and silver saw and the fence was in the right position.  It will cut correctly out of the box.  I also checked it for square and it was right on. It still has the same hard-to-use clamp. I wish they would supply the same clamp they have on the MiterMate.

My Second Cut:

I made my second cut and everything worked perfectly.  I dropped the blade to my mark and then clamped the board and cut it.  The saw cut all the way through the board, the cut was right on my carefully placed mark.  Everything looked good except the face of the cut.

I realized that the blade Sears supplied with the saw would not work for me.  It works ok for normal construction and remodeling tasks but I wanted a perfect cut everytime.  I headed back to Sears and bought an 80 tooth Freud Blade.  This blade cuts cleanly and is so good on hardwoods that I never need to sand the edge.

Since then I have found a better blade.  When the Freud blade wears out I will replace it with a Tenryu Saw Blade.  To most of you these blades may seem expensive, but the quality of cuts they produce are worth every penny especially when you want an accurate cut with almost no tearout no matter what wood you are cutting.

What I learned about the saw over the last two years:

Go here to see a few pictures of the saw

Pro: I use this saw just about everyday.  I have made at least 5000 cuts with it.  I have cut everything from 1/4 plywood, pine, hard maple, and plexiglass.  I even used it to cut a 3 1/2 inch walnut log into 1/2 inch slabs for coasters.  It will easily cut two stacked 2 x 12′s and a Menards 4 x 4 (3 1/2 in)

Pro: I keep it tied (screwed) to a workbench and move it to and from the basement twice a year. I am careful with the saw when I move it, because I know I could damage it by throwing it around and dropping it.  To treat a sliding compound miter saw with respect and care is just common sense to me.  When I read other reviews about other people breaking their saw, I wonder if the problem is the saw or the way they are treating it.

The best way to move this slider is to lock the blade down, slide the saw all the way to the front of the slider and lock the slider thumbwheel located behind and under the slides.  It then easily balances on the front and rear handhold. On the new black and silver version Craftsman moved the slider thumbwheel up and on the side of the slide so it is easy to reach and use.

Pro: As part of my routine I check the accuracy of my saws at least every six months. (my table saw needs adjustment every so often.) The Model 21237 I have has never needed adjustment since the initial setup.  I even “caught” some hard maple in it a few times (the wood I was sawing was too short and kicked out of the saw) and the alignment stayed perfect.

Pro & Con: I leave my laser on most of the time now.  I turned it off and on for the first year every time I used the saw and I noticed the switch starting to fail.  Instead of loosing the switch, I just leave it on.  I also have a switch box out in the garage where I supply power to my router, vacuum, miter saw and belt sander.  I have it wired so only power goes to one device at a time (for my safety) so the laser does get turned off, I just don’t use the switch on the saw to do it.  On the new 21237 Craftsman installed a sealed switch that should last a lot longer than the old rocker switch.

Con: (This has been fixed with the new saw) Where the laser is located on the saw the sawdust blows directly over it.  When cutting pine the sticky sawdust covers the laser and you have to clean it all the time. My model 21237 is the all silver one.  On the new 21237 Craftsman moved the laser up out of the way of the sawdust and enclosed it in a more durable housing. It shouldn’t collect as much sawdust.

Con: Dust collection.  This saw is one of the “normal” homeowner saws as far a dust collection is concerned.  Very little sawdust makes it into the little dust collection bag.  Even with a shop vac hooked up to the saw instead of the bag most of it is spread all over the work area.  I compensated out in the shop by placing a 12 inch “wall” around the backside of my bench.  This  wall keeps the sawdust from blowing off the back of the bench and falling down where it is hard to vacumn up.  I plan on placing a dust collection hood behind the saw when I install a permanent collection system this summer.  I can’t see any changes on the new version so expect most of the sawdust to be everywhere but in the bag.

If dust collection is a concern for you, I would suggest buying a Professional Sliding Compound Miter Saw.  The professional versions all have a much better collection system than the homeowner versions.

