Recommendations for new crosscut panel saw
- This topic has 10 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 8 years, 1 month ago by
.
-
Posts
-
I’m looking for a decent panel saw, in a crosscut pattern, for general use. eBay seems hit or miss with shipping being more than the tool it seems. I bought most of my woodworking tools before I really knew what I was doing and bought cheap tools just to get started. Like the saying goes, “you get what you paid for.” Any help finding a good quality saw would be much appreciated.
Kevin
Sad to say, I think Ebay is your best bet. I see a couple of panel saws on there today; One 20″ Disston at $25 with about $11 shipping to me and another 18″ Disston at $9 with about $9 shipping to me.
So, are you looking for something longer? An 18″ 10ppi saw is what I have for bench work. Seems to suit me OK. I have it filed with rip teeth.
I have only one crosscut saw: a 26″ 9ppi that is used for crosscutting big lumber (2x12s etc). Any smaller lumber can be cut OK with one of the rip saws.
Most saws I have I got at Habitat Restore, a charity store. Most were about $5 each. They are out there. Craigslist is a good resource too.
..also I don’t know of anyone selling new crosscut panel saws besides Lie Nielsen at $225 each. Other boutique sellers might cost even more.
It sounds like you want to buy new. In that case, Lie Nielsen’s saws are very good and Pax sells crosscut hand and panel saws, too. I think those two are your best bet for something new that won’t break the bank. The Pax saws go for $104 at Lee Valley, $225 for the LN. There are fancier ones out there, of course, with correspondingly higher prices.
I’d still recommend picking up an old Adkins or Disston. Your frustration with the ridiculous Ebay prices by tool grab-and-rehabbers is understandable, though.
This issue keeps coming up. It would help to know where you are located. I have had great success at flea markets. I have found fantastic things. The most recent was a 22″ wooden jointer for $15. Check flea markets, classified adds in the paper, craigslist, estate sales. Basically the same place these ebay sellers are finding them. Sometimes I think there should be some organized system about sales. Maybe buy it, and resale it at cost plus shipping. I find things all the time but don’t buy them cause I don’t need them. Few weeks ago saw a more recent disston panel saw, maybe 10 pts, for $5.
Thanks for the response all. I was thinking about buying at least one new, to have a standard to go by when buying and fixing up subsequent used ones. Sad to say but the two I have now are the cheap Home Depot types. My rip saw is so bowed and twisted I have to fight it through the cut. My little back saw is so thin it barely cuts a straight line. On a positive note, my planing has gotten better in order to compensate ?. I’ll be patient and keep my eye out online, in the meantime I’ll look into your recommendation Derek. Thanks again.
Kevin
If you don’t have decent saws, I would go for a better back saw first. A panel saw will probably be used to rough dimension stock. Unless you are building something really big, you wont use a panel saw for joinery. You could get a panel saw from the box store that would work fine to dimension stock. For back saws you can’t beat the Veritas. They are great.
Thanks David. Maybe I’ll look for a second hand panel saw but go for a new back or tenon saw for my joinery.
Kevin
Well I scored my first eBay purchase, two Disston D23 hand saws. Also my first time buying any kind of secondhand tools. I’m excited to work on them as I’m sure they’ll need some sharping. Glad I kept looking. Now for some saw files…
Kevin, I’ve got a dozen or so Dustin saws that I picked up at antique stores for less than $10 each. Some of them didn’t even need sharpening. I’ve never had any luck with EBay. The few things I have bought there turned out to be junk. Maybe it’s just my bad luck. I hope yours turn out good.. happy sawing!
Not sure if this will help because I don’t know if you have spear and Jackson saws in the USA. But they make an 11tpi panel saw for about 45 dollars brand new. It’s better than the old diston saws available in the UK. Although like chisels, you will have to sharpen it yourself because it comes factory sharp but not workshop sharp. I’ll take some pics when I’m out in the shop.
Just a few photos of my saw which is now looking quite new even though it’s had heavy use for some time now. The photo of the cut wood just shows that it leaves quite a nice sawn edge on pine with almost no tear out and no knife wall. It’s a good saw, cuts hardwoods much much much faster than it cuts pine.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.