What are the safest ways to make these cuts…?

[JonW]

I’m new to the table saw. If I only had more time to play with it… Anyways, I’ve been making some cuts from somewhat large pieces. I can get the job done, but I really want to know the safest way to do these things. So to begin my safety lesson, how would you do either of these cuts? Let’s say we start with a 3/4" thick board that is 2 feet by 5 feet.

-Rip a 3 inch strip off the long side, so you get a 3 inch by 5 foot strip and a 1’ 9” x 5’ piece?

-Cross cut a 2 foot section so you end up with one piece that is 2’ x 2’ and another that is 2’ x 3’.

I have the lumber yard cut things down so that I can get them into my car (e.g., 2’ x 5’). And working with small pieces on the table saw is OK, per the manual. But I’m not too sure how to handle these larger pieces safely. Thanks!

-Jon

[offthemark]

I can tell you how I would do it. I think for both, the biggest safety issue isn't how to setup the saw but the use of a guard, goggles, push sticks, etc.

For the rip, you need to know which measurement is critical. You have kerf so you can't turn 2' into 3" and 1'9". You get something like 1'9" and 2+15/16". So, decide which one is the critical measure. Assuming it's the 3", then I would set my rip fence exactly 3" from the right side of the blade (measuring from the tooth edge, not the center). You'll need a push stick for a cut this thin.

For the other, assuming you have a BT3, you could set it up on you SMT. Get the SMT perpindicular to the blade, clamp the wood in place, and push through. Because you hold the wood at the SMT clamp and not near the balde, it should be fairly safe.

Lastly, I will assume it is a typo but if not, let me know how you plan to get a 3'x5' board out of a 2'x5' board. We can make lot's of money together.

[JonW]

I can tell you how I would do it. I think for both, the biggest safety issue isn't how to setup the saw but the use of a guard, goggles, push sticks, etc.

Yup, I'm wearing goggles, ear muffs, gloves, and I made a push stick.

For the rip, you need to know which measurement is critical. You have kerf so you can't turn 2' into 3" and 1'9". You get something like 1'9" and 2+15/16". So, decide which one is the critical measure. Assuming it's the 3", then I would set my rip fence exactly 3" from the right side of the blade (measuring from the tooth edge, not the center). You'll need a push stick for a cut this thin.

Right, forgot to mention the kerf. Let's say the 3" piece is the important dimension. I set my fence 3" from the blade edge. What's the safest way to feed this large piece of wood through the saw? It's tough to keep it really flush to the edge of the fence. Toward the end of the cut (when I'm using the push stick) the uncut part of the wood is starting to lean up into the air, as the other end sags. (A table on the far side better matched to the saw height will help there.) And the sliding table doesn't slide 5 feet, so pushing/sliding the wood isn't consistent. It takes some force to push it through. Where do I stand? Where do I hold things? What is dangerous to do?

For the other, assuming you have a BT3, you could set it up on you SMT. Get the SMT perpindicular to the blade, clamp the wood in place, and push through. Because you hold the wood at the SMT clamp and not near the balde, it should be fairly safe.

Yeah, it's a BT3100. But the wood is 2' wide. So how do you put that on the sliding table, behind the blade, but hold it perpendicular to the blade for a good, straight cut? It's too big for the miter fence or the rip fence.

Lastly, I will assume it is a typo but if not, let me know how you plan to get a 3'x5' board out of a 2'x5' board. We can make lot's of money together.

You know about E = mc2, right? There is a relationship between energy (E) and mass (m). So if you have enough really bright shop lights around, you can create matter... Thanks for catching that. Edited in the original post.

[poolhound]

unless you need every last 1/1000" of that 2x5 then it would be safer to cut it down to just oversize you final dimensions. A hand held circ. saw would take only a few moments. A jig saw would also work and if all else fails use a hand saw and watch out for blisters!! :-(

Then you can take your cut down piece to the TS and cut to exact final size.

Jon

[mdutch]

Since you're just getting started, I'd suggest you go out and invest in a pair of roller-stands. They have a nice ball-bearing steel roller that you can set up to "take" your piece as it outfeeds from the saw.

For very long rips, you can set them back to back, in-line with your feed, to accept your long outfeed rip cuts.

Or, set them parallel to the saw to hold your wide stock.

It takes a bit of setup prior to getting turning the saw on, but as you progress, you'll discover EVERYTHING does! Once those rollers are set to the right height, you've got great support for wide or long cuts.

And, don't forget, you can "release" the brakes on the rails, and slide the whole thing to the left, reposition your router table to the left of the blade, and have quite a lot of support to handle wider pieces. Learn to work without the "scale" on your rails. It's much faster to adapt the saw to the cut, then use a good-quality steel rule to check your tooth-to-fence clearance.

