Miter Saw vs. Table Saw

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
1

I am looking to delve back into the model railroading hobby. I haven’t done it in 25 years since I was a teenager. This time, I have two daughters to work with.

My dilema is whether to purchase a table saw or a miter saw to help me with the benchwork (along with other small jobs that might pop up around the house). Each saw type can do things the other can’t do. However, it strikes me that a table saw might be more useful as it can do things like rip 2"x4"s down to 2"x2"s and cut boards wider than 2"x6". Of course, price is a factor; so, I am not going to consider an extended miter saw.

I would appreciate any thoughts that folks can give me on this. Thank you.

2

I understand your dilema since it’s nice to have both. My suggestion is if you can only get one, you need the Table saw since you can rip and cross cut. I have table saw, miter saw and circular saw. I use the miter saw the most and like it best. You can use a circular saw to rip plywood, but to rip 2x4’s safely, you need a table saw. Hope this helps.
Ron K.

3

I have most of the saws available and I think that you would be happiest with a tablesaw. It offers you the most versatility. I use mine to rip plywood to a consistent width for benchwork and for ripping pine for spline.

Hope this helps…Ken

4

I would go with the miter saw. I used them all professionally. The miter saw will be used the most and by far save you the most time. I have a table saw, but I use my circular saw to rip plywood. I can get a near perfect cut by clamping a straight edge to the plywood and running the saw along the straight edge. I can control the circular saw on the plywood much better than I can control plywood on a table saw.

5

Wouldn’t a Radial Arm saw be the most flexible and offer the most comprehensive solution? It covers all bases doesn’t it?

6

It is a matter of doing many jobs not quite so well.

7

There are multiple factors to this question. Right answers depend on prejudices. Miter saws are general limited to 2x6 material or smaller. Sliding Miter saws do to the ability to slide can take bigger stock. They make great cut-off saws for demensional lumber. Table saws come in various forms from cheap masquarading disasters to light industrial. They best are usually known as the Queen of the cabinet shop. Ripping, molding, and cut-off can be done on this. There are a couple of jigs that make awkward stock easier to handle such as a cutoff sled. Band saws can shine for ripping and are least likly to kick-back but should be backed up with a jointer and a lunch box planer. Other attributes are scroll work. Cut-off is limited by blade to arm distance. Radial saws have been displace by sliding miter saws by price and portablility. Good ones can still be found and can still cost you a pretty penny. The cheap ones will just slowly drive you nuts. Radial arm saws can be used for cut off, ripping and molding. The techniques are different enough that you should find a book that specifically covers using a radial arm saw. One other powered stationary saw is the jig/scroll saw which is great for some detail work but not pratical for dimensioning lumber or sheet goods. Two protable saws to be strongly considered are the portable circular saw that comes as a side winder or a worm drive and what most people call a scroll saw. Good ones can often be found at garage sales and pawn shops. Last is a recip saw. Milwaukee, Porter Cable and a blue bodied Japanese saw whose name escapes me at the moment are plentiful and popular. It’s one of those saws you wonder what you need it for until you use it and then wonder how were you able to live without it.
Lastly don’t overlook hand saws. That toughest thing about these are learning to tune them. First, the blades need to be slick and shiny, no shellack, no rust. Two, the handles need to be friendly to the hand, reshape the handle until it fits your hand nice, any sharp edges wi

8

If the choice is, for example, between a $200 miter saw and a $200 table saw, definitely go with the mitre saw. You’ll have to pay a more to get a table saw of comparable quality.

If you’re concerned about ripping, I’d say you can either rip it with a circular saw, or have the lumber yard do it. Lots of times I have the lumber yard rip a sheet for me to the dimension I need, just becuase it’s easier to manage in two smaller pieces. Especially if I’m working with 3/4" MDF (real heavy).

Also, you need a heck of a lot of shop space to rip a 4x8 sheet on a table saw, and on a cheap table saw, it’s a nightmare. You’re much more likely to get an accurate cut by using a circular saw, IMO.

Since this is a model RR forum, I’ll say that I use my mitre saw much more often than my table saw, when it comes to model RR related work.

