Top 10 Table Saw Safety Tips

by Kelly R. Smith

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Craftsman woodworking table saw
Craftsman woodworking table saw

This article was updated on 10/14/20.

By its very nature, woodworking is a dangerous hobby and profession. There are 720,000 injuries each year associated with woodworking projects and about 42% of these occur on the table saw. No surprise here; almost every project needs stock ripped or crosscut. How can we do better? Let’s look at these top 10 table saw safety tips.

  • Using your blade guard. Yes, they come from the factory installed and recommended but who actually uses them? Ahem, yeah, I thought so. I use a push stick or another woodworking jig to get the job done. Should I use the guard? Yeah, but usually… no. Still, I recommend it.
  • Table saw blade selection. It is tempting to use the same table saw blade for every job, but should you? No. You need a separate blade for cross-cutting and one for ripping Why? A crosscut blade makes the rip cut much more difficult. It can burn and bind.
  • Use a zero-clearance insert. Yes, there are two schools of thought on this one. Safety says a supported piece is a safer piece.
  • Woodworking dust collection. If your table saw offers a port, use it. You will guard your health, keep your wood shop clean, and lower fire risks. Wood dust not only irritates your throat and nose, but some species can be poisonous. Keeping a clean and clutter-free work area is important.
  • Use your PPE (Personal Protective Equipment). Yeah this stuff is front and center because of the Covidid-19 Pandemic but truth be told, it was always a big deal. Use safety glasses and ear protection. Gloves? Personal decision.
  • Keep your hands out of harm’s way. Use push sticks, push blocks and other safety devices to help guide and control work pieces.
  • Don’t stand directly in front of or in back of the blade. Always stand to one side or the other. Even with the guard in place, the odd chunk of wood might kick back.
  • Make adjustments before powering up. Make all adjustments with your blade stopped, with the single exception of changing the speed. Never try to change the configuration of the table or the power plant before the machine has stopped.
  • Keep your hands safe. Do not reach under the table to make adjustments, remove scrap, or make adjustments while the blade is turning.
  • Use your accessories. Make use of your miter gauge or rip fence to guide your work. Free-hand cuts are very dangerous, inaccurate and not recommended. For larger pieces, such as plywood, use table saw extensions or rollers. Ideally, you should have a helper, but realistically that’s not always going to happen.

Keep these 10 table saw safety tips in mind each and every time you enter your shop. It is easy to become complacent with this and other tools. None of us came with spare body parts.



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About the Author:

Photo of Kelly R. SmithKelly R. Smith is an Air Force veteran and was a commercial carpenter for 20 years before returning to night school at the University of Houston where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science. After working at NASA for a few years, he went on to develop software for the transportation, financial, and energy-trading industries. He has been writing, in one capacity or another, since he could hold a pencil. As a freelance writer now, he specializes in producing articles and blog content for a variety of clients. His personal blog is at I Can Fix Up My Home Blog where he muses on many different topics.

Make a Round and Cylindrical Object Drilling Jig

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Woodworking jig to secure round, cylindrical while drilling
Woodworking jig to secure round, cylindrical while drilling

Holding round objects stable while drilling or otherwise working with them can be a sticky wicket. Holding them with your hand can lead to losing some skin and clamping them can mar the surface. One solution is to make this round and cylindrical object drilling jig. And who couldn’t use yet another woodworking jig?

Using the Jig

Once built, using the jig is straightforward. The adjustable fences slide in from the long sides and the stop blocks slide in the other direction. All movement and clamping of these components is done with the t-tracks, fence knobs, and t-slot bolts. The drilling plate serves to drill through, preventing splintering of the bottom of the object as the drill bit exits. You’ll find yourself using this woodworking jig over and over, with your drill press or independently.

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Did you find this article helpful? Thanks for supporting this free site with a small donation!

 




Visit Kelly’s profile on Pinterest.


About the Author:

Photo of Kelly R. SmithKelly R. Smith is an Air Force veteran and was a commercial carpenter for 20 years before returning to night school at the University of Houston where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science. After working at NASA for a few years, he went on to develop software for the transportation, financial, and energy-trading industries. He has been writing, in one capacity or another, since he could hold a pencil. As a freelance writer now, he specializes in producing articles and blog content for a variety of clients. His personal blog is at I Can Fix Up My Home Blog where he muses on many different topics.

5 Benefits of a Wood Shop Dust Collector

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A Shopsmith wood shop dust collector
A Shopsmith wood shop dust collector

When most beginning woodworkers are setting up shop or experienced ones are upgrading, what first comes to mind? Tools, benches, and fixtures. But here’s a woodworking tip for you; it pays to first consider an investment in a wood shop dust collector system. Here are 10 of the most important reasons.

  • Sawdust is a royal pain. Shavings, dust, and chips accumulate very quickly. Fine dust fills the air until it settles somewhere, such as the surface of your current project that you are putting a finish coat on, applying putty to, or gluing up. And it goes without saying that you won’t make any points with your spouse when you inevitably track it into the house.
  • Sawdust is a definite fire hazard. It only takes one spark from your grinder to get things going. And if you are not storing your flammables properly you are compounding the problem. Even fine dust that sifts on top of lighting fixtures and electrical boxes has the potential to light up your day — and not in a good way!
  • Sawdust is a great candidate for recycling. Having the dust collector consolidate it while you work on your table saw, band saw, or other piece of equipment takes half the effort out of the process. It can be used to make sweeping compound (which you can use or barter). Hardwood is a great soil amendment for your garden because as it breaks down it feeds the soil with beneficial nutrients.
  • Fine sawdust is a health hazard without a dust collector. It can hover in the air for hours where it enters your sinuses and lungs. You can end up with allergy issues and congestion. The effects accumulate over time meaning that they can build up over the course of years even if you don’t notice a problem for a while. Exotic woods can be outright toxic. I had an x-ray several years ago and they picked up a spot in one lung. Turns out it was a “calcified nodule” which results when you breath something in and your lung isolates it by coating it, much as an oyster creates a pearl from a grain of sand over time. Was it from woodworking? Quite possible after 20 years as a carpenter.
  • Dust collection extends the life of your power tools. If chips or even dust is removed immediately, friction on moving parts is reduced greatly. When sanding, your paper will take longer to clog, saving time and money. It figures that sawdust from any wood containing moisture or sap will gum up a heated machine fairly quickly.

These are just 5 important benefits of a wood shop dust collection system. Yes, it is an expense but in the long run it will save you time, money, and your health.

Looking for more great content? Visit our partner sites:

The Green Frugal

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I offer article and blog-writing services. Interested? Hire Me!


Did you find this article helpful? Thanks for supporting this free site with a small donation!

 




Visit Kelly’s profile on Pinterest.

About the Author:

Photo of Kelly R. SmithKelly R. Smith is an Air Force veteran and was a commercial carpenter for 20 years before returning to night school at the University of Houston where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science. After working at NASA for a few years, he went on to develop software for the transportation, financial, and energy-trading industries. He has been writing, in one capacity or another, since he could hold a pencil. As a freelance writer now, he specializes in producing articles and blog content for a variety of clients. His personal blog is at I Can Fix Up My Home Blog where he muses on many different topics.

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