Safe to use power tools in garage?

I remember Festool buying them and hoping they'd start bringing them to the UK, seems they have started integrating the technology but of course makes things pricey. It's pie in the sky holy grail table saw territory for me really, I wouldn't have the skills to take advantage of it (yet!). I do like my fingers though.
Table saws are scary powerful things- you do have to pay attention to what you're doing and treat them with respect.
If you're only doing occasionals then Aldi/Lidl occasionally have them in the Aisles of Sh*te, mine was £100 from Screwfix about 3 years ago, came with a decent sized table (1200 wide) and a special stick for pushing through. Depending on what you're doing, a bandsaw might be a viable alternative- less prone to kicking but not quite as portable.
 
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I'd love a SawStop but it doesn't seem possible to get one here.
SawStop is a solution to a problem that shouldn't exist.
If your fingers are anywhere near the blade of a table saw, there are already other massive problems that need to be resolved, the main one being using the saw incorrectly for things it was never intended for.

If you want to operate a table saw safely:
1. Go watch all of the videos of people in North America using them and be sure to note exactly what they do.
2. Make sure to never, ever use a table saw in that way.
3. Make sure to never, ever use any table saw or accessory designed for use in North America.
4. Decide that you do not really need or want a table saw because most of the uses people think they are good for can be achieved far more safely and efficiently using other tools.
 
I'll just be making some ply cabinets and bits and bobs for around the house, nothing crazy. I'm getting the Evolution Rage 5-S which seems like a half decent option. I'll be using the sliding top it comes with or a sled when I've made it, so my hands/fingers won't be anywhere near the blade anyway. It does have a riving knife and a push stick but for what I'm planning I won't be needing the push stick due to the sled.

My mitre saw does most of the leg work. Router tables or even a jointer scare me more but I have a healthy fear of everything so make sure I'm not daydreaming.
 
I sit corrected- saw some LED replacement tubes in Aldi or Lidl a while ago- was interested in them (to use in the van when running on inverter) but went off the idea when I checked the power ...
There is often confusion, particularly with 'consumer outlets' (like supermarkets), since they seem quite often to quote 'power' of LED bulbs/lamps etc. as the power of non-LED (usually incandescent) equivalents. I don't know if it's still the case, but the likes of Tesco and Sainsburys used to sell LED lamps/bulbs described as "25W", "40W" or "60W" etc. - clearly nonsense in terms of LEDs, so presumably the alleged 'incandescent equivalent power'.

Kind Regards, John
 
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There is often confusion, particularly with 'consumer outlets' (like supermarkets), since they seem quite often to quote 'power' of LED bulbs/lamps etc. as the power of non-LED (usually incandescent) equivalents. I don't know if it's still the case, but the likes of Tesco and Sainsburys used to sell LED lamps/bulbs described as "25W", "40W" or "60W" etc. - clearly nonsense in terms of LEDs, so presumably the alleged 'incandescent equivalent power'.
Well, Homebase are certainly still doing it ....
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Kind Regards, John
 
There is often confusion, particularly with 'consumer outlets' (like supermarkets), since they seem quite often to quote 'power' of LED bulbs/lamps etc. as the power of non-LED (usually incandescent) equivalents. I don't know if it's still the case, but the likes of Tesco and Sainsburys used to sell LED lamps/bulbs described as "25W", "40W" or "60W" etc. - clearly nonsense in terms of LEDs, so presumably the alleged 'incandescent equivalent power'.

Kind Regards, John
Heh. No that beastie I looked at didn't quote W, it quoted 0.24A at 240v. Which is where I got the 58w from. But yes they do keep doing this equivalence thing which is annoying cos presumably they can then hide the actual power consumption.....
 
Heh. No that beastie I looked at didn't quote W, it quoted 0.24A at 240v. Which is where I got the 58w from. But yes they do keep doing this equivalence thing which is annoying cos presumably they can then hide the actual power consumption.....

The correct formula is VI x power factor. As the power factor is not quoted you cannot work out the wattage.
 
The correct formula is VI x power factor. As the power factor is not quoted you cannot work out the wattage.
Ahh yes, fair point well made. I assumed unity but that was possibly unwise.....we all know what Assume makes don't we boys and girls :)
 
Heh. No that beastie I looked at didn't quote W, it quoted 0.24A at 240v.
Are you sure of that? Even when the non-unity power factor is taken into consideration, that sounds like much more than I would have expected of an LED tube.

Kind Regards, John
 
Are you sure of that? Even when the non-unity power factor is taken into consideration, that sounds like much more than I would have expected of an LED tube.

Kind Regards, John
Yeah I was surprised as well- was expecting about half that. It was a retrofit designed to go into an existing fitting (if that makes any difference). Didn't buy it cos I couldn't see the point- I've got about 17 5' tubes left from a box of 25 I err acquired 10 years ago, 'they'll see me out' .
 
Yeah I was surprised as well- was expecting about half that. It was a retrofit designed to go into an existing fitting (if that makes any difference). Didn't buy it cos I couldn't see the point- I've got about 17 5' tubes left from a box of 25 I err acquired 10 years ago, 'they'll see me out' .
I would have expected the same. I have quite a few 5 ft LED tubes in service (retrofitted) and all claim to be 20W - 24W.

Kind Regards, John
 
The only other place is in the distribution network where large start-up currents from things like welders and large items of workshop machinery can result in significant transient VDs in the distribution cables (hence dimming neighbours' lights - which is why DNOs get concerned about such loads) - but I would not expect that to happen noticeably with a vacuum cleaner or mitre saw motor.
Me too, although the distribution network also includes the drop from the street to our cutout which is maybe 10m. When the guys replaced the cutout i asked what fuse was in the old one, they said no idea maybe 40A, then i asked about the cable size, they said not much but the looks of it but we don't worry about that! It's an old 3 phase+N PILC cable. Not sure how old but I'd say before the 50s for sure. All the cable in the house was lead sheathed when that one went in.
 
Me too, although the distribution network also includes the drop from the street to our cutout which is maybe 10m.
Indeed - I was talking about everything upstream of the cutout.

However, if VD in everything upstream of the cutout resulted in the situation in which the start-up current of vacuum cleaner motor caused your lights to dim (very briefly), I can't help but wonder what your lights would have done ('continuously', for as long as the shower was on) when you switched on an electric shower?!

Kind Regards, John
 
Oh that's a good question as i don't have one. Highest power item is the 3kw kettle. I can measure the pssc again when i get the chance as i can't really remember accurately, then you can calculate from that for any theoretical load.
Who knows what would happen if i tried to take the full 80A or whatever.
 
Indeed - I was talking about everything upstream of the cutout
Fair enough i thought you were worried about dinning the neighbours lights being a concern, but who knows which part is too thin.
When we first moved in the lights used to flicker a lot but only briefly every day or two, then one day it was terrible, constantly and then the power went out and we could hear a digger outside, turned out the dno guy said the pavement was practically bouncing up and down so they had no trouble finding the fault.
That affected multiple houses but it wasn't due to anything one house did
 

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