Can anyone recommend a mini table saw suitable for model building.

I went to my local home center and picked up a bench-mounted jigsaw for about $100. It's not fancy, but it does the job.

Dremel used to make a nice table saw with a 4" blade (or somewhere thereabouts) but they're not available any more.

Just my $.02

Bob

Micro-Mark has a nice small table saw for model building:

http://www.micromark.com/

Bruce

Or you could do what I did and search Craigslist for an old scroll saw. I found a professional grade Milwaukee scroll saw from 1954 with a 24" throat depth made from cast iron. It weighs about 100 lbs, and does not vibrate when you saw with it. It's an awesome saw, and I bought it with a stand for $130. They don't make saws of this quality anymore. I looked through the offerings at Home Depot and Lowe's, and didn't find anything even close to this unless I was willing to spend $500 or more, and they still didn't have the mass that mine does. I'd suggest that you buy an older workhorse that has stood the test of time. I'll probably have this saw in great working condition for the next 30 years or more. And I was able to find the owner's manual for it online, so when there is any kind of maintenance work that needs to be performed, I have instructions on what to do.

juggler

Unless work space is a concern, then look for a good used 10" table saw. I have an old cast iron Craftsman table saw that works very well for model building. What I did was to remove the steel blade insert and the 10" blade. I made what is called a "Zero insert" out of a piece of 3/4" oak and installed it in place of the steel one. Then I installed a 7-1/4" 140 tooth plywood blade instead of the normal 10" blade. Start the saw and raise the blade up through the oak insert about 1/2" and thats it. I use this setup mostly to make balsa strips, but works well for other things. The 10" blades are usually 1/8" wide but the 7-1/4" is only 1/16" thick so you lose a 1/16th inch of balsa with every pass. The nice thing about a full size saw is with the longer table and you can strip 36" lengths of balsa a little easier then a saw with a short table. My 2 cents.
Steve in MT


Never have a battle of wits with an unarmed person

Micro mark-it is one of the finest saws for our hobby and you won't need any other. Pricey but worth it.

If you have the room, I agree with going with a larger saw with a 7 and a 1/4 on it. I use a Skil brand saw that does the job just fine. Making an insert like Steve said is not that hard and will give you way more everything than one of the small modeling saws. I use mine on a table I built for it. The table is about 24x24 and 30 inches or so high. You can make all kinds of jigs to make almost anything you may want. I paid $20 for mine that I bought from a seller on Craigs list. I used to have one of the little Dremels and they just don't compare, IMHO.

There is one of the Dremel saws listed right now:  http://www.rcuniverse.com/market/item.cfm?itemId=642211

Jim Houston
AMA 4282

I had been a supporter of Dremel products until I got my first Proxxon. There is no comparison. The Proxxon products are industrial grade. I have a Proxxon FKS/E Table saw and it is what I recommend. I learnt a lesson years ago - price is what you pay, value is what you get. There is NO relationship between the two.

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