Table Saw
Guide the work, keep hands out of the blade path and prevent material from binding between the blade and fence.
Straight cuts: Category 3 in the woods lab
Straight cuts: Category 3 in the woods lab
A table saw makes straight cuts: ripping follows the grain; crosscutting goes across it. See How Saws Cut Wood and Choosing a Woodworking Machine for blade and machine selection.
Category 3 in the Woods / Construction lab. Follow category permission and supervision requirements.
Complete Equipment Operating Procedure and Personal Protective Equipment before using this reminder. Guarding, entanglement and power isolation are covered in Machine Hazards and Housekeeping.
Before starting: check the blade, guide and feed path; Checklist
Before starting: check the blade, guide and feed path
- Confirm that the blade suits the material and cut. With the machine stopped and isolated for setup, expose only the blade height needed for the cut, following the installed saw's instructions.
- Check the blade guard and the saw's anti-kickback equipment. A missing or malfunctioning device means the setup is not ready. No one removes a guard in this lab. A machine that needs a guard off is the instructor's to deal with, out of class (see Machine Hazards and Housekeeping).
- Choose the guide for the cut: the rip fence for ripping, or the approved crosscut setup. In our labs, do not use the sled with the rip fence.
- Plan support for the board throughout the cut and place the push stick within reach before starting. Check where both hands will go as the trailing end approaches the blade.
Control blade contact and kickback throughout the cut
Control blade contact and kickback throughout the cut
Kickback is material thrown back toward the feed side by the blade. Binding between the blade and fence is one cause. Do not make a cut that traps a loose cutoff there.
- Use the approved guide to keep the board aligned; do not steer it freehand.
- For a rip cut, push the part between the fence and blade. Use the push stick to keep hands out of the blade path, including at the end of the cut.
- Feed steadily at a rate the blade can cut. Ease the feed through harder areas; do not force a struggling cut.
- Keep clear of the blade while it coasts. Stop it completely before removing scraps or reaching for a finished piece near it.
Why one feed rate does not fit every cut
Thickness, wood, blade and available power change how readily material cuts. Pushing harder does not fix binding or a poorly chosen setup; it can make control worse.
If material binds or kicks back: stop and report it
If material binds or kicks back: stop and report it
Do not reach after a thrown piece or try to free material beside a moving blade. Stop the saw from a safe position and notify the instructor. Have the setup checked before restarting; clearing a jam follows the isolation procedure in Machine Hazards and Housekeeping.
If injured, move clear and stop the machine only if you can do so safely. Follow Lab Conduct and Emergencies. Finish normal work with the shutdown and cleanup steps in Equipment Operating Procedure.