MICROLUX® MINIATURE TABLE SAW

On 10/22/2008 10:15 PM Puckdropper spake thus:

No, but I might suggest you get a news agent that doesn't chop URLs arbitrarily (I've restored them below). Thunderbird is one such.

I don't have the MicroLux Mini Table Saw, but the other MicoLux power tools I have work as advertised. I've been using the Mini Drill Press in my repair shop for nearly 10 years now with no problems.

The real question is what do you intend to use the saw for? From the descriptions, it appears the MicroLux saw from Micro-Mark and the Chicago Power Tools saw from HF have different purposes.

A couple of quick comparisons:

MicroLux: 2" 80-tooth, .02" kerf combination blade, 10mm arbor hole w/saw 2" 107-tooth, .02" kerf cross-cut blade, 10mm arbor hole available

Chicago: 4" 40-tooth, .07" kerf combination blade, 1/2in arbor hole w/saw 4" 70-80 Grit diamond edge blade, 1/2in arbor hole w/saw

MicroLux: 1/10hp motor, belt drive Chicago: 1/8hp motor, direct drive

MicroLux: 1/4" Max Depth of Cut Chicago: 3/4" Max Depth of Cut

MicroLux: "The MicroLux Miniature Table Saw is designed specifically for rip-cutting narrow strips from sheet stock and for cross-cutting to close tolerances. It will even cut wood and plastic structural shapes and miniature molding if used with our optional fine tooth blade (#15220, sold separately). Cuts both softwood and hardwood up to 1/4 inch thick and plywood up to 3/16 inch thick."

Chicago: "Perfect for picture frames, molding, and plastics."

All of this points to the Chicago saw generally being intended for rougher and heavier work, relatively speaking, than the MicroLux saw.

If you're looking for a saw to cut thin material, e.g., basswood strips, for scratch building structures and car body parts, I'd go with the MicroLux.

Len

On 10/23/2008 3:24 AM Len spake thus:

Certainly one could put a thinner blade (say the size of the MicroLux blade) on the Harbor Freight saw to yield a more precise cutting tool, no? (Assuming the arbor doesn't wobble, the table is squarely ground and doesn't flex, etc.)

On 10/23/2008 12:05 PM Len spake thus:

That would definitely be a problem; however, I'm sure you can get smaller, thinner blades with a 1/2" hole.

Why not? I have a 9" table saw but regularly mount smaller blades on it with no problems at all.

The MicroLux has a 10mm arbor, the Chicago's is 1/2in (13mm) so I don't think it would fit. I'm not putting a 2" diameter blade on a saw designed for 4" blades is a good idea even if it did fit.

Len

I have a small Dremel table saw that is "OK," but I've found that it isn't good enough for much precision work. I bought it when I was into kitbashing in a big way thinking that I could cut plastic building pieces, etc. I've never had that kind of luck. The blade seemed to melt the plastic instead of cutting it, leaving a lot of hard extra material along the edges of the cuts. Neither the fence nor the T guide are precise enough to get nice square (or other angled) cuts. And it seemed as though the Dremel blades never held their edge. I'd be replacing them about every month or so... from just cutting small stuff around the work bench. It certainly wasn't precise enough to cut something much thinner than say strips about 1/8the inch wide. I probably got my $55 out of it over the years but I wuldn't buy a replacement today if it quit working... unless I could see one work firsthand BEFORE I bought it.

Just my two pennies worht...

dlm

And I'll bet the blade height on your 9" table saw has a fairly decent range of adjustment.

On that Chicago 4" table saw the maximum depth of cut is 3/4". Even if there's 1" of blade exposed above the table, there's 3" underneath. Which means a 2" diameter blade, assuming it fit the arbor to begin with, isn't going to get it's teeth above the table top.

Len

YMMV

Matt

"Len" wrote in news:plYLk.46332$IB6.20542 @bignews8.bellsouth.net:

Thanks for the advice. The HF saw ("Chicago") looked like a cheap way to get feel for a miniature table saw, but it looks like it'll be too coarse and rough for what I want to do.

My first project will be cutting ties out of basswood. Future projects include cutting sheet styrene for kit mangling. (It's bashing or mingling if multiple kits are involved, mangling if only one is.)

I'll definately go with a Microlux or similar saw, rather than mess with the HF one.

Puckdropper

"Bob May" wrote in news:h4GdnWE4d_GJdJ3UnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@got.net:

If my experiences with 10" saws hold true, the belt drive will be quieter and smoother, too.

A router speed control would probably cost around $70? An upgraded fence for the Microlux costs $60 (the one included doesn't extend past the blade, so it's probably useless), so that's $130 to add to the price of the saw. I'm debating whether it's worth jumping in to this with both feet and trying the tilt table saw that costs $350.

If only replacement blades didn't cost so much...

Puckdropper

Hmmm... those aren't the defnintions I learned... I was told tht if it was successful, it was a kit mingle. If it ended up in the trash, then it was a kit mangle! : ) Unfortunately, I've had more than my fair share of "mangles..."

dlm

They're a little on the spendy side, but take a look at the Proxxon tools.

On 10/24/2008 1:28 AM Puckdropper spake thus:

My guess (and others can support or contest this) is that no circular saw is going to give good results on styrene, which will melt from the friction rather than cutting cleanly (especially since the blade is spinning so fast). I'd think that scribing and snapping is still the best way to go here.

On 10/23/2008 4:45 PM Matt Furze spake thus:

Well, it *is* a MicroLux, but clearly a step up from the non-tilt-arbor version. Plus this one looks to have a decent rip fence, instead of the dinky little truncated one on the cheaper version. A bit pricey, but probably worth it if you need it.

I downloaded their catalog on the "Customer Service" tab. Much better information.

Jim

HF has a small chop saw that will do much finer work. It's not a table saw however so ripping is out of the question.

"Matt Furze" wrote in news:gioMk.7827$ snipped-for-privacy@newsfe14.iad:

Have you tried cutting much styrene with it?

Puckdropper

Larry Blanchard wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@fastmail.fm:

Thanks, it looks like the Microlux tools are very eerily (it's Halloween after all) similar to the Proxxon tools. I see Woodcraft carries the Proxxon tool line.

The Proxxon website is useless in anything but Internet Explorer, and not that great in the first place.

Puckdropper

"Jon Miller" wrote in news:5KSdnWkL0sySzp_UnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@posted.imaginoninc:

It's a great tool, I've got one. It's a great tool for any model railroader who's in to building or throwing out the kit directions. At $30, it's a tool well worth having.

Puckdropper