New Table Saw = New Woodworking Project

I've only owned two table saws during my 50 years of woodworking.  The first of the two was the cheapest Sears Craftsman tablesaw offered back in the early 1990s.  As cheap as it was it more than paid for itself time and time again as I made increasingly complex wooden projects.

The only reason I sold it in 2015 was to make room in my garage for both our vehicles, one of which was so large that I only had one-inch clearance between the rear bumper and the garage door. 

I immediately regretted the decision to sell it and started to look for another one that could fold up to fit in the only place it could go.  And it turned out the be the cheapest one I could find - a Ryobi from Home Depot.  It too served me well from 2015 until April 1, 2020.  Then it would never serve anyone again, except as landfill fodder.

That put me in the difficult position of purchasing another tablesaw, but hopefully, with features and quality, I had only dreamed of.  And yet, it still had to fit neatly into space I allocated for it in the garage.  That meant a folding frame for sure, and definitely cost more than I wanted to spend.

So I read the specs and reviews on every model I could, including watching woodworkers using their tablesaws in action.  The one that everyone rated highest was a $600 DeWalt that was specifically designed as a high-end job-site saw for professional carpenters.  I certainly was not a 'professional carpenter' but it sure would be nice to have a quality saw. 

I was ready to order another cheap tablesaw similar to the last two saws I had when I suddenly received notice that my Coronavirus stimulus money from Washington was on its way.  Ah ha... perfect timing.  I  promptly went to Lowes and bought the DeWalt tablesaw I wanted - Model # dwe7491rs

It didn't take me long to start assembling the folding frame.  I got totally lost in the instructions and finally switched to my instinct.  It took less than an hour and the saw was ready for use.

A few days later my first actual project was to build a ramp for a neighbor's little dog to use when she wanted on or off the sofa.  A few measurements and some lumber, along with some leftover carpet was all it took to make.

After a 'trail of treats' was laid out, Bella eagerly made her way to the top and back down.  She must have decided that this 'thing' was useful. 

Bella's owners sure did.

And I got to use my new tablesaw for a successful project.

Life is good, even when wearing masks and distancing ourselves from other humans.