Customer Reviews

Jim Tolpin's Table Saw Magic

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Jim Tolpin has created another benchmark. Best book on tablesaws I've seen;
photos and illustrations are superb.

Several other reviewers have commented on the value of the jigs, and I agree. I wish Tolpin would have presented an overview of his fence jig system early on, it would have been easier to grasp the concept BUT unlike one other reviewer I certainly did not have to go through the book several times to get it.

Besides the jigs, I appreciated the discussion of blades (design, choice, and care), ripping, and setup. Having read the section on setting up my saw, I went out to the shop, tuned things up and it has made a big difference in my work - everything fits together better!

Finally, the person who said that this book is of no use to the beginner with a beginner's saw: think again. My Bosch 4000 is pretty basic, but I was able to apply 98% of Tolpin's advice to my unit.

If he would just add an overview of his fence jig system I could give this 5 stars!

I'd consider myself to have an intermediate level of woodworking skill - I'm not a novice or an expert - and this book is just right for me. I've built two of the jigs and love them. The general info on setup, blades, and technique is just what I need. I'm working through it, about half way so far, and thoroughly enjoying myself.

First of all, if you are working on a beginner-type table saw, this book will be pretty useless to you. The book centers around a number of jigs that work with standard sized table saw slots - so your entry level Sears bench saw will exclude you from most of the fun. You need a decent [$$] contractors saw or better.

There are some amazing things that can be done with a table saw as is demonstrated by Mr. Tolpin but as others have pointed out you need to STUDY the book. I've looked at some of the jig diagrams multiple times and still haven't figured them out. If you don't have good solid basics under your belt, look elsewhere. I give it two stars for presenting some very original ideas.

As noted in some of the other reviews, Mr. Tolpin is not a Pulitzer prize winning author. But he is a hell of a woodworker. I lucked out and bought this book at my local library's yearly book sale. I got it and four other related books for five bucks. I would buy it at full retail just for the jigs and sled diagrams. Some have complained that there are no measurements included, well how could there be? The idea of the book is to give you ideas for your own applications. I don't have the room for all the jigs shown in this book, nor would I ever use em all if I did. But I did glean enough from this book to make it worth having in my woodworking "library". I would reccommned this book to everyone who uses a table saw, beginner or pro.

Tolpin's advise on a wide range of table saw topics and issues is very good. His fence jig system is excellent for anyone using a Biesemeyer-style rip fence and adaptable to others. While not the finest writer, he does know his subject. This book and his "Measure Twice, Cut Once" title are essential for any woodworker's personal library.

Not a book for beginners, since it is extremely confusing and poorly organized. You have to deeply study the book in order to get any benefit as opposed to reading it. The presentation and the drawings are all jumbled up and hard to follow. NOT WORTH IT

If you are like me and do not know the difference between a dodo and a dado, then this is not a book for u.

1) Poor organization of material

2) No coverage of basic concepts ( and I mean basic)

3) Poor and confusing drawings

This is an amazing book. Jim Tolpin is a master of his craft, and a fine writer as well. There is material in here for readers at every level. The beginner gets a thorough guide to the choice of a table saw. I would recommend this book to anyone who is considering their first purchase. The experienced reader can come back to the same chapter when it is time for an upgraded model. Every section is like this; Tolpin introduces the simplest techniques, and goes on to show us cuts I never thought possible on a table saw. The book is an excellent starting place for someone new to the table saw, and yet I cannot imagine outgrowing it.

Major sections include choosing a table saw, setup, accessories, blades, ripping, crosscutting, grooves dadoes and rabbets, sheet stock and small parts, curves and moldings, and joinery. Throughout the book, Topin presents shop made jigs for setting up the cuts. He also discusses commercial jigs. His jig designs are quite impressive, and some of them are major projects in themselves. These jigs would be a major asset in any shop, and I look forward to building them. In most cases, Tolpin describes a variety of techniques for solving the same problem. Where a cut can be done on a variety of machines, he discusses the advantages and disadvantages of each one. The advice is evenhanded and unbiased.

At the end of the book, two appendices provide source information on all of the equipment shown in the book, and all of the necessary parts for building the jigs. For example, the aluminum mini track which is used in many table saw jigs is available from Garrett Wade Co. in New York, complete with an address and an 800 number for obtaining price information.

Good news first:

The maintainance information and Jigs presented in this book are very useful, it's obvious tolpin knows what he's talking about.

The bad news:

It took me forever to figure out what the heck he was talking about! The jig construction drawings are somewhat confusing. They present an entire system of jigs in a piecemeal fashion through the course of the book. In order to decipher them you really have to go through the book several times, cover to cover, cross referencing all the way.

That said, I chosen the jigs I needed and made them, and they work great, even adapted for my Bosch benchtop saw. What a headache figuring them out though!