Hello Richard, great video on the machine. I’m a technician at Beyond Tools and wanted to clarify your part about the movement in the rip fence. You must always lock the rip fence handle into the lower position when using it. If you use the micro adjustment then you lift the handle up like you did in the video, Then Make your adjustment and get the fence into position. Then push the handle down to lock to fence correctly. If you don’t then it hasn’t locked the cast iron assembled onto the bar, therefore you get the play in the fence. I hope this helps. Thanks.
Hi Richard. Glad I found your review video. I'm considering the dedicated Sicar Sega 300 table saw with 2600mm slider. Like you, I need to source this from interstate (I'm in Wollongong). If you did assemble the machine yourself, was it straight forward to do? (Assuming that you had to attach the slider?) And calibrating the fence and table for accuracy is achievable without a tech from the supplier? Your really helpful thoughts on the rip fence play are some food for thought. As with other comments, SCM and possibly a Robland are on my compare list for features and build.
Hi Pauly, thanks for the kind words. Yes the fence is easy enough to assemble and I typically store the machine with out the fence attached and if you set it up with the stops right then it goes back on and maintains accuracy. For setting up the first time or to adjust you just need to follow a good method. I use the 5 cut method to get the fence square to the blade, it’s a bit fiddle but works very well. The slider was attached already so no need for assembly there. Beyond Tools put me in touch with an owner of the C300S in the Southern Highlands (so not too far from you). If you want me to see if he would be interested in a chat I can try and find his details.
Hi Richard. Are you located in Perth? I have a 1999 model of this machine. It's missing a few bits and I can't get the spindle moulder to work so I mainly use the saw and the jointer/planer functions. I stiffen the fence by using a magswitch featherboard.
Hi Gary, no sorry I'm on the east coast just north of Sydney. Are you looking to see if the parts for the new model are compatible with your machine? I bought my machine from Beyond Tools which is located in Perth and they were very helpful, including putting me in touch with some people who owned the machine on the east coast. They might be able to help you get in touch with someone local.
@@richardwhitfield Thanks Richard, Beyond Tools is about 90 minutes from me. I'll get in touch with them. I mainly want to get hold of the assembly instructions to guide removal of the spindle moulder housing. I was told that it was cracked when I bought the machine and I have finally got around to getting it out to fix it. We tried removing the cast table bed but that was a fail because the whole saw assembly is attached to the underside. It will be a bit of a mission to get that true to the saw again. By the way I paid $1,500 for this machine and it has been lots of fun.
Hi Eugenio, the sliding table is excellent. It’s very solid and moves well. I do wish I could do full sheets of plywood though…I didn’t realise how often I would use that. The fence also needs improving, particularly if you are using it like a normal table saw to rip thinner pieces to width you have to use a supplied rod as a brace to prevent the fence from moving (most of the flex comes from the mechanism connecting it to the fence rail).
Hi Rich. Thanks for this. I'm seriously considering getting a combination machine and I found your video helpful. You seem the type of bloke who would have done their research so I was wondering if you looked at the Minimax lab 300p. What I'm asking is, after using the Sicar for a year or so now, would you buy it again or cough up a few extra thousand for a different machine? Cheers, Tom
Thanks Tom, yeah I spent quite a while doing some research on all of the options including the minimax lab. I was speaking to a guy called Alexey from SCM in NSW Australia who was very useful and he was the one who suggested looking at the lab. I did as much research as I could but it was ultimately a bit of a gamble...I still think that the SCM machines are probably slightly better (better ergonimics and slightly higher powered motors etc) but I think the lab cost about 40% more and I couldn't justify this extra cost (considering I could have got the Sicar C400S for that money). Also because I work with predominantly Australian hardwoods a carbide set of cutters on the jointer/planer was a must and this was an optional extral for all of the minimax machines which would further bump the cost.
@@richardwhitfield Thanks. I’ll keep researching. I’m in Tasmania so Australian hardwood is my first choice too. The quotes I have put $4000 including freight between the minimax and the sicar, and that includes a spiral head cutter on the Lab. I’ll have to look at the quality of it though. I’m waiting on a quote on a Robland hx310 pro. Cheers.
