Table Saw 101

Please read through the manuals for both table saws:

Industrial Table Saw Manual: https://www.sawstop.com/images/uploads/manuals/Manual_ICS_2.pdf

Crosscut Table Saw Manual: https://www.sawstop.com/images/uploads/manuals/Manual_Large_Sliding_Table.pdf

General Safety:

• Minors 17 and under must be accompanied by an adult who has taken the class

• Hand out the following: earplugs, safety glasses, dust mask (optional)

• Reiterate that participants must have closed toed shoes

• All loose or dangly items must be secured and tucked in (i.e. drawstrings, shirt tails, sleeves tucked in)

• Long hair must be tied back

• Wood Dust is toxic. Always make sure the dust collectors are turned on, and wear a respiratory mask

• Point out the following safety equipment:

• Fire extinguisher (mounted near bathrooms)

• First aid kits located at front desk

• Main causes of injury are: 

  • Not being aware of your environment

  • Kickbacks

  • Dust Extractor not on (can be a fire hazard)

Parts of the Table Saw

The Arbor: This is what the blade is fixed on

The Deck: The top of the table saw.  This is before the outfeed table.

Off Feed Table: The table top that extends beyond the deck.

The Fence: Used as a guide to align material to achieve a set measurement

The Throat Plate: Covers the opening around the saw blade

On / Off Switch & Knee Switch

Height adjustment Wheel: Raises and lowers the height of the saw blade

Angle adjustment wheel: Changes the angle of the saw blade

Reset button: Located on the side of the switch box.  Indicator lights on the switch box will flash if the saw needs to be reset.  See graphic on the side of the box for more information

Ruler: Can be used to set the fence. Always measure the material you want to cut to ensure accuracy.

Pedal: Lifts the left side of the machine so it can be moved around

Wrenches: Used for changing the saw blade.  Are located on the side of the machine.

The industrial table saw has a 120 horse power motor and the crosscut has a 250 horse power motor.  The industrial table saw takes a bit of finesse when pushing material through it. If kickback happens on the crosscut saw, it will happen with  much greater force. 

General Table Saw Safety

Always make sure the dust extractor is on when the saw is running. It can be turned on using the remote on the side of the table saw. If it is not turned out, dust can build up inside the saw and this can become a fire hazard. This could also cause the saw to throw dust into your face.

Always inspect the machine before use. Because we are in a shared space, and it is unknown what state the last person left the machine in, it is your responsibility to make sure the saw is ready to use.

Look at the environment and surroundings around the table saw. Make sure the garbage bin isn’t in the way, that there is at least 8’ of clearance behind you, and that no one is working directly behind you. You want as much space to walk around as possible, and to ensure any tripping hazards are out of the way, and that no other people are in the way incase kickback happens. Make sure there is also clearance past the outfeed table.  As you’re cutting you’ll be thinking about running the wood through the blade and not what is around you.

Never put your hands in the no finger zone. Use push sticks when you have to pass through the red zone. Always use a push stick on the right side of the blade (when pushing your material between the blade and the fence.)  Remember, RED MEANS DEAD.

Some materials can be toxic (ie. cutting cedar, mdf, plastic). Always wear a dust mask when cutting toxic materials. An N95 paper mask usually works well.  If you can smell fumes through the mask, the mask isn’t good enough and you may need to upgrade to a respirator.

How to change the blade

• Always unplug the machine before changing the blade

• Use the wrenches on the side of the saw to loosen the nut holding the blade in place.

• Before loosening the arbor, put your finger in the hole of the arbor to avoid dropping the nut. 

• Unscrew the nut, and remove the blade

• The table saw uses blades that are 10” in diameter.

• When putting on the new blade, make sure that the blade spins toward you, and the nut spins away from you.

• The teeth on the blade should always be pointed toward you.

• Place arbor back on making sure the side with the divot is against the blade.

• Hold blade with your left hand, and tighten nut using the wrench and turning away from yourself. This saw has a standard direction thread for the nut.

How to Zero the blade

• The angle on the machine is often not accurate.  It is your responsibility to check that the table saw is square for your use.

• The table saw deck is designed so the middle part (around the blade) is flat, and the two sides taper away.  