Con: Kick.  I didn’t realize it when I bought this saw but I now do.  All the direct drive homeowner saws “Kick” when you turn them on.  The motor spins up so fast and there is so much torque that the handle kicks in your hand.  If you are not expecting it you may let go of the saw in shock the first time.  This is normal and just something to get used to.  Professional saws use a belt drive, soft start feature.  It takes a couple more seconds for the blade to come up to speed and this produces a lot less kickback than the direct drive homeowner models.  On the new version Craftsman installed a thumb-lock for the switch.  As a safety feature it is very easy to use and actually keeps you from inadvertently starting the saw with just your hand resting on the handle or sliding the saw into position. (yes, I’ve done it myself a few times)

Con: The extension wings work well as a work support.  They extend much farther than the wire supports found on most saws.  But I never used the stops that were on them because I found with the one locking screw on one of the two rods the stop would move over time.  I either couldn’t tighten the screw down enough or the wings would wiggle just a little.  It was ok for remodeling work, but for cabinetry and fine woodworking it was unacceptable.   The revised version fixes this.  There are two tightening screws on each side and the steel on aluminum screech you used to hear when moving the wings is gone.  Craftsman installed nice bushings to eliminate the sound.

Pro: Overall I really like the Model 21237 saw. It cuts accurately and consistently for me.  I have used it a lot and it is holding up well.  There is very little sign of wear on the dual slide rail system and all of the hinge points and moving pieces show no signs of wear.  I feel I have gotten a good saw at a great value.  I would recommend this saw to anyone who needs a slider and is a great first saw for everyone who thinks they need a miter saw.  It will do all of the miter and cross cut tasks for most of us.  In addition the slider really is nice.  Being able to cut up to a 12 inch board makes this saw many times more useful than a traditional miter saw.

The new version of this saw fixes all of the cons I had with my version except the sawdust issue.

If you want to read more. You can click on Model 21237 anywhere in this article and go to Sears.com to read more and purchase this saw.  You can purchase it online and pick it up at your nearest Sears store.

You have read all the reviews for the Craftsman MiterMate and you still haven’t bought one because some of the reviews state you need a huge work area to use this saw.  I am going to show you how to make an adapter to mount this saw to a typical miter saw stand so it doesn’t use any more space than a conventional miter saw.  You can also use this adapter to to permanently mount the MiterMate to a bench.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jus86RP4_-Q

I like the MiterMate. It is a great concept. It will save a homeowner who is trying to install trim in her house COUNTLESS hours of frustration. The angle finder that comes with the saw in conjunction with the movable material rest (fence) on the saw itself make cutting moulding and trim corners a snap.

A quick review of how the saw works:

Using the saw is easy.

Take the angle finder (clipped to the top of the saw) and go measure the corner you want to cut the trim for. Lock the red thumb-wheel on the angle finder tight.  (Click on the pictures to see a larger view.  Right-click and open in new window to stay on this page.)

Using The Angle Finder

Bring the angle finder to the saw and place it in on the bed of the saw in the slots for the gauge.

Insert Angle Finder

Align the movable fence (wings) to the angle finder.

Lock the wings.

Lock the wings

Remove the angle finder and stow into the brackets on top of the saw.

Insert the first piece of wood you want to cut. (slide the other fence out of the way if needed) Make your cut.

Slide the other fence out of the way

Insert the second piece you want to cut. (Readjust the slides on the fences if you need to) Make your cut.

Wood Protruding From Saw

Done!

As you can see in the photo the problem arises when you want cut long pieces of trim at different angles each time.  If you have the MiterMate mounted on a bench or the floor you have to swing long pieces of trim all over the place.

The Adapter:

The adapter is designed to swivel (turn)  the MiterMate on a miter saw stand so you don’t have to swing long pieces of trim all over the place when aligning them to cut on the saw.

I wanted to keep this adapter as simple as possible and I wanted to use items I have laying around the shop.

Parts Needed:

1. Two boards   One 19 in by 24 in.

19 in by 24 in Bottom Board

12 x 18 inch board

The other 12 inches by 18 inches.  The boards should be at least 3/4 in thick, flat and smooth on one side.  I found a piece of scrap MDF counter top out in the garage I had purchased from Spectrum Industries Outlet Store to use.   The MDF is 3/4 inch thick and has a laminate top similar to Formica.  The laminate is very slippery so it will work well.

2. One 1/2 inch or larger bolt, two flat washers (fender washers if you can get them,) and lock nut.  It should be long enough to go through two pieces of your board, two washers and two nuts.  In my case I used a 3/4 inch bolt, 3 1/2 inches long.

