While I was visiting a shop in Long Island recently I noticed a couple of small jewel-like sliding tablesaws. The shop owner and his helper both remarked about how useful and well used the saws were. I was impressed and am now looking to obtain one of these saws. I think it would be the perfect choice for the majority of furniture work, and a good portion of architectural work as well. They are called 'Petty Work', which I guess is an attempt to render the term 'petite work' as the pronunciation between 'petite' and 'petty' probably sounds very close to a Japanese ear.
Here's one of the models, the PW300 WS:
This saw weighs about 130kg. The entire table slides around the blade - essentially what you have here is a 'perfect' crosscut sled. There are phenolic inserts around the blade which can be replaced, and the saw is direct drive so it is extremely smooth in cutting. The handle on the front is a manual brake.
The saw blade is fully enclosed and thus dust collection is very good:
A view of the outlet side of the dust port:
They also have a basic model where the sliding table is only on one side of the blade.
The model shown above can be outfitted, much like a sliding compound miter saw, with outrigger wing, also sliding, to handle longer stock:
There is another model with a sliding wing also out to the left side, giving a total cutting capacity of 4.2m.
They make a fairly nice miter gauge for the saw:
The also make a heavier duty sliding table saw, the PW-1000A-HM and PW-1300A-HM, about 400kg.:
I've asked a dealer in Japan for pricing, and will let y'all know what I find out.
Petty Work Tablesaws
- Chris Hall
- Site Admin
- Contact:
- Location: Greenfield, Massachusetts
- Mathieu
- Triple 2
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Re: Petty Work Tablesaws
That Pettywork 300 tablesaw is an interesting piece of machinery. Never seen anything like it before. I imagine you can not make any ripcuts with it?
Chris,
Could you share the price of the 1300 when you hear it? Not that I could afford a saw like this but it might help me not to dream about it too much.
I am used to work with tablesaws where the ripfence is usualy located on the right side of the blade. Also the sliding table on European models is always on the left side. I wonder why these Japanese machines have this configuration? I am sure they have thought it over well but I can't figure out why.
Chris,
Could you share the price of the 1300 when you hear it? Not that I could afford a saw like this but it might help me not to dream about it too much.
I am used to work with tablesaws where the ripfence is usualy located on the right side of the blade. Also the sliding table on European models is always on the left side. I wonder why these Japanese machines have this configuration? I am sure they have thought it over well but I can't figure out why.
...
- Chris Hall
- Site Admin
- Contact:
- Location: Greenfield, Massachusetts
Post
Re: Petty Work Tablesaws
I have received pricing information on these saws:
PW-300WS: ¥780,000
PW-300WS-WL; ¥1,130,000 (with aluminum surface plate: ¥1,170,000)
PW-300WS-WLL: ¥1,470,000 (with aluminum surface plate: ¥1,530,000)
PW-1300A-HM: ¥1,380,000
It look like there is an option between having the flanking support table(s) with a stamped steel working surface, or with an aluminum one, and the aluminum one is the more expensive.
These 300 series saws are set up just for precision cross-cutting really. Most shops I've seen seem to end up having two table saws, one for ripping (often a Delta/Rockwell/Powermatic cabinet saw, and one for cross-cutting (a slider). I see these Petty work saws as a good choice for smaller precision work. Could be easily take to the jobsite too.
PW-300WS: ¥780,000
PW-300WS-WL; ¥1,130,000 (with aluminum surface plate: ¥1,170,000)
PW-300WS-WLL: ¥1,470,000 (with aluminum surface plate: ¥1,530,000)
PW-1300A-HM: ¥1,380,000
It look like there is an option between having the flanking support table(s) with a stamped steel working surface, or with an aluminum one, and the aluminum one is the more expensive.
These 300 series saws are set up just for precision cross-cutting really. Most shops I've seen seem to end up having two table saws, one for ripping (often a Delta/Rockwell/Powermatic cabinet saw, and one for cross-cutting (a slider). I see these Petty work saws as a good choice for smaller precision work. Could be easily take to the jobsite too.
