Mighty Mite Table Saw - Harbor Freight

[motterpaul]

Believe it or not, I am new to Harbor Freight. But they actually have Unibit drill bits there for $6.
http://www.harborfreight.com/1-4-quarter-inch-3-4-quarter-inch-high-speed-steel-step-drill-44460.html

But I am curious about the mini-tablesaw. I get really tired of dealing with cutting vero boards to size.  Anyone using these for cutting Vero? Cost= $36

http://www.harborfreight.com/4-in-mighty-mite-table-saw-with-blade-61608.html

[Ciaran Haslett]

I think I remember Travis saying he cut his vero with a chop saw!  I'd easily lose a finger or three using that or your table saw.  How much vero must you be cutting that can't be done with a few scores with a knife and a quick snap then file the edges?

Having said that....that is a great price and I could definitely find a few other uses for it about the house....but not for cutting 15x12 vero anyway.

[Andy Miller]

What's the blade kerf on that thing?  Most of the time table saw blades are 3/32" or 1/8" which is relatively wide when you're talking about little circuit boards.

It might work OK, though.  Hopefully the miter gauge is sized to get good and close to the blade so you can safely support small pieces of board.  

Also,  are you familiar with safe use of a table saw?  That thing looks like it's designed only for crosscutting.  If you get it, don't get tempted to try rip cuts with no fence.  If you can't do it with the miter fence, don't do it.  As my friend RD always says, "you can't sew pink mist back on."

[Travis]

Yeah Ciaran I usually rip a long piece with the table saw and then cut the pieces down to length with the chop saws

As Andy said it looks like there's no fence on this so it looks like you'll be using the sled

For just cutting stripboard this should saw should be fine assuming you can use it safely.

[Sensei Tim]

while i hate cutting vero too,  i would say that cutting vero with a box cutter is *WAY* less messy than cutting with a saw like that!

how are you cutting your vero?  I can't imagine why you would want/need a table saw for that?  i make 2-3 scores on each side and then snap off the excess.  if i'm feeling extra OCD i'll use a file to smooth the edge. the whole thing usually takes less than 5 minutes.

[motterpaul]

I am using a box cutter and snapping them. It works great but it takes time. I am not that familiar with table saws (not at all actually), all I did was watch the demo, it said to use an extra block of wood if you need to push a small piece.  The blades are 4-inch diamond edge, so I think they are not very wide (1/8" most) similar to a Dremel. It has an eye guard and a hand guard.

[Hozy31]

I use sheet metal cutters to cut my stripboard, however it doesn't work for brittle stripboard or PCB laminate. For that i use a dremel but its so effing messy and having worked in a PCB factory, its really bad for your lungs. A PCB guillotine would be perfect but there not cheap.

[Travis]

Tim - the table saw is definitely faster. Just takes a second to cut the piece with a clean, straight edge.

The table saw is very unforgiving. You need to be sober, and use proper, safe techniques. Things go wrong faster than you can react, and even a cheesy $35 tool like this will cause DEVASTATING injuries.

[motterpaul]

I tried a dremel and it was a disaster (too hard to control). Even this cheesy little tablesaw <G> would at least stay stable enough for me to cut a straight edge. Snapping them works fine, but it does take time and I find it to be somewhat unpredictable unless you score both sides a few times. I usually lose a row every time I cut vero anyway.

Also - Harbor Freight has several unibits for around $7 apiece. I know the place is known for having basically cheap tools (not top of the line), but the price is right. I bought three unibits and if they last at all it's worth it. The last one I bought at Ace for $22 only really lasted for about 30 pedals.

They also have cheap drill presses.

[Senor Avocado]

My method that I like using is to use a little c-clamp to hold the vero to my work bench with the section that i want to cut off just barely hanging off the edge of the bench and then using a hacksaw. I have had very consistent results. I use a belt sander afterwards to smooth the sides.

[MOPO]

hi,

I use that


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLRiHvvK0wE


I had to gallee with the hacksaw and a lot of other tools that at the end never satisfied me.

Its going very well for veroboards.

[motterpaul]

Mopo... so it is not a crazy idea at all. Which blade do you use?  Mine is a lot cheaper in price (and smaller) but I think it would work. Vero is not that hardy.

[MOPO]

I used the supercut blade for a long time because the cheapest but I just changed for a diamond blade and it is better I think (must say that my blade was worn too).
I will see to the use and lifetime of the blade.
Attention to the price of the blade it can go from the simple to the double following the sellers.
After that it is a not very powerful saw I use it only for that .....
For the veroboard it is nickel in any case, they are stack to size and quickly cut.

[ξεναγος νεκροπολης]

1 minute job for a common size board!!

[motterpaul]

So, I bought the saw - $35 including the diamond edge blade. I LOVE it. I can cut a vero with a perfectly straight and clean cut in 5 seconds/side. It is small enough that I can stow it away except when I need it. There is no dust, the vero just seems to vaporize, but I will only use in a well-ventilated place. I admit I felt a little woozy after just a couple cuts (but it also might have been the aerosol silicon spray I used to made the glide slide.) Really a breeze though, better than I expected.

[Chris60601]

I find a bench vise and a coping saw works best for me.