Table Saw Technique Survey- Is there a settled 'best way'? (I: Crosscuts)

[Gator95]

The length of this post will probably draw eyerolls from some, but...

After hearing some folks on this forum and others describe how they make their cuts after an accident, I'm beginning to wonder if there is a settled single safest way to make a simple cut. Even in woodworking books in the library and browsing at Borders, there seems to be some variance in how the execution of cuts is described. A couple suggestions I've seen in print for ripcuts look downright

I would appreciate hearing how other forum members think about, plan, and execute the basic cuts. Since I started the thread, I'll go first. I'm sure have a lot to learn, and hope to learn some of it from all of you. Any feedback on how to compensate for some of the drawbacks in my technique are appreciated.

I'll split this into two posts- this one for cross-cuts. Next post will be for rip cuts, where I'd expect more variance in technique.

1) Crosscut- Assume a 4/4 poplar 8' board, 8" wide being cut into two 4' sections. Saw is a Ridgid 3660- typical contractor saw

a) Setup

Where possible I set up to left of blade. I make sure the rip fence is off the table and the blade guard and splitter are on the saw. Saw blade height is about a half-inch higher than the thickness of piece to be cut. Shopvac is hooked up to the dust port. I measure the board for length mark a light line through the board where I want the cut. I put the board on the saw table about where it will be cut and assess it's balance and position side support where needed to ensure workpiece will be under control once cut, and not tip off the table. If not using a sled or shooting board, assess how easily workpiece glides on table- if it does not glide easilly, either correct what is preventing this by cleaning table or if that does not fix any issues, use a circular saw for the cut if a shooting board or sled is not available.

Once feed support is in place, I place the board against my miter gauge fence and visually adjust it so the kerf will match the cut. I lightly mark a line on the board at the edge of the miter gauge so that I have a fixed reference to watch as feedback to keep board steady.

b) Execution

I put on my safety glasses and earmuffs and turn shopvac on. I check that the board is still where I want it on the miter gauge and turn the saw on after ensuring board is well clear of the blade. I stand to the left of the saw table, with my body at about a 45* angle to the saw table. My left hand is holding the workpiece down and against the mitre gauge (or sled) and my right hand is pushing the miter gauge (or sled) forward. I'm watching to make sure the workpiece does not move off the miter gauge and that the mark I made in the setup stays steady in the same place. During the entire operation my body is to the left side of the saw, and I am roughly facing the side of the saw blade. The fence rails on my saw do not extend very far beyond the edge of the left extension table- so for me this is not at all awkward. For other saw set-ups this might not be possible.

I push the workpiece through the sawblade, moving my feet to ensure they remain centered under me during the operation, and push the workpiece all the way throught the blade to the back of the table. Once the cut is complete, and the workpiece is no longer in contact with the blade I remove it from the saw and turn the saw off. Since the on/off switch is on the right side of the rails, I use a pushstick to hit the off toggle while standing on the front left side of the saw. I do not cross in front of the saw until it is done spinning down. Once blade is stopped, I remove the off cut from the right side of the saw and turn off the shopvac.

Advantages of this technique:

• My body is completely out of the way from any freak cutoff piece kickback at all times.
• My center of balance is over my feet all the way through the cut
• My hands are at least 3" away from the blade at all time.
• Standing somewhat to the side of the saw gives me (IMHO) the best vantage point to ensure control and keep the workpiece steady

Disadvantages:

• Lack of positive control of the cutoff to the right side of the blade.
• (saw setup) Need to do crosscuts on left side of saw to use this technique due to rails extending way beyond table on other side of saw. Since off switch is on right side of rails, I'm a long way from the panic button if something goes 'wrong' during a cut.

So how do you do it, and why?

[poolhound]

Personally I wouldnt be cross cutting an 8' board on the TS to get 2 x 4' pieces. Its easier and safer to just pop it on a saw horse or whatever other supports you have handy and cut with CS or JS. I only have a 10" CMS (6" CCUT), if I had a 12" or a SCMS that would also be a choice.

I know you are trying to focus on TS technique but not sure the TS is best tool for the task you picked.

[LinuxRandal]

Due to shop size and tools or lack there of, what one can do, others can't (and thereby try less safe techniques).

I am considering selling my wide table kit, since I use a guided circular saw system so much anymore (not an issue with this type of cut), so that would be my first choice here.

If doing it on a regular, not wide, BT, I would setup some support stands on either side (both cutoff and keeper side), use a crosscut sled (I have the miter slots on both sides) and I would screw together (probably plywood extension) a longer fence that the cutoff could be clamped to in the sled.

A LOT more complicated, then even a basic, small sawboard.

[Gator95]

Agreed that there are may be better ways to crosscut a single 8' long board than using a TS. My goal was to get a survey of detailed techniques used by members of the forum to try and to find common approaches that we could agree on as best practices.

As I started to write up the 'rip' topic I realized that this is probably not going to happen and that so much of how we do something is pretty dependent on equipment and setup. Wrote the above while in an excruciating confrence call where I needed to call in, but didn't really need to participate other than say "yes, it is" and "yes, they know that" at hour #1 and hour #3.

Most probably don't have time to type up their operating procedures in detail enough to really be able to distill out any new information, so I'll probably drop this now.

We can probably all agree on the basic principles:

Control the workpiece
Keep hands away from the blade
Use blade guard and splitter whenever possible

But there are lots of ways to execute cuts that still follow these- there may be no best way for all setups.