I have absolutely no experience with sliding mitre, or radial arm saws, so I can’t comment on those.

John
Underhill, VT

9

One thing to consider when deciding which type of saw to purchase is, will you ever need to rip long pieces of material, or will everything always be crosscut? A miter saw cannot be used for ripping, only crosscutting.

I have both, and use both almost daily. I use the table saw for lengthwise ripping of cedar fence pickets and redwood bender board, and the miter saw for crosscuts and angles when building G-scale bridges and trestle bents.

A radial arm saw will do both, but you can purchase separate table and miter saws for less than the cost of a radial arm.

Another thing to consider might be space requirements. Do you have room for two separate saws, or only one. If only one, then the radial arm might be the better choice, since they are much more versatile.

10

I have a 10" radial arm saw and a 12" bandsaw, both of which are over 20 years old. I like the radial arm saw because it requires less room than the table saw. The bandsaw does my ripping except for sheets such as plywood which is done on the radial arm saw. Other people prefer table saws, etc. They all work if you know how to tune and use them - and you buy good tools to begin with.

But good tools are expensive. If all you are planning to do is build model railroad benchwork I would go with a good circular saw and a sturdy workbench. That coupled with a drill and a jigsaw should be all you need for benchwork and odd jobs around the house. As others have noted you can get the lumberyard to make cuts for you. I think the big box guys will all do at least one free cut in plywood and about 50 cents each for additional cuts.

Enjoy
Paul

11

If money were no object I would definitely say a radial arm table saw (this means one whose blade is mounted on an arm and you pull the blade toward you to make a cut). But I gather money IS an object. It was for me, too. I couldn’t afford a decent radial arm table saw, but I got a very adequate 10-inch miter saw at Loewe’s for under $100 and it handles most of the crosscuts I’ve needed to do. I’ve used it extensively for over four years now without any problems. I’ve done some ripping with my hand-held 7" circular saw using a metal rip guide that attaches to the base plate of the saw. But both Loewes and Home Depot will rip plywood sheets for me on industrial equipment that does a perfect job. I’ll comment as well that a good electric jigsaw has probably been my most-used saw for the model railroad.

12

Miter saw for me. I use it almost everytime I work on the layout (I’m in benchwork stage right now). I think the advantage of being able to cut things off straight and quick is huge. If I had space, I would have a table saw…but, I find I have much less need for one. You will go nuts cross-cutting with a table saw everytime you want to cut a piece of stock to length.

I would suggest getting a high quality radial (wormdrive) handheld saw in lieu of the table saw… And of course buy nice carbide tipped blades for all (the best, cheapest thing you can do to improve performance and safety).

13

Since I own all 3 types of saws, compound sliding miter, radial arm and table, I would say that for most jobs the compound sliding miter is the tool of choice, if you can only choose one.

As others have said, each of these different styles has advantages over the other, depending on the kind of work you are doing.

Crosscuts are a pain on a table saw, but a piece of cake on a radial arm or miter. Rips are the domain of the table saw, hands down.

Model railroadng consists mostly of crosscuts, especially for benchwork. The miter saw is the way to go.

I love my table saw, and use it a lot for cutting sheet goods into strips, but I use strips of plywood and masonite for a lot of things.

The radial arm saw is more of a specialty tool for me. I keep it out in my garage workshop, and use it for some crosscuts, but I really like it for kerf cutting. That is a function that neither other saw lends itself to.

14

If you buy a table or radial arm saw, the benefits are that you can rip stock. Having said that the only way to rip stock well, especially if its just you is to buy roller stands to support the material after it passes through the saw. If you are going to make spline roadbed or use 3/4 plywood for your 1x4’s, etc, then you need either a table saw or a radial arm saw. A buddy of mine and I passed 4 sheets of 3/4 ply for 1x4’s and 6 sheets of homasote making 2" spline through a radial arm saw one afternoon.

If you don’t want to spend the bucks on a radial arm saw, buy a miter saw and a good circular saw, then put anything left over into good sawhorses and a pair of cordless drills.

Dave H.