Pivot Bolt

3. Three 1/4 inch flat-head screws, washers and lock-nuts (you can use lock washers and regular nuts)  to mount the saw to the swivel.  In my case they need to be 2 inches long.  (thickness of one board plus the MiterMate feet plus room for two washers and a lock nut.)

MiterMate Mounting Bolts

4. One 1/4 inch bolt and nut 2 to 3 inches long.  We will use this for stop holes.  A fully threaded bolt will work great!

-

Making the adapter Assembly:

1.  Cut the boards, round over the edges if you want.

2. Layout the mounting holes on the small board.  To do this place the MiterMate on the board.  Center it on the board.  Mark the holes for the three feet. (I use a felt tip pen)

3. Using a square measure up 9 inches from the front hole and mark the pivot hole.

Typical Layout

4. Center the smaller board (12×18) on the larger board. Clamp them together.  Drill the pivot hole.

Drill The Pivot Hole

5. Remove the larger board.   Clamp the smaller board and drill the mounting holes.  Countersink the holes on the bottom side so the flat head screws set inside the board.

6. Bolt the two boards together using the pivot hole.  Tighten the bolt just enough so you can swivel the top board easily.

Mounting and final assembly:

1. Bolt the saw to the top board.  Swivel the board around to get to a hole to insert the first flathead mounting bolt from the bottom.  Put your washer and nut on but don’t tighten it yet. Repeat for the other two bolts.

2. Tighten the bolts.

MiterMate Mounted on Adapter

3.  Because each miter stand will be a little different, I left this step for last.  Place the saw with the fence lined-up with the stand.  Drill a 1/4 hole on each side of the front foot all the way through the bottom board.  This will be for the stop bolt.

4. Set the left fence to 30 degrees and rotate the saw to line up the fence with the stand.  Drill through the top hole again and make a hole in the bottom board.

5. Repeat step 4 with the fence at 45 degrees.

6.  Now do the same on the right side.  Take the  fully threaded bolt and run the nut all the way to the top of the bolt.  This will let the bolt stick out of the hole enough so you can easily remove it to turn the saw.

7. Done!  Click on the picture to see the adapter in action!

Click on this picture to see the MiterMate adapter in action

Options:

1. You can insert a couple of flanged bearings in the swivel if you want the adapter to swivel smoother.  Place a washer the size of the inner race to separate the bearings and make it work smoothly.  Any size will do, but the larger the better.
A chair swivel in place of the bolt will work even better.

2. You can use a lock nut in place of the two stop nuts.

3. You can use a threaded insert in the stop hole.

4.  The boards you got with you miter saw stand had a groove so it was easier to clamp the saw to the stand.  You can dado those grooves onto the base of this adapter if you would like.

Read My Review of the MiterMate: Craftsman MiterMate Review

Click here to purchase the MiterMate used here: Craftsman MiterMate

Click here to purchase the miter saw stand used here: Craftsman Universal Stand

The pictures of the Craftsman MiterMate and Miter Stand featured in this article were taken at the Sears, Eau Claire, WI. I wish to thank Chris for giving me the opportunity to use and photograph their new MiterMate display firsthand. Sears does not endorse this adapter and did not pay for it, this article or my time. It will work for me, but don’t hold me liable if it doesn’t work for you.

Not Really a Contractor Saw

Be sure to read the July 2010 and Dec 30 updates at the end of the article.

First, this is not a contractor saw by the definition that most of us have come to accept. A contractor saw is usually light weight, portable and easy to transport. This saw is none of these. It is in fact an inexpensive cabinet saw.  It weighs over 265 lbs, has a cast iron top, large induction motor, belt drive and is big.  You can easily move it around your shop with the built in casters, but it is not portable like the other contractor saws on the market.

Click here to purchase this saw: Craftsman Contractor Cabinet Saw

Specs:

Sears is getting very light on their catalog descriptions so I’ll go through the specs and elaborate enough so you can make an informed decision.  (The italicized statements are from the Sears.com description)

Model 21833 Contractor Saw

Solid and powerful, the 1 3/4-hp motor delivers 3,450 rpm:   This is the enclosed heavy induction motor that will give you plenty of torque to cut even the hardest wood.  The system is belt drive with heavy, cast iron supports and mounts.  It is a lot quieter than the cheaper saws.

Heavy-duty cast-iron table features stamp(ed) steel extension all supported by a sturdy stamp(ed) steel stand. The main table is cast iron.  The side extensions are steel.  The cabinet and legs of the unit are heavy gauge  steel.  It is made of bolt up panels that are finished in the standard Craftsman gray.  The whole thing goes together well.  The fit and finish is as good as the old 22114 you have seen on display for the last 6 years.

