Steel City Granite-top Tools
From: Popular Woodworking
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These
surfaces are truly flat, have less vibration, are easier
to set up and
no rust – ever. |
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At
the last AWFS show in Las Vegas, the big news was the introduction of granite
tops as a replacement for cast iron by Steel City Tool Works. We’ve had
three of these machines in the shop for a few months. ...
 We’ve been impressed with Steel City’s products, and these new arrivals are of the same caliber. This review will focus on the addition of granite to already good machines. |
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The Same
But Not the Same
On paper, this is the same hybrid table saw that we reviewed in our February 2007 issue (#160). The specifications are the same, but the addition of a riving knife, as well as the granite top, led to a redesigned trunnion assembly.
It’s still a beefy
casting, but it now moves straight up and down to keep the riving knife positioned
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the top of the blade. In traditional table saw design,
the arbor swings in an arc.
Height adjustments are smooth, and the
riving knife or traditional guard can be removed or replaced in a matter
of seconds. The granite top is 1-3/4" thick
throughout, but it is relieved near the insert, allowing full-depth cuts
without any loss of strength in the top. |
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The extension tables slide on steel bars
mounted to the saw’s main
top. This allows gravity to hold the extensions in place as they are leveled
and bolted down, making this task faster and easier |
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than on an iron-topped
saw. In use, the granite top vibrated less than a standard saw, and
the flatter, smoother surface was a subtle but noticeable improvement.
Jointer Fence a Huge Improvement
The most noticeable, and likely most significant,
improvement that we saw in performance
was in the jointer. The tables are still cast iron, but the granite fence
makes this jointer what a jointer ought to be.
Cast iron jointer fences are notorious for being warped, and having a straight
fence made a profound improvement in both setting
the fence square to the table and in milling
stock.
Smooth Operating Band Saw
Band saw cuts are all about maintaining control, and the flat surface with
less vibration is a nice improvement. It isn’t a dramatic change, but it is better.
Other features of the saw – the guides, adjustments and components
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are all top-notch, reminiscent of older American-made machines.
Overall, granite is an idea that works well. If you’re a perfectionist,
you’ll appreciate the flat surfaces. Cast iron comes close to perfection,
but there are always slight deviations to deal with. Granite isn’t
fragile, and holds up well under normal use. And if your shop is in an area
where humidity makes rust an issue, you will want to make the change.
— Robert
W. Lang |
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