15

Truly, it depends on the space you have available, the money you’re willing to spend, and the convenience you want.

If you want a single power tool that you can use to build all of your benchwork, then you’re in luck, because such a tool exists, and in truth, it isn’t terribly expensive.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0001X21RG/ref=pd_ts_c_th_1/002-5610794-3880002?v=glance&s=hi&n=552934

One significant shortcoming from the perspective of MRR benchwork to both the miter saw and the table saw is their inability to cut curves. You can rip plywood with a jigsaw, using the same straightedge method as you’d use with a circular saw. You can crosscut, either freehand or using guide, and when you’re done, it disappears into a drawer. It is not as quick as a miter saw or table saw, but you CAN do all your benchwork (unless you’re using 4x4s!) with it, including curves.

The linked jigsaw is one of the best on the market today. If you do decide to go the jigsaw route, do yourself a favor and get a GOOD one.

One final point about the jigsaw: it is a much safer tool than either a miter saw or tablesaw. While you can hurt yourself with a jigsaw, the severity of injury is rarely as great. Not only does this greatly increase the longevity of the 0-5-0 switcher, it also makes it more realistic that you can involve kids in the benchwork.

16

You can rip accurately with the hand held saws within limitations. You’ll need 2 clamps to clamp a straight board onto the stock you want to rip. This works a lot better on long stock than the fences available for the portable saws.

17

I have both types of saws listed.

For ALL my benchwork, I never once got out my tablesaw as all the cutting I needed to do was straight cuts.
Spend the money on the mitre saw.
Just my two cents

Gordon

18

There is no substitute for good tools, and when it comes to a hand held jigsaw, Bosch is the winner hands down. More expensive, but well worth it.

It really doesn’t take the place of the larger straight saws. I keep mine handy for curves and small straight cuts. When you want accurate straight cuts, best to use one of the larger saws.

19

Since price is a factor- buy portable hand tools such as a circular saw and a jigsaw.

To crosscut accuratly with a either saw, just use a framing square along the edge the board you are cutting and run the saw against it.

The circular saw will rip alot faster but the jigsaw can cut curves.

But if you plan to do more woodworking projects in the future, ( like picture frames or cabinetry, etc…) spend the money and go with the tablesaw. An advantage to a tablesaw that nobody has mentioned yet is the ability to do dado’s and you can get moulding cutters too.

20

BigBoy,

I agree with you about the Bosch, which is why I linked it. The Festtool is reputed to be even better (at 3 times the price!). For really accurate straight cuts, why not just get a panel saw or Knapp slider? Space and cost would be my reasons.

Don,

As a confirmed tool junkie, I’d want to be getting a new Powerstop (??) tablesaw with sliding table attachment, AND a good 10" or 12" SCMS with laser. But for MRR benchwork? Realistically, I could do it all with a good jigsaw, a B&D workmate and a sawhorse, a good speedsquare, a couple of clamps, a woodrasp, and a good straightedge. My guess is you could do it that way also. Doing so will take substantially longer than with the above objects de lust, and I won’t have glueline edges, but you’ll only spend a little over $200 and be set. That $200+ is for the saw, workmutt, clamps, straightedge, speedsquare and woodrasp. Even if you do get a miter saw, you’ll need something to set it on… (kneeling on the floor for every cut gets really old)

Moving beyond the jigsaw, the tablesaw is a more flexible tool than a miter saw, but, and this is a big one, its a lot more dangerous, and decent tablesaw prices are going to start around the top end of decent miter saw prices. I have a Delta Contractor’s saw which I managed to score at a great price, new, for less than $500 about 5 years ago. I easily have that much invested into accessories that make it more accurate, more convenient, more mobile, more useful, and safer. Its been well worth it, as one of my other hobbies is woodworking, but knowing what I know, if the limit of my aspirations was the benchwork for a layout, I’d go the jigsaw route. The level of accuracy attainable with the jigsaw is sufficient for what is essentially rough carpentry, not high end cabinetry.

The $800 saved will pay for all the materials for the benchwork, as well as the wiring, and most of the scenery. (Trees are the exception, as they add up FAST.)