Table saw safety is critical for every woodworker. Bruce Kieffer’s table saw safety article explores options for aftermarket and shop-made table saw guards and splitters. Be safe and saw often!
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Shop Accident Statistics and Woodworking Safety
Every year, hospitals see injuries caused by woodworking tools in the emergency room. This includes professionals and hobbyists, students and homeowners. The types of injuries vary, as there are more ways to make mistakes in a woodshop than there are ways to plan ahead for them – precisely why they’re called accidents! In 2011, the…
Jointing on the Table Saw
There are plenty of times when you need your boards to have a smooth, straight edge. No jointer? No sweat. With the help of a simple shop-made jig you can be jointing on the table saw. Even if you own a jointer, jointing on the tables saw is a handy technique to know about. If…
Pattern Cutting on a Table Saw
Pattern cutting on a table saw is an easy and fast way to produce lots of identical parts. I’ve used this technique to make parts for everything from bird houses to Adirondack chairs. Get started by making the fence. Make the pattern fence using a vertical piece that is 1-3/4” wide and a horizontal piece…
Workaround: Table Saw Resawing
I rarely resaw, and when I do, it’s usually to maximize the yield of the wood I have rather than to make veneer or book-matched boards. Changing my bandsaw blade just to make a few resaw cuts takes way too much time. The solution is simple — I use my table saw. The table saw…
Miter Gauge Used as a Square
I have a tendency to misplace my squares, which often results in me reaching for a scrap of wood for an approximate angle. I’ve found what works far better though, is to take my miter gauge, and flip it upside down with the face of the gauge along the edge of the board. The bar…
3 Ways to Rip Thin Strips
Ripping thin strips of wood on a table saw can be a hair-raising activity, and doing so without a sound approach can lead to, well, really bad things. The goal in setting up for ripping strips is to ensure safe operations while maintaining efficiency. The challenge is that there is dangerously little space between the…
Table Saw Fence Setup Jig Tip
Many times I need to rip some pieces, and may need to rip the same size pieces later, after moving the fence. I came up with the setup in the picture. Just slide the setup jig against the fence, and tighten the knob enough to lock the sliding arm to the piece in the miter…
Super Accurate Table Saw Fence Setting
Sometimes cumulative error can be your worst enemy, and other times it can be your best friend. You’ll love it when you use it to set your table saw fence! When you’re done you’ll have set your fence five times more accurately than any other way I know. Here’s what you do: Set your saw…