Thank you for this. I know this is a very slow reply, we’re in the midst of a large renovation so I’ve not had much time for furniture but hopefully before the end of the year I get to start making some built ins to fit out the new space. I’ll try a video about my process and see if anyone finds it useful.
Great video Rich. Do you find this machine to be the equivalent of the 300c from SCM or the c30g? The 300c is twice the price of the Sicar so it's hard to justify!
Cheers Filip. I think it sits somewhere between the two. From memory when I was looking the SCM 300c was only 40% more expensive but it looks like it might have had an upgrade since then. I think it sits between the 2. It’s a bigger machine the c30g but not as big as the 300c. Having had it for a while now a few things that bother me are: not being able to cut down full sheets of plywood is a pain. Means I have to break stuff down with a tracksaw first. The jointer planer needs a small recalibration each time you flip between the functions…only takes a minute or so but it’s a bit of a pain. The stops on the mortiser don’t hold very well…my cutters don’t allow for plunge cutting which means that when I hit the stops each time as I go deeper they move so I’ve basically stopped using that part. I do think with plunge capable cutters it would be better. That said I still really like it and for the money it’s excellent.
Hi Richard, can you tell me please the width of your garage? i'm thinking to get one of these Sicar C300, but i have just 3m width (length it's enough, ca. 8m). Thanks!
Sorry, I missed this question! Probably too late now but my garage is just over 3.5m wide and that's a squeeze. I have the horizontal mortiser permanently disconnected (I tried it but prefer other methods for this) and that gives me just enough space to get around the jointer/planer while leaving enough room for cutting larger boards on the panel saw. I also typically remove the panel saw extension with the crosscut fence if I'm not working on a project so I can get past it more easily.
@@richardwhitfield Thanks! Never too late, mostly because i'm still in "thinking" phase with that. Because of space, i did'nt bought it yet - i want first to find a better place.
Hi Santhiago. I’ve used the shaper a bit…the cowl (hood/cover thing) is a bit of a pain to take on and off, and to adjust. I’ve been planning on making a fence to use instead which would also raise the table height to make using as a router table easier. Power has been fine though. Haven’t done anything with melamine yet so I haven’t even taken the scoring blade out of the packet.
Very late reply but been using the scoring blade to build some melamine workshop furniture and I actually think that it is the best and most accurate part of the saw. Been struggling a little with the rip fence a little (not stiff enough - to do with how it attaches). Also I’ve been working with full sheets which has been a pain since I’ve had to break them down first on the track saw which just takes more time.
Hi Robert, overall good. It was a change from a traditional table saw with some extra functions I was after. The quality has been good in general…some thoughts on any negatives: - on the table saw fence you need to use the additional bar to stabilise this. It’s not an issue when you get used to it but it is another step (otherwise the fence is not rigid enough) - the profile of the fence means that it’s difficult to attach other items to, like a L fence - jointer planer combo is what it is…you have to crank the wheel a lot to change between operations - the maximum width of blade I’m comfortable with putting on the table saw is 5mm (you may just be able to sneak 6mm on) so if you are using to waste out material this can take a while - the riving knife it came with was thicker than the thin kerf blades I typically use so I had to get a thinner one fabricated If I had the space and budget I would also have loved the C400S but that wasn’t possible. Given the choice I would definitely buy it again and I enjoy working with it. Hope that helps.
@@robertromanin6046 yes, in fact just last weekend I did some tuning up to the jointer. Initially I was getting some snipe so I raised the outfeed table a little which solves that problem. It however created another problem because of the way the jointer planet combo works the tables were no longer coplanar so where I transitioned from initially putting pressure on the infeed table to the out feed table I was getting a change in the depth of cut (not good). In this instance I found it easier to alter the plane of the infeed table to match the outfeed, recalibrate my fence to be normal to the bed and go from there. As far as I have found everything you might need to adjust has the ability to adjust it…however the instructions are quite lacking and in the jointer instance I spent some time looking at people tuning up similar machines on RUclips which gave me all I needed to fix the problem.
Hello Richard, great video on the machine. I’m a technician at Beyond Tools and wanted to clarify your part about the movement in the rip fence. You must always lock the rip fence handle into the lower position when using it. If you use the micro adjustment then you lift the handle up like you did in the video, Then Make your adjustment and get the fence into position. Then push the handle down to lock to fence correctly. If you don’t then it hasn’t locked the cast iron assembled onto the bar, therefore you get the play in the fence.
