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One of the crowning achievements of many do-it-yourselfers is to purchase a stationary bench power tool. Unless you're fortunate enough to have both the funds and available space to have both, you must choose between either a table saw or a radial arm saw. Here's some background into both saws that will help aid you in making that decision.
Table Saw
Table saws are an extremely versatile tool that will enable you to accurately perform just about all the basic cuts needed in woodworking. With a table saw, the blade remains stationary. Workpieces are pushed through the blade, giving you exceptional cutting accuracy. A large selection of blades and dadoes are available. If you plan to make a lot of joint cuts, common in furniture making and other structural woodworking projects, the table saw will give you the best results. Because you move the workpiece through the saw, a table saw will allow you to cut large sheets of paneling, plywood and wallboard.
Radial Arm Saw
Radial arm saws can also make most common woodworking cuts. It is ideal for making rip and crosscuts. The blade is positioned above the table and is moved through the workpiece. This makes it more convenient to make cuts in long workpieces. Rather than moving a large 2 x 12 board through the saw, as you would need to do with a table saw, you can keep the piece stationary and move the radial arm saw blade right through for your cut. Radial saws are easier to maintain because the the overhead blade can be aligned very quickly. If you are limited on space, a radial saw can be positioned against the wall, whereas a table saw must be located away from the wall to allow space for larger workpieces to be moved across the blade.
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