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Riving knife! That's the best method. I've heard it said that it's impossible to have kickback with a riving knife.
(Image Source)
Other things to consider:
Having a fence parallel to the blade. When it's not parallel, you might pinch the blade and cause the workpiece to fly back at you.
Don't rip boards in half. If you have a six inch board that you cut ...
25
Is this considered safe?
It can be done safely. A tall fence, featherboards, and good push stick make a big difference. Not everyone takes the time to set all that up, though, so it's worth pointing out that (like any TS operation) it can also be done unsafely.
If so, what are the rules of resawing on a table saw?
Equipment:
tall fence: The big ...
23
A "climb cut" is called such because the workpiece wants to "climb" over the blade--or, if the workpiece is fixed, the blade wants to "climb" over the workpiece. Where do you think Galoob got the idea for THE ANIMAL monster truck? Some guy trying to make a deep climb cut with a rip blade on a circular saw, no doubt.
Some people use a very shallow climb ...
22
Kickback can occur when the back of the blade gets pinched in the kerf, when a piece of wood is pinched between the blade and fence, or when a piece of wood is lifted off the table.
Anti-kickback equipment
As others have mentioned, a riving knife, anti-kickback pawls, and fence-mounted featherboards help protect against kickback.
If using a table-mounted ...
20
If you call up Freud and ask, they'll tell you that you want one full tooth to clear the top of the wood, but no more.
There are a couple of reasons for that recommendation- first is safety. A tooth that clears the surface on the up swing then re-enters on the down swing may not follow the same planar path due to harmonics and vibration related physics. A ...
20
To prevent small pieces from falling into the gap.
To serve as a backing to minimize chipout on the back side of the cut.
I can't think of a time when you wouldn't be better off using one. However, sometimes it's sort of a pain to make one for every blade, or in the case of a Dado set every blade combination... So it tends to not be used for non critical ...
19
There's two ways that immediately pop to mind- one involves spending a significant amount of money, the other a significant amount of time.
You can buy replacement miter gauges for most table saws (e.g. Incra) that are very very accurate. Couple that with a good tune-up, and you'll be cutting perfect miters in no time.
However, the other option is to make a ...
17
As a secondary safety measure to @dfife's excellent riving knife suggestion, anti-kickback pawls are another option.
Generally they install on the riving knife itself, and are spring loaded to stay in contact with the workpiece. Think of it as a one-way clutch for your lumber.
Note that I've had issues with these scratching softwoods like pine, so I only ...
17
Let's tackle the second part of your question first.
when/why would I want to use [a crosscut sled] over the fence on a saw?
It is extremely unsafe to use your table saw's fence for crosscuts because such a small surface is registered against the fence. It would be easy to twist the workpiece and cause a kickback, or at the very least ruin your workpiece....
15
A zero clearance insert is an insert which exactly matches the width of the blade. You can make one by slowly raising the blade through an un-cut insert.
The advantage is as aaron says, they prevent things from falling through the hole, and more importantly, they reduce chip-out by ensuring that the piece has support and thus chips won't tend to get pulled ...
14
Your blade will start to show signs of dullness. These include:
Binding
Excessive force required to advance cut
Excessive tearing/chipout
Burning the wood
It helps if you can remember the "feel" of cutting with a sharp blade to help recognize these signs. One of them alone may be a result of improper technique. But when multiple signs stack up, you can be ...
14
No, SawStop is the only table saw currently available for purchase (as of Apr 2015) which features a flesh-triggered active safety device.
However, on March 16, 2015, Bosch announced a jobsite table saw featuring an active safety system they call REAXX. Although the saw is not yet available for purchase, the press release notes, "The Bosch REAXX Jobsite ...
13
A riving knife goes up and down with the blade, so it's always the same distance from the back of the blade.
One person on the Fine Woodworking forums made a nice illustration:
(image source)
A splitter does not raise and lower with the blade, so as you lower the blade, the gap between the blade and splitter increases. This allows for a greater chance of ...
13
If you feel it must be sealed up, some nicely placed HVAC aluminum tape will do the trick. A careful application at the edge of the table and bring it to the sides with a little turn-down to seal it up.
I do agree with Rob that 4" round will give plenty draw.
13
I think the word 'safe' here might be relative. Just like modern cars are safe, when driven on the road, and obeying traffic laws. I think in this case the answer is a profound NO.