I hope this helps. Thanks.
Hi Richard.
Glad I found your review video. I'm considering the dedicated Sicar Sega 300 table saw with 2600mm slider. Like you, I need to source this from interstate (I'm in Wollongong). If you did assemble the machine yourself, was it straight forward to do? (Assuming that you had to attach the slider?) And calibrating the fence and table for accuracy is achievable without a tech from the supplier?
Your really helpful thoughts on the rip fence play are some food for thought. As with other comments, SCM and possibly a Robland are on my compare list for features and build.
Hi Pauly, thanks for the kind words. Yes the fence is easy enough to assemble and I typically store the machine with out the fence attached and if you set it up with the stops right then it goes back on and maintains accuracy. For setting up the first time or to adjust you just need to follow a good method. I use the 5 cut method to get the fence square to the blade, it’s a bit fiddle but works very well.
The slider was attached already so no need for assembly there.
Beyond Tools put me in touch with an owner of the C300S in the Southern Highlands (so not too far from you). If you want me to see if he would be interested in a chat I can try and find his details.
Hi!
Thanks for this video!🤗
Thank you. Looking to buy one of these and there is no info on this saw !
Hi Richard. Are you located in Perth? I have a 1999 model of this machine. It's missing a few bits and I can't get the spindle moulder to work so I mainly use the saw and the jointer/planer functions. I stiffen the fence by using a magswitch featherboard.
Hi Gary, no sorry I'm on the east coast just north of Sydney. Are you looking to see if the parts for the new model are compatible with your machine? I bought my machine from Beyond Tools which is located in Perth and they were very helpful, including putting me in touch with some people who owned the machine on the east coast. They might be able to help you get in touch with someone local.
@@richardwhitfield Thanks Richard, Beyond Tools is about 90 minutes from me. I'll get in touch with them. I mainly want to get hold of the assembly instructions to guide removal of the spindle moulder housing. I was told that it was cracked when I bought the machine and I have finally got around to getting it out to fix it. We tried removing the cast table bed but that was a fail because the whole saw assembly is attached to the underside. It will be a bit of a mission to get that true to the saw again. By the way I paid $1,500 for this machine and it has been lots of fun.
Hi richard. Thanks for the review. How smoth is sliding table and how robust is the construction?
Hi Eugenio, the sliding table is excellent. It’s very solid and moves well. I do wish I could do full sheets of plywood though…I didn’t realise how often I would use that.
The fence also needs improving, particularly if you are using it like a normal table saw to rip thinner pieces to width you have to use a supplied rod as a brace to prevent the fence from moving (most of the flex comes from the mechanism connecting it to the fence rail).
Hi Rich. Thanks for this. I'm seriously considering getting a combination machine and I found your video helpful. You seem the type of bloke who would have done their research so I was wondering if you looked at the Minimax lab 300p. What I'm asking is, after using the Sicar for a year or so now, would you buy it again or cough up a few extra thousand for a different machine?
Cheers, Tom
Thanks Tom, yeah I spent quite a while doing some research on all of the options including the minimax lab. I was speaking to a guy called Alexey from SCM in NSW Australia who was very useful and he was the one who suggested looking at the lab.
I did as much research as I could but it was ultimately a bit of a gamble...I still think that the SCM machines are probably slightly better (better ergonimics and slightly higher powered motors etc) but I think the lab cost about 40% more and I couldn't justify this extra cost (considering I could have got the Sicar C400S for that money). Also because I work with predominantly Australian hardwoods a carbide set of cutters on the jointer/planer was a must and this was an optional extral for all of the minimax machines which would further bump the cost.
@@richardwhitfield Thanks. I’ll keep researching. I’m in Tasmania so Australian hardwood is my first choice too. The quotes I have put $4000 including freight between the minimax and the sicar, and that includes a spiral head cutter on the Lab. I’ll have to look at the quality of it though.
I’m waiting on a quote on a Robland hx310 pro. Cheers.
Hi Richard, make more videos with your machine
I second this.
Thank you for this. I know this is a very slow reply, we’re in the midst of a large renovation so I’ve not had much time for furniture but hopefully before the end of the year I get to start making some built ins to fit out the new space. I’ll try a video about my process and see if anyone finds it useful.
