Spacers Make it Safe to Saw Off Box Lids
A lot of woodworkers cut the lids off their boxes on the tablesaw. The problem is that the box becomes very unstable when you are making the final cut that frees the lid. Here’s a simple workshop tip for doing it safely.
Sep 13, 2018
A lot of woodworkers cut the lids off their boxes on the tablesaw. The problem is that the box becomes very unstable when you are making the final cut that frees the lid. Here’s a simple way to do it safely. Using the same tablesaw blade you’ll use to saw off the lid, rip a slot in a long piece of wood. Now glue a strip of wood into that slot. For me that’s usually just more of the stock I use for miter keys. Now cut the long assembled piece into three pieces, which can be inserted into the first three sawcuts when making the fourth. To hold everything together, all you need is a fat rubber band or two, wrapped around the box just above the area where it will ride your rip fence. It works beautifully.
—Doug Stowe, Eureka Springs, Ark.
Illustrations by Dan Thornton
From Fine Woodworking issue #270
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Comments
I appreciate the spirit of the creativity, but sometimes tips aren't practical. Just saw it off with the box against the fence instead of the lid so the more stable part is between the blade and fence, and begin sawing on one of the short sides so you end up with the longer, more stable side against the table for the final cut.
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