• When squaring the blade, make sure you’re squaring it to the flat side of the deck.

• Move the blade so it is all the way up.  You can either take a speed square and align that against the blade, or use a digital angle finder to align it.

• Make sure that you’re setting the angle based on the blade and not the teeth.

• The blade should be square to the deck, and should be parallel to the tracks for the sled.

Aligning the fence

• If the fence is out of alignment, it can cause kickback and burn on your wood.

• Align the fence to one of the rails and use an allen key to adjust the tilt on the fence.

Aligning the Riving Knife

Riving Knife should never be thicker than the blade. If the riving knife is thicker than the blade and you’re cutting plywood, the blade will stop. The Riving Knife compresses the material and prevents it from hitting the blade. 

To adjust the knife, loosen the nuts on the mounting block using the hex key, making sure they’re not too loose. Align the knife against a straight edge and re-tighten the nuts.

Adjusting the throat plate

To adjust the throat plate, use an allen key to on the two rear screws to raise or lower the throat plate.  The throat plate should sit level with the deck, or slightly above it. If the throat plate sits to low, the wood can catch on the deck.

How the Saw Stop Works

The saw stop has an electrical capacitive sensor that detects a difference in the current.  Your body, and any conducting material can hold a certain amount of charge, and when it senses a capacitance similar to the human body, it triggers the saw stop and will stop the blade in 3 to 5 milliseconds. The blade with stop and drop into the machine.

There are a variety of things that may set off the saw stop.  Touching the blade with your body, wet wood, pressure treated wood, and metal in the wood, mirrored acrylic, wood used on the laser cutter.  

If the saw stop is triggered at any time for any reason (act of god, random chance, computer error, metal, mirrored acrylic, conductive material, organic material, wet wood, treated wood, carbonized wood, etc), it's the responsibility of the person using the sawstop at that time. Triggering the saw stop is a $250 fine.

If needing to cut material that would typically set-off the Saw Stop, there is a bypass key that can be used to over-ride the sensor. View the video below for more information on how this works:

Setting the Blade Height

• Never set the blade more than .5” higher than your material

• There is a ring that runs around the inside of the blade.  This should be covered by your material

• The blade height can be set using the bottom of the saw tooth as a guide.  The bottom of the tooth should be inline with the top of your material.

Causes of Kickback

Kickback happens when the wood bends. The material twists and binds and a force is created from the blade, causing the teeth on the blade to throw the material. The material pushes off the fence and grabs the blade. This is the main cause of injury when using the table saw. If cutting metal on the table saw, the thing that kicks back at you is basically a bullet. It can cause much more serious damage than cutting wood.

Different Types of Blades

Combo Blade (aka ATB / Alternating Tooth Blade )  

This blade is good for most things.  This is the blade that is on the table saw by default. The teeth alternate in size.

Ripping Blade

This blade is meant for ripping wood (cutting along the grain).  It is a good idea to switch to this blade when ripping hardwood. A proper ripping blade will rip anything. The ripping blade has large teeth on it.

Crosscut Blade

This blade is meant for cross cutting wood (cutting across the grain). This blade has smaller teeth on it.

Plastic & Metal Blades

We also have blades for acrylic and aluminum. If cutting aluminum, you will need to use the saw stop bypass key to avoid setting off the saw stop.  You must consult the front desk before working with aluminum on the table saw. You must provide your own blade and saw stop cartridge. Any aluminum shavings must be cleaned out of the saw after use.

Dado, Rabbet, Mitre, and Bevel Cuts

Dado Cuts / Using the Dado Stack

A dado cut is a thicker, straight cut that creates a slot in your wood. Dado cuts require the use of a special dato blade / stack, a special saw stop cartridge, and a special throat plate.  

The thickness of the cut will depend on the number of blades used in the stack.  The smaller, narrower pieces of the dado stack should be sandwiched between the two full blades if using all of them in the set. Take time to ensure all the blade teeth are facing the same direction. 

After installing the dado stack, the thread should be poking out of the nut a little bit. When setting the blade height, it should be set no higher than halfway through the height of the material. 

When turning on the saw, wait for the saw to get up to speed and listen to make sure everything sounds okay before using it.  Adjust the blade if something sounds funny.

When pushing the material through the saw, apply an even, downward pressure, and push through.