[DaveW]

safety-wise, wouldn't one of the big things to watch out for also be to make sure the fence is parallel to the blade (front and back)?

[Wood_workur]

Yup, I'm wearing goggles, ear muffs, gloves, and I made a push stick....

wait just a minute. You say you arew wearing gloves while using powertools? NEVER, NEVER WEAR GLOVES WHEN USING POWER TOOLS. if the glove gets caught by th blade, then your whole hand can be pulled into the blade, causing horribly bad injuries. Splinters arn't as bad as a missing hand/finger (or two). Take the gloves off, and only wear them to move rought lumber around. The rest is good.

[JonW]

unless you need every last 1/1000" of that 2x5 then it would be safer to cut it down to just oversize you final dimensions. A hand held circ. saw would take only a few moments. A jig saw would also work and if all else fails use a hand saw and watch out for blisters!! :-(

Then you can take your cut down piece to the TS and cut to exact final size.

Jon

Yeah, maybe that’s a good way to do things. It sounds safe, at least. I’ve got both a circular saw and a hand held jig saw already.

So, in general, do people not use the table saw for boards this big (e.g., 2’ x 5’)?

Since you're just getting started, I'd suggest you go out and invest in a pair of roller-stands. They have a nice ball-bearing steel roller that you can set up to "take" your piece as it outfeeds from the saw.

Makes sense. Any ones to look at, in particular? I’ve seen people use old pieces of those rails with lots of spinning wheels, that you used to see at the supermarket checkout counter maybe 25 years ago, to send bags outside to cars.

safety-wise, wouldn't one of the big things to watch out for also be to make sure the fence is parallel to the blade (front and back)?

I think I’m OK on this one.

wait just a minute. You say you arew wearing gloves while using powertools? NEVER, NEVER WEAR GLOVES WHEN USING POWER TOOLS. if the glove gets caught by th blade, then your whole hand can be pulled into the blade, causing horribly bad injuries. Splinters arn't as bad as a missing hand/finger (or two). Take the gloves off, and only wear them to move rought lumber around. The rest is good.

Seriously? I’ve never heard that one before. But I will also readily admit that I don’t really know what I’m doing. No gloves anymore. Easy enough. Thanks!

[mschrank]

Jon,

I'm glad you're asking all of these questions and getting good answers. One thing I would like to add that is not directly addressed...

Somewhere in one of the posts above you mention pushing wood using the sliding table....it sounded like you were referring to a ripping operation. If not, no harm. But I wanted to make sure you realize that you should never use the sliding table (SMT) and the rip fence at the same time. This can cause the wood to become "trapped" and bind...and kickback/up.

Keep up the questions, and enjoy!

[JonW]

Hi Mike,

Thanks. Actually, I might be doing what you say not to. Say I’m ripping a 3” piece off a 2’ x 5’ piece, the long way, to yield a 3” x 5’ piece. I’ve got the rip fence 3” from the blade. And I push the big piece along the rip fence and through the blade. What about the larger part of this whole piece, on the left side? It’s sitting on the sliding miter table. I’ve removed the miter fence, though. The sliding miter table only slides front and back a couple feet, but I’ve got 5 feet of board to push through. Not sure I’m doing this right. I don’t know where to properly puch the wood, where to hold it, how much force to apply as I push it through the blade, etc. I can make the cut, but I’d like to do it the safest way possible, of course.

-Jon

[gsmittle]

Hi Mike,

Thanks. Actually, I might be doing what you say not to. Say I’m ripping a 3” piece off a 2’ x 5’ piece, the long way, to yield a 3” x 5’ piece. I’ve got the rip fence 3” from the blade. And I push the big piece along the rip fence and through the blade. What about the larger part of this whole piece, on the left side? It’s sitting on the sliding miter table. I’ve removed the miter fence, though. The sliding miter table only slides front and back a couple feet, but I’ve got 5 feet of board to push through. Not sure I’m doing this right. I don’t know where to properly puch the wood, where to hold it, how much force to apply as I push it through the blade, etc. I can make the cut, but I’d like to do it the safest way possible, of course.

-Jon

Look on the left front edge of your SMT. You should find a small latch that fits into a slot on the base of the SMT to lock it in place.

Second, my understanding is you need to rip that narrow piece with the large piece against the rip fence. It's less likely to bind and kick back than the 3" piece. Then, if you need another 3" piece, you have to reset the rip fence. Some people have made jigs to cut the narrow piece without using the rip fence, which means you don't have to reset the rip fence.

At any rate, as I understand it, as a general rule the narrow cut should not be between the blade and the rip fence.

g.

