BT3100 ripping technique.

[steve-u]

As a newbe to using a table saw I have a question about ripping on my BT3100. Let's say I have a 20 inch wide board that I want to rip down to 18 inches. Should I set the fence two inches [minus kerf] to the right of the blade and then feed the board through from the left side of the blade standing to the left of the board or set the fence 18 inches to the right of the blade and feed it through on the right side of the blade standing to the right of the board? Any difference as far as quality of cut or safety? It would seem to be more safe standing on the right side of the saw putting pressure against the fence away from the blade but I don't know which would produce a better cut if there is any difference or if it matters if having the large part of the board between the fence and the blade as far as kickback risk. Thanks for any help.

Steve

[MilDoc]

I set the fence to the right of the blade, measure from the fence to the right edge of a tooth, set the fence, and measure again, then cut. Kickback is unlikely with that width and weight of a board. More likely to occur with thin, small pieces. Push the board through and follow-thru, pushing the board beyond the blade.

On the left of the board I usually use a featherboard to keep the wood against the fence, mounted just in front of the blade. Sometimes my left hand is the featherborard, in the same position in front of the blade.

Can't really say if the cut would be better or worse with the fence to the right. Never tried it.

[Tom Miller]

I'm with Paul -- except for measuring twice.

All signs point to having the fence 18" from the blade: the cut is much safer than if you had the fence 2" away, since it would be hard to control the rest of the piece, AND, since it's implied that the piece you care about is the 18" wide piece, your cut is now parallel to the edge that was against the fence.

I don't think about where to stand in terms of how best to dodge kickback. Rather, I think about where to stand to best control the piece to avoid kickback in the first place. Also, I always use the riving knife.

Regards,
Tom

[RayintheUK]

Kickback is unlikely with that width and weight of a board. More likely to occur with thin, small pieces.

Granted that larger boards are easier to control than smaller pieces, Paul, but the weight and size of a board has got absoutely NOTHING to do with whether it kicks back or not - that is dependent on other factors, including:

The setup of the rip fence in relation to the blade
Tension-release in workpiece during the cut
Correct fitting and adjustment of riving knife (or, foolishly, not having one at all)
Feeding and control techniques during the cut

I would not want to give anyone starting out the impression that kickback is unlikely with larger pieces per se, because if a large piece kicks back it can result in all sorts of problems.

In Steve's example, the board should be cut with the 18" portion to the right of the blade for another reason - side pressure towards the fence against the whole board will leave the narrow piece outside the blade and the wider part will easily take the pressure against the fence. However, if reversed, the amount of pressure placed on the whole board could cause problems, tending to close the cut behind the blade - a major cause of kickback.

Ray.

[LarryG]

One other good reason to put the 18" piece nearest the fence (Paul touched on this in his first paragraph): the measurement you make to set the fence will be the size of the cut piece you want, with no need to consider either the size of the offcut or to make an allowance for the kerf.

A woodworker should always strive to do as little math as possible, no matter how simple the equation. It's when you go, "Let's see ... I'm starting out with a piece that's x inches wide, and I want it to end up y inches wide, so that means I need to cut off z, less the kerf, so that would be, uh, let me think ..." That's when you get into trouble. Compare this to, "I want a piece that's x inches wide, so I'll set the fence x inches from the blade." Sooooo much simpler, with much less chance of a mistake.

EDIT: Like Tom, I always stand where I can best control the workpiece. In this case, that would be directly behind the 18" wide workpiece. I am emphatically NOT in the "never stand behind the blade" camp. I'll stand behind the blade all day long if that's where I need to be, for best control.

[leehljp]

If you are new to this, I have a couple of suggestions that might be helpful to you:

1. Make a sacraficial fence that is longer than the original. I made an "H" shaped fence out of wood and it fits snug on top of the original rip fence. It is about 15 - 18 inches longer than the original, which helps for ripping long pieces.

2. When feeding the cut, keep your eyes on the wood and the fence, not the blade. This will help you make sure the board is in the right place - tight against the fence - at all times and the cut will take care of itself.

In keeping your eyes on the fence, make sure you know where your hand is. Don't push it in a line with the blade.

