ALTENDORF sliding table saws – offered in a range of models for various applications – are highly regarded around the world. In addition to high levels of productivity, the main feature that stands out is the modern, industrial design of these functional and versatile machines.
ALTENDORF F45
Sliding Table Saw State-of-the-art technology
Modern controls with easy-to-read LCD displays to show cutting height, pivoting angle and RPM. USB connection interfaces enable software to be updated with ease and allow work data to be saved and used again at a later point.
High-performance sawing units
The sawing unit used in machines of this series has been fully reworked. Cast-iron elements and balanced saw blades ensure quiet operation. Maintenance-free guide bearings for linear guidance guarantee the highest level of precision when working with table saws made by ALTENDORF.
Easy to operate thanks to the RAPIDO system
The RAPIDO-Plus system enables the operator to adjust the scorer unit position electronically while working using an in-built motor. All set parameters can be saved for later use after cutting. The three main equipment packages include seamless VARIO RPM regulation.
A wide range of optional accessories
WDepending on the equipment package chosen, the DIGIT X digital cutting width display can be selected, which allows for greater precision when setting up the rip fence. An electronic, motorised rip fence is also available and is a real time-saver because no trial cuts are needed. When fitted with a pivoting operator’s panel, the machine can be operated with ease at eye level.
ALTENDORF Series to meet a wide range of requirements
The individual series available for ALTENDORF saws are divided into the ALTENDORF 2 model – primarily used for processing solid wood – as well as the F45 Series and WA Series, which is very robust, versatile and easy to use. Here is a summary of the key types:
ALTENDORF F45 Sliding Table Saw
The ALTENDORF F45 sliding table saw is the entry-level model offered by Altendorf, an established manufacturer based in Minden, Germany. It has formed part of their portfolio for many years and has undergone continual development since its conception. The ALTENDORF F45 sliding table saw is the ideal entry-level model for carpentry workshops. When acquired as a basic model and continually developed, an ALTERNDORF F45 can grow along with the success of your company until it makes sense to use a larger machine.
Some key features of ALTENDORF sliding table saws:
- Cutting length: 3800 mm
- Cutting width: 1250 mm
- Motor output: 5.5 KW
- Max. saw blade Ø: 450 mm
- Sawing unit pivot and height
adjustment: electrical - Additional table extension
- Top-mounted control panel
- Z5p ceiling Z-laser
The ALTENDORF F45’s most outstanding feature is its wealth of expansion options. Even in its basic model, the range of extras is extremely varied.
The basic model of the ALTENDORF F45 sliding table saw features:
- A machinery stand
- High performance sawing unit
- An extraction hood
- Electrically motorised height and pivot adjustment for the main saw blade
- F45 LCD screen controls and USB interface for transferring data
- Sliding table
- Rip fence, manual adjustment
- Crosscut-mitre fence, manual adjustment
- A high-performance motor with drive output of 5.5 kW (7.5 PS) and 3 rev. speeds 3/4/5,000 per min.
- A tool clamping system for the main saw blade
- Machine diagnostics with operating hour counter
Optional extras:
- Scoring unit
- Crosscut and mitre fences
- A variety of workpiece supports
- Rip fences
- A range of precise workpiece fixing locations (ALTENDORF offers mechanical and pneumatic solutions for fixing workpieces, or even vacuum clamping of workpieces)
- A laser cutting line marker or spraying unit would also be a useful extension to an F45
For the ALTENDORF F45 numerous extensions were offered on the market. The following is an extract of the most important F45 types.
F45 ELMO I
As ever, the basic model of the F45 series is an outstanding entry-level model for production using a sliding table saw. This version is primarily targeted at manual processing but can be supplemented effectively with a selection of service functions.
Equipment: Scorer, lifting and pivoting hydraulics, PSV
F45 ELMO II
The second expansion level of the F45 features CNC controls enabling automated processing of small batches.
Further equipment includes: scorer with riving knife, optional top hood extraction
F45 ELMO III
The ELMO III advances the use of CNC and supplements the F45 with a sliding table, template holder, LED illumination on the 2-axis scorer and an extended table top (+840 mm).