[poolhound]

Hi Mike,

It’s sitting on the sliding miter table. I’ve removed the miter fence, though. The sliding miter table only slides front and back a couple feet,

-Jon

For ripping you need to use the catch to fix the SMT, it should not slide around but provide a solid base on which to feed the work into the blade.

[LarryG]

Say I’m ripping a 3” piece off a 2’ x 5’ piece, the long way, to yield a 3” x 5’ piece. I’ve got the rip fence 3” from the blade. And I push the big piece along the rip fence and through the blade. What about the larger part of this whole piece, on the left side? It’s sitting on the sliding miter table. I’ve removed the miter fence, though. The sliding miter table only slides front and back a couple feet, but I’ve got 5 feet of board to push through. Not sure I’m doing this right. I don’t know where to properly puch the wood, where to hold it, how much force to apply as I push it through the blade, etc. I can make the cut, but I’d like to do it the safest way possible, of course.

Your setup is correct, except for one small detail: when you're not using the sliding miter table (SMT) to make a crosscut, lock it in position using the small black tab at the front end, nearest the operator.

To push the piece you desribe through the blade, I would stand immediately behind, maybe cheated slightly to the left, of the 21" x 5' section you'll be cutting off. Sliding the panel along the fence takes a little practice. There's a tendency to overcontrol and "steer" the piece; you want to use a light touch and try to correct any wandering almost before it happens (kind of a sixth-sense thing ... you might want to practice with the blade retracted and the saw switched off, just to get the feel of it).

As you make the cut, always remain aware of where the blade is but DON'T watch it. Instead, watch where the workpiece is sliding along the rip fence. If your saw is aligned properly, the panel should glide through the blade almost effortlessly.

When the cut is almost finished, use a push stick to keep the 3" piece nearest the fence moving in a straight line, and take care not to shove the larger piece sideways, causing it to bind against the blade.

One last thing: as the others have said, when ripping you should generally put the larger of the two pieces nearest the fence, if possible. A 3" piece can be controlled safely but it's on the ragged edge of getting a little hairy. By contrast, having the 21" part nearest the fence should present no control problems at all, and the 3" piece you cut off will move clear of the blade with a lot less drama. (If you normal setup does not allow a 21" rip, move your rails to the right until they will.)

[ironhat]

Jon, You *can* use the circ saw to cut things down to size but as you become familiar and proficient with your saw you will find the limits of your ability to control the work piece. That will determine when to rough cut with a portable saw of any type. And, Alex is absolutely right about the gloves. Use them for handling if you so choose but they have no place during the operation of machine tools. Be respectful and thoughtful during your use of your saw and you won't have any problems. Oh yea, just thought of this one and it has served me well - as much as is practical your body should be to the side of the piece being cut off (the left side of the blade. In the event of a kickback it will miss your abdomen. I've dodged a couple and caught one when being careless and it ain't fun! Take your time - if possible, find a mentor.
Later,
Chiz

[JonW]

OK fellas, this is super help- thanks!

No gloves. Got it.
Lock the SMT from sliding. Got it.
Larger piece between the blade and rip fence. Got it.

What to do if the larger piece is too big to keep the rip fence in place? For example, lets say the rip fence can be pushed to the right of the blade by 22” max (I’m guessing that’s what it is- I’m at work now). But you have a 28” piece that you want to put there. You have to totally remove the rip fence. But then you don’t have anything to align the wood with. Maybe at that point it’s just too big for the table saw?

Another question: I know not to stand directly behind the blade. Some of you are saying stand to the left of the blade. I have been standing to the right of the rip fence. Figuring that if anything shoots back and a little sideways, the rip fence will be between me and the shooting wood. There’s less protection (i.e., no rip fence) standing over on the left side. But that’s the preferred place?

Yet another: Any particular place to have my hands and fingers? On top of the wood, flat, pushing down and forward. Or fingers curled around the rear edge to push the wood forward? If the wood flies back, I’d think my fingers will be grabbed less if they are not curled around the edge of the wood.

Sliding the panel along the fence takes a little practice. There's a tendency to overcontrol and "steer" the piece; you want to use a light touch and try to correct any wandering almost before it happens (kind of a sixth-sense thing ... you might want to practice with the blade retracted and the saw switched off, just to get the feel of it).

As you make the cut, always remain aware of where the blade is but DON'T watch it. Instead, watch where the workpiece is sliding along the rip fence. If your saw is aligned properly, the panel should glide through the blade almost effortlessly.

When the cut is almost finished, use a push stick to keep the 3" piece nearest the fence moving in a straight line, and take care not to shove the larger piece sideways, causing it to bind against the blade.

That is all wonderful advice for a newbie like me. Really good thing to practice and keep in mind. I have totally been watching the blade and such. I'll change now.

You guys are great.