bennybbc

Hmmm...I'm guessing Mr. Hermit isn't reading any of Shane's or my posts regarding the EZ Smart. But take this as another vote to go the EZ Smart route instead of the table saw. As you could guess, I'm in complete agreement with Hermit.

Bruce

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Mike

This is an interesting system. It sure seems like an elegant solution for those on a tight budget or with space restrictions. Much less expensive and more versitile than Festool's similar product. In europe they prefer "sliding table" saws. Proof there is more than one way to skin a cat. Good post!

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bobj3

Bruce

I guess I just don't get it,,...
Why would you want to buy some Alum.parts (very high price extruded Alum.jigs) to cut wood into size when the table saw is ready to go with a quick set up and snap of the power switch .
It looks like it would take much more time to set it up than it would take to make the cut not to say anything of the room it would take to lay it out.
Like Bob and Rick say all the time make it simple.

Bj

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bennybbc

Bob,

I'm not sure what material the guide is made out of has to do with it and I don't think that the EZ Smart is, "Very high price". The OP has already indicated that the table saw he has isn't really up to the task. Buying one that is will cost far more than the EZ Smart. The EZ Smart is made out of double walled extruded aluminum that is very durable and well engineered. It's not going to wear out under normal use.

I'm guessing you haven't really taken the time to examine the EZ Smart website to see what the advantages are over a table saw. I'm not going to go into great detail but I'll point out the main points. With a TS there's always a risk of kickback or cutting your fingers or worse. It's not hard to let the wood shift during a cut and mess up the edge of a workpiece. With the EZ Smart a kickback is impossible. It's nearly impossible to cut your fingers. The workpiece is clamped to the guide and the saw can't move on the guide so it's very difficult to mess up a cut. Safety is a huge, undeniable issue with the table saw. It's a very small issue with the EZ Smart. Another issue is when moving around large plywood panels they are heavy and sometimes difficult to move around and you have to deal with moving 2 pieces after every single cut. With the EZ Smart you handle the sheet one time to put it onto a cut table. You then only have to move the guide system around and that's very easy. You then only have the final cut pieces to move at the end, not every cut from the front to the back of the saw. Ever hurt your back moving wood? I have, and I also blew out a hernia once. Not fun. With a table saw, moving even a half sheet of plywood over the blade requires some effort and if you don't have an outfeed table, or if you TS is smaller it's very difficult and the cuts aren't always as planned. With the EZ Smart, the sheet just sits on the table and you don't have to move it to make the cut. The cut is always exactly where it's planned and it's nearly impossible to do it any other way. There are videos on the EZ website showing Dino, the owner/inventor actually trying to screw up a cut to cause a kickback. He's holding the workpiece in his hand waving it all around over his head and everywhere while making the cut. The cut isn't clean but he couldn't make the saw kick back no mater how he tried. How's that for safety?

As far as taking time to set up, if you have a worktable set up you set the wood on the table, place the guide where you want the cut and make the cut. With the Cabinet Makers system you don't even have to mark your workpiece. You set the repeater to the length you want, set the guide rail on the wood and it aligns itself with the built in square. Make the cut and slide the rail over and make as many of that size as you want. The repeater serves the same function as a rip fence on a table saw except you can also adjust for the blade kerf and make the, "Keeper piece" either the left or right side of the cut. Try that with a table saw. A table saw takes up a lot of room, right? Add an outfeed table and it's even worse. Got a sliding table saw? That's even bigger. To rip an 8' long sheet you need at least 18' to account for the length of the wood times two including a couple of feet for the operator. For the same cut on the EZ Smart you need only about 10' or less. The EZ table sets up and folds down very easily and is very compact. Setting up the guide doesn't take me any more time than setting up my rip fence and infeed/outfeed support. I have to then walk back and forth around the TS with every cut and mover the wood every time.

Starting to see where the EZ is faster? Safer? Just as accurate if not more so? Way, way cheaper? The fine details on everything I've said and more are all available on the EZ website. What I have invested in my EZ Smart and my top-of-the-line circular saw is less than half of what I spent on my General Int. contractor saw and I really didn't need to spend even half of what I did on my Hilti 267 circular saw. I just wanted all of the bells and whistles. There's already at least one guy on the EZ forum who's sold his table saw and does everything with the EZ Smart. The EZ Smart also allows for the use of a router, planer, jigsaw, chainsaw, and more tools yet to come. With the router it's much like a manual CNC machine. I don't have it but the photos and videos are very impressive.