F45 ELMO IV
The ELMO IV offers the following additional equipment: 4-axis control, electromotive saw blade tilting and height-adjustment, scorer with RAPIDO system in cutting width, double mitre fence, a motorised/height-adjustable rip fence and crosscut stop.
F45 Posit
The F45 Posit was a pioneer in highly precise, CNC-guided wood processing and remains popular to this day thanks to its 4-axis, high-speed controls. Its unique selling point is its second mechanical stop cover with automated coupling to the crosscut stop.
F45 CE
The F45 CE was one of the first ALTENDORF sliding table saws featuring computerised numerical control (CNC) and was produced in the mid-1990s. Its equipment is easy to navigate and sufficient for producing single- and small batches.
F45 ELMODRIVE
The advantage of the F45 ELMODRIVE is the ability to clamp to the sliding table by means of a vacuum and the high performance 6.8 PS electrical motor. These enable thick-walled hardwoods and plastics to be processed with the level of precision expected from ALTENDORF. The saws also offer the tried and tested CNC DUO FLEX crosscut-mitre fence and cross slide enlargement. The scorer unit offers 3 axes when pivoting both sides.
ALTENDORF F90 Sliding Table Saw
ALTENDORF F90 (Source:woodtecpedia)
Die ALTENDORF F90 is a classic model of sliding table saw offered by Altendorf, an established manufacturer based in Germany. It maintains technical simplicity but accomplishes everything the user of today needs thanks to its heavy-duty, built-from-scratch quality.
In contrast to earlier entry models, the ALTENDORF F90 feels more like a metal-processing machine. With an extremely heay-duty machine base and a massive work table, it guarantees maximum stability and very low levels of vibrations. The performance of the ALTENDORF F90 is more restricted compared to modern machines but it reliably and precisely performs the tasks for which it was conceived.
The ALTENDORF F90 experienced its heyday in the 1970s. The machines still available today cannot keep up with modern demands for convenience and productivity, which makes operating used ALTENDORF F90s uneconomical for many industrial operations. However, thirty years of operation in a heavily dust-ridden environment is testament to the robust design of these sliding table saws.
The common forms of damage exhibited by older ALTENDORF F90s are relatively easy to locate and can normally be fixed for a reasonable price. These include switches, counters and lamps, which wear out over time. As this machine was intended for use as an industrial plant, however, routine maintenance will keep all such aspects under check. The manufacturer still offers a comprehensive range of services for these older plants, which makes repairing and maintaining used ALTENDORF F90s very simple - even for hobby mechanics.
Trolley, crosscut fence, height adjustment and optional mitre fence – these are the functions you can expect from an ALTENDORF F90. The restricted performance of an ALTENDORF F90 - which makes their operation unviable for the industrial sector - is the greatest strength of the F90 in the present age: it is often available within a price range affordable to enthusiasts and artists who have always dreamt of owning their own ALTENDORF sliding table saw.
Useful extras
Extraction for the ALTENDORF F90 is provided separately and there are many affordable options available on the market. A sliding table is a simple but effective way of improving the handling of large-scale panels. The ability of the sliding carriage to be extended to up to 3.20 metres also makes the use of sliding tables very worthwhile.
ALTENDORF WA 6 - The smallest Altendorf
The ALTENDORF WA 6 is the smallest sliding table saw produced by the manufacturer. The ALTENDORF WA 6 was specially designed for users on a tight budget with limited space on offer. The machine is too pricey to be considered suitable for amateurs, but it is the ideal place to start for those working semi-professionally.
The ALTENDORF WA 6 may appear to come with a great deal less equipment than its larger siblings, but this does not mean it is a simple builder’s saw. The ALTENDORF WA 6 can also be provided with a wide range of equipment enabling highly precise processing of woods and plastics.
