Using a Table Saw Safely

The table saw is one of the most important tools in a woodworker's arsenal. The table saw is the center of most woodworkers' workshops. The table saw is an extremely versatile tool. You can use your table saw for crosscuts, rip cuts, miter cuts, and even for joinery and some milling operations. I have heard many times from new woodworkers having apprehension about using a table saw. A table saw can be a dangerous tool if you do not know how to use it correctly. With a little knowledge and practice you will soon have confidence in using your table saw.

There are a few safety rules that you must follow to operate your saw safely. You should never alter your table saws' safety features. One of the first things many woodworkers do is to remove the blade guard. The blade guard on a modern table saw performs several functions. First it provides a cover for the spinning blade to help you keep your hands away from the blade. The blade guard is also equipped with pawls that hold the board and help to keep it from kicking back. If you feed a board through your saw partially, turn off the saw and try to pull the board back out you will find that the pawls catch and hold the board in place. Last the blade guard has a splitter. The job of the splitter is to keep the kerf open so that the board will not pinch the spinning blade. If the blade becomes pinched the saw may kick the board back at you. Kick back is one of the most common malfunctions of a table saw that is not set up correctly.

There are other safety features of your table saw that you should know about. New saws a generally equipped with a switch that you must pull out to turn the saw on. If you have the option of mounting the switch in various locations on the saw, you should mount it in a place where you can easily turn the saw off by bumping the switch with your leg. This is useful in the event something goes wrong and you cannot remove your hands from your work to turn of the switch. While we are discussing the switch on your table saw, you should also know that most switches on table saws are equipped with a "key". The function of the key is to prevent the saw from being turned on when the key is removed. If your saw is located in an area that may be visited by children when you are not around to supervise, remove this key and store away from their reach. I use the Rigid TS3650 table saw; I really like how the switch can be slid to various locations on the rail. The Rigid saw also features the keyed switch.

Besides keeping the safety features of your saw intact, you need to learn to set up your saw correctly. Make sure that the blade is completely parallel to the rip fence. You will first set your rip fence to be parallel to the miter slot on the table and then adjust the blade for parallel. Once you have your rip fence and blade set up correctly you need to make sure to adjust the splitter on the blade guard so that it lines up directly behind the blade. If the splitter is not set behind the blade you will likely have trouble with boards binding between the rip fence and blade. This could cause a kick back. Ensure that the belt, if your saw is belt driven, is properly tensioned. Take time every so often to clean your saw, lubricate moving parts and check the set up to make sure that they are still in proper alignment. Refer to your table saws owners' manual for set up and maintenance instructions relevant to your model and always disconnect the power from your saw before doing any maintenance or set up work.

The most important part of operating your table saw safely is to practice using it. Begin by setting up your saw for a rip cut and practice making a few rip cuts. As a general rule if your are making a rip cut less than 5 inches wide between the blade and rip fence, use a push stick to keep your hand well away from the blade. When your are comfortable with rip cuts, move the rip fence out of the way and using the miter gauge set for 90 degrees, make a few short cross cuts. Never make cross cuts with the end of the board against the rip fence; this will cause a kick back. Hold the board securely against the miter gauge fence with one hand, place the other hand on the push handle and push the board through the blade. On all cuts always push the board clear of the blade and never attempt the pull the board back towards you. Remove any off cut pieces from the table before making another cut so that the off cuts do not get pushed into the blade causing it to bind or kick back. Now let's set the miter gauge to make 45 degree miter cuts. Set your miter gauge to 45 degrees and again holding the board securely against the miter gauge fence feed the board through the blade. With practice you will become more comfortable with using your table saw; you can then learn more advanced operations. Other operations you may learn to do on your table saw is taper cuts, making dadoes and grooves and maybe even milling.

There are a variety of accessories you can purchase or build to make using your table saw even safer. Probably the most important and most used accessory is a push stick. Push sticks are used to hold your work secure against the table while keeping your hands a safe distance from the blade. You may also want to purchase or build feather boards. Feather boards hold your board against the rip fence and also reduce the chance of kick back. Many times you will also want to attach an auxiliary fence to your miter gauge to help hold longer boards for cross cuts. For accessories available check your saws operators' manual.

With practice using your table saw you will become more confident. You will find that you go to your table saw more and more as you learn of its versatility and you will wonder how you ever got along without one. Use the appropriate accessories and maintain an accurate set up and your table saw will be safe. Perform occasional maintenance and cleaning tasks to keep you saws' performance top notch. Remember to always disconnect the power from the saw before performing any set up or maintenance operations. In no time at all you will be comfortable with operating your table saw.