Features 10-inch left tilt arbor: This saw uses a table mounted trunnion so it never goes out of alignment like the cabinet mounted trunnion saws can.  The riving knife and splitter are an integral part of the trunnion assembly and is designed to stay on the saw.  The saw meets the new 2009 safety standards.  It comes with a standard width throat plate and a dado width plate.  The plates are 1/8 inch steel and you can easily make a zero tolerance plate using 5 ply hobby plywood or a piece of 1/8 inch steel plate.   The industry standard left tilt 5/8 inch arbor handles up to a 10 inch blade  and a 13/16 dado.

T-square fence with front/rear lock: The fence locks in the front and you can easily adjust it parallel to the blade if it gets out of alignment.  It also has a guide in the back to keep the fence from lifting up (why I don’t know?)

4-inch Dust Port:  Industry standard port.  You can easily hook up the Craftsman 3/4 hp Portable Dust Collector Model 21335,  the Craftsman Mini Dust Collector Model 21393 or a whole shop dust collector like the Craftsman Professional 1-1/2 hp Dust Collector Model 21337 to it.  You will need a 90 degree 4 inch elbow and waste gate to complete the assembly.  The Craftsman Dust Collection Starter Kit Model 21388 will give you all the fittings and hose you need and then some to hook this saw up.

Includes miter gauge and blade.  The 21833 uses the industry standard 3/4 inch T-slot miter gauge so you can use after market attachments in the slot.  The blade it comes with is a cheap combination blade so be prepared to buy the right blade for your application.  Myself, I have 14 different blades for different tasks but a 40 tooth carbide blade for general purpose cutting of panels and pine and a 60 tooth carbide blade for the finish work will get you started.

If you are ready to build fine furniture, kitchen cabinets and other woodworking where you need a perfect cut you can buy TENRYU Blades

Wt. 265.0 lbs. It is a nice heavy saw and the integral casters really work well to move it around.  I would gladly trade my 22114 for this saw just for this feature.  The casters work great!

Pros:

Very similar to the  Craftsman 22114 in features but less money!   Will probably replace the 22114 eventually.

Great saw for the money.  Has a cast iron top.

I like the cast iron top because I just can’t get used to a granite top saw. I use my saw for more than a saw.  It is also a workbench, flat surface and a “get this stuff out of the house” place for my wife.

Meets all the 2009 Safety Standards.  It has a real usable riving knife!

Good solid fence.  The fence has t-slots to accept accessories and jigs.  It is a standard width so you can use your old jigs.

Plenty of room in front of the blade.

Has an arbor lock so you only need one wrench to change the blade!

Cons:

You must assemble this saw and the instructions are not the best Sears has written.  Read the instructions two or three times, lay out all the parts and go through a dry run of the assembly BEFORE assembling the saw.   Personally I have assembled over a dozen cabinets saw and this one took me 3 hours to assemble.  There is one spot where you NEED three or four guys to turn the saw over, so plan ahead.

Myself I like the fact that I put the saw together.  I know all the parts that make up the saw, the quality and that it is assembled correctly.  By assembling it myself I know where all the adjustments are and I can now quickly check the alignments from time to time.

I suggest using your own tools.  You will need a 10 mm Open End Wrench, a 13mm Open End Wrench, a 4mm Hex Wrench, a 5mm Hex Wrench, and a 8mm Hex Wrench as bare minimum.  I also suggest a set of ratcheting combination wrenches or a 3/8 inch metric ratchet set.  You need a high quality 12 inch or larger straight edge to line up the table extensions.  I used my 24 inch aluminum level as the straight edge for that task.  I also used a dial caliper to check the parallel alignment of the fence to the blade. (The saw I assembled…. the fence came out of the box aligned perfectly!)

You can go here to view the assembly manual to see if you have the experience to assemble this saw ManageMyHome

It does not use the more common 1/2 inch thick throat plate.

I don’t have a problem with the steel extensions.  They are powder coated, smooth and flat.

The front fence track is a little tricky to assemble and align to the blade.  Just take your time and expect to align it a couple of times before you get it right.

