Choosing and Using Table Saws

By: John Kelsey, This Old House magazine (Page 2 of 5)

Photo: Anastassios Mentis

Enlarge this image Photo: Anastassios Mentis

Photo: Anastassios Mentis

The 40-pound Delta TS200 is a good starter saw, with a 9 ½-inch blade-to-fence rip capacity, a table that can extend to 26 by 17 inches, and a maximum cut depth of 3 inches.
Price: $100

Photo: Anastassios Mentis

The Makita 2703 has a midsize 27-by-22-inch table, a rip capacity of 12 inches, and a maximum cut depth of 3 9/16 inches. A tight blade-elevation mechanism minimizes vibration on this 40-pound model.
Price: $300

Photo: Anastassios Mentis

The 60-pound Bosch 4000 has a no-jolt soft-start motor and comes with a large, 29-by-21 ½-inch table, a 25-inch rip capacity, and a maximum cut depth of 3 9/16 inches.
Price: $500

Photo: Bevan Walker

Getting the Blade Height

Make sure the switch key is out or the saw is unplugged.
Lift the blade guard and hold the workpiece against the side of the saw blade.
Raise the saw blade so the gullets between the teeth just clear the top of the wood.
Make sure the blade guard and splitter are in place and working correctly before sawing.

Photo: Bevan Walker

Ripping a Wide Board

Line up your cut mark with the blade and adjust the rip fence until it is tight against the piece. Make sure that the line is barely on the fence side of the blade so that the kerf made by the blade is on the waste side of the line.
Position yourself to one side of the blade. Never stand directly in line with the blade or you risk getting injured by kickback.
Start the machine and use your right hand to press the workpiece down on the table and against the fence. Brace your left hand on the table and use it as a guide while you propel the piece smoothly forward with your right hand.
As the tail of the board approaches the blade guard, you might need to use a push stick to complete the cut. When the cut is done, shut off the saw so you can reach safely over the blade to remove the wood.

Norm's slick tip
One easy way to improve a saw's performance and protect it from corrosion is to coat the table surface. Rub regular paste wax into the table, or try a proprietary machine-table lubricant such as Slipit. Avoid anything containing silicone, which will contaminate the wood you're cutting and interfere with most finishes.

Photo: Bevan Walker

Ripping a Narrow Piece

Mark the wood and set the rip fence so the wider piece is between it and the blade. Make sure the blade guard and splitter are not hung up on the rip fence. If the closely set rip fence interferes with the saw guard, don't make the cut. Rip the piece you need off a wider board instead.
Stand to the left of the blade and have a push stick ready. Only use a push stick designed for a table saw (check your manual for a template or buy one at a hardware store). If the push stick won't fit between the blade guard and the rip fence, don't make the cut. Rip the piece you need from a wider board instead.
Arrange your hands as explained in "Ripping a Wide Board," above. Push the piece forward with your right hand until the tail end approaches the table.
With your left hand bracing the board against the fence, pause and pick up a push stick. Use the stick to move the workpiece forward and past the blade, always pushing down and against the fence.

Photo: Bevan Walker

Crosscutting

You can extend the miter gauge by screwing a 2-foot piece of 1x3 to it, then pushing the extension through the saw to cut it to length.
When crosscutting, line up your cut mark with the sawn end of the extension. (If you don't extend the miter gauge, lock the power switch and hold the workpiece against the gauge while you line up the cut mark with the blade.)
Move the rip fence away from the workpiece. Never use the rip fence and the miter gauge together.
Switch on the saw, hold the workpiece tight against the miter gauge, then push the gauge so the wood slides under the guard and past the blade. Move the piece away from the blade and shut the motor off before you return the gauge.
To cut a miter, remove the extension and set the miter gauge to the angle you want. Make test cuts in scrap before cutting your workpiece.

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What You'll Learn:

The Essentials

Blade
Most saws come standard with a general-purpose 10-inch carbide-tipped blade, which can crosscut a 4x4. Replacing it with a better, 40-tooth combination blade (about $60) dramatically improves the quality of cuts. Specialty blades handle particleboard and other materials.

Anti-kickback pawls
Two sharp-toothed arms that prevent the workpiece from moving backward. They'll work even better if you sharpen them using a smooth-cut file.

Splitter (riving knife)
Vertical metal piece directly behind the blade that keeps the blade from binding in the workpiece if the saw kerf starts to close up. An essential anti-kickback device, it should mount on the motor assembly so it rises and falls along with the saw blade. Some splitters also adjust to match the width of the kerf.

Rip fence
Controls the width of the rip. Must lock parallel to the saw blade at every setting. Look for a fence that grabs onto and rides on front and back rails and that can be adjusted for parallel.

Table size
More table means more work-support surface, so bigger is always better. An optional right-side extension can increase the saw's capacity to reach the center of a 4x8 sheet. Most saws come with a rear bar, which helps support the workpiece as it exits, but you should still rig up outfeed support — a stand, sawhorses, or a table — that's ¼ inch lower than the saw itself.

Table insert (throat plate)
The plate that fits around the blade. It must be level with the table surface — in some cases it needs to bea shimmed — and fit closely around the blade or else small pieces will drop through.

Support at the right height
To make your saw as sturdy as possible, screw it through the holes provided (or at least clamp it) to a wood table with wide-spaced legs that's tall enough to put the worktop at 36 inches. Anything higher will raise the saw too high for comfort and safety, unless you are very tall.

On/Off switch
Should be front-mounted and easy to swat or knee to "off" position without looking. Most saws have either a plastic safety key, which must be inserted before you can switch the power on, or a way to padlock the switch.

Collapsible stand
Some saws come with a folding stand, or they are offered as an option. While convenient, few stands are as stable as a sturdy wooden bench.

Elevation wheel
Controls blade height and depth of cut. On a 10-inch saw, the blade should be about 3 5/8 inches high when fully raised, to let you saw 4x material.

Blade tilt handle
Angles the blade for bevel cuts up to 45 degrees left (away from the rip fence). Look for an adjusting screw or bolt that lets you set the 90- and 45-degree stop points precisely.

Total weight
The heavier the saw, the more stable but the less portable. Most bench-top table saws weigh between 40 and 90 pounds.

Miter gauge
Removable fixture for square and mitered crosscuts. Must fit snugly and move freely in the saw's table slots. Look for one that can be calibrated at 45 and 90 degrees.

Blade guard
Protects the user from the spinning blade, and must never be removed. Look for one that rises up parallel to the table so it stays on top of the workpiece.

Exhaust duct
Exit point for debris on back of saw. Look for one that fits a wet/dry vac or use a trash can under the duct to catch the material.