- Chris Hall
- Site Admin
- Contact:
- Location: Greenfield, Massachusetts
Post
Judging by the rip fence, the ripping is taking place to the right of the fence. Curious.
Re: Petty Work Tablesaws
Ya got me - no idea. There are some Japanese tablesaws I have seen with two blades mounted, each with their own raise and tilt mechanism. One associates to the cross-cut slider, while the other presumably is for ripping. Like this Kuwahara for example:Mathieu wrote:I wonder why these Japanese machines have this configuration? I am sure they have thought it over well but I can't figure out why.
Judging by the rip fence, the ripping is taking place to the right of the fence. Curious.
- Chris Hall
- Site Admin
- Contact:
- Location: Greenfield, Massachusetts
Post
Re: Petty Work Tablesaws
A related type of saw to the Petty Work 300 models, with a sliding table around both sides of the blade, is this Eiwa SCB-G14:
- Chris Pyle
- Deshi
- Location: St. Louis, MO
- Chris Hall
- Site Admin
- Contact:
- Location: Greenfield, Massachusetts
Post
Re: Petty Work Tablesaws
I did find some for sale, but haven't moved any further than that. Still interested in getting one mind you.
- Chris Pyle
- Deshi
- Location: St. Louis, MO
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Re: Petty Work Tablesaws
I'm assuming the Wadkin purchase means these petty saws are longer on the docket? And I think I recall this but didn't you say there is no longer any price incentive to filling a container for shipment? I saw a guy on the OWWM blog say he was waiting to fill his container in the UK before shipment but assumed there may be different restrictions/levels of paperwork for the different countries.
I still really want one of these petty saws.
I still really want one of these petty saws.
- Chris Hall
- Site Admin
- Contact:
- Location: Greenfield, Massachusetts
Post
Re: Petty Work Tablesaws
Not necessarily. Still want, but getting very limited on space in my shop.Chris Pyle wrote:I'm assuming the Wadkin purchase means these petty saws are longer on the docket?
I believe those days are done. You could crate two saws together perhaps, but otherwise everything in a container has to be in some sort of packaged/tag-able/trackable/crated/sealed format.Chris Pyle wrote: And I think I recall this but didn't you say there is no longer any price incentive to filling a container for shipment?
Maybe it is still possible to fill a container in certain situations. Hmm, now you've got me wondering...Chris Pyle wrote:I saw a guy on the OWWM blog say he was waiting to fill his container in the UK before shipment but assumed there may be different restrictions/levels of paperwork for the different countries
Yep, me too, but not right now. I believe there would be some on the used market to be found.Chris Pyle wrote:I still really want one of these petty saws.
- Chris Pyle
- Deshi
- Location: St. Louis, MO
Post
Re: Petty Work Tablesaws
The only other option for me at this point is the hammond glider. It wouldn't work for TF style lumber but for most furniture projects, I think it would work nicely. I found one near me and also found a few guides on how to retrofit them for woodworking. They were originally created for cutting lead type so the RPMs are a bit low and the spindle is an odd-size. You can have a new spindle turned for the machine or have blades bored to the appropriate diameter.
Despite the small footprint, they weigh nearly 500 lbs so I think it'd a be a suitable crosscut saw for smaller stock until something else comes along.
Anyway, if you find a way to fill a container to minimize shipping costs, I'd be very interested in helping fill that container What with the petty worksaws, the HCMs, their jointers and bandsaws, I think I could find an appropriate mix of machines. Perhaps there'd be a few guys interested?
Despite the small footprint, they weigh nearly 500 lbs so I think it'd a be a suitable crosscut saw for smaller stock until something else comes along.
Anyway, if you find a way to fill a container to minimize shipping costs, I'd be very interested in helping fill that container What with the petty worksaws, the HCMs, their jointers and bandsaws, I think I could find an appropriate mix of machines. Perhaps there'd be a few guys interested?
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