Smooth guidance of semi-finished products The raw material is led towards the saw using the same tried-and-tested sliding table to be found on larger models produced by ALTENDORF. A torsionally rigid hollow chamber profile enables a low machine weight while maintaining the highest level of lateral stability. A CAD-designed construction featuring ridges and bars within the hollow chamber ensures the sliding table is capable of withstanding high loads.
Precise rip fence To ensure the sheet material remains in place during the sawing process, the ALTENDORF offers a very precise and resilient rip fence. This ensures that the cut is applied to the intended line while sawing.
Angle, tilt and height under control The ALTENDORF WA 6 may be a simple piece of kit in technical terms, but the machine is reliable and precise even without servo motors and automated functions. Aligning the height, angle and tilt of the cut is still performed manually on the ALTENDORF WA 6. The hand wheels enable the user to exactly fix the saw blade in the desired cutting position, which is retained by the cutting unit as long as it is required.
Safety and convenience The ALTENDORF WA 6 is a relatively simple piece of machinery but users need not fear returning to the days when carpenters would nearly asphyxiate on the plumes of dust they created. A protective hood on the saw blade ensures that no-one unintentionally sticks their hand into the device which, when combined with an extraction hose, also guarantees the highest level of sawdust/chip extraction. The extraction hose can also be attached to the base of the machine, which is particularly practical in workshops with limited space.
Optional expansion The ALTENDORF WA 6 is regarded as an entry-level model in the world of sliding table saws, but can also be the centre-point of the workshop when equipped with high-performance extras. These may not transform the ALTENDORF WA 6 into a full-scale CNC-controlled joinery machine, but its performance can be increased significantly with intelligent optional modules. These include a demountable cross slide and a precise crosscut mitre fence for reproducing exact 90° angles, thus enabling even small batches to be created with ease.
It’s true, the ALTENDORF WA 6 is also produced in China. This is primarily because these simple and affordable machines are in great demand for traditional Chinese crafts. Production is also carried out in Austria and Germany.
ALTENDORF WA 8
Altendorf’s WA 8 family of machinery is an interesting range of affordable but easy-to-operate sliding table saws. The manual focus of ALTENDORF WA 8 machines makes them particularly valuable to interior designers and those in the manufacturing trade, such as carpenters.
The individual members of the ALTENDORF WA 8 family are:
ALTENDORF WA 8 NT
ALTENDORF WA 8 T
ALTENDORF WA 8 TE
ALTENDORF WA 8 X
The ALTENDORF WA 8 NT is the most technically simple sliding table saw in the family and features a manually height-adjustable saw blade. The saw blade of the ALTENDORF WA 8 NT, however, cannot pivot; it is primarily suited to cutting in straight lines.
The ALTENDORF WA 8 T features a swivelling saw blade. This saw enables full processing options for beams and boards. Bevels, chamfers, broken edges or wholly unusual wooden structures can be produced using this saw. Adjusting the height and angle of ALTENDORF WA 8 TE saw blade is still performed fully by hand.
The ALTENDORF WA 8 TE offers the same functionality as the ALTENDORF WA 8 T but is more simple and convenient to operate. The saw blade of the ALTENDORF WA 8 TE can be height-adjusted and angled with the support of an electrical motor - a welcome feature for those who have to regularly change the height and angle of their saws. All of this makes the ALTENDORF WA 8 TE ideally suited to processing complex wooden products.
The ALTENDORF WA 8 X offers users the utmost in motorised convenience: the saw blade height and angle are set with the support of an electrical motor, as is the rip fence of this easy-to-operate sliding table saw. This makes it very simple to process heavy and large-scale panels and the ALTENDORF WA 8 X also comes with a handy and informative operating panel situated at eye-level.
Additional equipment for each Altendorf WA 8 sliding table saw
One of the best aspects of this series is that it can be customised using a wide and comprehensive range of additional modules. The 7.5 PS motor and famous ALTENDORF sliding table are provided as standard ex-works on all WA 8 models.
