It might sound a little dramatic, but truly you don’t need a table saw. Don’t get me wrong, I get a ton of use out of mine and I really love it. But there was a long time before I got this saw that I had to find other ways to break down materials. The table saw can also be a really intimidating tool and if you don’t feel ready to use a one there are other options out there for you. So don’t let anyone tell you that you have to have a table saw to DIY, I’m going to show you a handful of other tools you can use in place of a table saw and a few of the projects I completed using them. Let’s get started friends!
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Tools + Materials
TOOLS
Materials
PROJECT LIST
Tool School Circular Saw 101
First up is a beginner-friendly guide to using a circular saw safely and effectively. It’s a guide that shows you how to choose the right saw and blade, how to understand safety features, and how to master basic cutting techniques. There are a few tips for making clean cuts, preventing kickback, and making accurate cuts. If you’re looking for a starting point without a table saw, take a look at this post.
MAKING FANCY FURNITURE WITH LIMITED TOOLS
This is one of my more recent projects and I really wanted to showcase how to make a stylish and practical storage cabinet without needing a full workshop of tools. There’s a step-by-step guide on the blog for how to make this cabinet with just a circular saw, a drill, and a nail gun. I highlight how to use the Kreg Rip Cut to make cuts with the circular saw accurately. It’s a perfect way for a beginner or an experienced woodworker without a ton of tools to build a cabinet.
How to Make a Secret Door
Slat walls are one of my favorite design features and I had always wanted to create a secret door in my house, so what better way than to make an accent wall with a door hidden within it? This project uses pre-made slat wood panels that I cut to size using my track saw. See? No table saw!
Floating Deck Grill Station
I hope you don’t have to build a deck in the winter. But this small deck/grill station is the perfect projcet to add a little something to your backyard. I used deck boards and cut them to size with my miter saw before assembling the deck. Once I built it into the foundation I attached the surface deck boards, and those I cut with the Kreg Accu Cut. It gave me a clean cut along the length of the deck, and once again, it’s portable so I was able to bring the saw to the project, super helpful for outdoor projects.
DIY your Closet into an Office Space
When I was building my office closet out I got a butcher block top for the cabinets. It was super heavy (thakfully my dad was able to pop in to help me carry it up the stairs). But I actually made that cut with my circular saw and Kreg Rip-Cut off the back of my truck. Very handy to have work station there but it was also convenient not to have to carry that top to the shop and then up to my attic office.
DIY Headboard with Geometric Pattern
For this headboard project and any other geometric, mosaic project the miter saw is the MVP. If you use material that is already in thin strips all you have to do is cut them to size at a 45 degree angle. The key with this type of project is to pre-plan your design. It truly makes the process so much smoother.
Easy Door Upgrade
Similar to the headboard project I used the miter saw quite a bit for the pattern on this barn door. But unlike that project this one needed a trim along the side, which was the perfect job for the track saw. The circular saw with a track really shines in these long cuts, not only is it accurate but it’s also mobile. The door I used for this project was solid core, so it was not light (are we sensing a theme here?), and bringing my saw to my workpiece is so much more doable than trying to move a really heavy door back and forth to the saw by myself.
A Table Saw Is Not The Only Way
I hope these projects showed you how it’s possible to make really great woodworking projects without a table saw or a ton of fancy tools. There are plenty of entry level power tools that can get the job done and help you create the projects you want to make. What do you guys think, do you want to see more projects with creative tool solutions? Let me know what projects you’ve made without a table saw or other innovative solutions you’ve come up with, I can’t wait to hear. Until then, Happy DIYing friends!
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