This is my go at making a homemade table saw to add to my garage/workshop. I have an ancient black and decker circular saw that has a warped shoe so it doesn't work very well has a handheld saw. By attaching it to a table I am able to tweak it so that it cuts straight and doesn't matter about the warped shoe.

Tools:

circular saw

power drill

Materials: (I used mainly cut offs I had lying around. Sizing is also up to you if you want to change)

1200 x 700 x 12mm plywood

1200 x 700 x 6mm MDF

45 x 45 x 1200 Pine QTY 2

45 x 45 x 610 Pine QTY 2

various scraps

Step 1: Step 1: the Table

First thing to do is position the saw. I placed it roughly in the centre, and made sure it was square to the plywood. I then clamped down 2 pieces of wood for the position of the saw, and plunged the saw into the wood to bring the blade through to the other side. My initial placement of the saw was too far back from the front of the table and it felt a bit awkward and unsafe cutting wood. I change the position of the blade later in step 2.

Next is make a frame around the plywood to support the table. I used the 2x2s and screwed them together and then to the plywood

(You can ignore 2:10 - 2:50 in the video as I change this later in step 2)

Then I needed to mount the saw to the table. I used scrap pieces to screw to the base around the saw and made little wooden blocks to use as clamps to hold the saw in place.

Now you basically have a functioning table saw. Just set up a straight edge and your ready to cut.

But lets keep going!

Step 2: Step 2: the Fence

In this part I decide to put a sheet of MDF on top of the plywood as it is smoother and the wood can glide across the table better. I also repositioned the saw closer to the centre as it felt awkward cutting pieces with the saw so far away from me.

For the fence I wanted to try something a little different to most DIY table saw fences. I thought that by tightening the fence to the table top itself rather than the edge would give a more stable fence. To do this I had to cut a slot out of the table top to run a bolt through it so I could tighten it. This turned out really well and the fence is really stable and move at all when it is tightened. The only thing is I need to make sure it is square to the blade before tightening the fence, as the reference piece moves around a bit, so I need to hold it flat with the edge of the table as I tighten it to make sure it is square. This isn't a big issue, but it was something I didn't think of.

I also routered a slot to put in a ruler for measuring cuts.

And now I have a very useful table saw!

Step 3: Step 3: Finishing Touches

This part I didn't document as I did it little by little. I used a router to make a track parallel to the blade so I can use sleds and jigs with it. I also made a base using 2x4s and simple half lap joints. I also gave the top a few coats of polyurethane to make it more durable and last longer.

I have been using this table saw for well over a year now and it has served me very well. The large surface area lets me cut big pieces of plywood and also serves as another work bench when I need more space.