Are you working with table saw? This fancy equipment doesn’t belong exclusively for professional carpenters. There are many DIYers who own the table to create their own furniture. If you belong to the second group, then you will need these tips to optimize table saw function and minimize the accident.
We’ll show you handy tips and techniques for using your table saw. Use these accessories to help you make clean, straight and safe cuts on your next woodworking project. You’ll be able to cut extra long, extra wide and extra thick wood without any problems.
5 Essential Table Saw Tips You Need to Know
Installing the Right Blade
There are two types of cuts that could be done with table saw. One is called ripping cut and the other is cross-cutting. For the first option, it is as easy as following the wood grain. In the other hand, cross cutting goes against the grain. As expected, each cutting types require different blade. Cross cutting, for instance, require miter gauge.
Adding Safety Fence
Sometimes, the carpenter might need to cut different area such as the edge of the wood. In order to get a clean cut, there should be additional support while doing the cutting process. It could be simply done by screwing wood fence in between the miter gauge and the blade. Adjust the blade so it won’t cut the fence.
Installing Riving Knife
This is an additional tool that is beneficial even for professional carpenter. It is installed right behind the saw blade, approximately 6mm away. With this tool there will be less chance for the wood to kick backwards. Moreover, the operator could adjust the position. Try to tilt, raise or lower it for better position.
People often start to think about complicated things when they deal with advanced tools like table saw. In order to use this technology effectively, the trick is to check the basic things. Pay attention to the spinning direction of the blade and add safety block if necessary.
Knowing the Feeding Direction
The first thing to learn is the direction of the blade. Read the manual book carefully. For some newbie, it is probably quite difficult to understand the term. The direction might read “fed the wood from the opposite direction of saw blade rotation”. In simple instruction, the carpenters have to push the wood from the direction where the saw blade facing down.
Using Featherboard
Many tutorial video shows how easy it is to cut a straight line on the wood. In reality, this requires a lot of practice. To help the first timers woodmaker, there is a tool called featherboard. Its wooden fingers would claps tightly to the wood and against the saw blade to provide guidance. It also prevents the wood from slapping back to the opposite direction.
Table Saw Tips from Jimmy DiResta
We’ve covered some of Jimmy DiResta’s excellent Jimmy Tips series here before. In the episode embedded below, Jimmy runs through some of his favorite tips for working with a table saw. While you’re on YouTube, be sure to check out the entire Jimmy Tips playlist. I can almost guarantee you that you’ll find at least one or two indispensable tips in every one.
5 Quick Table Saw Hacks
In this woodworking tips and tricks video, we go over table saw hacks.
The table saw is arguable the workhorse of the workshop so knowing a few table saw tricks to set it up quickly and make it work more efficiently can greatly increase production and quality and with the use of Clamps, Squares and a few screws, it’s easy to make any table saw work more efficiently.