Electrical, motorised rip fence
The scoring unit is very handy especially for veneered and for solid wood materials. It allows a tear-free cut with very clean results. In addition to the standard electronic rip fence, the ALTENDORF can also be fitted with the RAPIDO system, which enables the width of the cut to be varied with great ease.
Extraction hood
Extraction hoods have been specially developed for the Altendorf WA 8 to reliably and efficiently keep your workspace clean. They have been configured to enable wood chips and shavings to be extracted throughout the cutting process. They also provide an additional level of safety in that no-one can unintentionally reach into the open saw blade.
Rip fence
The rip fence can be precisely adjusted using a specially designed screw. DIGIT X and DIGIT L can also be used to display precise widths and lengths on a clear and legible display.
Angular cuts
The DUPLEX fence is available on every ALTENDORF WA 8 to assist with precise angular cuts. Angles of between 0-90° can be selected on a sliding scale. The DUPLEX system is especially suited to panel materials. The ALTENDORF also offers the PALIN crosscut fence for narrow profiles.
Mitre joints
A one-sided mitre fence provides ideal support for cutting angled sections and when this combined with a STEG unit to enlarge the support area, you can achieve top results even when using especially large workpieces.
Buy a used ALTENDORF WA 8
The WA 8 is a very popular sliding table saw. It is seen as a successor to the famous F45 model. These wood-processing machines are robust and retain their value. If a module should fail, it is easy to source a replacement from the manufacturer. There are so many reasons which make an ALTENDORF WA 8 such a good investment - regardless of what level of equipment it features - and the ideal tool for creating a wide range of outstanding products.
ALTENDORF WA 80
The ALTENDORF WA 80 is the successor to the popular ALTENDORF F45. Significant parts of the design of the predecessor have been adopted into this new family of sliding table saws. The most unchanged part is the machine stand, which ensures the ALTENDORF WA 80 features the highest level of stability while taking up very little space.
The ALTENDORF WA 80 family is characterised by ease-of-use and a wide range of processing options. It comes into two models making it ideal for demanding types of manufacturing.
ALTENDORF WA 80 TE
ALTENDORF WA 80 X
The ALTENDORF WA 80 TE is a precision sliding table saw, which mainly stands out from ALTENDORF’s other solutions thanks to its simple controls. Electrically controlled height and angle adjustment enables the saw blade to be precisely positioned without requiring inconvenient manual handling. It also features a digital display showing the height and cutting angle.
The ALTENDORF WA 80 X also offers a third electrically operated axis for the saw blade, which is positioned at eye-level for easy operability.
Features of the ALTENDORF WA 80
Except for the position of the display, these two ALTENDORF WA 80s have almost the identical equipment, which consists of:
Large saw blade overhang
The saw blade can be extended to 150 millimetres. A total diameter of 450 millimetres is the maximum feasible parameter. There is therefore sufficient working space for the processing of panel materials, with enough overhang even when working with strongly bevelled chamfers.
Rip fence
The ALTENDORF WA 80 TE’s rip fence can be adjusted manually. The ALTENDORF WA 80 X is offered with CNC support. Both solutions are ideal for precise work.
Sliding table
The perfectly supported sliding table enables precise guidance of all wood materials, which means the cut remains exactly straight across its entire length. With a support surface of 3 metres, it is ideal for all standard lengths in panel processing.
Crosscut fence in a fixed 90° position
The benefit of a fixed, right-angled crosscut fence is that it always remains accurate and torsion-resistant. It is so generously dimensioned that wood materials up to 3.20 meters in length can be cut with the same level of precision.
Electromotive height and tilt adjustment of the saw blade
The electromotive height and tilt adjustment of the saw blade enables the tilt angle to be easily adjusted up to 46°.
Drive motor
In its basic version, the ALTENDORF WA 80 features a 5.5 PS motor capable of 4000 revolutions per minute. A 7.5 PS electrical motor can be fitted as an option, or even a 10 PS motor, which is capable of up to 5000 revolutions per minute. These ensure that even hard and tough sheet materials can still be processed at varying thicknesses. The powerful motors are especially popular with those processing plastics.