My Final Thoughts:

I would make a table extension to fill in the gap on the right side fence extensions.  This is common for most cabinet saws in this price range.  I like a lot of room and you can easily make an extension out of 3/4 plywood or an old counter top.

To learn more and purchase this saw go here:  Craftsman Contractor Cabinet Saw You can order it through this link and pick it up at your nearest store. If you don’t have a vehicle big enough for the box (a van or pickup is needed) you can have it delivered for a normal fee.  You can buy an optional 5 year Purchase Plan from Sears for this saw for around $80.  This will cover anything that goes wrong with the saw (except the blade and physical abuse.) It includes a yearly inspection by a qualified tech at your request.

Update July 30, 2010

I just wanted to let you know I still like this saw.  It is becoming a very popular saw and is a great value.  I really don’t think you can find a better saw in this price range.

A couple of things.  First, if you are not going to hook up a dust collector I suggest that you don’t install the 4 inch dust port on the bottom.  Let the saw dust fall out the bottom and sweep your floor when you are done.

Second, Check the motor pulley set screw when you put it together.  I had one customer where the set screw was loose.

That’s it! Enjoy Your New Saw!

Update Dec 30, 2010.

This saw continues to be one of the most popular saws Sears sells and I have a feeling it is one of the more popular saws anyone sells for the price.

If you are not going to hook it up to a dust collection system I strongly suggest you leave the dust collector funnel off the bottom of the saw and let the sawdust drop on the floor.  From my own experience I know if I left the funnel on the saw I would forget to move the sawdust and the inside of the case would fill up with sawdust and it would be a chore to clean it out.  The throat plate is large enough that you could take it and the saw blade off and use a shop vac to clean out the case if you do plug the bottom hole.  You can also use an air compressor or leaf blower to periodically blow the dust out of the case. (just a fact of life with every cabinet saw that no one talks about)

If you want a good, solid saw that you can move but don’t need to move it from job-site to job-site I strongly recommend this saw.  Read more here:  Craftsman Contractor Cabinet Saw

The Craftsman 10″ MiterMate Miter Saw Model 21226 is unlike any saw that you have ever seen before. Compared to a traditional miter saw and radial arm saw, the MiterMate, with its unique V-fence system, will help woodworkers and the fixitherself tribe to save time and increase the accuracy of their miter joints.

Click here to purchase this saw: Craftsman MiterMate

Craftsman MiterMate

Have you ever tried to install trim in an old house? For that matter have you tried to install trim in a remodeled house? From my experience the mitered corners are never exactly 90 degrees. They are usually a degree or two off and it always takes me a couple of trips from the saw to the corner and back before I get the trim cut to my satisfaction.  When my saw is on one floor and the wall to be trimmed another, well………

With this saw you can make accurate miter and angle cuts the first time, every time. It doesn’t matter if the corner is perfect or not you can make the correct cut the first time.

Using The Saw:

The procedure you use to make a miter cut with the Craftsman MiterMate is different than what you are used to, but it is very easy once you use it a time or two.  It saves a lot of time when it comes to cutting trim.

Instead of making several test cuts to get the perfect fit for mating trim pieces, First take the included angle finder to duplicate the corner.  Then,  you take the angle finder to the saw and transfer that angle to the saw by pivoting the fences–not the blade–to match.   Then you simply cut both pieces of trim on their respective sides for an exact fit. Each fence moves 45° front and back (over 90 degrees) so you can cut inside and outside corners.  The fence you are not using to make the cut slides out of the way for wide pieces of trim.

The fences also line up as on a standard miter saw to make 90 degree cuts . The saw bevels (tilts) up to 45° to the left.  The saw really does adjust rather quickly and easily.

Specifications From Sears:

Included with the innovative MiterMate is an angle finder tool that is used to measure the corner and transfer angles to the saw for quick and easy setup. Once the MiterMate’s fences and blade are adjusted to match the angle finder settings, cutting the two mating pieces of molding will produce a perfect miter joint.

Features:

Moving fence with sliding faces to provide maximum workpiece support.
Retractable extensions to support long workpieces
Laser Trac cutting guide
One hold down clamp, dust bag, 10″ 40-tooth carbide saw
15A motor, arbor size of 5/8″ for 10″ blade, 4800 RPM, an adjustable bevel of 0 to 45°, blade guard, and on/off switch.

