Episode 51- Tablesaw Experience

13 Responses to “Episode 51- Tablesaw Experience”

1. Michael Marzullo (MuddlerMike) on May 7th, 2008 12:55 pm

   another great episode, Marc! One thing I was thinking about when you were mentioning the feather boards and board buddies was about the placement of them before (or in the case of the buddies, after as well) the blade and not NEXT to the blade. The inexperienced might not understand the dynamics between the board and the blade relationship to place them correctly and make matters worse by pinching the work piece into the side or back of the blade…..ka-pow! Is it worth a mention?

   Just a thought…

   Mike

2. Vic on May 7th, 2008 9:21 pm

   Marc, could you give the information on where to buy the various safety gadgets you showed? Also, do you know if the anit kick-back rollers David Marks uses are still available and where.

3. Johan on May 7th, 2008 9:36 pm

   Hi Marc,
   Thanks for putting together this safety week series.
   I’m curious why you didn’t mention the gripper pushblock, specially when you indicated you’re willing to use the metal pushstick on very thin pieces. I don’t have a gripper, but I’ve thought about getting one often as of late. Appreciate your comments on it.

   Johan

4. InsideBevel on May 7th, 2008 11:24 pm

   Vic,
   looking for these?:
   http://woodworker.com/cgi-bin/.....TNUM=96974

5. thewoodwhisperer on May 7th, 2008 11:34 pm

   mike- Definitely worth a mention. You just did! ;)

   Johan- I didnt mention the gripper because…….i forgot. lol. I don’t use it all that often but it is indeed an excellent tool for small parts. Just make sure you don’t cut into it, lol.

   Vic - InsideBevel beat me to it. That’s the only place I’ve seen that particular type. Most of the other stuff is either in the Wood Whisperer Store (http://thewoodwhisperer.com/twwstore/) or at Rockler. If there is enough interest, I can post links in the video’s write up.

6. Tom on May 8th, 2008 8:59 am

   Marc,
   You gave some very good tips in the table saw safety video. One thing that came to mind as I was watching was that my own saw doesn’t have a zero clearance insert, and so even though I have a dust collector attached, it sometimes throws little chips and splinters back at me. This has led me to buy what Elvex calls the CoolGuard. It’s a combination face shield and earmuff set, and it keeps the chips out of my face (I also use safety glasses). Elvex notes that you’re not meeting the OSHA standard unless you wear the glasses too. I think my late father, an eye surgeon, would approve.

7. TedM on May 8th, 2008 9:00 am

   I use the GRR-Ripper and I think it’s GRR-great! One caveat, you’ll need 2 of them for long pieces, but for short pieces up to about 16 - 18″ it works very well.

8. thewoodwhisperer on May 8th, 2008 9:04 am

   You sound like Tony the Tiger there Ted. lol

9. Mike on May 8th, 2008 10:42 am

   Niece piece, Marc. The table saw is the #1 piece of equipment in my (very) small shop, and it can be very daunting sometimes. Two questions. First, what’s a “river” (not sure I spelled that right). I’ve heard of it but not sure what it is. Second, where can you pick up a splitter for a saw (in my case, a Delta 10″ contractor saw). Are they sold separately or is it simply a matter of removing the actual guard from the base piece? I took off my guard not just because it got in the way, but because I’ve had trouble aligning it such that the piece of wood between the saw and the fence doesn’t get caught on it.

10. Vic on May 8th, 2008 12:24 pm

    Sweet! Thanks, Inside Bevel and Marc.

11. Dean Suminski on May 8th, 2008 2:34 pm

    Repetition of safety, while maybe boring sometimes, might cause one to think before they act and prevent an accident. Just before I open the door to my shop, I hold up my hands and say to myself “Eight fingers and two thumbs. Keep it that way”.

12. jw wilson on May 8th, 2008 6:52 pm

    great video marc, also important to try not to use the miter slide whilst pushing up against the fence. ( only in a few select procedures ).

    i have a pressing question, can anyone help with the procedure for cutting a precise miter with rabbet?( or rabbet with miter?) that joint got handed to me for my final project which is a grandfather clock out of cherry. gotta use that joint for the corners of the base…this is going to be disasterous as i am not the most talented of woodworkers. got the passion but not the skill. oh well, i need experience, and i certainly have the ability to laugh at myself. sadly once i screw anything up its like going to the spanish inquisition when you go ask for more wood.

    sorry to take up so much space on a non related safety topic. please help fellow woodies!

    thanks!

    jw

13. thewoodwhisperer on May 8th, 2008 10:17 pm

    Mike- The unfortunate thing is that most some (if not most) stock guards and splitters are woefully inadequate. They may offer some protection, but at that sacrifice of convenience, maneuverability, and visibility. The good news is that splitter/guards are getting better. And many after-market splitters are fantastic upgrades for any saw. A few names to look up are the Merlin Splitter, the Beissemeyer splitter, the Shark Guard, and the MJ Splitter. You need to find one that fits your saw. And a riving knife is simply a different type of splitter. Its usually hook shaped. What makes it unique and more useful than a standard splitter is the fact that it travels up and down with the blade. That means you no longer have to remove it for non-through cuts.

    JW- Unless I am not understanding you, I would just make the rabbet cut first with either the tablesaw or the router, and then cut your miters using the tablesaw, the miteraw, or even a hand saw and a miter box.

    Hope that helps.

    And thanks for all the great stories guys. Much to learn from eachother.

Got something to say?