[Popeye]

I for one wouldn't cross cut an 8' board on a TS but... if given no other choice... I'd set up support on both sides of the blade, set the blade height to the bare min. to cut through the board and then cut the board halfway with the miter gage. I'd finish the cut by raising the blade. The possibility of binding and kickback on such a cut scares me and I've been doing this a long long time.
Better would be to build a crosscut sled.
Best as others have said, use a jigsaw or circular say and a speed square. Pat

[Bill in Buena Park]

We can probably all agree on the basic principles:

Control the workpiece
Keep hands away from the blade
Use blade guard and splitter whenever possible

But there are lots of ways to execute cuts that still follow these- there may be no best way for all setups.

If TS is the premise, I'd agree with other posters as follows:

Control the workpiece - Use a crosscut sled
Keep hands away from the blade - Use a crosscut sled
Use blade guard and splitter whenever possible - Blade guard won't work with sled; splitter might.

[LinuxRandal]

If TS is the premise, I'd agree with other posters as follows:

Control the workpiece - Use a crosscut sled
Keep hands away from the blade - Use a crosscut sled
Use blade guard and splitter whenever possible - Blade guard won't work with sled; splitter might.

FACTORY blade guard won't work with a crosscut sled. Lot's of people use clear polycarbonite, for a blade gaurd ON the crosscut sled.

NEVER give up on the idea, that you can protect yourself, if you think about it. Giving up on that, can lead to eventual problems!

[cabinetman]

Assuming this procedure has to be done on a TS. I always have a far left and right of the blade support table. A sled would be the best method. Without one, I have modified one of my miter gauges with a fence that is to the cut edge of the blade on its left side, and about 2' long to the right of the gauge.

I would set the TS fence for my cutting dimension. Then place the stock against the fence, and then move the fence to the right, and out the way.

I would set the blade fairly high for two reasons. First, there would be less lift to the stock as it is being cut. Second, with the blade higher, the angle of cut is more perpendicular, and there is less of a cutting angle. This means there is less cutting force with less of an angle.

I would be in front of the miter gauge and handle the offcut piece gently to continue the cut out past the blade. The stock would be clamped to the miter gauge. I would be holding the stock down and push with my right hand.

I don't put myself into an uncomfortable position to cut just to avoid the possibility of kickback. Purposely standing in a certain place to avoid being hit by kickback doesn't always work. DAMHIKT.

My on/off switch is to the left of the blade right underneath the fence rail.

And I agree that there are safer ways to do this type of crosscut. If I had no other power tools, I would always have a handsaw handy.
.

[poolhound]

If I had no other power tools, I would always have a handsaw handy.
.

Great point! We are all a little power tool crazy sometimes. To cut an 8" 3/4 board with a hand saw would take less than a minute. Much less than the time taken to setup all sorts of supports for the TS.

[ryan.s]

• Since off switch is on right side of rails, I'm a long way from the panic button if something goes 'wrong' during a cut.

So how do you do it, and why?

I have the previous version of your saw TS 3650 and positioned the switch on the left side of the rails so that I could bump it with my hip to turn the saw off when I'm standing to the left of the blade. When I first moved the switch to that position I did accidentally turn the saw off once or twice until I fine tuned the position where it was just right.

[dkerfoot]

This may not be helpful, but my technique would be:
1. Measure Carefully
2. Line it up on the SMT (the not helpful to you part)
3. Make the cut
4. Move on to the next

I'd already have eye protection and respirator on if I am in the shop. If I was making more than one cut I'd put on the hearing protection. If the saw is out (not folded up) the DC is attached.

I really learned to love my 21829 when I was installing engineered bamboo flooring that comes in 7' long and 9" wide sections. Even cross-cutting 1/2" off the end was fairly easy with the wide rails (the standard ones for the 21829) and SMT.

I am also of the "leave the blade high (and the guard on)" school. This cut has fairly low kick-back potential. Generally speaking though, I like the physics/geometry of a high blade better than a low one.

[Russianwolf]

Goal: to cut an 8 foot long 8 inch wide 4/4 board into two equal 4 foot lengths.


Response: It's not possible. One or Both boards would be less than 4 foot in length as the kerf would eat at least 3/32s of the board.

Sorry, after the plane and conveyor thread, I can't help but get infinitly specific.

[drumpriest]

I would not use the table saw, it's really that simple. It is difficult to come to a consensus about how we would do such an operations when a significant number of us would not choose that tool. The restrictions of the question make the answer of little use, I'm afraid.

I think the premise of this post is really useful, but maybe it's about how you would do the operation in each of your shops, and then discuss which is probably best given the available tools.

I don't own that table saw, for instance, and have no idea what the "best" way to do that operation with that tool would be. I can only make a likely erroneous guess.

I think it's of more use to say "that would be best done on a chop saw". Like Doug, there is the issue of different saws having different options. Some saws have sliding miter tables, others do not.

For me, I literally cannot make that cut on the table saw in my shop without significantly moving tools around. I just don't have the space. I would probably fall into the category of using a cross cut sled. To feel really safe about it, I'd clamp both sides to the fence of the sled in 2 places each. That way when it seperates you won't have a part falling or moving such that the blade could be pinched. That's about the best that I could do.

Really, I'd measure it out, and cut it on my SCMS.

[Shipwreck]

I keep my miter saw as square as possible, for doing just what you are asking.

[dkerfoot]

I keep my miter saw as square as possible, for doing just what you are asking.

Agreed a Sliding Miter Saw would be ideal, but since mine is fixed, an 8" board would need to be flipped and cut a 2nd time, which is a long way from ideal.