The Craftsman Craftsman MiterMate is available at Sears.com and is priced at $250. Click on any Craftsman MiterMate in this article to go to Sears to read more and buy. You can buy online and pick it up at your nearest Sears, Sears Hometown or Sears Hardware store.

Pros:

You may or may not like this saw. Just like when the miter saw first came out, there are a lot of people who like this saw and a few doomsayers who think this saw is worthless. But I think with a few improvements this type of saw will eventually replace the miter saw – just like the miter saw replaced the radial arm saw.

When setting up a traditional miter saw to make an angled cut, the saw blade and entire motor assembly is adjusted to create the desired miter angle while the fence and workpiece angle remains fixed. With the Craftsman MiterMate you adjust the fence to make the desired miter angle.

Cons:

I really don’t have any concerns with this saw but I have two suggestions to make it even better. It is a well built saw and will last for years for fix-it-herselfer’s and normal use.

I would like to see a 12 inch version of this saw. For most homeowners who install typical trim the Model 21226 has enough depth to make your cuts. But I have a whole house of Victorian style trim to install. Most of the trim and corner blocks are 4 to 4 1/2 inches high and this model will not work. The 21226 will only cut to a depth of 3 5/8 inches. Since I have over 80 corner blocks to install (not one corner is exactly 90 degrees) I would buy a 12 inch version of this saw in a heartbeat.

I would also like to see an accessory for this saw to swivel the entire saw on a miter saw stand.  (I made my own. Click here to build one) While you will save a lot of time with the angle finder to get your miter cuts exact the first time, you will spend a lot of time repositioning your material supports. When you are cutting anything longer than about three feet long you will have to move your supports to hold the work. In addition this will take a lot of room to swing a 16 foot piece of trim all over the place. I understand that the extendable supports on the Craftsman MiterMate move with the fence but, when working with long pieces of trim you need a lot of room to be able to swing your moulding around and re-adjust your material support. With a swivel you could adjust the saw on a miter stand to keep your work in relatively in one place.

Summary:

You may or may not like this saw. It’s different. Just like when the miter saw first came out, there are a lot of people who like this saw and a few doomsayers who think this saw is worthless. But I think with Sears developing a few accessories and building a 12 inch version, this type of saw will eventually replace the miter saw – just like the miter saw replaced the radial arm saw.  I will buy the 12 inch model when it comes out.

Now ……….. a sliding MiterMate…..I wonder if that is possible?

Buy Here:

Click here to purchase this saw: Craftsman MiterMate. You can purchase this saw online and pick it up at your nearest Sears. Or you can buy it, have it shipped to your home or have it delivered to your home for a normal fee. Included in the price is a 90 day money-back return and a one year warranty. You can also purchase up to a 5 year protection plan that includes a yearly tune-up, and a replacement policy. If the saw breaks and they can’t fix it, you will get a new saw during the protection plan period. Everything is covered except the blade.

Here are two good miter saw stands for your new saw.

Craftsman Universal Stand

Craftsman Pro Stand

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Delta Unisaw

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Abrasive Saw

What is it?

Abrasive saws are usually called a cutoff saw or metal chop saw. It is almost always electrically powered and is used to cut steel and stainless steel.  A thin abrasive disc spins at a high speed and the grinding action of the spinning wheel cuts the metal.  Today’s bench top abrasive saws have  a built-in vise to clamp the metal your are cutting.  They usually can be used on the ground but I suggest bolting them to a workbench to make it easy to use.

The composite disk blade uses friction to abrasively cut through the steel. The disks are consumable items and they wear and have to be replaced regularly. The abrasive disks usually are 14 inch diameter and 7/64 inch thick.  There are commercial versions that use a 16 inch diameter blade. Disks are available for mild steel and stainless.

These portable metal cutoff saws have made many jobs easier. Abrasive saws are much more inexpensive, portable and lightweight than power band saws. Abrasive saws have all but replaced acetylene torches in many construction applications, like cutting rebar.

Do you need and abrasive saw?

If you only cut a few metal objects every year a hacksaw works well, but if you have a lot of metal to cut it is always a good choice to rent or buy this saw.

If I had a welder and wanted to build a trailer, race car, or a structure out of metal tube this is the best tool to cut the metal to length.  You can make 90 degree and angle cuts easily.

It also works well for cutting metal studs.

If you are pouring a slab for a shed or garage this saw will make short work of cutting the rebar that you put into the cement.

