Hi,
Just wondering if this is the right way to rip a board on a table saw. The operator’s hands appear to be on the waste side of the board. Shouldn’t his right hand be pushing the board forward and past the back of the blade? That guard doesn’t allow for a pushstick.
Replies
Pushing stock past the guard
Wanda-
He's going to need something to push the stock past the blade, though I wouldn't recommend that he use his hand. I think a narrow stick no thicker than the stock would be fine. I don't like the way he's feeding by angling the pressure; when the cut is complete, he's then pushing the cutoff against the blade.
Don
pushing stock past guard
HI Don,
EXACTLY! As the board moves forward his hands are going to be pushing the waste piece fo the board. Believe it or not that was a picture I saw in a woodworking mag on table saw safety...
wanda
Lesson in increasing your paranoia of the TS
This is how you take your fear of this tool to invent a new method to create another problem beyond your comprehension.
Both the guard and the hand positions could be appropriate for a non-through cut but both would be a disaster for ripping.
I have to agree with Hammer.. from the size opening in the insert I think he is doing a non-through dado in that stock. I use a gaurd similar when I used to do dadoes on a tablle saw. But.. I use spring-board (basically the same a feather-board) left of stock and a flat push stick to guide it through. I lower the over-head shield to not only act a a shield but an over-head hold down to keep the stock flat on the table.
On a standard rip I personally would not approach it the way he did even though the blade is covered and it would be difficult in that picture to get a finger or hand underneath.
ripping on a table saw
Hi Sarge,
Ok, I should have looked more closely at the picture. I just assumed since the article was talking about ripping that the photo was demonstraing how to rip safely on the TS. It's difficult to see the opening of the throat plate.
He's not using any downward pressure on the board as he's pushing it through the blade. I agree with you. I'd use featherboards to keep the board tight against the fence and a pushstick to keep the board pressed down to the table.
wanda
They should have clarified the exact scenario Wanda as we have basically concluded. Most would have been fooled it you had not looked closely. I picked it up because of the type over-head he was using. It is very similar to the hardwood block I use occasionally with a slot for view in the center. The difference is I push my gaurd down on the stock to use as a hold-down also. I attach to block to the fence with Rockler clamps that have a front rod that go into 3/8" drilled holes in the guard itself.
Bad picture to select
Wanda,
When I first saw this photo over on the Pop Wood website, I thought the same thing. After a closer look, it was clear that this is a dado cut and not a rip. The technique is sound, I think. But I still feel this was a bad photo to select for table saw safety because it's not apparant, at first look, that this is a dado cut.
Frank
Based on it being a dado, not a through cut, seems to me it's another example of a poorly thought-out photo that doesn't tell the whole story.
If it wasn't.. the wording with the picture should be clear this is a non-through dado cut and frankly... how he is handling it is probably safer for that cut using the TS than what 90% of those that use the TS to do them uses. You know who you are! ha.. ha...
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