Table Saw Question

[c6craig]

Hi All,

Not sure if this is a question for the forum, but I have asked about everything from wood questions to finishing techniques so i figured I would give it a shot...

I know some of you guys out there have been using table saws for a long time and are very experienced. I admit, I have been a bit intimidated by it due to all the horror stories I have heard. Most of my cutting has been done on a miter saw or bandsaw.

Lately I have been trying to use the table saw more. I didn't use the guard for any of tonight's cuts, because it is soft pine and as the guard drags over the pine it leaves scratches that are very difficult to sand out of small pieces.

Anyway - Tonight I was making my second to last cut (cutting 45's on some box ends). I felt the board twist and the pitch or sound or whatever you want to call it change. It just felt wrong. I am sure I was feeding the board at an angle or too fast, whatever the problem I am aware I was causing it.

So my long winded post comes to this - when something goes wrong on the table saw, what is the correct thing to do? Do you try to back out your piece? Do you just go hands off and kill the power? I have been told trying to power through the cut will cause disaster.

I will tell you this, it scared the you know what out of me ...and right or wrong I held the board in place and hit the power paddle with my knee...didn't move or breathe until the blade came to a stop....

Any advice??

Thanks,
Craig

[seabass]

You did right, hold the piece and turn off the unit.

If you let go it will kick the piece back at you. Don't try moving the piece backward unless you are very experienced, even then it's a no, no. More than likely moving the board backward will get you hurt and badly, almost as bad as letting go of the piece.

I have used the table saw everyday(at least 2 hours) for the last 15 years(on and off for 30 years) and it needs a great deal of respect, not fear, but respect. Remember, it is not the saw that will hurt you, it is your methods. Listening to the saw is a great thing to do.

[Deolman]

Yup! I agree, you did good to shut it off. There are a lot of articles on the internet on how to tune the table saw as well as safety procedures. Both are very important. Honestly, the machine does not have a brain so you have to use yours. One of my instruction videos I just received says "you should never move your material backwards over a cutting blade." Take a minute and slip over to WWGOA.com. There is a lot of great information there.

[Ike]

Craig as you know I have 2 table saws! Never take your hand off the board! I always stand to the right within reason to avoid kick back in yooohoo! If it starts to bind you may have hit a place in the lumber that a branch may crossed. It causes pressure or pop the board.

So what do you do? Turn the power off and keep control of the board until it comes to a full stop!

I am bad I have removed my guard and I have been known to rip 2" strips pushing the board through with my hand when I should have been using a push stick.

Check the end grain of the board and on the surface to see if there is any signs a branch is present.

Ike

[STEAM]

Craig
You did the right thing. As long as the blade is moving you should never let go of the board. Thats why the kill switches are setup where they are.
Just always be aware where you have your hands and fingers when the saw is running, I know a couple of guys who ended up picking some of their fingers off the floor.

[c6craig]

Thanks guys. I have read the posted articles and they were actually pretty helpful. I was able to spot a few things I was doing wrong. In this case I was using both the miter gauge and fence to push the wood through. Since the wood was fairly small, I was using loose pieces of wood in front and back of the piece against the fence and using the miter gauge to push it through.

Yesterday I purchased a Sawstop and a "grr-Ripper" push grip and expect them in the next two weeks. I figure I will learn the right ways and buy all the insurance I can in the form of good tools.

This is a hobby for me, I don't think it would be very enjoyable anymore minus a few fingers; I also realize that the projects I want to do now pretty much require a good table saw.

Thanks again,
Craig

[Woodhacker]

...let go of the board while the sawblade is moving. You did exactly the right thing by holding it steady and still and killing the power.
I would get out the straight edge and make sure my blade was exactly square to the miter slot and that the fence was square to the blade. That is a tune-up you should do on a regular basis for your own safety.
Also, like what was mentioned above...always check your wood before you start cutting to make sure there aren't any knots you will be cutting through. They can cause a lot of problems.

[lawrence]

The first thing I notice from your post is that you were aware of the change in pitch (sound). That is a very astute observation-- often the change in the "ring" of the blade will tell you what is going on. I totally agree with the others that you MUST mantain positive control of the workpiece at all times--Stopping forward movement and holding things in place while you bump the ts off with a hip is often a solution for me....

Another note is that I almost never use my miter gauge.... I have sleds that I use for 90/45 degree cuts (and almost everything inbetween) Because the material is supported, it makes for much safer cuts.

Another thing I want to just point out... (just in case...) One thing I did before I knew better was to use my fence as a "stop gauge" while crosscutting... this is a big no no as it will often lead to a pinched workpiece (and kickback) If you want to use your fence this way, clamp a stop block well ahead of the fence as a gauge so that the workpiece is free of the fence as it goes through the cut.

As the others stated-- respect is the key for the tablesaw... and I ALWAYS take a moment to "think" before turning on the saw

Lawrence

[Ike]

Thanks guys. I have read the posted articles and they were actually pretty helpful. I was able to spot a few things I was doing wrong. In this case I was using both the miter gauge and fence to push the wood through. Since the wood was fairly small, I was using loose pieces of wood in front and back of the piece against the fence and using the miter gauge to push it through.

Yesterday I purchased a Sawstop and a "grr-Ripper" push grip and expect them in the next two weeks. I figure I will learn the right ways and buy all the insurance I can in the form of good tools.

This is a hobby for me, I don't think it would be very enjoyable anymore minus a few fingers; I also realize that the projects I want to do now pretty much require a good table saw.

Thanks again,
Craig

Not a good idea to use the fence when cross cutting, it could bind the board and cause problems.

A Sawstop ok I am jealous! If you need any help just ask I have been woodworking since the 7th grade and I am in 10th grade now! I wish!!!! I am old now!

Ike

PS I wrote this before reading Lawrence's post he brings up a good point and a very nice crosscutting jig!

[seabass]

You are lucky you are not in the hospital. Using the Fence and the miter together is so dangerous(except for some setups designed to take the binding into account) I am surprised you got away with it even once.

Count your blessings.