Using One

If you have used a miter saw to cut wood you can easily learn to use this saw to cut metal.  If you are using this saw for the first time it will be very noisy and scary because it cuts by grinding the metal and throws sparks all over the place.  Make sure the item you are cutting is clamped in tight and cut slowly and you will do fine.  Always follow the safety instructions in the manual that comes with the saw.  Because the saw throws and lot of sparks when cutting I highly recommend safety glasses, long sleeves and long pants.  Make sure there are no combustible items in the path of the sparks.  Always clamp the work into the saw.  If you are doing a lot of cutting, wear hearing protection.

I’ve selected three tools for you that I recommend.

My selections are based on my many years of using tools both around the home and professionally.

Basic Homeowner Grade – You use it every month or so – Good tool at a good price.

Milwaukee 14 in. Abrasive Saw

Remodel/Construction Grade – You use it every weekend – Better tool, will last you years.

Craftsman 14 in. Abrasive Saw

Professional Grade – You use it everyday – When you only want the best.

Professional Abrasive Saw

If you are going to use it a lot buy and keep an extra blade handy.

I reviewed the Craftsman Table Saw with Leg Set Model 21807 over a year ago.  It’s time to update the review.

Buy it here:  Craftsman 10 in. Table Saw w/ Leg Set and pick it up at your local Sears, Sear Hometown, or Sears Hardware.

The saw features the new 2009 safety standards including a real working riving knife and a Laser Trac™ for guiding your cut.  This is the cheapest saw in the current Craftsman line-up that meets the 2009 standards.

Craftsman Homeowner Saw

If you need a good basic homeowner table saw this is just what you’re looking for.

Features:

• Riving Knife System raises and lowers with saw blade to prevent kick backs.  This is an actual working riving knife that actually works well.  It is designed to keep the same gap between the blade and the knife no matter how low or high the blade is raised.
• Quick release blade guard. You can remove the guard and anti-kick-pawls if required.  The blade guard also incorporates a Laser Trac™ that projects a line onto your work.
• large 19-5/8 in. x 25 in. cast aluminum work table expands to 55-1/2 in. with two aluminum telescoping extension wings.
• Rear steel out-feed support allows you to rip longer pieces of wood without it falling off the saw.
• 10 in. 36T Carbide-Tipped Blade.
• On board storage for miter gauge, rip fence, push stick, blade wrenches, extra blades (sold separately) and cord wrap.  The saw packs up nicely for transport.
• dust collection bag and unique clip system allow for easy removal and disposal of sawdust.
• Steel stand that clips or bolts to the saw.  Quick release base clamping system allows for quick separation of base for easy transportation
• two roller wheels located on the steel stand allow for convenient portability
• Aluminum rip fence
• Adjustable T-slotted miter gauge with ball detent indexes every 15 degrees allow for straight and angled cuts.




Cons:

This is a homeowner saw.  It is not a professional contractor saw or a replacement for a cabinet saw.  I am going to spend a little time going through each complaint from reviews on Sears.com about this saw, and explain why these perceptions probably won’t matter to you.

Don’t get me wrong.  I like this saw and it is the best saw for the money in the Craftsman saw line-up if you want to fix things around the house, do home improvements or even build a shed or garage.  It is the cheapest saw out there that meets the new safety standards.

The saw expands well and can easily handle a 4 X 8 sheet of plywood. It is powerful enough to rip oak stair steps and treated deck lumber.  The saw is only about 65 lbs. which makes it very portable  so you may want to hang a couple of sandbags on the saw’s legs to keep it stable when cutting large pieces of wood.

It has a drop bag dust collection.  It is better than nothing, but it will still get sawdust all over the work area. Here’s the trade-off.  You can buy a saw like the Craftsman Professional Jobsite Saw with a dust port so you can hook up a shop vac, but you will not be able to start both the saw and the vac on the same 15 amp circuit.  Besides shop vacs are noisy and this saw is noisy so you will have to wear hearing protection when running both at the same time.