Great video Rich. Do you find this machine to be the equivalent of the 300c from SCM or the c30g? The 300c is twice the price of the Sicar so it's hard to justify!
Cheers Filip. I think it sits somewhere between the two. From memory when I was looking the SCM 300c was only 40% more expensive but it looks like it might have had an upgrade since then.
I think it sits between the 2. It’s a bigger machine the c30g but not as big as the 300c.
Having had it for a while now a few things that bother me are: not being able to cut down full sheets of plywood is a pain. Means I have to break stuff down with a tracksaw first. The jointer planer needs a small recalibration each time you flip between the functions…only takes a minute or so but it’s a bit of a pain. The stops on the mortiser don’t hold very well…my cutters don’t allow for plunge cutting which means that when I hit the stops each time as I go deeper they move so I’ve basically stopped using that part. I do think with plunge capable cutters it would be better.
That said I still really like it and for the money it’s excellent.
Hi Richard,
can you tell me please the width of your garage?
i'm thinking to get one of these Sicar C300, but i have just 3m width (length it's enough, ca. 8m).
Thanks!
Sorry, I missed this question! Probably too late now but my garage is just over 3.5m wide and that's a squeeze. I have the horizontal mortiser permanently disconnected (I tried it but prefer other methods for this) and that gives me just enough space to get around the jointer/planer while leaving enough room for cutting larger boards on the panel saw. I also typically remove the panel saw extension with the crosscut fence if I'm not working on a project so I can get past it more easily.
@@richardwhitfield Thanks! Never too late, mostly because i'm still in "thinking" phase with that.
Because of space, i did'nt bought it yet - i want first to find a better place.
How about the shaper, have you used it more by now, thoughts ? And the scoring blade, are you happy with it?
Hi Santhiago. I’ve used the shaper a bit…the cowl (hood/cover thing) is a bit of a pain to take on and off, and to adjust. I’ve been planning on making a fence to use instead which would also raise the table height to make using as a router table easier. Power has been fine though.
Haven’t done anything with melamine yet so I haven’t even taken the scoring blade out of the packet.
Very late reply but been using the scoring blade to build some melamine workshop furniture and I actually think that it is the best and most accurate part of the saw.
Been struggling a little with the rip fence a little (not stiff enough - to do with how it attaches).
Also I’ve been working with full sheets which has been a pain since I’ve had to break them down first on the track saw which just takes more time.
What's your opinion of the C300S after a few months use?
Hi Robert, overall good. It was a change from a traditional table saw with some extra functions I was after.
The quality has been good in general…some thoughts on any negatives:
- on the table saw fence you need to use the additional bar to stabilise this. It’s not an issue when you get used to it but it is another step (otherwise the fence is not rigid enough)
- the profile of the fence means that it’s difficult to attach other items to, like a L fence
- jointer planer combo is what it is…you have to crank the wheel a lot to change between operations
- the maximum width of blade I’m comfortable with putting on the table saw is 5mm (you may just be able to sneak 6mm on) so if you are using to waste out material this can take a while
- the riving knife it came with was thicker than the thin kerf blades I typically use so I had to get a thinner one fabricated
If I had the space and budget I would also have loved the C400S but that wasn’t possible.
Given the choice I would definitely buy it again and I enjoy working with it.
Hope that helps.
@@richardwhitfield Thanks for your feedback. Apart from the shortfalls you have mentioned, are you happy accuracy of the machine?
@@robertromanin6046 yes, in fact just last weekend I did some tuning up to the jointer. Initially I was getting some snipe so I raised the outfeed table a little which solves that problem. It however created another problem because of the way the jointer planet combo works the tables were no longer coplanar so where I transitioned from initially putting pressure on the infeed table to the out feed table I was getting a change in the depth of cut (not good). In this instance I found it easier to alter the plane of the infeed table to match the outfeed, recalibrate my fence to be normal to the bed and go from there.
As far as I have found everything you might need to adjust has the ability to adjust it…however the instructions are quite lacking and in the jointer instance I spent some time looking at people tuning up similar machines on RUclips which gave me all I needed to fix the problem.
اريد بيان عملي لصنع باب خشبي على ماكينة C300
This video is a real gem in an ocean of turds.
Kill the music
👎👎👎👎👎👎