i've been using this saw for a couple years. hardly looks like the same saw at this point after modifying it quite a bit. here's a non-exhaustive list of what i've done to it. - got a flat tile from the home store, glued some sand paper to it and flattened the top. - used my router and an edge guide to mill out the miter slots and installed miter track with a t-slot profile. - built a safer blade guard with better dust collection - 3d printed a Y-adapter for dust collection - i mostly use 7-1/4" blades for ripping, they are easier on the motor so it should last longer. i got a think kerf riving knife off amazon for $15 that matches the kerf for the blade and fits the saw well enough. a bit of a gap, but i can live with that. i rarely need to cut more than 7/4 stock so the loss of depth has been fine. i use a frued heavy duty rip blade 8-1/4" for joinery due to it's flat grind. i also use that blade for jointing boards because it is thick enough to avoid deflection most of the time. the oshun box joint blades fit as well. they are stiff enough you can remove the stiffener and just use the nut and it works fine. if you really want to, you can swap in the arbor form the 10" i think. i've seen people having done the mod online, but have no experience myself. by measurements that arbor should fit, but getting blade on and off will be a PITA. i've found drilling a few 1/8" holes around the blade opening on my zero clearance insert helped with dust collection. i am still thinking about how to put a threaded rod into the tilt assembly for more adjustment control and to stop it from losing position when the tilt lock is applied. first couple attempts have been about as bad as the default setup, just in different ways. hope something in there was useful.
Wow, first off, thank you for taking the time to share all that! -How did flattening the table with the tile work out? If you had to do it again, would you? -Great idea to mill out the miter slots and add your own t-track. Did you screw it to the table or used epoxy? -I appreciate the recommendation for the blades, I will look into them. -Keep us posted if you come up with a way to add a more accurate tilt adjustment mechanism.
@@onehandydude4380 -How did flattening the table with the tile work out? If you had to do it again, would you? it worked out well but was a lot more work than i was expecting. if i had to do it again, and i will setup my flattening jig for the router and skim the top flat with that so i can control the plane of flatness. my jig is pretty rigid on linear rails. i've used it to flatten aluminum before. lots of passes at 1/64" cuts or less. then i'll epoxy down some 1/4" aluminum plate. but using good quality wet/dry sandpaper on a dead flat granite tile worked and made the saw feel like a whole new machine. you could also do it with a dead flat piece of melamine, a friend of mine did it and it worked fine, but you can't put much pressure or it will flex. the granite provides the weight, you just slide it around. -Great idea to mill out the miter slots and add your own t-track. Did you screw it to the table or used epoxy? i epoxied it in. when you epoxy to aluminum you need to get some epoxy on the clean surface and sand it in a bit because aluminum instantly oxidizes when exposed to air and that oxide layer can come lose under stress. all that said, i think drilling and tapping the slots for machine screws is probably fine, but i put some leverage on mine that is unhealthy so i wanted some extra security. i can always mill them back out again if i need to fix something. the adjustment mechanism is hard because of what is available underneath the saw. not a lot to mount to easily that doesn't get in the way of something else. I am thinking of just going with electronic control at this point. wires are easier than linkages. just gonna move the tilt with controls, not full DRO or anything yet. if it works out maybe i'll post something about it. on the subject of blades, i really like makita 7-1/4" blades for ripping straight grained lumber. the diablo 7-1/4" blade is also good. those blades have a much smaller kerf than any 8-1/4" blade though so get a thin kerf riving knife. i know amazon has ones that fit the saw, that's where i got mine. look for one with something like 2mm max kerf.
@@onehandydude4380 after saying all of that, i forgot to mention that just putting a piece of good quality and flat plywood on top will really help for finer work. cut a kerf into it and hold it to the t-slots with a some countersunk screws and t-nuts. i did that for a while and it worked pretty well. i used 12mm baltic birch, but melamine should also work just fine.
I have the 7480 which has a 10” blade. They stopped making it and replaced it with the 8” 7485. I have the same gripes as you. The wonky table top and the uneven slots. I did the same and cleaned up the left slot with a slightly undersized piece of wood wrapped with sandpaper until it was the same width front to back. Was a lot of effort and time. I decided to leave the right side alone and not use it. Aside from those flaws it’s been a great table saw. No vibration and cuts real smooth. Had it for about 7 or 8 years now.
I purchase this 7485 April 2021 and built a 44" X 98" table around it. So far, so good. I agree on the stamped aluminum table; not 100% level on every square inch of table. I do not use this as a job site table, in fact, I have it anchored down so it does not slide. However, you can pick it straight up. Ripping 4'X8' sheets will make it slide if not fastened down. I have put this saw through a lot and it has held.
Wow, your table sounds awesome! I couldn't even think of cutting down a 4x8 sheet on my setup, let alone have the space in my shop to do so. Happy to hear it's serving you well 👍🏽
I bought DWE7485 recently and I was surprised about noise. It is high pitch screeching sound. It sounds really horrible. I have tried similar type saw from Festool and was nothing like that. It is something I am missing or should I talk to local DeWalt representative?
i've been using this saw for a couple years. hardly looks like the same saw at this point after modifying it quite a bit. here's a non-exhaustive list of what i've done to it.
- got a flat tile from the home store, glued some sand paper to it and flattened the top.
- used my router and an edge guide to mill out the miter slots and installed miter track with a t-slot profile.