It does not have the industry-standard 3/4 inch miter slot.  The miter slot on this saw will not accept the after-market miter gauges and accessories.  For 90% of us this is not a problem.  For the rest of you that want a cheap saw that accepts the 3/4 inch miter bar buy the Craftsman Professional Jobsite Saw

Another option on the miter slot.  I personally own a Craftsman 22114 Table Saw and a Craftsman 21237 Sliding Miter Saw.  I build a lot of furniture so I need accurate cross cuts.  I use the Table Saw to make my rip cuts and the Miter Saw to make all of my crosscuts.  Even though the 22114 has a good quality standard miter slot table saw, I always had problems getting my crosscuts and angles just right.  By using the 21237 sliding compound miter saw to make my crosscuts I now can get the accuracy I always was lacking using a table saw.  If you buy the Craftsman 10 in. Table Saw w/ Leg Set consider using it for your rip cuts and crosscuts over 10 inches and buy a Craftsman 21237 Sliding Miter Saw to make your crosscuts.  (Buy a decent 60 to 80 tooth blade for the miter saw)

The miter slot has play in it.  The miter slot is designed to stay clean so the miter gauge will move freely.  It is accurate enough to cut most cross-cuts for your normal homeowner repairs.  The downside of this is will not give you accurate cuts if you are trying to make fine furniture.  If you want a highly accurate saw look at the Craftsman Contractor Saw .

It is not a belt drive saw.  Belt drive saws use a completely enclosed induction motor that is much quieter than the motor in this saw. They are also much heavier (usually 400 lbs or more) and more expensive. (the cheapest belt drive saw is $550)  If you want a good inexpensive belt drive saw, buy the Craftsman Contractor Saw .  The guys who complain about this saw not being a belt drive want a direct replacement to the old Craftsman that only lasted them 40 years and are now complaining that they can’t find a saw like their old one for under $100.

You need a few hand tools to assemble the saw.  It takes a hour or two to assemble.  It comes in a box that will easily fit into your trunk or backseat.

The saw was pulled from the market in November 2008 for a month to fix a switch but since then the saw has been in stock all the time.

Myself I would use the 36 tooth blade the saw came with for general purpose cuts and cutting up scrap.  Otherwise I would put a good 50 tooth blade like the Freud 10 in. x 50T Saw Blade, Combination Rip/Crosscut (Sears Model 32489).  A blade like the Freud will give you much better cuts than the standard blade and will last a long time.

If you are looking for a higher quality saw for a reasonable price look at the

Craftsman Professional Jobsite Saw

Craftsman Contractor Saw

Buy it here:  Craftsman 10 in. Table Saw w/ Leg Set and pick it up at your local Sears, Sear Hometown, or Sears Hardware.  They will gladly deliver it for a reasonable charge.



New Craftsman Table Saw



Craftsman Job Site Saw

Craftsman Professional 10 in. Jobsite Saw

Sears item# 00921828000 Mfr. model# 21828

Pros

• Excellent saw for the money.  At under $300 this saw is the cheapest good contractor saw on the market right now.
• 15 AMP, 5,000 RPM motor (The Dewalt has a 3850 rpm motor)
• 3 position tool-less blade guard can be used as a spreader and guard for through cuts, a riving knife for non-through cuts, and eaily removed for dado cuts (Dewalt has not been upgraded for the 2009 safety standards)
• Steel tubing roll cage wraps around the saws cabinet for added durability

• Telescoping handle and 6 in. wheels for easy portability (Dewalt has no handle or wheels)
• Right sliding table extension extends up to a 24 in. rip capacity
• Rear out feed support for ripping operations
• Accepts 6 in. stacked dado set-up to 1/2 in.
• Self-aligning rip fence clamps on front and rear of table for cutting accuracy
• 3/4 in. T-slot miter gauge and dual T-slot miter grooves
• 2 1/2in. dust port for easy attachment of dust collection
• On-board storage for Miter Gauge, Push Stick, Power Cord and Blade Wrenches
• Includes: 36 Tooth Carbide Blade, Rip Fence, Miter Gauge, Blade Wrenches, Push Stick, Blade Guard, Anti-kickback Pawls, and Hex Key

Cons

It does not come with a stand.  A lot of contractors just plop their saw on the ground and use it there but to use a table saw safely the table should be about waist high.  You will have to buy a stand or build your own stand out of a couple of 2X4′s and 1/2 inch plywood.

A good solid stand for this saw is the Bosch Gravity Rise Stand.  If you want a cheaper stand the DeWalt Portable Table Saw Stand should work just fine.

Summary

I would recommend this saw!   This looks like a good, rugged saw and you will be very happy with it for the price.  You can purchase the Craftsman Professional 10 in. Professional Jobsite Saw online from Sears and pick it up at your nearest store.