[Ken Weaver]

What those guys said - they covered it great!

[LCHIEN]

Granted that larger boards are easier to control than smaller pieces, Paul, but the weight and size of a board has got absoutely NOTHING to do with whether it kicks back or not - that is dependent on other factors, including:

The setup of the rip fence in relation to the blade
Tension-release in workpiece during the cut
Correct fitting and adjustment of riving knife (or, foolishly, not having one at all)
Feeding and control techniques during the cut

I would not want to give anyone starting out the impression that kickback is unlikely with larger pieces per se, because if a large piece kicks back it can result in all sorts of problems.

In Steve's example, the board should be cut with the 18" portion to the right of the blade for another reason - side pressure towards the fence against the whole board will leave the narrow piece outside the blade and the wider part will easily take the pressure against the fence. However, if reversed, the amount of pressure placed on the whole board could cause problems, tending to close the cut behind the blade - a major cause of kickback.

Ray.

I'm going to disagree with Ray here a little.

In my opinion, the "classic" kickback occurs with smaller pieces, generally
1) between the fence and blade
2) more towards squarish in form factor (rather than long and skinny)
3) dimensions ranging from about 2 to 5 inches with 3 being the most dangerous.

When these pieces get kicked back its because the cutoff got lifted in the rear (longer pieces than 5" don't lift that easily) and twisted as it lifted so it jams between the blade and fence so it comes right up.
You'll find a curved set of teeth tracks on the bottom of the piece as it went over the blade and got fully acceperated to ~100 mph
and it will leave a nasty bruise and or broken skin in the tummy or chest area. Usually accompanied with a loud bang.

Now, there is another kickback in which a long skinny piece trapped between the blade and rip fence gets shot backwards (because of friction with the blade), but it does not have the velocity or spin of the classic kickback noted above, and is not nearly as dangerous. It can be helped with a riving knife.

In my experience you can see the latter happen but you never see the former, it happens way too fast.

[RayintheUK]

When these pieces get kicked back its because the cutoff got lifted in the rear (longer pieces than 5" don't lift that easily) and twisted as it lifted so it jams between the blade and fence so it comes right up.

So if it "got lifted in the rear" it's down to poor technique, which is what I said in my reply as being one of the major factors causing kickback.

Ray.

[Wood_workur]

If you are right handed, stand on the left, and push the wood agains the fence (on the right)

If you are left handed, stand on the right, and push the wood agains the fence (on the left)

I perfer to put the keeper piece between the fence and the blade, unless the pieces is skinnier than 1.5", and the cutoff is wider.

[steve-u]

Thanks gentlemen. All replies were very helpful and I found exactly the information I wanted. I was thinking the best way to go would be to set the rip fence to be 18 inches to the right of the blade and feed standing to the right of the blade but was not sure. I do use the guard and riving knife all the time. Thanks again. --- Steve

[LCHIEN]

So if it "got lifted in the rear" it's down to poor technique, which is what I said in my reply as being one of the major factors causing kickback.

Ray.

Now I'll agree with you there. I make sure when I am cutting pieces anywhere approaching the size and shape I mentioned that I am very sure to use push techniques that have a lot of down force, such as a shoe instead of a push stick (which really only holds down the trailing edge, not the leading edge, which tends to lift in that bad kickback).

[JR]

...I am very sure to use push techniques that have a lot of down force, such as a shoe instead of a push stick ...

When I was a rank beginner I sometimes helped my brother out in his cabinet shop. His setup had huge infeed/outfeed tables, making it easy to cut down big panels. The tendency, though, was to just lay a panel up there and shove it through.

One day I was doing that and failed to keep pressure against the fence, while also maintaining proper down force. The next thing you know I had 40"x40" panel making like a frisbee! Luckily nobody got decaptitated, but that panel made the Wall of Shame complete with spray-painted date and culprit's identity.

I try to imagine an invisible force located a few inches in front of the saw blade. That force exerts pressure downwards and into the fence simultaneously. If you need a pushstick and featherboard to create the force, fine. If it's a shoe and your left hand, that's ok, too. Whatever it takes to create that crucial pressure point.

JR