- built a safer blade guard with better dust collection
- 3d printed a Y-adapter for dust collection
- i mostly use 7-1/4" blades for ripping, they are easier on the motor so it should last longer. i got a think kerf riving knife off amazon for $15 that matches the kerf for the blade and fits the saw well enough. a bit of a gap, but i can live with that. i rarely need to cut more than 7/4 stock so the loss of depth has been fine. i use a frued heavy duty rip blade 8-1/4" for joinery due to it's flat grind. i also use that blade for jointing boards because it is thick enough to avoid deflection most of the time. the oshun box joint blades fit as well. they are stiff enough you can remove the stiffener and just use the nut and it works fine. if you really want to, you can swap in the arbor form the 10" i think. i've seen people having done the mod online, but have no experience myself. by measurements that arbor should fit, but getting blade on and off will be a PITA.
i've found drilling a few 1/8" holes around the blade opening on my zero clearance insert helped with dust collection.
i am still thinking about how to put a threaded rod into the tilt assembly for more adjustment control and to stop it from losing position when the tilt lock is applied. first couple attempts have been about as bad as the default setup, just in different ways.
hope something in there was useful.
Wow, first off, thank you for taking the time to share all that!
-How did flattening the table with the tile work out? If you had to do it again, would you?
-Great idea to mill out the miter slots and add your own t-track. Did you screw it to the table or used epoxy?
-I appreciate the recommendation for the blades, I will look into them.
-Keep us posted if you come up with a way to add a more accurate tilt adjustment mechanism.
@@onehandydude4380
-How did flattening the table with the tile work out? If you had to do it again, would you?
it worked out well but was a lot more work than i was expecting. if i had to do it again, and i will setup my flattening jig for the router and skim the top flat with that so i can control the plane of flatness. my jig is pretty rigid on linear rails. i've used it to flatten aluminum before. lots of passes at 1/64" cuts or less. then i'll epoxy down some 1/4" aluminum plate. but using good quality wet/dry sandpaper on a dead flat granite tile worked and made the saw feel like a whole new machine. you could also do it with a dead flat piece of melamine, a friend of mine did it and it worked fine, but you can't put much pressure or it will flex. the granite provides the weight, you just slide it around.
-Great idea to mill out the miter slots and add your own t-track. Did you screw it to the table or used epoxy?
i epoxied it in. when you epoxy to aluminum you need to get some epoxy on the clean surface and sand it in a bit because aluminum instantly oxidizes when exposed to air and that oxide layer can come lose under stress. all that said, i think drilling and tapping the slots for machine screws is probably fine, but i put some leverage on mine that is unhealthy so i wanted some extra security. i can always mill them back out again if i need to fix something.
the adjustment mechanism is hard because of what is available underneath the saw. not a lot to mount to easily that doesn't get in the way of something else. I am thinking of just going with electronic control at this point. wires are easier than linkages. just gonna move the tilt with controls, not full DRO or anything yet. if it works out maybe i'll post something about it.
on the subject of blades, i really like makita 7-1/4" blades for ripping straight grained lumber. the diablo 7-1/4" blade is also good. those blades have a much smaller kerf than any 8-1/4" blade though so get a thin kerf riving knife. i know amazon has ones that fit the saw, that's where i got mine. look for one with something like 2mm max kerf.
@@onehandydude4380 after saying all of that, i forgot to mention that just putting a piece of good quality and flat plywood on top will really help for finer work. cut a kerf into it and hold it to the t-slots with a some countersunk screws and t-nuts. i did that for a while and it worked pretty well. i used 12mm baltic birch, but melamine should also work just fine.
I'm lookin' hard at this saw. Thanks for the review!
I have the 7480 which has a 10” blade. They stopped making it and replaced it with the 8” 7485. I have the same gripes as you. The wonky table top and the uneven slots. I did the same and cleaned up the left slot with a slightly undersized piece of wood wrapped with sandpaper until it was the same width front to back. Was a lot of effort and time. I decided to leave the right side alone and not use it. Aside from those flaws it’s been a great table saw. No vibration and cuts real smooth. Had it for about 7 or 8 years now.
I wasn't aware of the 7480. Does your saw accept a dado stack?
I purchase this 7485 April 2021 and built a 44" X 98" table around it. So far, so good. I agree on the stamped aluminum table; not 100% level on every square inch of table. I do not use this as a job site table, in fact, I have it anchored down so it does not slide. However, you can pick it straight up. Ripping 4'X8' sheets will make it slide if not fastened down. I have put this saw through a lot and it has held.
Wow, your table sounds awesome!
I couldn't even think of cutting down a 4x8 sheet on my setup, let alone have the space in my shop to do so.
Happy to hear it's serving you well 👍🏽
I just bought a soft start module for this table saw :)
It cost me €15
Still have to install it but i read good reviews
What is the purpose of the soft start module?
Is it to minimize the inrush current draw when starting the saw?
I bought same saw when it first came out was so disappointed keep it two months sold on Craigslist for half price bought skil table saw love it
I'm sorry to hear that. Do you recall what disappointed you about the Dewalt?
What do you like about the Skil?
Good video, just subscribed 👍
Glad you enjoyed it, thank you!
there is a million videos on the dewalt saw....I want to know more about your dust filtration cart....Shalom.
I'll get working on that one soon 👌🏽
New video of my dust filtration system is up. I hope you like it 😃
I bought DWE7485 recently and I was surprised about noise. It is high pitch screeching sound. It sounds really horrible. I have tried similar type saw from Festool and was nothing like that. It is something I am missing or should I talk to local DeWalt representative?
Yikes! That doesn't seem normal, I would reach out to Dewalt.
Has the noise changed over time?
it is brand new. It was like that from the start. I am taking it back to the shop. It must be faulty.
Yeah, I'd be doing the same. Hopefully the replacement is better 🤞🏽