Rabbet Cuts

A rabbet cut is like a dado cut, except it is done on the very edges to create a ledge. 

This can be done with the use of a dado set, or with a regular saw blade by slicing part way through the material on the edge and then turing the material by 90 degrees and completing the cut on that edge.  If doing something like this, make sure to use a jig when passing the material along an upright edge.

Mitre Cuts

You can use a mitre gauge to make miter cuts.  

When doing mitre cuts zero the blade, physically set at an angle on the material, and push it through the saw. To use the mitre gauge, set an angle on the mitre gauge, hold it tight to the fence on the gauge, and push the wood through the blade.

Bevel Cuts

Bevel cuts are made when adjusting the angle of the saw blade. First zero the blade to make sure the angle you want on your bevel will be correct. Adjust the angle on the blade by rotating the wheel on the right side of the saw, and then locking it into place.

Draw on the board where you want the long side of your cut to start. Watch the offcut because it will be sitting under the blade and can get pinched between the blade and the deck. 

Note, when cutting bevel cuts there is a great chance for kerf burns.

How to cut material safely

The key to achieving consistent cuts on the table saw is cutting with smooth, straight, motions.

Position your body so you are standing to the left of the saw blade, out of the way of kickback. If you stand to the right, you won’t be able to see where your material is in relation to the fence. The fence should be square to make consistent cuts. 

When turning on the saw, listen to it to see how it sounds.  Sound is as important as feel. If you hear a car racing sound, kickback is about to happen.

When cutting, push your material forward, and against the fence. The material should be touching the fence as much as possible.  Pay attention to where your fingers are in relation to the blade, keeping them out of the red area around the blade. The material between the fence and the blade must have a push stick or hand on it at all times.

How to cut large sheet material safely

When cutting larger sheet material, use your body to guide the material. Your arms are not stable enough on their own.

Have your right hand on the bottom of the sheet, your left hand on the side of the sheet, and use your body to push forward.  Think of your right hand as the power, your left hand as the steering wheel, and your body as the motor.

If necessary, get a helper to handle the material.  They should just guide the material and should not push it. 

There is a chance the the left side piece could twist and cause kickback, but this is rare.

Always make sure your push stick is rooted on top of the material.  If it is not rooted, you body can move the material as it is pushed through the blade.

Working with different types of material

Plywood

Use a combo blade when working with plywood. To get a square piece, use a straight edge. As the teeth on the blade have alternating angles, make sure to take measurements from the tooth that is tipped to the inside. The blade will remove 3/32”, so always make sure that the saw is cutting on the correct side of your line. The wider piece of wood should be positioned between the blade and the fence. You will be pushing on the material in front of the piece. Be careful, as your body is in the line of fire and if the material bends, kickback can happen.

MDF

Use a combo blade.  Relatively easy to cut.

2x4s

Can have an odd tension and be warped inside.  Just be aware of this when working with this material.

Kerf Bending

Kerf bending is when you run a sheet of plywood through the table saw multiple times, which will allow the wood to bend. Set the blade up so it is two-thirds the height of the wood and make multiple passes along the sheet.

Using Sleds and Jigs

A sled will allow you to make cross cuts safely. It has a plate, a front and a back, and two rails along the bottom that fit into the channels in the table saw deck.

If you set-up a stop on the sled, you need to hold the piece between the stop and the blade. Position sled so it is off of the blade, but sitting on the table. Position your body as close to the sled as possible. Your arms will be doing all of the work. Push down on your material to hold it into place.

Never use the fence and the sled at the same time.  If you have to use the fence, use a block with it. The block should be set-up away from the blade, and not inline with it.  (See below)

Cross Cuts and Using the Cross Cut Table Saw

The cross cut saw has a metal fence that is attached to it.  The angle of the fence can be changed by adjusting the flip stop and the mitre lock.

** Always make sure the sliding fence is aligned so it will not come into contact with the saw blade. You will set off the saw stop and damage the fence.  This is a $250 fine. **

Please read the manual for the cross cut saw before using. https://www.sawstop.com/images/uploads/manuals/Manual_Large_Sliding_Table.pdf

Fees

WoodLab Drop-In Rate: $45/day (12pm to 9pm)