Optional equipment
Scorer unit
ALTENDORF WA 80 sliding table saws can be fitted with the popular scorer unit, which enables especially clean cuts on veneered and solid wood materials. The scorer unit can also be expanded upon using the RAPIDO system, which makes it especially simple to adjust the cutting width.
Sliding table with on/off switch
The relocated on/off switch on the sliding table is a special feature, which enables a higher level of usability and safety. Sheet materials are easy to guide in lengthwise without the operator needing to be in the vicinity of the saw blade.
Digital end stops
When it comes to angles, mitres and lengths, the ALTENDORF WA 80 machines offer a range of handy stop functions. Digital, motorised and highly precise end stops in every direction provide the operator with dependable setting options to ensure reliable processing.
The ALTENDORF WA 80 range of machinery is still in production, which means the prices are still very high even for used machinery. The supply of replacement parts by the manufacturer is guaranteed over the long term.
ALTENDORF C series
The C series from ALTENDORF is an entry-level precision cutting device for processing woods and plastics. Machines from this series provide a whole range of settings to enable materials to be cut exactly as intended. Precision, usability, power and durability were central aspects in the development of these machines.
To make this model more affordable for those beginning in the field, more complex functions for series production were omitted. The settings of the C series ALTENDORF sliding table saws are primarily operated manually, but the C 45 and C 90 still offer a digital display.
Equipment for the ALTENDORF C series
ALTENDORF’s C series entry-level models are available in two types: the C 45 and the C 90. The main difference between the two is a pivotable sawing unit.
Equipment C 45 C 90 Pivotable sawing unit X X Compact version available X X Sliding table X X Height-adjustable sawing unit X X Digital display X X Operator’s panel X X Electronic controls optional optional Scorer unit optional optional RAPIDO scorer unit optional optional
The ALTENDORF C sliding table saws (C 45 and C 90) were produced in Germany until the late 1990s. However, they are still being manufactured in the USA and China under the name "T92”, which ensures a ready supply of spare parts for owners of used ALTENDORF C sliding table saws.
ALTENDORF TKR - Heavy-duty machines for manual processing
The ALTENDORF TKR is a compact sliding table saw with extensive equipment enabling precise processing of wood and plastic materials. It was specially developed for intensive, professional tasks, as can be seen from its solid housing and highly stable worktable.
Customers who use the ALTENDORF TKR series include professional manufacturers who focus on producing individual creations, such as interior designers and furniture builders specialising in tailor-made furnishings.
The TKR series offers tried-and-tested ALTENDORF precision with the highest level of reliability - even when used intensively. In terms of modern-day standards, its convenience factor and range of functions are not adequate in a wide range of cases. At the same time, its heavy weight means that it is not too popular with private clients since transporting it is quite a challenge. For instance, if you wish to install an ALTENDORF TKR in your own garage or move it to different locations, a pallet-lifting device will be required. However, these factors mean it is available at outstanding prices: with a little luck and research, you can pick up an ALTENDORF TKR for less than 4000 Euros on the second-hand market.
The ALTENDORF TKR is available in two series: the TKR 45 and TKR 90, and there are also compact versions of each type. The difference between the ALTENDORF TKR 45 and the TKR 90 lies in the saw blade - with the TKR 45, this can be pivoted, but the TKR 90’s blade is fixed. As such, the TKR 90 is only partly suitable for cutting bevels or chamfers.
Mitre fence: 1400 mm, optional extension to 2800 mm
Sliding table length: approx. 1410 mm
Travel path: approx. 1500 mm
Support table: 1260 x 500 mm
The ALTENDORF TKR is fully equipped and comes with a scorer unit and crosscut fence. This gives the user a range of functions that leaves nothing to be desired. The only aspect which does not quite meet current technical standards is that it is purely operated manually. However, this aspect does not hold back experts who are simply focussed on the results they can achieve. From a technical standpoint, the ALTENDORF TKR series does do pose any major challenges. Even changing the motor can be completed in a few short hours by a mechanic with little experience.
