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

An Old Favorite Improved!

Craftsman’s newest Professional Saw features a granite table and extensions provides a  smooth, flat, no rust surface for accurate cuts.  With the large 40 in. x 27 in. table with integral riving knife and quick connect blade guard, this will quickly become your favorite saw.  The arbor now has a locking pin for easy blade exchanges.   The completely new 37-3/8 in. steel rip fence is the best Sears has made themselves and has HPE side panels for accurate cutting.  If you are looking for a good cabinet saw under $1000, it is worth your time to check this one out.  This new model has the same feel and look to the Craftsman Model 22124 it replaces, But has more features, updated safety items, but for less money!   Sears did a great job with this replacement.

Here is a quick link purchase this saw and pick it up at your nearest Sears: Model 22116 Table 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)

Solid and powerful, the 1 3/4-hp capacitor start motor delivers 3,450 rpm: This is the fully 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 (trunnions.). It is a quiet motor.  The on/off bump switch is located in a good location.

Heavy-duty granite table features granite extensions all supported by a sturdy  steel cabinet. The main table and side extensions are granite. The granite is thick and finished to a nice smooth polished surface. 30 inch right cut, 13 inch left cut capacity.  12 inches from front of table to the blade.  Overall table size is  40 1/4″ x 27″. Standard dimension table so it will be easy to make your own extensions or buy after-market accessories. The totally enclosed cabinet 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 22124 you have seen on display in your local Sears for the last 6 years.

Features 10-inch left tilt arbor:  Front of table to blade. 12 inches. Depth of cut 3 5/8 inches Tilt 45 degrees.  The industry standard left tilt 5/8 inch arbor handles up to a 10 inch blade and a 13/16 dado.  One thing I really like is an arbor lock so you only need one wrench to change the blade.  This saw uses a cabinet mounted trunnion so it is relatively easy to align periodically.  Most cabinet saws are built this way and are designed to give you years of use. The riving knife (splitter) and blade guard are easily interchangeable and both are designed to stay on the saw . The saw meets the new 2009 safety standards. It comes with a standard width throat plate.  (I can show you how to make additional throat plates using a router and template bit.  Just ask)

T-square fence with front/rear lock: The large 37 3/8 fence locks in the front and you can easily adjust it parallel to the blade if it gets out of alignment.  The steel fence has poly faces that are easily replaceable or interchangeable with jigs and fixtures you make yourself.  The 52 inch rails are solid and will work well even with a lot of sawdust on the table.

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 System Model 21337 to it. You will need a 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 22116 uses the industry standard 3/4 inch  T-slot miter gauge with nose roller so you can use after market attachments in the slot. The blade it comes with is a good 60 tooth Craftsman blade, but 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.

Wt. 432.0 lbs. It is a nice heavy saw.  You will have to buy a roller stand if you want to move it around.

Accessories:

If you are ready to build fine furniture, kitchen cabinets and other woodworking where you need a perfect cut you can buy TENRYU Blades.  These blades are just about the best out there and will take your cutting to a whole new level.  (The link is through Amazon)

Pros:

Very similar to the Craftsman 22124 it replaces in features but less money! Sears did a great job with this replacement.

Great saw for the money. Has a granite top.

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 Biesmeyer  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.  But the saw goes together easily and there are no surprises.  Even the fence assembled easily and lined up quickly.  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 only took me 2 hours to assemble.

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.

My Final Thoughts:

I like this saw.  It would make a great replacement to my old 22114.  It is a good solid saw for the money.  Is this the right saw for you?  That’s up to you to decide.  If you want a good Craftsman cabinet saw that will move easily I would check out the Model 21833 Table Saw.  If you need a higher horsepower Craftsman saw check out this link for the high end Craftsman 10 and 12 inch table saws.
3 hp Craftsman Cabinet Saws

To learn more and purchase this saw go here: Model 22116 Table 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.

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

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Delta Unisaw

Here is on example of the great deals on Delta woodworking tools going on right now on Amazon. Click on the above link or the item below to see all the great deals.

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