I don't plan to get rid of my tablesaw yet or my router table or my jointer or planer or any other tools. The EZ won't do everything and it's not the best tool for every job, obviously. I don't have all of the accessories for the EZ system yet either. But as time goes on and I have some extra money I'll be using my TS even less than I do now. Why? For the reasons I've listed above. Safer, faster, easier on my back, more accurate for most cuts. How much more simple do you want? I guess this ended up a lot longer than I planned but I only scratched the surface as to the benefits. If you are really curious about the system and not just trying to knock it I suggest you check it out on the website and on the EZ forum. This is a system that's far more versatile than a homemade guide and a circular saw or even any table saw. and even if you bought every possible accessory for the EZ Smart system and all of the hand held power tools to go with them you wouldn't pay what you would for a good cabinet saw.

Bruce

ShaneB

I can see the EZ system being great for large sheet goods where the table saw is cumbersome and somewhat dangerous. I also find it difficult to keep the panel from pulling away from the fence, thus giving me out of square cuts. I'm not completely sold on spending the extra cash yet, but it is enticing!

bennybbc

Hi Shane, While the EZ is great for large sheet goods it's also great for working with smaller pieces of solid or plywood. One of the most dangerous things to do on a table saw is rip narrow pieces of wood. This is something that's very easy and safe with the EZ system, especially when using the better version of the EZ clamps. With shorter rails, crosscuts on pieces that would normally be done on a TS with a miter guage can be done with the EZ Smart. Depending upon the application it won't necessarily be faster or easier than with a TS but for some applications it looks easier and faster.

For edge jointing it's hard to beat the EZ. I have an 8" jointer and I do use it to straighten mildly crooked board edges. But if it looks like I'm going to be making more than a few passes it can be tricky with the jointer. Then I use the EZ. So far nobody has come up with a very practical method to face joint a board with the EZ but I did see a video that Dino made using his router where he did flatten the face of a board. It's one of those situations where it can do the job but not necessarily the best tool for the job.

I don't have the SRK for the EZ but it allows you to attach a router to the rails. There are numerous applications for this already and on the EZ forum I hear about new ones coming up every week. With the proper table set up it's a great way to do mortise and tenons. It's also great for dados or rabbets. They're working on different edge routing applications too including panel raising and lock miter joints. There are many more than I can list.

My point overall being that you can do a lot more with the EZ than just work with large sheet goods. But for sheet goods, short of using a computer controlled panel saw, I don't believe there's *ANY* better way to break them down and cut them to the exact final demensions at the same time.

Dino has a very interesting challenge on his website to anyone, using any tool or combination of tools, to do a certain specified cutting task better than the EZ Smart. He offers his Fiat Spider to anyone that can best him. It's been available for quite a while but I don't really remember the specific details. Nobody has beaten his invention yet.

If cost is the only factor holding you back Dino might be able to set you up with a special deal. He does allow you to make payments. I personally don't want to go that route because I like to pay cash but it's a tempting offer. He loans any of the EZ tools to use for 30 days and the only thing you have to pay is shipping to your door. If you're not happy with it he'll take it back and even pay the return shipping. Good luck with your decision, Shane. I hope I've helped. Obviously this info I've been providing isn't just for you or I'd be doing this via PM. I just feel so strongly about these tools and I wish someone had told me about them years ago. Oh yeah, they weren't available too many years ago.

Bruce

bobj3

Bruce

I did check out the web site many times, I just don't like it and I do love tools.
It sounds like you are sold on it and that's good.
I guess that's why I drive a Ford and you may drive a Chev.
Looks like a giant erector set made out of Alum.with all kinds knobs, I'm not knocking it BUT I would not put my money on the counter for it...when I can make one that works as good or better...

Have a good one

Bj

__________________
PodCast videos
RWS on YouTube

http://www.routerforums.com/86898-post1.html
Besure and click on the Up Arrow key ▲ on the Youtube video, you can select other youtube videos on router tables
http://www.woodworkingonline.com/?s=dovetail
Machine Cut ▼
http://www.woodworkingonline.com/200...cut-dovetails/

http://www.woodworkingonline.com/woo...podcast-store/

http://www.woodshopdemos.com/menu2.htm

Bob J.

Hermit

Buy the system. Dino will give you 30 days to try it out. If you don't like it, return it for full refund. I think he will even pay the return shipping. Give him a call to find out for sure.

reible

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xblade

Shane , what I do is this, make a L shaped straight cutting for a skill saw , making sure it is square and put small marks on the plywood , clamp it in place , then cut, 2 cuts per panel at the finished size .
Roger