Q:

When cutting a board to length on the tablesaw, I usually use a miter gauge. When I pull back the good piece, the little cutoff sometimes stays next to the blade, vibrates into it, and then shoots back at me. Is there any way to avoid this? I don’t want to reach in to flick it away because my fingers would be too close to the blade.

John W. Ely, Iowa City, IA

A:

To eliminate this problem, you need to push the offcut past the blade when you make your cut. If you’re using the tablesaw’s miter gauge, add a wooden fence to the miter gauge that extends beyond the blade. Another option is to use a crosscut sled. Make the cut, pull the sled back, and carefully remove the offcut before starting the next cut.

1) Add a fence to a miter gauge. A long sacrificial wood fence pushes the stock past the blade. When the miter gauge and workpiece are pulled back, the offcut sits well out of harm’s way.

2) Or use a crosscut sled. After making the cut, pull the sled back to the start position and slide the offcuts out of the path of the blade. Don’t let scraps pile up, or they could drift into the blade path.

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