Table saws are 'safe' when used for cutting wood that is against the table, and the stop, preferably using push sticks and a riving knife. I see none of those things going on ...
13
There's another factor you're not considering: torque requirements. There's a reason the majority of dado sets are 6" or 8" in diameter. Most table saws won't have the power to run a 10" set. A 10" set will require 25% more torque than an 8" set, and 67% more torque than a 6" set.
Not surprisingly, Matthias over at Woodgears has written an article about ...
13
The operation you want to do is called resawing, and is best done on a bandsaw.
Ideally, your bandsaw should be equipped with a 1/2" or wider, 2-4 TPI blade and a resaw guide or high fence that can be easily adjusted for blade drift (just in case you haven't yet mastered Alex Snodgrass' drift-free bandsaw setup technique).
(Source)
The bandsaw will leave ...
13
The chippers in the stack may vary in height. You can test for that by making a single pass and see if it is smooth. If the chippers are ok, then it is likely technique.
Make sure you are holding the work piece down tightly against the table on each pass and make sure there is no sawdust accumulating under it.
If you have some uneven joints, you can ...
13
Generally, that is the right thing to do. Obviously you wouldn't let a power tool run all day when you don't need it, or even walk away and let it run unattended. But keeping it running in between making several cuts in a couple of work pieces or drilling several holes is absolutely fine (I am almost inclined to say "best practice").
For the tool as well ...
13
I use 7.25" and 8" blades on a 10" table saw all the time, with no problem. You will have less depth of cut, of course, and also a reduction of rim speed,which will slightly increase chances of tearout, and slightly reduce risk of burning, both to a negligible degree under most conditions. Go for it.
12
Although there are many instances in which you need to remove a standard or modular table saw blade guard, most cuts can be made with a riving knife installed. However, there are a few operations for which you must (or should) remove the riving knife:
Raising the blade through a workpiece (e.g., when cutting the slot for a crosscut sled or zero-clearance ...
12
Plexiglass works well with a craft knife too. If you score it a couple of times with a straight rule, it should snap cleanly along the break.
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"Paste wax" is the go-to wax for your purpose and for waxing tool surfaces.
Avoid buying a wax that contains silicone, because the silicone can directly or indirectly get transferred onto your wood and cause problems when you go to apply finish.
I've also been told to avoid car wax since it can contain silicone and apparently it can also contain abrasives (...
12
The hook angle refers to the angle at which the teeth will engage the material being cut. A high or positive hook angle means the outermost tip of each tooth will engage very aggressively, whereas a low or negative hook angle causes each tooth to take a less aggressive bite.
(Source)
How do I choose a blade based on hook angle?
Use a blade with a negative ...
12
I think this falls under the "it's true, but doesn't matter" category. Motors will operate at their peak efficiency when clean, but it takes a lot of dust build up before the performance or longevity would be impacted.
Personally, I clean off my tools prior to storing them, just because I like to keep things neat. My Dad used the same miter saw on ...
11
If the table saw has been properly stored, you may not have to do much before you can start using it. Find out if there's a reason why it hasn't been used other than a loss of interest or lack of time--for example, maybe it needed the bearings replaced and your friend just never got around to it.
Has it been subjected to the elements?
If it has been ...
11
Sometimes when people believe their saw is dull, what it really needs is a cleaning. The resins from the wood build up in the teeth over time and gum up the cutting edge. Soaking the blade in simple green or another cleaner of choice and then scrubbing the teeth with an old toothbrush can prolong cutting life.
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I wouldn't worry about it unless you hook everything up and find that you aren't getting good enough suction. In fact, you don't want to completely seal up the saw, or else there won't be enough air intake to feed the dust collection port. Airflow in must equal the airflow out. If you starve the dust collector by sealing up the table saw too much, you'll ...
11
Take a sled and add a pivot as far away from the blade as you want your radius. (riving knife and guards can remain in place)
As preparation rough cut your piece on the band-saw.
source
Then put your piece on the sled and attach it to the pivot. Clamp it down to avoid the piece rotating while you are cutting and make a cut. Unclamp, rotate, clamp and cut ...
11
Your inclination is to use the piece that sticks out the farthest to 'push' the sled. As you noted changing that is the smart thing to do. Making it longer would be a pain, but my recommendation would be to put a handle on the top of the blade guard so you naturally grab that! If you mount it right it will also discourage you from putting your hand in ...
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