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The Proxxon Table Saw

Review Number One - The Royal Products Duplicator Review Number Two - Proxxon Table Saw

The Proxxon MODEL FKS/E table saw comes with a 24-tooth carbide tipped blade, and is loaded with features that make it an essential tool for the serious ship modeller. It has a variable speed control, tilting arbour (to 45 degrees), and precision blade elevation with a cutting capacity of .87". The motor maintains torque under load due to the motor feedback provision which delivers electrical current as required. The table size is 11.6" x 9.4" and the slide out table extension is great when you're working with larger material, adding the necessary support and stability. Overall, the saw is 11.8" x 10.3" x 6.7" and weighs 11.5lbs. There is provision for attachment to your dust collection system, and the throat insert is removable, allowing you to replace it with a zero clearance one for finer work. Front View It will cut all types of wood, non-ferrous metals, plastics and more, and several blade types are available to expand the flexibility of this wonderful saw. When I first saw it in use, I was blown away by its cutting power as Brian Finlayson of Chipping Away (Chipping Away.com) demonstrated it to me on some1/2" thick aluminum. He placed a nickel on its edge onto the surface of the running saw and it stayed there without budging. When he showed me the tilting arbour and precision blade elevation features, I needed no more convincing, and bought the saw then and there! My first attempt was with Ebony, and was a complete and dismal failure. At the time, I figured that it must have been the Ebony's fault and tried with Boxwood, getting more or less the same result. The more I use this saw, the happier I am with my decision to purchase it. The rip fence is easily locked in place by the turn of a knob. Brian will personally modify each rip fence if requested, to make it higher and longer, and to allow the toe in/out to be adjustable by the user. A fence micro adjustment fitting that clamps to the table surface is also available. This allows for fine adjustment to the fence itself, a useful feature when cutting material to prescribed thickness within a few thousandths. The crosscut fence is the only part of the saw that I'm not fully satisfied with. Don't get me wrong, it works well and has a detent at the zero degree mark, but it's made of plastic and seems cheap in comparison to the rest of the saw. Rear View I recently had the opportunity to compare the Proxxon to my ever-faithful Preac Saw. I was ripping some Pear wood that was just over .25" thick, and at this, its upper limit, the Preac was really struggling to get through. It would bind and burn the wood frequently. I'm sure part of it had to do with my feed technique, but soon it became quite tedious and I decided to try the Proxxon. Up until then, I had only used it for thicker materials or when I needed the tilting arbour. It was no surprise to me that the Pear stock went through the Proxxon just as smoothly as a hot knife goes through butter. What was amazing to me was that there were absolutely no saw blade marks, burns, chips or any other imperfections in the resulting .050" planks! This was a very pleasant surprise to me, and totally changed the way I looked at this saw. My next step is to make a zero clearance throat insert and further explore its fine cutting capabilities. Brian is considering making this, a jig adapter bar, and a couple of other items you can get for the Preac, available options for the Proxxon saw. I will keep you posted on these. I still love my Preac, but If I had to choose only one of these saws, there would be no contest, the Proxxon FKS/E saw would be the hands down winner! Happy Modelling Morey Benton